www.diasexmachina.

com
 Creator & Head Writer Mitchem, Dirk Lancer, Douglas Warshowski, Bluegrass Geek, Rob Heinsoo, Stephen Horsley, DM-
Chris Tavares Dias Edd McGinnis, Edward Martin, Elizabeth Bonsell, SKM, Joshua Slane, Andrew Walker, Steve Hamm,
Eric Bonsell, Eric Braun, Fernando Barrocal, NoName_1147, Matt Rock, Steve Lord, Ryan Seratt,
Shawn Stutzel, Daniel Kold, Bruce Baugh, Adam Rajski,
Contributors Gabriel Clouser, Gary Bratzel, Geoffrey Lamb, Sam Curry, Stephan Szabo, Matthew Gushta, Arlie L.
Christopher Stilson, Conan Veitch Glen Gratton, Greg Brown, Ian Hunt, Igor Dia- Hunt III, Tom Walker, Jude Jonas Karlsson,Andreas
mantino, Jason Brown, Jeff Berndt, Jennifer Monitzer, Mark Craddock, Jean-Baptiste Vlassoff, Benja-
Cover Design & Layout Hoyer, Jesse Fuhrman, Jessica Painter, Jewel min Tham, Tun Kai Poh, Jack Gulick, Bernard Gravel,
Joshua Raynack Sandeen, Joe Hinke, John Keyes, Johnny Riess, Dave 'Wintergreen' Harrison, Chauncey Priest, Miguel
Jon Ohman, Jordi Franch, Jordi Martin Castany, Valdespino, Victor E. Serrano Puigdoller, Christopher
Cover Illustration Jordi SalaIbars, Joseph Toral, Joshua Hamilton, Irvine, Yukari Yamamoto, A Herbert, Nicholas Yaeger,
Cole Busse, Garth Elliott, Andrew J. Hayford, Michael
Nick Greenwood Justin Mathena, Khalea Allen, Kiara Sandeen, Dake, Jonathon Dyer, James Rivera, Seth Hartley, David
Kyle Smith, Liz Strom-Deason, Lynette Terrill, Harrison, James Sizemore, Baradaelin, Robert Biskin,
Cartography Marc Franch Ventura, Marc Sonnenberger, Mar- Patrick Malone, L Kevin Watson, Vahn Kergonan, John
Jeremy Simmons celo Dior, Marina Ursa, Mark Whiting, Mathew T Coleman, Jeremy Wildie, Mathew Breitenbach, Jose
Wilson, Melissa Oveson, Mica Fetz, Michael Luis Porfirio, James Gavin, John Rogers, Kean P Stuart,
Editor Andaluz, Michael Murphy, Mike Fitch, Mike Antonio Martorell Ferriol, Bill "Gryffn88" Stilson, Peter
Christopher Stilson McMullen, Miles Orion Kelley, Miquel Creus Gates, Kristopher Stein, Selenio, Oliver von Spreckel-
sen, Max Kaehn, Richard J Legg Jr, Peter Dean, Philip
Bassas, Nichole Machi, Pamela Bennett, Paul Walpole, Sebastian Dietz, Mark A. Siefert, Francois
Interior Illustrations Merrill, Pere Rodriguez Franch, Phil Vecchione, "Stereofm" M., Teppo Pennanen, Conan James, Josh
Nick Greenwood, Jamie Jones R William Herschler, Raphael Cortêz, Raymond Louie, Hamish Thomson, Brian Mead, Derek "Pineapple
Brandes, Rebecca Mooney, Robby Mann, Ryan Steak" Swoyer, Stephen Abel, Daryl Pruett, Sterling
Logo Designs Crichton, Sarah Liechti, Sarah M. Stilson, Sean Brucks, Chris Snyder, Clayton Guerry, Melody Haren
Nick Greenwood Sandeen, Sean Thompson, Shawn O'Leary, Anderson, Louis-Philippe Desroches, Tad Rudnicki, Lee
Sheena Henderson, Steve Hoyer, Steve Marks, McAndrew, Chase Davis, David Rosenberg, Lucas
Maruk, Toast Peters, Robert H. Mitchell Jr., Nathan
Military Advisor Taran Price, Terrence Rideau, Tiffany Lamb, Tim Beal, Graham Lewry, Maura Cowie, Nicholas Stroffoli-
Geoffrey Lamb Rose, Todd Crapper, Tory Bussey, Trevor Ben- no, Kris Knives, Peter Engebos, Koen Casier, Trevor
nett Reid, Kary "Realm Master K" Williams, Stephen White,
Playtesters Lee DeBoer, Joseph Evenson, John C. Randall, Craig
Aaron Hamilton, Aaron Hengst, Ahmed Alex Kickstarter Backers Hackl, Erik Tenkar, Frédéri "Volk Kommissar Friedrich"
Nasla, Alex Hofer, Alex Tendy, Andrew Bob Whitely, Courtney Raines, Elisabeth Espiritu, POCHARD, Eric "Garfink" Lai, AJ 'Houndin' Fritz,
Cermak, Andrew Howes, Andrew Impellezari, Michael "gleepism" McCormack, Jordan Lazzari, Sar- Charles Evans, Frank Janik, Royden Carey,
calistic, Jason LaDue, Matt Dowd, James VanderZanden, Felix Shafir, Richard Mundy, Dave Brown, Alex and
Andrew Young, Angela Berry, Bill Yon, Brad Amanda Fux, Colin Bakermans, Paul Ryan, Chris Hunt,
Ryder DeBruyn, Cassandra de Kanter, Ken Pawlik,
Scoble, Brandon Allen, Brian Barngrover, Cam- Noah Hall, Charles Simpson, Andrew Krause, Evan Jordan Givens, Brian "Nitehood" Johnson, Marty Cho-
eron Lauder, Charla Anderson, Charles Mitchell, "Theta" Proctor dorek, Andrew Lloyd, Bob Roeschenthaler, Savanna van
Chris Baker, Chris Brown, Chris Brown, Chris Jacob P, Steven K. Watkins, Matthew Stanton, Jhereth Mesdag, Kevin Darragh, Tim Elrod, Warren P Nelson,
Clouser, Chris Dias, Chris Oveson, Chris Tyler, Jax, Caoimhe Ora Snow, Timothy Baker, Steven Kim- Sascha Knippig, Lari Helminen, Steffen Zulley, Jeremy
Chris Young, Christopher Baker, Christopher berley, Shawn Surber, Spazninmov, Peter Perkins, Kear, Edward Martin, Christopher Peregrin Stilson,
Hunt, Christopher Stilson, Chuck McGinnis, Tavern Keeper, Robert Rittenhouse, C. Russ Shortes, Caleb Ackling, Stirling Netzlaw, Michael Smith, Gregory
James Brett, Ryan D. Chaddick, Gunnar Högberg, Kenan
Clarence Sterling, Daryl Anderson, Dave Lee,
Philippe Niederkorn, Ccooke, Everett Lo, Pinvendor
Dave Painter, David Baker, David Guyll, David (Legendary Merchant of Pins), Michael O.
Henderson, David Hoyer, Denny Glau, Derek Chris, Ted Childers, Kyle Barrow, Martin Blake

All DEM characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by DEM.
This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unau-
thorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission
of DEM.
©2014 DEM
All rights reserved. This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, or
events is purely coincidental.

Compatibility with the 13th Age Roleplaying Game requires the 13th Age Roleplaying Game from Fire Opal Media Inc. and Pel-
grane Press Ltd. See 13thAge.com for more information on the 13th Age Roleplaying Game. Fire Opal Media does not guarantee
compatibility, and does not endorse this product.

13th Age is a registered trademark of Fire Opal Media Inc., and the 13th Age Roleplaying Game and the 13th Age Roleplaying
Game Compatibility Logo are trademarks of Fire Opal Media Inc. under exclusive license to Pelgrane Press Ltd., and are used un-
der the 13th Age Roleplaying Game Compatibility License. See 13thAge.com for more information on the compatibility license.

13th Age and associated marks and logos are trademarks of Fire Opal Media Inc., and are used under license. See 13thAge.com for
more information on the 13th Age Roleplaying Game. The 13th Age Roleplaying game is published under exclusive license to Pel-
grane Press Ltd.
1: FUNDAMENTALS 6 Koana Academic 189 Weapon Groups 234
A Story 16 Krysallis 189 Resizing Weapon 238
The History 17 Mutaharrik Captain 189 Weapon Properties 238
Magic and Faith 20 Order of the Cloth 190 Weapon Descriptions 240
Required to Play 21 Ravnorra 191 Ammunition 242
Scholar Warden 191 Grenades & Explosives 242
2: HAGIOGRAPHY 24 Urmage 192 Armor 243
Affiliations 25 Angel Sniper 193 Techan Gear 251
Backgrounds 44 Banner Head 194 Special Materials 256
Organizations 69 Brother of Blood 194 Techan Vehicles 257
Echan Generalist 195 Aircraft 264
3: GENESIS 76 Field Machinist 195 Vehicle Modifications 269
The Line of Fae 77 Field Medic 195
Relations and Traditions 78 Infantry Support Specialist 196 8: MAGIC 272
Fae Descendants 80 Man-at-Arms 196 The Source 273
Fae Racial Traits 81 Overseer 196 The Gates 273
Chaparrans 82 Recon Sniper 196 Pleroma 274
Damaskans 86 Ring Fighter 197 Attricana Spells 275
Gimfen 90 Sapper 197 Ixindar and Mengus 276
Laudenians 94 Selkirk Brawler 197 Nihilimancy 276
Narros 97 Sierra Madre Pistolero 199 Artifacts 278
Pagus 100 York Gun Dancer 199 The Eight Shards of Amethyst 281
Tenenbri 103
Tilen 107 6: CHARACTER RULES 202 9: CULTURE 288
Human 111 Durability 203 Alien Similarity 289
Kodiaks 115 Explosives 205 Echalogical Influence
Inter-Species Romance 117 Engineering 206 & Corpus Continuity 289
Fae Mixed Blood 119 Vehicle Operation 207 Cultural Landscape 290
Half-Fae (Human/Fae) 120 Echan Disruption Field 208 Languages 290
Range Expansion 211 Religion 294
4: CLASSES 124 Feats 211 Medieval Trappings 299
Fantasy Classes 125 General Feats 212 Travel 301
Techan Classes 127 Racial Feats 212
Grounder 128 Wizard Feats 213
Front Grounder Feats 213
10: THE WORLD 304
Front Grounder 132
Bastions 306
Heavy Grounder 136 Heavy Grounder Feats 215
Angel 307
Gunslinger 141 Gunslinger Feats 216
Mann 309
Marshal 149 Marshal Feats 217
Selkirk 311
Operator 157 Mechanic Operator Feats 219
Sierra Madre 313
Mechanic Operator 159 Medic Operator Feats 219
York 315
Medic Operator 162 Sniper Feats 221
The World Beyond 317
Sniper 168 Vanguard Feats 222
Abidan 317
Vanguard 175
Baruch Malkut 320
7: EQUIPMENT 226 Dawnamoak/Towers of Jibaro 322
5: ADVANCEMENT 184 Resources 228 Fargon 324
Academy of Logos 185 Currency 228 The Finer Fire Pits 325
Crimson Leaf 186 Tech Level 230 Kannos 327
Janoahn Wall Captain 187 Echan Weapons 232 Laudenia 328
Kinshoa Master 187 Techan Weapons 233 Limshau 330
Knight of Abraham 187 Weapon Rules 233 Salvabrooke 333
Seliquam 334
Free Houses 336
The Wild 336
Wastelands 338

11: MONSTERS 346

Fae Anathema 347
The Fall 348
Spawn 350
Available Monsters 350 CHRIS TAVARES DIAS CHRISTOPHER
Rule Amendments 351 The literary equivalent of that PEREGRIN STILSON
Bogg 351
Dojenn 354 crusty burnt cheese at the bot- Editor, obnoxious pedant, re-
Dragons 355 tom of the fondue pot. Creator tired evil overlord, and contrib-
Cancer Dragons 356 of Amethyst, NeuroSpasta, and utor of unsolicited ideas backed
Death Dragons 359
Fallen Dragons 360
Ultramodern4. Some people up by the threat of saber-like
Neutral Dragons 363 claim he looks like Mathew teeth. Could fly as fast as a
Iron Sons Company 364 Perry. He would like that to be supersonic jet if it weren't so
Kodiak 365 true. It's not. In July of 2008, much of a bother; tends to
M.A.X. 366
Merfolk 368 Chris was last seen staring at a hoard unfinished manuscript
Pagus 368 dead raven that had fallen be- copy for the same reason. Easily
Pugg 371 side his car. Two months later, bribed with chocolate and kit-
Satyrs 373
Shapeless Wild 373
his watch and notepad were tens. Many thanks to all those
Shemjaza 374 found in the stomach of a bask- who've been trampled underfoot
Skegg 375 ing shark that washed ashore up to this point.
Thornshroud 376 off the coast of Florida.
Werebeast 378

12: CAMPAIGN 382

Themes 383
Concept 383
Origins 384
Relations 384
Talents 385
Adversity 385
Mixed Groups 386
Patterns of Landscape 386
The Single Stone 388
Section 1 389
Section 2 389
Section 3 392
Keep of Zellis 395
Conclusion 400

INDEX 406
W
hen Aiden Camus was twelve, his watch stopped.
He sat frozen on a field of broken glass, eyes fixed on
the sky. Screams filled his ears coming from the
wounded, the dazed onlookers at the edge of the dev-
astation, and from the fallen boy beside him.
He was older than Aiden by several years, with mottled chin stubble
and crewcut hair. His eyes were shut as he wailed. He reached for Aid-
en, still locked out of time as the events of the past minute began to sink
in.
Blood dripped from deep slices across Aiden’s palms as he held up
his weight. Pain started to jostle his attention. His eyes fell back to the
destruction surrounding him. The overturned cars, the shattered win-
dows, the buckled pavement, the memories that would never fade.
On its surface, his watch looked undamaged. It hadn’t broken when
he fell. The battery hadn’t died. It had a miniature electric motor pow-
ered by the motion of his arm, intended to keep perfect time forever.
Both children lay crumpled in the middle of the street, flanked by
splintered wood and twisted steel. A fountain sprayed from a broken
hydrant at the intersection corner a few yards away, trickling water over
Aiden’s matted brown hair.
He noticed survivors at the periphery desperately attempting to rally
support. The vehicles on the fringe had stalled, blocking traffic into the
scene. Traffic lights had gone dark. Cellular phones refused to turn on.
Scores of people were still fleeing from what they saw, or rather what
they refused to believe they saw.
Aiden remained still, even when the surrounding yells blended into
sirens or when the aircraft began swarming above. He felt emergency
workers attempting to rouse him from his daze. He repeated the last
few moments over in his mind, trying to find some rationale for what
had happened and why. It wasn’t that it shouldn’t have happened, rather
that it couldn’t have.
His watch’s balance wheel which charged the battery had seized. The
ratchet and rotor locked the hands three seconds into the third minute
past ten o'clock.
It was a Sunday.
Aiden's life until then had been filled with concessions—moments of
happiness he accepted only because his dreams could never be fulfilled.
He preferred aspirations over practical goals. Aiden, like all children,
desired the impossible, until reality forced its way in.
The recovery would be orderly. The damage would soon be re-
paired. The dead would be mourned. The events of the last few minutes
would be reported and then forgotten. Everything would fall back into
place.
Except Aiden and his stopped watch.

•••

It wasn’t his birthday. Aiden could tell it was a book. He knew to be

careful in unthreading the burlap knot and tearing the hemp paper away.
He rolled his fingers across the swells and dimples of the embossed cov-
er, then rattled his nails across the uneven pages, thick with coarse edg-
es. Aiden was impressed. It looked recently unearthed from an ancient
tomb, brushed of errant dust, and dropped into a shopping bag. The
pearl-shaded dragon on the cover had perfectly enmeshed scales, making
its skin a uniform matted silver. Only the spine showed the title.
The Codex Dracontis.
"Where do you find these?" Aiden asked his mother.
Aiden had passed that age when parents read to their kids. He
missed that. From her, every word was impeccably pronounced, never a
slur or stumbled phrase. Through his mother's lips, those stories had
 carried the weight of gospel. “Can I continue?” Aiden interjected with a smirk. His
"Is it good?" his mother asked. mother shrugged and pointed back to the book. “Zmey's
Aiden kept his eyes on the book. "Best one yet." shadow was peppered with breaks of sunlight, piercing
The window was open. Between them and Martin’s through the cracks and holes in his leathery wings. He
empty bed sat his own collection of books, modern sto- swooped down and sliced open Willum's brothers as they
ries and science fiction. Aiden liked the ones with frayed tended the crops. Willum knew the legend of the dragon
edges, bent spines, and old words. of death as well as its appetite. It had already turned its
"This old, must be magic," she teased. "Looked like no sights to the nearby castle. Willum offered no deal to the
one had touched it in a century." kingdom."
"How much did this cost?" He turned to her. "You know the rest of the story would probably make
"Twelve year olds are never supposed to ask how more sense if you knew what the elf princess was like--"
much something is." his mother said.
"Mom?" he pushed. "Nope," Aiden interrupted. Cut to the dragon. He
She patted his lap. "Come on, read me one." flipped a page. "Willum's father, a once proud servant of
Aiden swung the wooden cover open; it groaned like a the realm, owned a blade of refined steel and nobility.
satisfied lion. The first cockled leaf repeated the book's Willum took his father's blade and wielding no skill, cut
title flamboyantly, like it was hand written on the page. down his farm's livestock. The meat rotted until the aro-
Aiden rolled it over carefully. He flipped several more ma was irresistible to the mighty creature—"
until reaching the first illustration. "It takes days for food to spoil," said his mother.
The dragon was sketched in graphite and accented "Wouldn't the dragon have killed them all?" Aiden gave
with thick strokes of India ink. The image's title was fitting her a frustrated look. She chuckled, shook her head, and
for such a beast, The Death Dragon, Zmey Gorynych. beckoned him back to the book.
They held the book between them. "The beast turned from its pillaging to enjoy the im-
"Zmey was a sickly creature," Aiden started. "Muscles pressive feast placed before it by an obvious admirer,"
stretched tightly around his bones. He appeared too fee- Aiden continued.
ble to flap his pitted wings, let alone fly. This dragon need- "Little did Zmey know that in the stomach of every
ed magic to take to the air. He belched soot and flame corpse, Willum had sewn in fresh food. Berries, plums,
and blackened the ground when he landed. Where death turnips, even a bushel of green bananas. This meal didn't
lurked in abundance, one would find him. He required the sit well. Zmey tried desperately to spit up its meal, but
long deceased to feed upon." the food sat. It gripped the beast in unbearable pain.
“Well that’s…appropriate,” his mother muttered. Aid- When the creature breathed its last, all Willum had to do
en had weathered far worse stories. was pull on the withered carcass to tear the head from its
“It’s a story, Mom,” Aiden replied. body. Willum then carried his trophy to the castle."
“Sorry, go on.” Aiden closed the book. He looked to his mother.
Aiden scanned his finger to find his spot. “He belched "Awesome,” he admired, then rolled more pages by.
soot—“ “Dozens more.”
“You read that part.” "Yes, but enough for now,” said his mother. She
Aiden smirked. “It was worth mentioning twice." He closed the book and placed it among his collection.
returned to the story. "But he was no match for Willum “I missed it when you read to me…but I know I’m too
Raenis. Willum was a farmer's child. Neither a favored son old.”
nor a fond sibling, he dreamt himself as a knight of legend. “Doing quite fine on your own,” she replied.
But the only thing bigger than his dream was his appetite. “But they sounded real coming from you."
He couldn’t run. He couldn’t he lift great weights. In "Well, stories don't need a voice to be any more real."
8 school, brothers above and below excelled where Willum
faltered. He desperately wanted to be special. Without
She patted his lap. "They don't even need a reader."
He slumped into the bed and rolled on his side. She
stature or charisma, there was no way for Willum to win kissed his cheek. His eyes were closed, but he wasn’t
the heart of one to suit his wishes. He looked no higher close to being tired. His mother exited quietly.
than the nice—“ As she slinked to her bedroom, she noticed the stern
“Niece—“ his mother interjected. look Martin was giving her from the end of the hall. Four
“Niece of the elven lord, Elisa Stormbringer, a petite years older than his brother, with pruned hair and opti-
flower of golden petals. She was…" Aiden fell silent as his mistic goatee, he already resembled their late father. He
finger continued to run down the page. inherited the same stare mixing bewilderment with annoy-
“What are you doing?” his mother asked. ance. She paused to offer a forehead kiss and made for
"Skipping.” her room. He didn’t respond and waited for the door to
He flipped a page. And then another. His finger close before returning to the computer and his blog that
skimmed through the paragraphs. no one read.
He resumed, “Zmey's shadow was peppered with breaks Aiden opened his eyes moments later and stared
of sunlight—“ through the open drapes to the night sky where a thin
“Wait, wait. Why did you—“ his mother started. film of orange pollution garnished the skyline. The view,
“Girl stuff,” Aiden answered. half way up a strata juggernaut of a thousand apartments,
“I think I’d disagree with that—“ the city appeared to spread to the vanishing point. Aiden
couldn’t see the city wall. won was a meagerly decent falsehood with long lines of
Bright lights and a narcissistic waning moon blotted exposed skin and the brassiere of a medieval dominatrix.
out the stars, except for one brilliant white spark hanging She never complained of the cold and fell at the hero's
off the edge of a lunar sea. feet when the programmer deemed it appropriate. Death
Aiden stretched out his arm to the shelf and dug his was as quickly resolved as one’s finger moved to the hot-
nails into the headband of the codex. He held it precari- key. Castles were a minute's walk apart. Money was easily
ously by the edge of its spine and carried it back to the acquired from the bellies of wandering beasts.
bed. The glow bleeding from the window precluded the Before leaving, Martin reached a foot across to the
need of a nightlight. machine's power supply and turned it off.
Aiden flipped to the first story, past the sketch of "Marty!" Aiden screamed. Martin laughed as he was
Zmey, past the introductions, to the part about the elf. chased from the room. Aiden had only lost a few minutes
Elisa and Willum married. The magic of an elvish bond progress. The hero and his world, secured within the last
gave him centuries of youth. And she bore him sons for a save file, waited patiently for his player's return. The
new kingdom they would create. sprite never complained to its god about the lack of re-
Aiden turned another page, before the start of the frigerators, central heating, or proper medicine.
next story, to a pencil sketch of the fictional couple. Wil-
lum on his knee, the tall elf princess smiling upon him. * * *
Aiden angled the book under the window light to illumi-
nate the girl. Unlike the rough interpretation of the drag- Aiden's eyes followed the passing lights of the tunnel in
on, lacking features from a deficient imagination, the elf the Underground Transit Rail. While the train wasn't
showed detail like she had posed for the artist. Flawless moving, a flush flat panel television on the outside of the
skin, a pointed nose, almond eyes, and a delicate figure. train played through various ten-second commercials,
The sharp ears were subtle, barely nudging through most involving the necessity to improve one’s appearance
straight uncolored hair. with cosmetics or the latest synthetic drug made to pla-
Aiden just remained there a moment, hoping for that cate the anxieties of modern life.
impossible chance when her eyes might meet his. The transit system was meticulously controlled, with
stringent fines against litter and vandalism to keep it and
* * * the city above clean. Walls were unspoiled by graffiti, the
floor was practically hygienic, and the air was conditioned.
A close second to Aiden’s obsession with books was Aiden's mother sat beside him, holding his books under
his affection for video games. Martin’s favorites had guns, her arm. Aiden saw a portable electronic game in the
robots, and tanks vaporizing whatever monsters moved hands of a boy half his age on an opposite seat. The boy’s
before the reticule. Aiden favored sword-wielding and father ignored him as he held onto the railing.
spellcraft, but those were growing difficult to find. His Aiden leaned forward to see the inside of the train
mother located a free download from an obscure website. bending through the tunnels at speeds he couldn’t com-
"Hey! Homework!" Martin barked as he approached prehend. He imagined the transit rail was a giant serpent,
behind Aiden. gnawing its way through the rock. Aiden embraced the
"Done," Aiden replied, attention fused to the screen. creature's course mane, or perhaps boney frill, and com-
His warrior dodged and flipped in burdened armor, cleav- manded the monster to burst from the shell of the Earth.
ing with a blade that never wore down. The hero's meal It lifted the child on its head, taller than the tallest tower
was some generic ration devoured in a single swallow and in the city. Maybe it dangled little legs behind so it could
supplying energy for another twelve hours of continuous shuffle about the ground. He would trick the beast to dig
movement. Wounds sustained vanished with a moon’s too deep or breach a barricade to the canal and drown.
pass.
"Where?"
Then Aiden could follow the tunnel to the monster's lair
and rescue his own princess.
9
"In the kitchen," Aiden replied with a nudge.
"I have to get on there, by the way." Martin poked * * *
him.
"Mom said I had until 5:00." Mother and son scaled the crowded stairs and exited
Martin stepped closer, offering a distracting shadow on the UTR station into downtown. Pine trees genetically
the screen. "How many hours you into it?" altered to survive in the shadow-plagued skyscraper forest
"Last save was sixty five." flanked the sidewalk. The cars whizzing by them hummed
Martin coughed a laugh. "Why don't you go out?" like single-note violins. The sun was bifurcated by the dag-
Aiden's retort was worth him breaking his focus from ger-tip of a corporate monolith looming several blocks
the monitor, "This is more interesting." Aiden returned to down. The ivory tower, covered in a checkerboard of
his game. white tinted windows and photovoltaic panels, paved a
"You're going to have to do something with your life shadow ahead of them.
eventually, you know." Aiden asked for bubble-gum at a passing vendor. His
"Honor roll. How are your grades?" mother relented but told him to choose quickly. Between
Aiden's hero's clothes were always comfortable, the cherry, apple, watermelon, long-lasting, sugar-free, and
romance always willing. The woman the champion had extrachewy, there were a hundred varieties. Eventually,
 his mother stepped in and snagged a cinnamon and paid "What’s it say?" He showed it to her. She read it, and
with a bank card. He didn’t want cinnamon but didn’t ob- then grimaced. She pulled him down the side street. "Let’s
ject. go, we'll be late."
They walked leisurely down the walkway. Occasional- Aiden stroked the paper in his hand as he read it again.
ly, the cloudless sky would be invaded by a passing air- Our dreams are a prison.
craft—helicopters mostly—hopping between the peaks.
An elderly man with clean skin and weathered eyes * * *
stood at the summit of the ashen citadel, breath slow and
calm. He was topped with unkempt white hair which blew Aiden's school was separated from neighboring sky-
madly around his face. The people below looked only as a scrapers by an alienation of white walls, heavy iron gates
mélange of reds, oranges, and blues. with brass balls atop the posts, and a stretch of genetically
The noises below resonated up the spine of the build- engineered, perfectly permanent emerald grass. Aiden’s
ing. The stranger smiled as he leaned forward. Workers, mother fixed his clip-on tie under his brown sweater. "I
prioritizing their own safety, crawled upon the ridge, know it's a Friday but no walking home this time,” she
screaming for sanity. The stranger spread his arms wide said. “Wait for Marty."
and drifted over the edge. Swollen white garbage bags "Gotcha."
flopped firmly in his grip. They were stuffed but nearly "You didn’t lose the essay did you?"
weightless in the wind. The workers failed to catch him. "No. There’s not going to be a test on it, you think?”
From the altitude, his descent resembled a crawl. The "Test? What do you think this is, school?" She smiled;
wind didn’t slam him into the tower or drift him away he smiled. "Here." She reached into her pocket. "I got
from its shadow. He fell straight, the rushing torrent rup- something for you." She pulled out a necklace, a delicate
turing the bags in his hands. Thousands of wisps of paper silver chain. Hanging from it was a coin bearing an em-
fluttered away like feathers from a dying bird. bossed image of an elderly man wielding a staff in one
10 At ground level, iron-gilded stone supports lent them- hand and an infant in the other. The letters that ringed the
selves to some dictator's dystopia. Two storey glass shut- coin were in an old tongue that few people in the city
ters opened quickly and effortlessly for customers. The could read. She dropped it around his neck. "It’s a charm.
crowds shuffling about the entrance didn’t notice the body He protects children. Especially brave ones."
until the stranger disintegrated through an empty bus. Aiden lifted it to his eye and could tell it was old. "Is it
Screams followed, and people gathered quickly. magic?"
Aiden's mother noticed the swarming onlookers be- She tucked it in his shirt. "It’s a flashlight to remind
fore her son did. She could see the crushed vehicle and God where you’re standing."
stopped a block away. Aiden was an inch too short to "He can see us all the time?"
catch the commotion. "Every second, every step. Where you've been and
His mother guided him down another street. "Honey, where you're going."
let’s…let’s walk around that." "How can he know that?"
"What’s going on?" he asked. "He knows everything."
"Let’s just avoid it." "But he can't control everything."
Aiden spotted the falling shreds of paper. "No...You're right." She pointed at Aiden's chest. "He
"Mom, look!" he shouted, waving his hands to swat the can't control you."
tatters around. One wrapped around his finger. "Like "Then how can he know where I'm going?"
snow…" He noticed hand writing. "It’s raining words." She thought about it. "Because he knows you so well,
he knows where you'll go, what you'll do and what you'll now. Civilization has to expand. It can't help it. We teach
see. We all have a place." our children, and they learn and better our achievements.
Aiden looked at the pendant again and whispered, "But Something like religion can slow progress but can't stop it.
what if I want to do something else?" For one, the world is big. You halt the progress of a civili-
"All right, enough of that." She eased him past the gate. zation on this part of the planet; it won't stop another
"Off with you and for everything you learn, teach civilization on the other side.
something." "Take pasta. It wasn't Marco Polo that cultivated it
across the world. Pasta just appeared naturally around the
* * * same time across the globe. It's necessity that forces us to
build and expand." Leach brought up the novel again. "This
"Camus-kun," interrupted the teacher. is why the book has that flaw. If you take away the build-
Aiden snapped his attention back from the window, ers, new builders will emerge from the rabble. You re-
the scrap piece of paper still rolling around his fingers. His move a ruler, someone else will step forward." Aiden was
thoughts had been on the bedtime story, about the parts listening now, but his thoughts were to the books he had
he skipped. What was she like? Did she read books or been reading, of ancient mythologies and empires that
play sports? Would she finish Willum's sentences and marked their progress by millennia.
laugh at his jokes? "You can impose religion," Leach continued, "suppress
"Yes...sorry, Leach-sensei," Aiden answered. dangerous knowledge, but you can't stop progress. Even-
It was a class for advanced students, and Aiden was tually, people will start building."
the youngest by a year. Unlike Willum Raenis, Aiden Ca- "Magic?" Aiden offered. The class turned to him. An
mus was exceptional. "You know, you might actually find awkward pause followed, broken by the larger William.
this subject interesting." "Magic?!" William mocked.
"I was following," Aiden lied. "What do you mean?" Leach asked calmly.
"Eyes on me then, please." Leach shifted across the Aiden cleared his throat, keeping his eyes on the
front of the small class waving a thousand page opus in his teacher rather than the class. "If you can create anything
hand. The blank digital tablet hanging behind him had the you want out of thin air, you wouldn't need to build it."
color of a chalk blackboard. "What defines a civilization?" "That’s stupid--" William barked
He let the moment linger, the students wondering if it "No," Leach interrupted, "that’s actually a good point.
was rhetorical. "It could be said that the author believes In a fantasy world, thousands of years pass without even
it's based entirely on its builders and thinkers, and not the the hint of technology, beyond carts and swords. But that
kings and presidents at the top or the consumers and can never happen."
peasants at the bottom. You take them away, civilization "Why?" Aiden asked.
collapses. A society is worthless if it doesn't devel- William butted in, "Because magic isn’t real!"
op...both socially and technologically. So what causes a Leach flicked William's ear as he answered. "Because
civilization to stop growing?" like I said, necessity forces us to build. That's why it's a
As in every class, the students looked to each other fantasy." Leach worked his way towards his youngest
and waited for one of them to break the silence. "War," savant. "I read one of those when I was your age. George-
Lara popped up. something. There was magic but it was uncommon. King-
"War. I don’t think so," Leach corrected. "Actually doms lasted centuries without ever changing. You can
war, and the prospect of it, encourages change. War gave include a caste system, religion, ironclad traditions, some
us nuclear power. The potential of war gave us comput- ancient law against the use of machines, but eventually,
ers, rockets, the internet." technology will develop. Fantasy novels don't need to ex-
"Segregation," spoke up William, another student, the plain why. It's fantasy. It doesn't have to make sense. The
oldest and largest. Leach nudged for clarification. "The
separation of upper and lower class," he continued.
moment you apply logic to a fantasy novel, it falls apart.
Their worlds are too small, timelines are too long. Mon-
11
"Peasants farm, soldiers fight, nobles rule...and some- sters are too many and there's usually a frighteningly insuf-
times think." ficient lower class. And if that world has magic, there’d be
Leach nodded. "That can cause a civilization to slow chaos. If any child could be raised to wield a wand, you'd
down." have anarchy. But even considering that, those without
A fourteen year old girl across from Aiden asked magic would still build. In our history, there were empires
"Religion?" Leach waited for her to continue. "Burned which lasted beyond a thousand years, but even those had
libraries," she continued, "executed or imprisoned anyone moments of social and technological innovation." Leach
questioning the church." was imposing but lowered his voice to not impose. "You
"Absolutely. We've had famous libraries burned, tech- simply cannot suppress the desire for humans to grow. I'll
nological breakthroughs suppressed as being too danger- also say that I would loathe any civilization that existed for
ous… all from religion. They may claim to encourage sci- thousands of years and not be able to figure how to make
entific progress but they've always been its rival." Leach a machine that washes my dishes."
made his way back across to Aiden's side. "A great author The class laughed, and Leach returned to head of the
once said that if suppressed breakthroughs and progres- room.
sive ideas had been embraced by their societies, we'd be Aiden could still see a few eyes on him from the older
living in an era 3,000 years advanced from where we are students. From Lara, smiling at him. From William, an-
 noyed at the time wasted. lar and lifted him off his feet. Martin had three inches,
As the class ended, Aiden filed out last, avoiding Wil- twenty pounds, and two years on the bully.
liam’s hex-vision stare. As he passed the teacher’s desk, "Bill!" Martin barked. "You're smart. Smarter than me.
Leach called out, “Aiden?” So, I'm going to start hitting you until you talk me out it.
“Yes, sensei?” Aiden answered, noticing the teacher Good?!"
beckoning him back. After the last student departed, Aid- William wrestled free and made his escape. He
en stepped back to the desk. “Was I out of line?” grabbed his bag and ran for the gates. Aiden retrieved his
“Nothing of the sort,” Leach answered. “But perhaps book and accepted Martin's offer of a hand.
it’s best you keep such talk about magic private?” "Okay?" Martin asked.
Aiden furrowed his brow. “Why?” he asked. "Thanks," Aiden muttered.
Leach prepared a detailed answer, but then paused "What d'you say to piss him off?"
and answered simply with, “It’s just best…for now.” Aid- "I didn't say anything!" Aiden snapped
en still didn’t comprehend the issue. Leach leaned forward "Let's just go." Martin pushed Aiden ahead of him. Aid-
and spoke, “The people around you, parents, teachers, en check his book for damage. A corner had frayed and a
engineers, they need the world around them to work…in new rip had appeared on the casewrap.
a specific way. They lay down rules and permit only a nar- “So that’s why?” Martin said.
row field of thought. Nationality, technology, theology, “What?” Aiden replied.
they can’t allow something rejecting those tenets.” “Aiden, I don’t care for those books Mom gets you,
“I don’t understand,” Aiden replied. and a lot of people would agree. And if I wasn’t your
“Do you believe in Santa Claus?” Leach said suddenly. brother, I migh act the same, so keep that stuff guarded.
Aiden shot glances about the room as he answered. Don’t tell anyone you read them, and don’t show it off.”
“Of course not.” “What’s the big deal?” Aiden replied. “Sensei said the
“Why?” same thing. How are mine any different than yours?”
“Because he’s not real.” Martin stopped and spun around to face his brother. Aid-
“And what if he knocked on your door and said en instinctively dropped the book to his side in case Mar-
‘Hello’?” tin tried to reach for it. “Because mine deal with what can
Aiden’s answer came quickly. “I’d ask for a bike.” happen,” Martin snapped, “They’re about science, pro-
Leach chuckled, covering his mouth to prevent a loud- gress. Fantasies are not about that; they’re about what
er reaction. “And that’s the difference between you and can’t happen. They’re about dreams and myths.”
the rest of the world,” he answered. “They would point “But…we go to church,” Aiden muttered. Martin re-
and say, ‘you’re not real’. They can’t allow something to sumed his walk.
break from what they know. They need order; they need “Yeah, well, let’s not go there,” Martin grumbled. Aid-
a reflection of their beliefs.” Leach pointed to the fantasy en kept still, glancing at his book. He gently nuzzled it
novel nestled under Aiden’s arm. It was an old edition, back into his pack and raced to catch up to his brother.
and one of the last printed. Aiden glanced down at it. "I liked what you said to William, by the way," Aiden
“And not to be reminded of what can’t exist.” said.
“That’s odd,” Aiden answered, still honestly confused. "I've wanted to say that to him for like a year."
He knew there was something not being said. “I still don’t
understand the big deal.” * * *
Leach smiled and patted the desk in front of Aiden.
“You’ll have to ask your mother that one day,” he said. Their mother was not one for the kitchen. Dinner was
prepackaged imitation parmesan cheese and powdered
* * * milk mixed with stabilizers and corn starch. It was layered
12 William expressed his dissatisfaction with Aiden after
over a bed of rock-hard tortellini softened after five
minutes in the microwave. Aiden moved his eyes across
school, only feet away from the exit. "Don't waste the the open book beside his plate as his mother followed the
class's time, Aiden!" he snapped. He loomed inches over rhythms of an artificial cook.
Aiden's face, ensuring a moderate amount of spittle The book was grey with green letters and gilded pag-
landed in the boy's eye. es. Aiden read about the lives of pale skinned, subterrane-
Aiden wiped his face and leaned back. "Okay," he an- an fae called the tenenbri that lived in underground lairs
swered calmly. and had vestigial cataract-covered eyes. Oversized pointed
"You don't belong in that class. You're too young any- ears gave them the senses of a bat. They were an arrogant
way. And why you reading this?" He snatched the novel sort, clashing often the dwarvish people called the narros
under Aiden's arm and gave it a glance. that shared some of the tenenbri’s religious beliefs.
"Pratchett!" he snapped. Aiden jumped up to the taller The book was advanced. Aiden had to look up some
student, flimsily pawing at the distant book over his reach. of the words. He didn’t care. Octagon-shaped glasses
"Magic isn’t real!" edged precariously off his nose.
"Give it back," Aiden shouted, slapping around Wil- After the meal, his mother began to fill the dishwash-
liam's limbs. William pushed Aiden to the pavement with er. Aiden remained at the table and stared at the cover of
his free hand. The Pratchett novel fell to the fallen boy's his novel. "Mom?" he asked.
lap as a pair of larger arms wrapped around William's col- "Yes."
 Aiden ran his fingers around the crevices and grooves a purse; her right played with Aiden's hair.
in the book. "...Someone died today, didn't they?" The church of the Sacred Mary was a five-storey
She stopped loading and turned to him. "Yes." She wooden A-frame as old as the city. No ration was given
never lied. "Yes, someone died." to parking and every curb was filled with a variety of elec-
"Why'd he do it?" tric vehicles.
She placed a mug down and orbited around to sit be- Aiden’s mind wandered during the plodding repeti-
side him. He didn't look at her. "I don't know, honey. tious mass. The priest was old with a comical lisp and
Some people have a pain that no medicine or words can mumbling words. Aiden ran grooves in the soft wood of
cure. To them, death is the solution; but they don't realize the bench with his nails. A hand slap from Martin only
how selfish and narrow-minded that solution is." discouraged Aiden for a short time. A prayer, a passage,
"But what he wrote. It was like he was trapped. Are and a Eucharist later, and Aiden was clear from his obliga-
we trapped?" tions for another week.
She smiled, patted his shoulder, and returned to her As they left the mass, Aiden pondered his day's plans.
dishes. “You're only trapped if you can't find the door." Part of it involved his armor-clad digital warrior slashing
She cleared out half the machine when Aiden closed through an improbable number of foes in an equally pre-
the book and made for the living room, dominated by its posterous dungeon built illogically to geometric precision.
47” liquid crystal flat-screen television. Aiden stopped and The three of them quickened their pace from the
voiced another question. “Mom, is Santa Claus real?” church doors to the sidewalk to catch the street lights
She stood up quickly, bewildered. “That’s a strange…” before they changed. Aiden checked his watch. It ticked
she answered, “No.” two minutes past 10:00.
“Just checking,” Aiden said as he left. An air siren jolted the crowd, the high pitch oscillation
bouncing off buildings. People ran blindly into the streets,
* * * some to their vehicles. Martin’s instinct pulled Aiden and
his mother close, wrenching them to the UTR tunnel en-
A Sunday morning meant Sunday service. Aiden re- trance a block away. "Come on, let's go! Hurry!"
fused to set his alarm. Face crammed into his pillow, he The second sound was not a siren, not a helicopter. It
rolled his head as his mother parted the blinds. The win- was louder, not mechanical, from an empty sky. People
dow was open and the sirens and screams of morning followed with their own yells. The source of the sound
traffic were already polluting the city. The orange sun was revealed itself as a silhouette unfurled its wings to eclipse
poking between several distant buildings. Aiden could see the sun.
the peaks of the tallest towers parting clouds. Solar cells Daggers of daylight broke through the holes in its
twisted like blossoms. On the horizon, a forest of smoke- leather wings. Talons as long and sharp as swords tore the
stacks belched pollution to be carried by the wind out to church peak apart as it landed. Wood splintered, and a
the ocean. A helicopter caused a mild distraction as it poorly carved soapstone Christ shattered upon the pave-
passed by Aiden’s window. ment. Twice the size of the church, the beast roared and
Before Aiden had swallowed his morning yawn or spit a torrent of liquid fire across the sky. Aiden was una-
flicked the crust from his eyes, his mother laid out the ble to look away as his brother dragged him by the cuff.
good clothes. The creature’s black skin was drawn tight across its body.
By the time his mother had returned, Aiden was still Its eyes like drops of cream in strong coffee. Its teeth
undressed, listening to the news broadcast from the were jagged and jumbled. Lips were too thin to close
screen in his bedroom. "Find out which food supplement around its mouth.
is deadly, after the next break--" Aiden changed the chan- "Zmey?" Aiden whispered. He was sure of it. He had
nel. "Guilty is the verdict today in the murder of pop sen- pictured it larger and more pestilent. The stream of flame
sation--" Click.
"Get dressed, come on," his mother said.
struck an approaching military helicopter. It melted the
craft instantly. The vessel toppled to the ground as a
13
"Just trying to find a channel while I change," Aiden forged chunk of glass and iron.
pleaded. "Aiden! Come on!" his mother snapped.
"There’s nothing good on. All this news." She left and The creature looked down at the scattering masses
called out from the hall, "You’ve got five minutes." Anoth- before it. Leaping from the church peak, it crushed a half-
er channel showed green grass and tall trees put to old dozen of them underfoot. It snatched more from across
music. the road, throwing them against the walls of nearby build-
"Aiden!" Martin shouted, already dressed with his head ings.
poking through the doorway, "let's go!" Its rampage migrated down the street towards the
crowd rushing to the safety of the UTR entrance. Martin
* * * held his younger brother's collar, pulling vigorously, indif-
ferent to the monster gaining ground. Aiden's curiosity
Aiden, Martin, and their mother took the UTR to forced his gaze back.
church. On the train, Martin sat on the left of his mother, If it was Zmey, why was it not dead? How much of
Aiden on the right. Martin watched a rerun on a portable that story was wrong?
flat-panel screen. "Is that Zmey, mom?" Aiden shouted.
Aiden watched the train. Their mother's left hand held "Shut up!" Martin snapped.
 spew flames from its mouth. Aiden believed he would
awaken, perhaps in his bed, perhaps in a pew.
As Aiden fell, he cut his hand on a shard of glass. The
quickness of the pain pulled the air from his lungs. The
numbness, the detachment that accompanies a dream,
started to pass. Aiden began to notice what had hap-
pened, what was happening. People had been killed. Build-
ings had been destroyed. Crowds were fleeing. Aiden felt
a cool sprinkle from a broken hydrant. He heard his
brother wailing. Like a shock through this spine, Aiden
saw the beast for what it was, the monster he should fear.
It was real.
As Zmey's brought its claw back up to claim another
victim, the beast fell back from a tackle, tossed into the
empty church. The cathedral collapsed from the weight of
two monsters.
No one had seen the other beast slam into Zmey.
Zmey's opponent pulled away to plot another attack.
The new arrival was longer with smaller wings. Its gold
and blue scales broke light into colors. Long white whisk-
ers flapped like gravity had no control of them. Each of its
four arms ended in four ivory claws. The monster snaked
in the air, and its jaws opened wide enough to swallow a
car. Its forked tongue sparked a flame, but it only bel-
lowed. As the echo bounced off the buildings, lights within
rooms went dark. The traffic signals went dead. Cars
drifted to a stop.
The newcomer's eyes were those of a man’s, soft blue
and brilliant. Its body twisted around Aiden and Martin. It
blocked them from harm as Zmey slashed with a bladed
tail. The monster of gold and blue scales kept its defense
and suffered a deep gash to its belly. In its counterattack,
it leapt across the road and dug talons and teeth into de-
caying flesh. The creatures coiled around each other, but
the black beast could not match the dexterity of its rival.
A solid bite and its golden opponent had torn off an arm.
Dark molasses dripped as blood from the wound. The
black beast tore itself free from gripping claws, causing
more damage as it took to the sky.
The one with golden scales swiveled its head to look
at the boys. Its eyes were the same shape but the size of a
child's head. Aiden couldn't help it. He raised his bloodied
palm from the pavement and offered a feeble wave.
14 "Mom?!"
The dragon smirked back. It winked.
It twisted its form again and leapt back to the sky to
"Aiden, I'll explain everything later!" she answered. chase down its opponent. It pursued the cripple around a
Her heel broke, and she fell to a knee behind her boys. distant building where Aiden lost sight of them. A dozen
"Mom!" Martin shouted, turning quickly back. Aiden military fanjets slipped overhead to take up the chase.
stopped as well, but his attention was still on the dragon. Martin shouted Aiden's name and repeated it until the
The more he stared at it, the more real it became; the syllables merged to a wail. Aiden’s attention drifted back
less Aiden believed he was dreaming. Perhaps then he to where the beast had come down. Aiden’s daze had
could be frightened of it. begun to lift; his breathing quickened. Whatever lingering
Zmey's claw came down in front of them. Martin fell strength he had bled away, and Aiden felt a sharp tightness
back with a slash suffered on his arm. The concussion of in his chest. His fingers began to tremble as he realized
air brought Aiden to his knees. Martin ignored his wound what had happened.
and clenched his fists. He closed his eyes waiting for his She was gone.
end. Martin crawled to his brother. He lost the strength to
Aiden could smell the putridness wafting from the pull Aiden to him but refused to let go. He slumped to the
dragon, felt the heat of the inferno brewing in its belly. A ground.
part of Aiden kept reminding him that this couldn't hap- Aiden turned his attention back to the sky while Mar-
pen. This was a normal world and a dragon can't fly, can't tin cried.
 ened of the beast, but its existence was not a shock to
* * * him.
"Please Aiden," Martin answered.
The brothers had barely talked since the morning. "You knew."
Aiden sat on his bed with the opened Codex Dracontis Martin opened for a lie but couldn't. "Not everything.
on his lap. Just that…this city…is all people like us have left."
Aiden ignored the clothes he was supposed to take. "And what's past it?"
He rummaged in his coat pocket for his glasses. He curled "I don't know.”
them around his ears. He tried to ignore the stabbing pain “Has anyone left?” Aiden asked.
from the stitches in his palms but couldn’t avoid the ten- “No one leaves,” Martin replied. “They only try to get
sion in his chest when he thought of his mother. When he in."
thought about the dragon, about the questions he had, the “Then someone knows. There are dragons." Aiden
weight would lift slightly. reached for the book.
Aiden had blisters over his lips and rings around his "They killed mom--"
eyes from previous breaks in concentration. He sniffed "And saved us--"
and rubbed his nose as he frantically flipped through the "They took everything Aiden,” Martin snapped. They
pages. took...everything we were and could ever be."
Finding the entry for Zmey, he studied the sketch. "You never wanted to look?"
There were differences. Its head was larger in proportion "Don't have to."
to its body in the drawing. Eyes were white, not black. "Why not--"
Aiden was positive the book took inspiration from the "Aiden!” Martin shouted. “It's not our world. She
real beast, which was then altered by the artist’s foggy wanted you innocent. Everyone is…for a while. That's
recollection. Aiden slumped upon his bed and stared at it. over. I'll make sure we stay together. It’s just us now."
He flipped through the other pages, other dragons, some "But the other dragon?"
with white feathers, others with silver scales. He searched "Who cares?! It's done! No more of this!" Martin
for the one that saved him. Aiden glanced at the other stepped forward hastily to snatch away the book. Aiden
books he had acquired, ones on elves, sorcerers, and instinctively clutched it to his chest. He grasped it tightly
sword wielding. as his armor, tears rolling as he began to cry. Martin tried
"What are you doing?" Martin asked from the door- to wrest the tome from his brother's grip. He shouted as
frame, an empty suitcase under his arm. he tried to separate book and boy. "Burn them all! They
Aiden looked up from the book. "I can't find it." killed mom!"
"What?" Martin responded, quickly and cold. Aiden curled fetal around the book. He stayed tightly
"The gold and blue dragon. He's not here. It has Zmey wound in a bundle of clenched limbs. Martin pinned one
but not the other." leg on Aiden's shoulder and pried an arm free, ripped the
"Mom's dead, Aiden." book from his brother’s hand. Martin was hurting Aiden;
Aiden paused. His bottom lip quivered and this throat cries turned to yells.
clenched. He didn't want to cry in front of his brother. "I Martin felt it had to be done, like tearing a bandage off
know...But--" or striking a disobedient child, the act of an adult. “It’s not
"Enough..." Martin whimpered. "Just leave it. a fantasy, Aiden! Grow up!" Martin stormed out of the
Please...leave it. Pack and let's go. People are waiting." He room. "Two minutes! I'll drag you if I have to!" Aiden
left his brother alone, staring at the book. Both brothers could hear the sound of the kitchen garbage can opening
had wanted to remain home, but Martin wasn’t old and the loud thump as Martin dropped the book into it.
enough, and there was no one willing to stay with them. Martin knew Aiden could just take it back from the trash,
Cousins willing to take them in lived half way across the
city, closer to the “crown”.
but Martin knew rules needed to be followed and he ex-
pected Aiden would respect that.
15
Martin lingered on his locked softside suitcase and did He didn’t.
so for five minutes. He crammed and crinkled five changes Aiden waited until hearing the slam of his mother's
of underwear, three dress pants and five shirts, leaving bedroom door down the hall before shuffling quickly to
substantial space for a pair of albums and a photo of him the kitchen to take back his book. Martin fell upon the
and his mother from his Confirmation. He had previously queen mattress and began crying while Aiden stroked his
wedged in more photos but realized he hadn't packed any fingers across the front cover of the codex, at the em-
shirts. He always considered himself the surrogate adult, bossment, at the image of the dragon's eye.
the proxy for his father, someone that Martin knew but Aiden glanced across his arm to his watch. There
Aiden never did. When Martin returned to his brother's were no cracks or scratches, no signs of impact damage. It
room, he noticed the half-full holdall occupied by one had stopped three minutes past ten.
change of clothes and topped with the codex. He opened the book again and noticed the stamp at
"Leave the book," he said. the bottom of the inside cover. It was printed in two lan-
"No," Aiden replied, still focused on the tome. guages, English and Sinitic, but Aiden only knew a few of
"Aiden--" the Asian characters. The ink had faded. Aiden read the
"You knew." Aiden could discern with his brother the book's origin: David Obatala Chen's Biblio, 23C Huangxia
difference between fear and surprise. Martin was fright- Street, Genai.
 A STORY root – sets anarchy against order, uniformity against un-
predictability, and determinism against free-will. Where
Don’t check your brain at the door. life needs a level of uncertainty to blossom, homogeny
Don’t settle for the dream. breeds only death. The fantasy world is not some sin-
This is real. gular entity, but a complicated multi-layered world of
Amethyst is a role playing game that postulates what warring nations, political strife, and monsters clever and
would occur if a true-to-book fantasy setting was forced powerful, as well as stupid but numerous.
upon our reality. Our world is populated by many peo-
ple wanting more from their lives. Our fantasies are Amethyst is a campaign I ran incon-
filled with nymphs, valiant knights, and fire breathing
dragons. We dream about being carried away by the
sistently from 2002 to 2013, encom-
fancies our mothers tell us every night. But what if it passing three campaigns of about 2 to
was real for everyone? What if it invaded our society? 2 ½ years each. The setting dates back
How would humanity truly respond? to 1996, though little remains of that original
This is not some stylized fanciful view of Earth seen concept. This core book (and thus every Ame-
in books and on TV. It is a world with all the problems, thyst core book) details only the first three
both social and political, intact. Would we welcome the months of that first campaign. What I pre-
world of fantasy into our lives or would we fear its very
sent is the skeleton of the setting I used to
presence? Magic cannot exist; there's no scientific basis
for it. How could these creatures of whimsy exist and craft my campaign with guides on how to rep-
match so closely to our mythology and religious canon? licate it. In truth, Amethyst only refers to
This future emerged from the world we know— a that first game in 2002, part of a trilogy sel-
world where books and movies written about fantasy dom referred to by name but now revealed as
existed. People that survived into this new age saw the “Shattered Trilogy”. Hints of Amethyst’s
firsthand what they had previously thought to be fic- story can be seen in the core book’s framing
tion. The new world matched so closely to their imagi- fiction as well as subtle cues about where the
nations. How would major religions respond given such
a massive shock to their dogma?
Amethyst artifacts can be found. The second
On top of this dilemma, magic breaks down many of campaign, Logos, set 500 years after Ame-
the normal rules of the universe which technology re- thyst, involved two different character groups
quires to operate. It is a chaotic system that overwrites being played by the same party—one on
itself on reality, and although this influence won’t de- Earth, the other in deep space. The last, Cra-
stroy life, it does retard the progress of civilization, pre- dle, was set back on Earth a considerably
venting technology from operating beyond simple amount of time later and involves a mixed
mechanisms like windmills and bicycles. Where magic
is prohibited, normality returns and evolution and tech-
techan/echan party. Each campaign had a
nological advancement can continue. unique story with a different mix of fantasy-
What remains of our modern society and its technol- and technology-based characters. This proves
ogy survive in cities resembling those of the previous there is no wrong way to play Amethyst.
age, walled in against the encroaching magic around it.
Here, they have their cars, their central heating, and
their televisions. Outside, the fantasy world may be
AMETHYST EVOLVES
Cities collapse, heroes rise, and the future falls into the
16 wondrous, but it is also real. People die from the sim-
plest calamities. Despicable rodents with weapons and hands of a few. The world alters, grows, and plummets
wicked brains prey on the innocent and unarmed. into shadow. These heroes encounter their greatest
Will mankind be able to retake the planet and push fears and challenge true evil in all forms. They find
the fantasy back into the realms of our imagination, able depth in an easy situation, complexity in a single idea.
to resume our blind passion for consumerism and indus- A world that changes around a band of adventurers. A
trialization? setting with a point and a climax. A world where an
Or is this world better than the one mankind squan- ending waits. Solve it and discover the truth. Fail and
dered? the planet crumbles underneath.
From the fantasy world rises a mythology suggesting The setting of Amethyst relies on the clash between
that there are two realms of magic: one dark, the other magic and technology. Many fantasy worlds blend the
light. The source of this energy originates from two two, usually with magic gaining the foothold and tech-
powerful gates, the white star of Attricana and the black nology falling behind. Amethyst presents a world
gate of Ixindar. The main axis between evil and good is where the two sides stand almost at war and – from a
not one where the law-abiding, civilized nations of good metaphysical point of view – actively disrupt each oth-
battle against the destructive force of chaos, but where er’s existence. This is not to say that individuals from
the chaotic tendencies of life clash with the controlled both sides cannot coexist: it is the differences between
and methodical might of syntropy. The conflict – at its people that make them stronger when together. Alt-
hough an individual might not be able to wield both a
spellbook and a gun, this does not extend to the limits GLOSSARY
of the group. Perhaps, despite growing tensions and After Enchantment (A.E.): The progress of time in
mounting enmity, a balance between the two worlds this new era. The game begins for many in the year
can be found. 508 A.E., just a little over five-hundred years from
Player characters in Amethyst are neither sitting on when the white gate reopened. Note that many com-
the sidelines nor are they following braver and more munities retain their own system of reckoning, and
powerful leaders into glory: they are meant to change there is no consistent calendar accepted by all.
the world. They do not dig ditches or hand out food Arkonnia: The region occupied by the continent of
while armies march into combat, but command legions, Africa and the Arabian peninsula in old Earth.
infiltrate empires, save princesses and slay kings. The Amethyst: The first intelligence to emerge on
end of the game should be different from the begin- Earth, Amethyst was a powerful dragon-god whose
ning. Of course, a player can claim a kingdom after van- death ended the time of magic millions of years before
quishing his enemies, but the real journey takes one’s man.
soul across the world, to meet one’s final destiny after a Anathema: Devolved fae, most of limited intelli-
very long crusade. A GM is encouraged to plan out her gence, generally regarded as monsters by all civilized
strategy for the game—whether the characters will trav- folk.
el to their final destinies in Canam (the continent de- Attricana: The term given to the enchanted realm
scribed herein) or only progress part of the way before existing beyond the white gate. It hovers between the
tackling the next chapter in a foreign land. Earth and Moon and is bright enough to read by at
night.
Bastions: Sanctuaries of men and machines. These
THE HISTORY are technological enclaves heavily fortified and densely
The history of the world begins with the conundrum of populated. Most are echaphobic and forbid the use of
the chicken and the egg. magic within their walls. Each bastion stands as its
Millions of years ago, a fracture occurred in the fab- own country, with very little to no contact with either
ric of space and time. It exhibited traits that were sci- the outside world or other bastions.
entifically measurable, yet it broke many acceptable Blinder: A common derogative nickname mages
rules regarding electromagnetism, gravity, and quantum and other magically imbued individuals call techans.
mechanics. Scientists later deduced that this rip, called Canam: The continent previously occupied by
Attricana, was a bridge between two universes. The Canada, the USA, and Mexico. Mostly pristine wilder-
alternate side contained a cosmos with rules of science ness, with a number of large kingdoms and free houses
abnormal to our own. As this universe spilled into ours, loosely connected by a few well-maintained roads.
the conflict of two orders of nature encouraged aberra- Chaparran: One of the oldest species of fae, who
tions upon the Earth, impossible until that point. inhabit the woods and wild places of the world and are
But what opened the gate? known as peerless archers.
Amethyst is a modern name given to a dragon from Corpus Continuity: This is the belief, mostly spirit-
this age—the first creature of fantasy born upon the ually-based, that the humanoid form shared by humans
Earth. Legends also maintain Amethyst was the archi- and fae descends from a common origin. While some
tect of the gate’s creation. But if Amethyst created the claim it related to echalogical influence—that humans
gate, then what created Amethyst? Creatures born from look humanoid because of a lingering echo from the
magic require magic to survive. If Amethyst came be- fantasy age—others claim a divine origin.
fore, then he would be the single exception in this Damaskan: A younger branch of the fae, dedicated
to the accumulation and preservation of knowledge
17
world. Some historians believe he is not a dragon at all
and the principles of settled civilization.
but something else.
Disruption: This is magic’s capacity to disrupt the
Some proclaim him a god, but gods cannot die.
laws of nature that technology requires to function.
For millions of years, before Earth was called Earth,
This process only occurs in one direction—technology
the denizens of the planet called it Terros—a land of
cannot disrupt magic. The entire planet is covered in a
magic and wonder, spared from the wrath of malevo-
disruption field (see EDF), though the risk of disruption
lence. Dragons flew overhead while fae creatures scur-
is not uniform, meaning certain areas have a higher
ried below. Attricana encouraged life in every possible rate of disruption that others. Disruption is at its min-
form. Monsters did emerge but never with the coordi- imum within bastions.
nation to form an organized civilization. Meanwhile, Echa: The slang term for magic or ‘enchantment’.
the elder races were witnessing a slow degradation of It often refers to visual use of magic as well as being
enlightenment. The fae were not evolving; they were used as a blanket term for the fantasy world. Someone
degenerating. Their descendants were begetting feral touched by magic or using magic is commonly called
beasts. At the bottom of this inverted tree were uncul- ‘echan,’ although this term mostly refers to humans
tured boggs, violent skeggs, and veracious and swarm- specifically embracing the path of enchantment, and
ing puggs. The chaparrans hid in their forests. The occasionally to fae. Some still consider this ugly bas-
laudenians took to the sky. Damaskans recorded tardization of ‘enchantment’ derogatory, but it is now
knowledge and history. Narros defended the cities. too widespread to do anything about.
 This left the gimfen to ignore such concerns and remain lennia before both sides realized mutual attrition was
forever at play, remaining innocent against the en- the only possible outcome. But elements from beyond
croaching violence. the world would prevent this ultimate fate.
Whether or not this could have endured would nev- Mankind knew this incident at the K-T Extinction
er be known. event—when a ten kilometer bolide impact off the Yu-
The residents of Terros never questioned the origin catan Peninsula created the 180 kilometer Chicxulub
of Amethyst. He was the greatest and wisest of them. crater, wiping out the vast majority of plant and animal
They called him a god. They called him an avatar. He life on the planet. The fae called it the Hammer of
was connected to Attricana more intimately than any God. Both sides of fantasy agreed separately to seek
other entity. No one really knew the truth. refuge on the other side of their gates, within dream
This changed when Ixindar arrived. realms formed by those gate’s avatars. Mengus faked
Unlike Attricana, records on the black gate’s arrival complicity in order to ambush Amethyst when isolated,

18 are detailed. It drifted over the planet, sweeping across

the night. From it spilled the corruption of order. If
believing Ixindar would survive the calamity to come.
The forces of chaos gone, Amethyst found himself
Attricana was a wellspring from a chaotic universe surrounded by the soldiers of order. The general of this
(perhaps one in the founding minutes of its creation), army, an intelligent construct known only as Geber-
then Ixindar was the fountainhead of syntropy. It led to mach, inflicted the killing blow, driving the dark sword
a realm of perfect harmony, perhaps to a cosmos of Dogurasu into Amethyst’s heart.
death and tranquility—a universe in its final moments. In his reprisal, Amethyst sacrificed his physical
This gate had its own avatar, its own god to warrant body. The resulting eruption of chaos wiped out the
worship. This was Mengus, a disembodied entity that armies of Mengus and shattered the sky above them. A
whispered corruption without creating anything on its single beam of light from the gate before its closing
own. In one night, Ixindar had distorted a million fae to drove Ixindar deep underground, sealing it under im-
follow it. Servants gathered at the place where Ixindar penetrable stone. Attricana closed upon Amethyst’s
came to rest, a spreading expanse of black glass later death. All remaining constructs and creations of magic
dubbed Kakodomania. fell to dust. All evidence was washed away. Earth be-
The noble forces of chaos had difficulty forming an longed to no one.
army while their opponents quickly expanded and re- With nothing to compete with, the principles of our
produced into battle lines. Within a thousand years, universe regained control. The natural order of evolu-
war had torn the planet apart. It would be several mil- tion took root, leading eventually into mankind.
Through his history, he told stories he could not possi-
bly know, about mythical monsters and warring gods. GLOSSARY (Cont.)
These tales came from the whimsy of imagination but Echagenics / Echalogy: The study in both echan and
all carried a portion of truth, some more than others. techan cultures of the similarities between humanity
These stories became myths, books, films, and reli- and its recorded history against the fae, dragons and
gions. This influence from a time no man had seen their recorded history. This analyzes the obvious phys-
carried onto crests, flags, and banners. Their origins ical similarities between fae and man in conjunction
were explained, connected to other stories and faiths. with historical coincidences in their religions, legends,
Some were tied to science—seeing a manatee and be- and mythologies. Theologians studying echalogy are
referred to as echalogians.
lieving it to be a mermaid. Fantasies remained locked
Enchanted Disruption Field (EDF): The enchant-
in the dreams of a real world. Pushed aside as fancy,
ment disruption field prevents radio communication
mankind continued his evolutionary drive to build, un-
beyond a few miles, inhibits electrical conductivity and
derstand, and conquer. Society advanced as did the
disrupts electronic circuits like an electro-magnetic
machines in servitude. Gaining a full understanding of
pulse when extremely powerful magic is nearby. It
science in all its unchanging rules, there was nothing
also has the tendency of jamming mechanical devices
man could not achieve given enough time. above a certain complexity (the limit of which varies
History unfortunately would repeat itself. based on the strength of the field). While most early
A second bolide impact occurred, this time directly industrial-age technology up to (approximately) the
over Ixindar. To this day, no one knows the cause, as level of the steam engine is usually safe from disrup-
there was no warning before impact. It was a smaller tion, anything that relies on moving parts or electrical
event compared to the last but enough to reveal Ixindar current (no matter how minor) can be affected with
to the world. The forces of syntropy emerged and cor- sufficient exposure.
ruption followed. Echalogical Influence: The belief that the history of
The following events are muddled, another case of a the fae and dragons inspired human fiction through an
chicken and an egg. Ixindar opened, and some indeter- immeasurable, unproven, undetectable echo which
minate time later, Attricana followed – but did At- somehow resonated through sixty million years of
tricana’s first stirrings perhaps provoke Ixindar’s evolution until minds advanced enough to understand
reemergence, or was some mechanism in place to open that echo listened.
the white gate if Ixindar were ever exposed? By the Fae: A catchall term for the several humanoid spe-
time of the white gate’s reappearance, mankind had cies which inhabited the Terros age alongside dragons
already been reduced to less than a tenth of its peak millions of years ago, and reappeared in the modern
population, though whether due to disasters born in the age with the reopening of Attricana. As creatures of
wake of the Second Hammer or through wars over re- magic, they are antithetical to the technological socie-
sources or ideologies, no one is truly certain. ties of Mankind.
Mankind did not have the luxury of philosophy. He First Hammer: The first impact that destroyed the
was fighting a losing battle on two fronts, from order dinosaurs and ended the first reign of magic. It initiated
and from chaos. To make the situation even more des- the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event.
perate, the technology mankind had been relying on for Gimfen: The youngest branch of the civilized fae,
hundreds of years had begun to fail. From the fountain and the only ones who can handle technology without
of Attricana flowed rules of nature antithetical to the risk of disruption.
science machines required to function. The more ad- Inosi: The region of Earth previously referred to as
vanced the technology, the greater the chance of dis- the Indian subcontinent and southeast Asia.
ruption. Surviving humans had to make a choice: wall
themselves in from the flood of encroaching enchant-
Indoaus: The region of land previously occupied by
Australia and Indonesia. 19
ment, or settle for a primitive life surrounded by the Ixindar: The name given to the realm existing
wonders of fantasies they once could only read in fic- through the black gate. The gate is across the world,
tion. sitting half buried at the center of Kakodomania.
Five hundred years later, the humans that clove to Kaddog: The general term for the three most com-
their machines have built immense cities of technology. mon branches of damaskan anathema (and the most
These bastions are the last bulwarks of a time these prolific monster species in Canam): puggs, boggs, and
men and woman refuse to surrender, a world run by skeggs.
science where mankind held dominion. Some of these Kakodomania: A smooth obsidian glass which
cities have grown to the size of small countries. Outside spreads radially from Ixindar. This realm envelops
most of central Slav in permanent darkness.
the bastions live the empires and wastelands of fantasy.
Kodiak: Intelligent, bipedal grizzly bears native to
Dragons and elves have returned to lay claim to the
northern Canam.
mountains, woods and fields. Monsters hide in dun-
Laudenian: The oldest branch of modern fae and
geons and prowl in mirky forests. The wilderness has
the most magical, who fled from contact with the
become dangerous but at the same time all the more
ground for fear of devolving into lesser beings.
romantic. Magic will always be a lure to those willing to
wield it.
 Order versus chaos, science versus magic; these con- Inborn Magic. Fae beings and monsters are magical
flicts make fanatics of everyone. An unspoken stale- by their very nature, even if they cannot conscious-
mate has arisen, with none gaining the upper hand. ly wield magical forces. Some, be they fae, mon-
This may change with the proof of a once forgotten leg- ster, or even human, possess magical abilities on
end. When Gebermach slew Amethyst, the dragon’s their own from birth. A few claim this power as
crest of stone fell upon the ground and shattered. For divine, but many others refute that. Just as it was
millions of years, the fragments drifted to the far cor- with man’s time, god or gods are as silent as he, she,
ners of the world. Now, one has been found, and the or they always were. There are no proven sancti-
crusade to find the others has begun. The legend fied or blessed users of magic in a world with a si-
claims that if the pieces of Amethyst’s crown were lent and unproven god. Still, the rare priest or dru-
brought together at the place of his death, one could id often finds no other reasonable explanation.
call the god back to life, or take the mantle of command
from him. With such a power, one could resurrect the Religion does exist in Amethyst. Most are old-
most powerful creature to walk the Earth, or close the established, dating back through humanity’s history –
gate of magic forever. Who will find these artifacts? Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and the like; others are
Who will emerge victorious? far older and yet new as well, reconstructed from the
And, ultimately, will it be worth the cost? memories of the fae; still others blend disparate ele-
ments as it suits their practitioners. Every faith can
THE CONFLICT claim to possess one or two folk supposedly blessed
with the spark of divinity. There are also those with no
The world is not engulfed in war, but widespread peace
faith able to wield magic purely from a natural endow-
across the land is still a distant dream. Not only are the
ment they cannot explain. Others know very well where
remaining bastions of pre-Hammer mankind fighting a
their power originates and understand there is no intel-
desperate and seemingly hopeless struggle against en-
ligence or deification beyond said gift. Because of this
croaching enchantment, but the individual bastions
doubt, there is still no proof of god in Amethyst, despite
themselves are also paranoid about their own technolog-
the claims of many who believe.
ical sovereignty over rival bastions. Further, the world
of fantasy is not all of wonder. There are two realms of
magic, flowing from two different breaches in the nor- REAL MAGIC
mal universe: the white gate of Attricana floating high Despite appearances, the world of Amethyst is a low-
above the sky, and the black gate of Ixindar half-buried magic setting; powerful spells are rare and obtained on-
in rock in the land of Kakodomania. Their influence ly at great cost and difficulty; major magical items are
and the armies loyal to them provoke conflicts whenev- just as rare and hardly ever to be found outside the
er both sides meet. While Attricana encourages crea- hands of the great and powerful; true artifacts are the
tion and chaos, Ixindar promotes order and syntropy. stuff of legends, and most are completely mythical.
While many people directly involved in this conflict do All magic, whatever its supposed provenance, comes
so from an obsessive desire to protect their ways of life, from the gates, but spell casting techniques are unique
others have been tempted to cross over, embracing an depending on the caster. Those who claim to have a
alternative way of thinking. spark of the divine, called either gneolistics or vivica-
tors, gain their power directly from Attricana. Whether
MAGIC AND FAITH this power is granted to them by some unknowable in-
telligence, drawn into their soul by the power of their
In Amethyst, there are only three ways magic can be
20 focused, and thus, at least partially, controlled:
belief, or merely a quirk of birth is unknown. Druids
and shamans also obtain their power from the gate,
The Language of Dragons. The power of these god though not directly. They receive their abilities from a
-like creatures is to create something by naming conduit, namely the Earth. They worship nature and
it—the magic possessed in the language of the the world around. In their belief, the world channels
greatest species. Even the script extends itself into the power from the gate and casters gain their power
multiple dimensions. Wizards utilize this for all from below, not from above. Shamans harness the
their magic. This language is called Pleroma. wind, earth, fire, and water as well as the animals and
Magical Reactivity. There are thousands of ele- plants around them, shaping and controlling them as
ments and combinations of elements that produce they wish.
different magical results. The practices of alchemy Mages disregard channeling and mysticism, ap-
and metallurgy have returned. Those with such proaching the gate with an almost scientific eye. They
knowledge forge items of enchantment by simply claim while clerics and druids blind themselves to the
being aware of the exacting ratios of components mysteries of the gate, mages dive head first, taunting
required. Fae iron, coruthil, and angelite are such the cosmos to reveal its darkest secrets. Long before
examples as well as the myriad forms of magical man or even elves, the first power from the gates was
potions. Nearly every magic item features this to a channeled through the immense capacity of the dracon-
degree. ic language, known as Pleroma. This practice continues
today and remains the most popular form of spell cast-
ing. Only with lifelong persistence and an innate gift GLOSSARY (Cont.)
for understanding such intricate mysteries can the ex- Lauropa: The term given to the region covering
tremely rare few channel anything more than cantrips. the lands of Europe west of the former Ural moun-
tains. Consists mostly of neo-feudal kingdoms, with
the fae empire of Damaska occupying most of the cen-
REQUIRED TO PLAY tral landmass.
The list of other books required for Amethyst Apotheo- Mengus: The disembodied intelligence that resides
sis is long and tedious. within Ixindar, whispering corruption to any creature
disposed to hear her. The most implacable enemy of
The 13th Age Roleplaying Game Core Book Amethyst.
Narros: The middle fae, short and stocky, dwelling
…and that’s it. The only books required to play are primarily underground and obsessed with tradition and
those classed as “core” books. With other d20-based perfection.
editions of Amethyst, three other books were required Pagus: Corrupted fae of ages past who answered
(a player’s book, a game master book, and a book of the call of Ixindar and were transformed into huge,
monsters), but as The 13th Age Roleplaying Game brutally effective warriors.
helpfully provides all this material in a single core rule- Second Hammer: The second impact that de-
book, that one book is all that is needed. Not only that, stroyed the technological empire of man. It struck
but this book was written having not read any of the Siberia, exactly where Ixindar lay buried and exposed
currently available supplements for The 13th Age its influence to the world.
Roleplaying Game order to remain uninfluenced - while Shemjaza: The proper term for the fae-like crea-
you can use these additional books with Amethyst, they tures known by humans as ‘demons,’ the ultimate serv-
are not nor never will be required. Amethyst Apotheo- ants of Ixindar. Although all look practically identical,
each shemjaza is designed for a particular purpose.
sis is written in a style similar to that of The 13th Age
Slav: Often separated into Western and Eastern
Roleplaying Game core book in order to ease transition;
Slav, this region on Earth covers the majority of China
this includes the appearance of creator notes and side-
and the entire former Eurasian region east of the
bars. Feats are also listed under classes and races in-
Urals. Rendered mostly uninhabitable by the Second
stead of all lumped together in one chapter.
Hammer and the subsequent spread of Kakodomania,
most of the survivors of the eastern region migrated
THE AMETHYST AGE to Canam centuries ago.
The story of Amethyst involves a group of heroes from Southam: The region of Earth formerly known as
perhaps different nations, ideologies, and traditions, South America. Consists mostly of feuding under-
banding together to affect a permanent change to the ground kingdoms, and rainforests populated by ogres
world—a change which depends on said group’s moti- who hunt primitive humans for food and sport.
vations. Despite some assumptions, this setting does Syntropy: The principle of infinite static existence,
not assume a certain party composition or motivation. It embodied in the power of Ixindar. It is the antithesis
might not be about fantasy heroes fighting against the of magic, and indeed, of the fundamental principles of
encroachment of technology or embracers of technology life itself.
fighting against the chaos of magic; it may actually in- Techa: The slang term given to the technology of
volve a mixed party reaching a compromise in order to man and is usually reserved for the bastions and their
machines. Its wielders use the title ‘techan’ as a badge
fight a greater threat. This book (and other iterations
for other systems) directly encourages romantic entan-
of honor.
Terros: The era before man, from when the drag- 21
glements which can cross race, tradition, gender, and
ons and fae appeared until their disappearance 65 mil-
(new to this world) magical boundaries. Amethyst deals
lion years ago.
less with the past and more about the present—about
Tenenbri: Blind, but hardly handicapped cousins of
how the world is today. As such, very little is men-
the damaskans, masters of an underground theocratic
tioned about the events which brought the world to this empire beneath the mountains of Southam.
point: to most people living in the world, this infor- Tilen: Another cursed fae line whose ancestors
mation is either unavailable or, more likely, irrelevant. embraced the power of Ixindar to transform them-
For some, most of this information is simply unavaila- selves into free-willed undead. Their modern descend-
ble. Even a character’s history may be vague, pointing ents, freed by Attricana’s resurgence, struggle against
more to motivation than a detailed list of exploits and the urges of their blood and fight for the survival of
an itinerary of locations. At the beginning of this story, their species.
characters may not be in fact unique or special in any U.C. (Universal Credits): A currency that most
way. Their importance emerges from their actions as bastions and wandering techans trade in. Only techans
the game begins. Amethyst also involves a story where accept and use uc. Unlike fantasy currency like gold
the world eventually focuses upon the quest the players and silver coins, uc has no face value.
are undertaking, eventually leading into clashing armies
and world-changing events.
 Right from the onset, you will see where this can mechanic to The 13th Age Roleplaying Game, I think
differ from The 13th Age Roleplaying Game on a curso- it’s still in the spirit of the system. This system, while
ry level. Amethyst does not have NPCs iconic to the flavorful, is entirely optional.
setting. Deities may or may not exist; few kings and
prelates have the time to deal with adventurous scoun- ORGANIZATIONS
drels; the few wizards whose power is spoken of in A feature from previous Amethyst publications, organi-
whispers are either hidden away in secluded places, zations denote where the players as a group are now.
jealously guarding their secrets, or are long since dead, Where affiliations are who you know and backgrounds
their notes picked over by opportunistic thieves and are where you come from, organizations are what you
librarians. The focus is entirely on the players and how do. This can be as simple as a wandering band of ad-
they affect change to the entire setting. Humble ori- venturers or retinue to a lord.
gins may lead to legendary titles. In many ways, this
holds true to The 13th Age Roleplaying Game’s basic
tenants, one we plan to honor. SACRIFICE
Here is a general list of what to expect in Amethyst Important characters (players included) in The 13th
Apotheosis as we address our adaptation of The 13th Age Roleplaying Game and Apotheosis are now able to
Age Roleplaying Game. employ sacrifice when death is near. In Apotheosis,
players cannot be easily killed, with only certain situa-
AFFILIATIONS tions emerging where a character’s life truly is in dan-
ger. However, when reduced to below 0 hit points
Affiliations function exactly like Icons from The 13th (being wounded), a character can attempt a sacrifice.
Age Roleplaying Game, except ours can refer to a rela- Most status effects are recovered and the character re-
tionship with an organization, nation, or even an entire ceives a considerable boost in abilities for a short time.
race. Unlike backgrounds, which determine where you This can come in the form of a single climactic strike or
come from, an affiliation measures how you actually feel a heroic stand to hold back an army in the face of cer-
about the people and places most significant in Ame- tain death. Despite appearing irrevocable, characters
thyst and how they feel about you. Obviously, it would still have an opportunity to recover from such an act,
make sense for a Limshau Custodian background to though chances are strong that the character’s fate is
have a relationship with a city in Limshau, but would sealed, galvanizing one’s place in history. Important
that be positive or negative? Or perhaps one is trained NPCs and even singular powerful villains can also at-
in the ways of the Custodian but through the teachings tempt sacrificial acts.
of a hermit rather than an empire.
3E (OGL) and 4E (GSL) editions of
DURABILITY Amethyst were nearly identical in phi-
Important characters, player’s included, are not easily losophy, and those aforementioned
felled by normal injuries. Their survivability flies in games provided the launching point for 13th
the face of logic. Since Amethyst discourages magical
resurrection, I wanted players to avoid the humiliation
Age. However, we wanted to embrace the
of dying at the hands of pushovers with lucky die rolls. vagueness encouraged with 13th Age so the
Therefore inspired by a suggestion in the The 13th Age heavy “crunch” from our previous games may
Roleplaying Game core book, Amethyst has created a be lacking here. There are also a few new rules
new set of death rules—simply put, characters can only meant to encourage “my way of play”.
22 be killed in “important ways.” They suffer status ef-
fects when staggered, and when reduced to 0 hit points I am contractually obligated to cri-
or lower, said status effects worsen. Characters are still
killed regardless of opponents when reduced to nega-
tique absolutely everything in this
tive half but no longer fall unconscious automatically book, even if I happen to agree with it.
below 0 hit points (this is called being wounded). Sta- My approach to the game is more influ-
tus effects from being staggered or wounded do not go enced by modern narrative games, such as
away quickly and usually can only be recovered via full Fate Core, than it is by older d20 games, so you
heal-up or treatment (another new rule). Being wound- can be assured of some useful variety in the
ed carries huge penalties and, if the situation is dire, a commentary.
player may wish to attempt a sacrifice (see below).

LEGENDS
Legends are like prestige classes in the older d20
games, replacing the final three levels of a character
class. They offer optional divergent paths unique to
Amethyst with specific rewards as much based on role
playing than combat rewards. Although this is a new
E
xperts in dressing death had reconstructed brother. Wishes were magical and romantic and had a
what was left of her body. They placed a plas- peculiar tendency of coming true. Aiden wished his moth-
tic smile on her face. The waxy finish of the er would come back, but that could never happen.
skin convinced Aiden this was less his mother
and more an imitation. Friends of his father, military vet- * * *
erans, brought the closed casket up. Father Tom, like the
church, was new. One by one, friends neither he nor After a week, Aiden was back in class. The students
Martin knew offered hands and hugs. The mass was long kept their distance, even William. Lara was the only one
with prayer passages reminding the mournful of god's that attempted to console him, offering a hug and asking
grand purpose. Aiden ignored them. He never paid at- how he was. No one else bothered, keeping a wide berth
tention during regular mass; the words felt equally hollow as the orphan passed them. To acknowledge his loss
now. Aiden hoped the blue eyed and golden scaled drag- would be to admit that it occurred, that something abnor-
on would rip off the roof and whisk him to a new life. mal could happen in an ordinary world. Were all the vic-
The church's packed capacity marched to the casket, tims that day as disregarded? If only it had been cancer
touching, praying, crying. like Aiden’s father, something average, common, and pre-
Aiden was relieved to see the afternoon light as he dictable. Lara offered him a half sandwich at lunch.
followed the pallbearers out of the church. Martin of- Martin sat with Aiden on the UTR. Such a wonder
fered tears for each weeper and wailer walking by. Aiden was lost on Aiden. He wanted to open a book and read
nodded and hugged but remained dry save an occasional but was afraid of Martin's reaction. Aiden just leaned for-
sniff. More words of divinity leapt from a priest's lips as ward, feeling the breeze across his face. He didn't close
the casket slipped through the open maw of the marble his eyes and imagine a dragon. He thought of when his
wall at the necropolis. imagination was all that was required.
Aiden looked scornful at the cross at the entrance. What about magic and Elisa the elvish princess?
He wondered if God was real as well. An omnipotent, Aiden pondered what other fictions could invade his
omnipresent, omniscient being, benevolent and divine? life. Martin reached over and began to coddle his
Then why was she dead? Did the dragon break the rules? brother's hair.
No creature shaped like that could fly, yet it did. No ani-
mal could breathe fire, yet it did. They couldn't exist, but
there they were.
Father Tom's words, though carefully chosen, were no
more uplifting than the compassionate whispers of distant
family members. Rejected laudenian sketch
"Men pale in the wisdom of God,” he said to Aiden.
“Not even I can understand why things happen when they
happen. There is a reason for everything, Aiden. God has
placed you on a path; there is something to learn from
this. Even the worst of times are intended, by his will, to
guide us. Occasionally, his hand must be firm. In times
like this, our faith in his plan must remain strong."
"She was killed by a dragon, father." Aiden empha-
sized dragon as much as killed. Father Tom didn't say
much after that.
As they exited the mausoleum, Aiden glanced at the
wall, the periphery of the city. The monstrosity stood
twenty stories and topped with battlements. It enclosed
23
all ten thousand square kilometers of the city. It was only
the latest iteration, with monuments of previous walls
counted like tree rings to mark age and expansion. The
last one was the tallest, the longest to build, and the most
resolute in keeping everything that wasn't in, out. Aiden
heard people calling it the crown. Years ago, when Aiden
asked Martin what was beyond the wall, his brother had
said, "Nothing you should care about."
He’d lied.
Aiden wished he had asked his mother. He wished he
had discovered the truth by her telling him, by closing the
codex and whispering, "It's all real." He should have fol-
lowed what Leach had suggested and just asked her. Aid-
en wished that if the cost was to be that great, he
would’ve preferred ignorance a few more years. Wishes
kept Aiden a child. Wishes separated Aiden from his
A
ffiliations, Backgrounds, and Organizations are related,
though their roots and functions in the game are not.
Where affiliations describe who you know and back-
grounds where you came from, organizations explain who
you are with. Affiliations are built to replicate the effects of Icons
from The 13th Age Roleplaying Game and thus offer specific benefits
based on the relationship and how often said relationship appears in
the game. Backgrounds function identically to the core rules, except
that Amethyst provides a number of predefined backgrounds with de-
tailed descriptions, which provide a benefit for investing more deeply
in them, in addition to the bonus they grant toward related applica-
tions. Organizations, a new mechanic to those unfamiliar to Amethyst
involves an association the players have with a larger group, akin to
membership or employment. However, association is strictly by
choice and having no membership in an organization is a choice in it-
self. The benefits from organizations are usually more tangible, in
the form of special missions, additional equipment, or bonuses to spe-
cific kinds of checks.

AFFILIATIONS
As it cannot be stressed enough, affiliations replicate icons. Though
affiliations can result in singular powerful NPCs being involved, by
using affiliations, Amethyst doesn’t force bizarre machinations into ef-
fect in order for players to encounter specific characters (or even two
degrees of relation to them) in a very large continent at regular inter-
vals. Although reoccurring NPCs are encouraged, it may not always
be logical for that to happen. Affiliations encompass empires, cults,
organizations, and even entire armies.

Yeah, about that, I would suggest not using the re-

lationship dice at all. Have the player invest
points, but beyond that use those points as more a
guide to organically create your story utilizing affilia-
tions. Dice rolling—in my opinion—forces a random ele-
ment into a game master’s game he or she doesn’t require to
weave a good and—more importantly—logical story. So
I’d recommend using the points to determine how often af-
filiations appear but not feel compelled to do it immediately
or even at next game session.

Personally, I’m also against anything that artifi-

cially constrains the GM's ability to shape the
story, but on the other hand, it’s important for
the relationships the PCs have built to be relevant
to the game, and the GM has enough on her plate
without having to keep track of 3-6 characters' connections.
To that end, I suggest placing the benefits of the affiliation
strictly in the players' hands: each 6 on the relationship dice
provides the player with a 'trump card' related to their affil-
iation that they can use to help themselves out in any situa-
tion during the session, as long as they can justify it (the
GM can veto any suggestion that doesn't seem relevant). A
5 provides a similar benefit, but at a cost that the GM de-
fines (she can also veto these, but it's much more fun to al-
low players to get away with outrageous things at a simi-
larly outrageous cost).
 ABIDAN ALLIES
(HEROIC) Abidan maintains a solid alliance with both Limshau
“If you still wish to pay some tribute or prove your devo- and Kannos with less public agreements with Gnimfall,
tion, then take my side as a knight of the line. In my view, York, and the Finer Fire Pits.
I ask too much, for the trials are taxing and the glory less
a token, but I ask you the same. Will you join and stand?” ENEMIES
Outside of the obvious pagus threat to the north, often
LOCATION flanked by the odd dragon, Abidan is one of the few na-
Abidan occupies the land once known as Michigan, tions openly advocating war with Baruch Malkut, a con-
spreading into Indiana and Ohio in the south. There flict which has yet to occur.
are virtually no ruins of the old city of Detroit where the
new capital of Janoah sits. Abidan is one of the lands HISTORY
most washed clean by the winds of chaos. The great Abidan came about after the famous “caravan of the
lakes have formed into one, leaving a single pass, the king” where the future ruler Vincent Savarice traveled
Tethuss Bridge, connecting the north to the south (not from where he washed ashore in the southeast of
including a treacherous water journey or more threaten- Canam, with nothing but a notched sword and a shabby
ing mountain pass). Abidan is run by a monarch seated shield to his name to the new land, spawning followers
at the capital Janoah which blocks the Tethuss Bridge in his wake. After the founding of the capital, support-
from pagus attack. ers continued to flock from every corner of the conti-
nent which heard of this famous pilgrimage. The na-
COMMON KNOWLEDGE tion grew to absorb surrounding towns, though this an-
Abidan is the ruled by the only human monarchy in nexation was not always jovially received. Initial con-
Canam blessed by a dragon’s kiss—meaning a dragon flicts were dealt with and the nation expanded, finding
has actually adopted the ruling line into its own family. its ultimate purpose in the defense of southern lands
This came after decades of altruism on the part of the from pagus invaders that insisted on crossing the Te-
first king, Vincent I (Vincent Savarice, also known as thuss Bridge. Pagus hate water and mountains, prefer-
the Paladin King), as self-declaration never earns such ring to wage war with enemies they can see with their
patronage. By that point, the nation of Abidan had al- eyes, knowing full well their deaths against better
ready been formed from a handful of neo-feudal baro- armed foes. It was decades later when the dragon
nies: calling it a kingdom was an easy transition. Vin- “Silver River” (true name and title unknown) adopted
cent’s descendants have since attempted to honor his Vincent I as dragon-kissed, forever sealing the land as a
name and legacy. Despite criticisms from outsiders on kingdom.
the promotion of religion in Abidan, the kingdom still
prides its morality and ethical laws. There is no sup- ANGEL
pression of free speech, and despite the encouragement
(AMBIGUOUS)
of faith, there is no sponsored state religion. Public tol- “In almost every way, Angel personifies the way mankind
erance has prevented violent clashes between sects. was—ignorant of what occurs outside of its borders, dis-
This hasn’t stopped emigration and the creation of tracted by the minutia it could control, and content to let
dominant faiths in several major cities. It is thought the rest of the world crumble from a misguided sense of
that this stability only exists because of the threat of a exclusivity.”
26
common enemy in the pagus that pound against the
Janoah walls in an attempt to invade the rest of Canam.
LOCATION
Angel is a bastion built upon a massive city of Earth’s
ADVENTURES past. Utilizing old political lines, Angel occupies the
Virtuous knights fighting fantasy monsters—what more entire Los Angeles - Long Beach – Santa Ana urban re-
is there? There are actual dragons attacking the cities gions, including Huntington Beach, Ontario, Santa
of Abidan. Kings send forces into the northern lands to Monica and Thousand Oaks. The area claimed and
cull the pagus population or make contact with sympa- controlled by Angel is fringed by a colossal wall 175 feet
thizers. Occasionally, these groups are just glory tall, the last of four such walls, each inner one shorter
hounds or treasure hunters marching into the most hos- than the previous and dating the bastion like tree rings
tile land in Canam. There is no shortage of possible ad- (though most of these inner walls have been disman-
ventures around Abidan and no shortage of people will- tled). Angel requires such a bulwark because of the en-
ing to pay in the name of the king. croachment of magic from nearly all sides. The magical
forest of Cyon pushes from the south while infestations
of anathema swarm from the north. This has encour-
aged Angel’s isolation.
COMMON KNOWLEDGE such rumored account claims Angel, similar to Selkirk
Angel is the most populous bastion in Canam. It is not and Sierra Madre, began life as a military base which
the most advanced, only slightly more developed than merged with a fallout shelter and subsequently expand-
York. After the first wall was erected, the techans ac- ed into the old metro line. Functioning technology was
cepted the assistance of echan immigrants in exchange used to retake the old city ruins which were then subse-
for a protected enclave within the walls. The first quently torn down and rebuilt. However, encroach-
Genai wasn’t much more than a refugee camp, but ment of puggs and boggs caused setbacks which
when the last wall was erected, the Asian-distinctive re- plagued the first hundred years before the arrival of
serve was given both borders and special administrative echan immigrants from both east and from overseas.
status. With little oversight, Genai became a sanctuary They were given protection within the walls in ex-
of magic-accepting, although officially non-magical indi- change for aiding in the defense of the city and the
viduals within the protection of techan walls. Despite erection of the outer walls, an arrangement which con-
this, Angel is still considered one of the more xenopho- tinued through three more subsequent larger and
bic bastions, with children being kept in ignorance of builds.
the true nature of the world as long as possible, and
even then, largely regarding the magical realms beyond ARCHON DRAGONS
the walls in the same way they would think of Santa (HEROIC)
Claus or the Tooth Fairy. The only people who really “Amethyst is his name and it was always, as every other
know the status of the world are politicians and the mil- name he was called and shall be called. One title deserves
itary personnel tasked with protection. no greater attention because it was spoken by lips older
and wiser.”
ADVENTURES
Angel is fanatical about protecting its interests against LOCATION
the vague threats beyond. “Vague” is the appropriate There is no location in Canam where archon dragons
term as there are no named armies or nations at war congregate although they are known to socialize with
with Angel. The greatest threats are the dozens if not each other. Archon dragon can’t generally be found un-
hundreds of wandering bands of anathema. Angel has less they wish to be.
attempted diplomatic relationships with other bastions
like York and Selkirk, but their isolation prevents any
contact more regular than a few messages a year. Be- COMMON KNOWLEDGE
cause most of Angel’s military is assigned the defense of Archon dragons were the first magical creatures birthed
the city and its outer wall, it delegates foreign issues to unto the world, with Amethyst the first of the first
mercenary companies (mostly techan though hiring fan- which commanded the others into being. Some believe
tasy groups is not unheard of). Missions include ferry- they were created from the genes of the apex predators
ing personnel or supplies to other nations or bastions as of the Terros age, the great dinosaurs: others believe
well as more dangerous missions eradicating threats that Amethyst created them in his own image, and that
from the dense magical forests surrounding the city. their superficial similarities to the Cretaceous reptiles is
no more significant than the similarity between fae and
humans. The archons, few that they were, still survived
ALLIES into the modern age, though scattered throughout the
Technically, Angel is allied with other bastions like world (though rumors persist there is a place where a
York and Selkirk but communication is sporadic. Angel
27
group have gathered across the ocean). There are three
also has unofficial but profitable economic ties with classes of archon dragon, holy, guardian, and noble. Ho-
Salvabrooke, which welcomes those brave and edgy ly dragons are feathered and act as spiritual leaders.
souls who consider a carefully organized and controlled Guardians exhibit humanoid traits and protect the lands
tourist trip beyond the walls to be a taste of danger. they reside in, finally noble dragons act as administra-
tors and diplomats and are the ones most people see
ENEMIES (odd looking that they are given their smooth silver
Angel has no official enemies other than such wander- skin). They are reports of at least two noble dragons in
ing monsters as are not deterred by the massive walls. Canam, perhaps a guardian, though these would be
Unofficially, they have far more to fear from agents of vastly outnumbered by the typhox dragons in control of
other bastions than they do from the nearby echans. the northeast. All archon dragons, despite their general-
ly good intentions, are vain and self-important, and
HISTORY adopt grandiose and arcane titles as part of their given
Like all bastions, Angel’s origin predates the birth of names, such as 'Baraus of Rose,' 'Thyrsaz of Lightning,'
Attricana, but also like other bastions, Angel has virtual- or 'Lethe of Rivers.'
ly no history of the time before. Only a few patchy and
unsubstantiated accounts survived along with old maps
telling of sprawling cities now virtually forgotten. One
 ADVENTURES BARUCH MALKUT
Dragon motivations are mysterious, save for the fact “God unlocked the doors of deliverance; we must carry
that three archon species are united in their preserva- the strength to open them to salvation.”
tion of life in all forms. Anything trying to destroy life,
even if said thing was birthed by chaos, must be dealt
with, and in the old days, the dragons would take it up-
LOCATION
Baruch Malkut occupies all of once was considered
on themselves to be enforcers. After the fall of Ame-
Florida, reaching north to occupy most of Georgia and
thyst, archons fell quiet and became hesitant to act.
part of Alabama.
Those that do prefer to enlist the help of sympathetic
souls believing in the same cause. Archon dragons also
do not work well as a group, and tend to be fairly jeal- COMMON KNOWLEDGE
ous of their chosen portfolios: a person with this affilia- Baruch Malkut is a bizarre amalgam of three forms of
tion would generally be an agent of a specific dragon, government. It is a monarchy because of its standing
and their relationship is of no particular benefit (and ruler King Darius I. It is also a theocracy as there is reli-
may indeed be a drawback) dealing with a different ar- gious law surrounding said monarch. It is also techni-
chon. cally a dictatorship as Darius has never relinquished his
throne since ascending three hundred years ago, a pecu-
ALLIES liar situation given that Darius is human. The king-
dom’s doctrine claims humans following the one true
Dragons are technically allied to all virtuous and honest
faith are the only ones allowed to inherit God’s utopia,
nations. Despite not directly contacting any nation in
and that those following the one true faith are those
hundreds of years (the dragon’s kiss marked on the
that adhere to the laws put forth by the “final prophet”,
Abidan king was the last noteworthy exception), drag-
Darius Koenig. Malkut embraces a “new-age” Abra-
ons are still technically allied with Abidan, Limshau,
hamic faith which encourages the enslavement of fae
Fargon and Vanaka, each blessed with a specific drag-
and the eradication of those that remain free. Technol-
on’s endorsement.
ogy not used to further God’s will is prohibited, this in-
cludes any attempts to understand the natural world in
ENEMIES ways endorsing rationality and logic.
One of the longest standing feuds in all history stands
between archon and typhox dragons, their greatest ire
reserved for the fallen dragons who once numbered
ADVENTURES
Those loyal to Baruch Malkut seek adventure only in
among their brethren until Ixindar corrupted them. Be-
the service of their king and the words of God passed
ing loyal disciples of Amethyst, archon dragons are also
down from the king’s lips. This includes the hunting
staunch opponents of all things touched by Ixindar, not
and enslavement of fae as well as interdiction missions
just dragons but undead creatures, pagus, and shemjaza.
into rival territories. Baruch Malkut is not against sabo-
tage or outright assassination. Enemies of Malkut at-
HISTORY tempt to disrupt slaver caravans and even infiltrate the
Not much is really known about dragon history. They kingdom to sow dissent around the cult of personality
recorded this knowledge into the Gospels of Drasago. which has arisen.
Rarely found compiled and imbued with great magic,
the bible is written in an undecipherable alphabet
ALLIES
28 which resists even magical decryption. What is rather
believed is that either Attricana or Amethyst came first
Baruch Malkut maintains no alliances with anyone.
and the dragon god created companions in the archons.
The first fae would arrive much later, followed by their ENEMIES
continually devolved descendants. The Seven Lords of Take your pick, from every fae nation to every human
Ažhi were the first to fall but there are disagreements nation, bastion or fantasy.
about what came first (as before), the fall of Goch of
Wrath, first of her wicked kind, or the Black Gate of Ix- HISTORY
indar. Regardless, the fallen dragons emerged around Baruch Malkut rose to prominence after the emergence
the time of the exodus when a million fae turned into of a cult of personality around self-declared prophet Da-
pagus. In the new age, when the archon dragons re- rius Koenig. The birth pains of the kingdom began
turned, most went into self-imposed exile across the with their annihilation of the bastion of Sebring and the
ocean, still brooding from the loss of their god. erection of the city of Faustis upon its ruins. Surround-
ing fae nations were either wiped out or driven out—a
pogrom which continued until the potential for an eco-
nomic opportunity arose. And through the hands of
slaves, Baruch Malkut became the fastest growing na-
tion in Canam, gaining power so quickly, it became ob-
vious that not one nation could fight them on equal against the forces of darkness. More than any other
terms. Eventually, the aggressive expansion into other species, the tilen are the most unified in their singular
territories stopped, but it is believed this pause is only obsession with wiping out Ixindar and the forces of cor-
temporary and war will eventually break out over all of ruption.
Canam.
ADVENTURES
Baruch Malkut emerged organically Elder tilen are generally assumed to be family leaders
from a side effect of other elements in and village chiefs. They are the most powerful singular
the game, and was not intentionally fae on the planet (on average) and this commands sig-
meant to be a allegory. It started out jus- nificant power. Examples of elder tilen include Azula
tifying having half-breed fae in a logical Jaheer, Lhamah Cyrose, Mira Diemasko and Saleena
world, and from that begot bonding, and from Kaaris, the latter being one of the few nomadic elder
tilen one may encounter randomly along a journey. El-
that begot slavery. Baruch Malkut was born.
der tilen are committed to one thing, wiping out those
unredeemable souls tainted by the corruption of Ix-
Culturally, Baruch Malkut has more indar. To aid an elder tilen on such a mission would be
in common with 17th-century New greatly rewarded.
England puritanism (crossed with the
Levantine crusader states, specifically ALLIES
as depicted in the first "Assassin's Creed" Elder tilen don’t have many allies because of their past
game) than it does with stereotypes of the pre- transgressions while being vampires. Even their de-
Civil War South. That said, we've written scendants have been occasionally ostracized. This
story fiction in which people familiar with pre- doesn’t mean the tilen don’t have allies. Limshau, Kan-
Hammer history have assumed those stereo- nos, and Abidan have all officially supported the tilen,
types apply, so it's not something that has as have many chaparran forests.
completely vanished from the cultural con-
sciousness. ENEMIES
Raiders from Baruch Malkut enslave most fae they en-
counter with the notable exception of the tilen. While
COUNCIL OF ELDER TILEN most tilen are killed on the spot, others, including the
(HEROIC) elder fae, are sent to the capital to be executed in one of
“I am not that which I remember. A corruption de- a half-dozen extremely slow and painful manners such
stroyed that soul long ago. I am that perversion cursed as 'baptism' (ritualized drowning) or the ‘death of a
with remorse, made accountable for the sins committed thousand cuts’, a procedure done over a day in the town
and with desire to repair the damage caused.” square with onlookers invited.

LOCATION HISTORY
Most elder tilen live isolated lives as the leaders of After the Fall (in the first age), several fae used forbid-
small hidden villages, or wander the land, alone or with den knowledge to steal the power of Ixindar for them-
itinerant caravans of their descendants. There are ru- selves, to bring life after death and extend the lives of

29
mored to be at least a half-dozen elder tilen in Canam those willing to turn their souls to corruption. This be-
with most across the ocean. Specific locations are came known as necromancy, a branch of Ixindar magic
known only to a few and as such can appear based on banned by the rest of Kakodomania (as it encourages a
random chance. selfish approach to negative magic rather than one dedi-
cated to the god Mengus). It swallowed up dragons and
COMMON KNOWLEDGE fae alike, the latter turning into creatures that could live
forever, as long as they could devour the essence of the
The elder tilen are those few fae infected by corruption
living. Through echalogical influence, this became
which were then flushed of it with the opening of the
known as vampirism. The first necromancers were also
white gate in the new age. Using old fantasy tropes, el-
the first vampires, and back then, the names were syn-
der tilen are ex-vampires, though not ones turned by
onymous (though to themselves, they were called ghu-
choice. Even among those whose hands were forced,
lath). They tempted or forced others to be thralls.
only a few managed to turn to the light. Estimates
During the exodus, when fae and dragon fled into the
place the current elder tilen population between 15 and
formless void of the gates before the first hammer, the
40 worldwide and yet, through their descendants, this
ghulath lords followed, returning during the age of man.
small group is responsible for all the tilen seen in the
However, when the white gate opened, the flood of
world. However, only the elder tilen carry the stain of
magic washed the corruption free from many of the
their past lives, passing on the obligation to their kin to
ghulath thralls—especially those whose hands were
maintain the struggle to stave off corruption and battle
30
forced. They became penitent, wracked with guilt, and
fled their lords to seek sanctuary where they could.
DAWNAMOAK
Many were killed just trying to escape. Others were (AMBIGUOUS)
hunted down by old enemies repudiating absolution. “Like a mother forgiving all the sins of the son, nature ab-
Eventually some found solace, settled down, and start- solved man of his past transgressions. The hammer was
ed families, all the while maintaining contact with the an act of God, not of nature.”
others, promising to gather in secret locations every ten
years to ensure they have followed the path of virtue. LOCATION
Their descendants took the task to create a race, and af- Dawnamoak is a massive forest occupying most of what
ter five hundred years their numbers have grown, was New Mexico, Texas and Mexico. Although the
though their slow breeding rate and the dire actions of towers of Jibaro can be considered its capital, there are
fearful humans leave them always teetering on the edge no maps denoting specific villages within the forest. It
of extinction. is all assumed chaparran territory.
COMMON KNOWLEDGE FARGON
The towers of Jibaro are the equivalent of Mecca in the (HEROIC)
chaparran culture. It is their holiest city and fervently “Bring down sin and rock. They both crumble under the
defended by fanatical fae to the extent that non- pick of truth. Climb up brothers. More treasures await
chaparrans are prohibited from getting close to the tow- those in Oaken’s good graces.”
ers. Most never even make it that far into the forest.
There have been a few notable exceptions—specifically
druids and respected holy men from various races. LOCATION
Each tower focuses on a specific facet of chaparran cul- Fargon is incredibly isolated with most people only
ture, one for the unique chaparran spellcraft, one for the hearing or reading stories about it. Cut off by forest,
chaparran holy warriors, and the other the virtually inac- rock, and beast, it resides in the far north, in a region
cessible central tower and pillar of the chaparran faith. once called Alaska.
Saturated through the rest of Dawnamoak are perhaps
hundreds of even thousands of chaparran villages, shift- COMMON KNOWLEDGE
ing and amalgamating so often as to make detailing Despite the largest narros city being the Finer Fire Pits,
them pointless. Although chaparrans can be found in most narros come from Fargon, a legendary empire of
most most of the forests of Canam, they are most con- dwarves that, after a brief rebellion, suffered no set-
centrated within the forest of Dawnamoak. backs in their expansion across a virtually empty land-
scape. Simply put, the empire ran out of narros. The
ADVENTURES cities are too tall, too expansive, and life beyond spiritu-
Adventurers entering the forest may affront the locals if al growth or martial discipline can get a little boring.
not showing respect. Most chaparrans leaving the forest After the cities went up, the dwarves dug down, though
do so because of a quest bequeathed from an authority not to the extent their brethren in the Finer Fire Pits
within the tower. Though rare, the high priests and did. As result, many of their largest cities look empty,
generals of Jibaro have congregated with outsiders for a and their realm and the lands nearby are filled with ru-
common need, most often involving human and cor- ins built centuries ago and then simply abandoned to
rupted threats. the elements. Those in Fargon don’t fit the cliché of
the fantasy dwarf like their southern cousins, with only
a small portion of the population focused on mining.
ALLIES The others dedicated themselves to military or farming,
Technically, Dawnamoak has no alliance with anyone. resulting in even more narros leaving their cities. The
They respect laudenians but rarely encounter them. armies defended convoys and engaged with the rising
They have no misgivings about the other fae peoples, anathema and kodiak threats. And then there are those
but hold no particular alliances with them either, prefer- that find the constant obligations to the state taxing and
ring the solitude of the forest. the lack of any non-narros contact tiresome. They un-
dergo the months-long trek to escape from their lands
ENEMIES to stake a claim in the south.
Like most chaparrans, those in Dawnamoak have de-
clared a jihad against Baruch Malkut. There is also con- ADVENTURES
siderably animosity between the chaparrans within the Fargon’s armies seldom operate within the kingdom,
towers and most of the bastions, despite most bastions utilized primarily in eastern defense preventing an inva-
not even knowing Dawnamoak exists. sion from kodiaks or fae anathema The narros also de-
fend the convoys between Fargon and their trading 31
HISTORY partners elsewhere. Occasionally, missions demand
Dawnamoak was probably one of the first fae communi- longer journeys, ones taking years to complete.
ties established after Attricana’s opening. The chapar-
rans gathered in a location of heavy magic and began ALLIES
shaping the wood to their whim. These towers of Jibaro Fargon’s alliance with Selkirk and Seliquam is common
are not the same as the ones from the first age—they’re knowledge. They also share common ground with the
not even close to their original location— but are con- Finer Fire Pits. Despite how close they are, Fargon
siderably larger. After the towers grew, the knowledge does not enjoy any positive relations with Laudenia.
of them resonated through every chaparran village, even
ones too distant to receive the message. And like the
Hajj, most chaparrans are expected to renew their faith ENEMIES
within a tower of their choosing. Those not embracing Fargon is under threat from the various fae anathema
the way of war or the way of magic are permitted within and from bandits, some admittedly armed by the narros
the tallest tower to undergo the greatest tests of faith, themselves in a perhaps overly successful attempt to
ones which those who enter never speak of. entice the bears to turn their aggression to the boggs
and skeggs.
 HISTORY Pits endorse an open gate-policy to outsiders. Everyone
Nations in the south had no idea Fargon even existed is welcome as long as they provide a function. It is not a
until convoys started appearing from the north. Up un- tourist attraction, and the population disdains sight-
til that point, the only civilized outsiders they had en- seers. Traders, merchants, miners, farmers and even ar-
countered were the techan humans of Selkirk, with mies are all welcome. Finer Fire Pits is extremely prof-
whom they forged a profitable trading agreement that itable, leading to the nation acquiring considerable in-
persists to this day. Fargon’s history until then wasn’t fluence compared to its neighbors. The militarization
tranquil by any sense. The first city built by the narros of the foundries could arm a nation in a week.
was a modest metropolis called Rhinforge which be- The side effect of this industry is a rather unhealthy
came very successful very quickly and led its ruler, Rar- atmosphere pervading the entire subterranean complex.
ikon Baxs to declare himself king of everything he It’s altogether too hot, even in the winter months.
could see. He amassed a fortune in efforts to bribe ko- Many outsiders can’t stand the environment for more
diak and anathema to fight for his side in an attempt to than a few days, probably an intentional design.
conquer the known world. There was a fanatical expan-
sion where the narros built city after city with few peo- ADVENTURES
ple to live in with the expectations that the narros With tens of thousands of miles snaking underground,
would congregate in time under their singular emperor. connecting the huge foundry chambers to smaller fur-
This didn’t go well with the other fledging towns, naces, colonies and mines, there is no short of adven-
and the other narros rose up behind a new ruler, Thala- ture. A party of sellswords could earn a living for dec-
gos Gin. Gin razed Rhinforge to rubble and rebuilt his ades without ever walking down the same tunnel twice
capital, Thos Thalagos, upon the ashes. Despite as- or even seeing the sun. There is no shortage of demand
sumptions that Gin would make the same mistakes, he to protect the miners from the threats that lie in the
in turn began an extended rule defined by humility and depths.
respect. His first decree was to draw his narros back to
the northern lands, abandoning many of the southern ALLIES
colonies to be repopulated by humans and other fae. Being a civilized fae nation, the narros of the Finer Fire
His second decree was to re-establish the traditions of Pits enjoy a healthy relationship with the elvish neigh-
ancient narros, moving away from the greedy disposi- bors in Limshau and with the gimfen of Gnimfall, the
tion of those like in the Finer Fire Pits. Despite scaling latter helping design the foundries that define the land-
back the reach of the kingdom, Fargon rose quickly to scape of the Pits. The narros even maintain a positive
be the largest narros nations ever seen on the Earth. relationship with the human nations of Abidan and Kan-
nos, though the general attitude to humanity is ironical-
FINER FIRE PITS ly cold given the heat generating from the nation of
(HEROIC) Finer.
“Foolish Humans. The best route is down, never up. I
read their history—always building up. Up…why? What ENEMIES
is up there? Clouds. Water. I can dig and get that and it Like most fae nations, Finer Fire Pits abhor the internal
would cost far less.” and foreign policies of Baruch Malkut. The narros, like
their fictional dwarven counterparts, also have a sworn
LOCATION ancient hatred against the pagus and tenenbri. Finally,
they hold a special grudge against the Bugbears of Dag-
32
The passing traveler is most likely to miss the Finer
Fire Pits unless specifically looking for it. Completely ron, the skegg lords of the north whose constant raiding
subterranean, there are virtually no marks of civilization frequently disrupts the flow of much-needed supplies
on the surface outside of the main gate. A sprawling to the forges.
kingdom contained within a single underground me-
tropolis, the Pits occupy a patch of land once known as HISTORY
Rockford Illinois, stretching out for seventy-five kilo- The Finer Vallis was claimed by the still living nation’s
meters is every direction, the largest single echan com- founder, Garach (Garachthinakus) Glim, purchased
munity in Canam. Technically, a portion of the Finer from local humans hording the land on hopes of buying
Fire Pits resides underneath the Kingdom of Kannos. their way into a bastion. Glim and his followers carved
out the first and largest cave—it wasn’t dicovered like
COMMON KNOWLEDGE the techans of Sierra Madre. A technology alliance with
The narros of the Finer Fire Pits fit the clichéd mold of the gimfen provided the know-how to build the found-
the dwarves read about in fiction. They grow their ries and the dwarves never looked back. In its 400 year
beards; they mine for riches; they treat other races like history, Finer Fire Pits has never suffered an attack by
dirt though never to the point of goading armed con- any sizable force despite facing small threats daily from
flict. At least these dwarves bathe, and despite their unearthed abominations. In the present, Garach Glim
crusty demeanor to non-narros, those who live in the continues to work alongside his comrades, delegating
his authority to a council of elders, all of whom defer to vans or atolls. Rarely do cells act altruistic but excep-
his wisdom when needed. However, many neighboring tions have been known to occur. Regardless, missions
nations whisper accusations that Glim and his people rarely involve the assistance of echan civilians, as this
keep themselves underground in order to prevent being goes against the Iron Sons charter.
dragged into a war.
ALLIES
IRON SONS The Iron Sons are technically allies with most bastions,
(AMBIGUOUS) though some cities publicly denounce them. Because
“I’ve seen every horror this fantasy world could throw at General Chauk has technically broken several bastion
me, so I know where the chaos will lead. This civility they laws in the operation of the Iron Sons, he is considered
parade around in, it’s a farce, and it could be a generation, a criminal. Many bastions have banned the Iron Sons in
two maybe, until it crumbles. Bastion born are a sorry lot their cities though employ them for foreign work. Both
of cradle-crying newborns desperate to escape but too Angel and York have employed the Iron Sons (despite
afraid to climb. We’re the ones with the guns, the man- Angel officially labeling them a terrorist organization,
power, and most of all, the resolve. They can have their the Sons maintain a public message box just outside the
magic—we have the laws of the natural world.” gates of the bastion and never want for work in that re-
gion) as well as Selkirk on fewer occasions, but they
LOCATION have not been employed by Mann or Sierra Madre.
Seemingly everywhere—the Iron Sons are known for
operating dozens of cells across Canam. In every basti- ENEMIES
on, in dozens of atolls, there will be someone represent- The Iron Sons represent the worst of techan culture in
ing the famous mercenary company. the eyes of the echan world so are banned in Kannos,
Abidan, and Baruch Malkut. Iron Sons are allowed to
enter Limshau as long as they leave all their high-tech
COMMON KNOWLEDGE equipment at the gates, but all other fae cultures des-
The Iron Sons’ singular leader is General Chauk, pise them. There are stories of whole cells vanishing in
though the organization rarely requires his guidance. chaparran woods.
Barely maintaining a public image, many people believe
he either never existed in the first place or has been
dead for decades. Chauk’s doctrine is embraced by his HISTORY
many cells scattered about the world and they function The Iron Sons are believed to have been around for
autonomously, lacking little direction from quadrant about a hundred years and have gone through four com-
commanders. There have been a few occasions where manders in that time, Chauk being the longest standing
cells have united to tackle larger missions but there has commander in the company’s history. The founder was
yet to be a situation where there has been a general call William Pentecost, a fanatical religious figure banned
to arms. With over a hundred cells comprised of be- from Angel after gathering a cult of armed soldiers.
tween 5 and 500 personnel, the Iron Sons are stretched Outcast, Pentecost led his people to what he believed
thin across Canam, though still numbering larger than was the new promised land where all machines would
any other mercenary company on the continent. It is function, a valley where he would build his city of To-
each cell’s responsibility to interpret Iron Son policy pia. Alas, Pentecost never found his prophesized valley
which best suits their environment. Being left to their and the Cult of Iron Sons began leasing themselves out
down judgment, not all cells act alike, with some acting to wandering techan caravans and atolls. Pentecost van-
malicious while others civilized. Though their mission ished, was presumed killed, and left his fragmenting 33
statement includes the annihilation of the world of society to the first real general, Falco Young. Young
magic and the retaking of nature by the will of man, adapted Pentecost’s visions and the modern interpreta-
some cells have tolerated fae involvement. There have tion of the Iron Sons was born. The echo of their once
been occurrences where a cell has been disavowed, religion fanaticism can still be heard today, though
even branded criminals by the rest of the organization. greatly muted.
Given the number of cells across Canam, it’s difficult
for said groups to move through techan communities KANNOS
without being discovered.
(HEROIC)
“Give me a horse and I will ride God down.”
ADVENTURES
There are both missions an Iron Sons cell undertakes
on its own as well as well as those handed to them from
LOCATION
One of the largest kingdoms in Canam, Kannos is a
above. These usually include missions promoting the
sprawling land of plains, valleys, and rivers claiming
organization’s own agenda or those of bastions. Occa-
most of the former northern Middle America east of the
sionally, cells are hired long-term to augment local mili-
mountains, claiming (at least in name) large parts of the
tary, though this usually only occurs with techan cara-
 lands once known as Montana, Wyoming, the Dakotas, ADVENTURES
Minnesota, and Manitoba. The borders of Kannos are Kannos is a vast, expansive kingdom with no shortage of
vaguely defined, as controlled regions brush against the adventure. Despite being known for its flatlands, Kan-
wildlands of Alpinas as well as the deadly Sana Marsh. nos has its fair share of mountains, the most famous be-
Kannos is often considered an immense buffer zone ing the home of the infamous Kereptis Rifts and the
preventing many of the wilder species from pushing in- catacombs he built from magic in order to store magic.
to the more civilized nations of the east and south like As for serving the nation, Kannos is under constant at-
Limshau, Abidan, Gnimfall and Finer Fire Pits. A low tack in the west from puggs and boggs. From the south,
population density has resulted in wide expanses be- the state enlists brave souls to venture in the Sana
tween towns and cities. Marsh in hopes of finding a secret to end the curse
there. Heading into the north finds the windy waste-
COMMON KNOWLEDGE lands of Alpinas, along with skeggs, kodiaks, and possi-
Kannos is known for livestock, horses, and a bizarre bly dozens of other undocumented beasts. The king-
form of government. Basically, only those that own dom is also known throughout the continent for a tradi-
land can rule the people of said land. However, the tion known as the Great Hunt, which the current ruler
economy is run by the farming and manufacturing in- calls whenever a particularly dangerous monster appears
dustry, which landowners are not allowed to involve within the realm: a fabulous reward is offered (paid for
themselves in. They can only rent out a property and by the business owners most affected by the creature's
possess the land. Business owners have the wealth depredations) to anyone who brings in the monster's
while the landowners set the policy. Despite such a head. The Great Hunt draws adventurers both echan
strange arrangement, the “kingdom” of Kannos contin- and techan from across the land, for the reward is usual-
ues to function. The established ruler of the nation is ly enough to set the winner up for life.
determined by the family with the largest claims to
property, despite not being even close to the richest. A ALLIES
royal family can remove themselves out of power by Kannos has a firm alliance with Abidan and an even
selling their land and going into business, forfeiting stronger one with Limshau, probably the strongest bond
their claim to the throne but acquiring amazing with between any two nations in all of Canam. Kannos
wealth—something which has occurred more than once. and Limshau share many basic philosophical principles,
Although this does mean that a wealthy businessman principles which prevent stronger ties with Abidan. De-
can sell his assets and buy his way onto the throne, the spite this, Abidan and Kannos still possess a solid peace
established king or queen is prohibited from altering treaty and friendly relations.
the constitution: only a conclave of twenty-seven lead-
ing landowners with very specific and sometimes bi-
zarre qualifications can alter the ultimate law of the land ENEMIES
(the one time a king tried to usurp this power, his reign Of all the nations of Canam, Kannos has been the loud-
did not last very long). est voice to start a war with Baruch Malkut. Despite
The present monarch is Queen Bodika Nezekin, a not being directly attacked, the Kannos line has been
woman with a manner as steely as her hair, who openly unwavering in their defense of Limshau. Beyond rival
supports the war hounds calling for a preemptive strike kingdoms, Kannos is also under threat from all manners
against Baruch Malkut but cannot yet persuade those of monsters.
who hold the kingdom's purse strings to finance such an
action. HISTORY
34 Kannos cities are separated by ranches, military out- Kannos was a later kingdom formed after the collapse of
posts, and “saddlements”—villages more built to ac- the bastion of Appareci (which was itself built upon an
commodate resting mounts than their owners. One as- old city called Billings, Montana. Unlike Sebring, Ap-
pect of the nation a traveler won’t find a lot of are tem- pareci was not destroyed, rather it just suffered too
ples, churches, or synagogues. For reasons historians many disruption events in a highly saturated land and
find fascinating, a rational “naturalist” movement swept the people simply couldn’t hold onto their technology.
through the kingdom in its fledging decades, supported They adapted, the nation survived, and with no walls to
by the king. As royalty is determined by human inge- govern them, their claims expanded. Appareci's great
nuity, the founding ruler Tarazed Matvala declared God keep and the inner ward of the town that now surrounds
as being unnecessary. There is no state religion and it still show the signs of their techan past, although the
those establishing centers for worship are forced to pay steel-and-concrete buildings have subsequently be-
taxes as much as any business. This has resulted in come ornamented with buttresses, crenellations and
many religious centers branching into business or fold- gargoyles, and the machines have lost since sputtered
ing altogether. Religion and worship still occurs in Kan- and stopped. It was at some point that the first king,
nos—it’s something which cannot be avoided—but its Tarazed Matvala, took the throne and established the
rarity is a shocking occurrence in such a fantasy world as state policy still being followed today. It was also
modern Earth. around this time that diplomatic relations were forged
with the older nation of Limshau. Abidan would occur ADVENTURES
later and the three nations would form an alliance in Having any connection to Laudenia or the Ascension in
hopes of pushing back the encroaching Baruch Malkut. general would be a rare one indeed, even if one was a
Kannos hoped such an alliance would lead to a massive native to the city. When one leaves, they seldom re-
crusade with Kannos Kavalry as the spearfront. Howev- turn, as the migrations of the floating keeps is known
er, Limshau has stalled war in hopes or sowing the only to a few. The cities have been known to send car-
seeds of rebellion within the local populations, some- avans to the Earth, most often to either seek out lost
thing which has yet to occur. Today, Kannos continues magic, or more commonly, finding rare materials the
to defend against anathema from the west while main- elves have difficulty replicating with magic. Many of
taining trade and relations with allies to the east. It has the ruling laudenians have a fascination for powerful
made it their personal responsibility to clean out the Sa- magic, especially the legendary foundation anchors.
na Marsh as well as cull the populations of anathema
before it becomes a plague. Given such declarations,
it’s no surprise Kannos has one of the largest armies in ALLIES
Canam. Laudenia maintains no contact with anyone and has no
alliances.
LAUDENIA ENEMIES
(AMBIGUOUS) That being said, the empire in the sky also has no ene-
“We look upon those below and they appear as ants…I
mies to speak of, not unless you count time.
find no illusion in this comparison. The manners and ways
And dragons…maybe the occasional dragon.
of insects should not bother us. It’s a game of numbers
and those with the most hoard over those with little.
With an ear to heaven, we see how pointless it all is. HISTORY
Chaos begets magic and those who control the chaos Laudenians fled to the sky well before the fall of the
control the universe.” First Hammer. When Attricana returned, so did the ex-
alted fae. Limshau records claim only the Alkanost (the
LOCATION largest vessel) actually survived from the previous age,
and everything, including the capital of Laudenia, had
No one is really sure where Laudenia is. Like an aerial
to be rebuilt. With the fae’s extensive knowledge of
Brigadoon, dozens if not hundreds of people across the
magic, this wasn’t hard. Today, the cities grow and
globe claim to have spotted it briefly and then been un-
change depending on the moods of the designers. After
able to find it again, but the only reliable accounts have
the laudenians secured their foothold in the sky, they
it drifting somewhere between Selkirk and Fargon,
cut themselves off from the ground world and declared
among the coastal mountains of the former Pacific
their race apart from all matters of the surface. By gen-
Northwest.
eral policy they avoid any conflict, even ones in their
best interest. This is not the consensus of the entire
COMMON KNOWLEDGE population, only the majority of the ruling echelon.
What’s known is just conjecture. The Laudenians took There are voices, even within the echelon, of taking are
to the sky in constructed keeps and flying vessels to more interest in the world, as coming wars may be una-
avoid ground contact. Fae anathema come about be- voidable.
cause of the degradation of the fae over thousands of
years. Being the oldest, the Laudenians are now the
fewest, and fled to the skies in order to prevent further LIMSHAU 35
degradation. It was only a theory but it proved correct, (HEROIC)
and the legend of the Ascension was born—a network “Only by uniting and merging our knowledge with those
of castles floating about the clouds only the Laudenians of humans, narros, and gimfen, can we build a future.”
had access to. Flying vessels from techan aircraft to
magically amplified thermal ships have tried finding LOCATION
these keeps and rumors claim a few succeeded. There Limshau is a large nation with indefinite borders given
are legends of colossal citadels like Aeronopolis and Sel- its proximity to Tranquiss and the Sana Marsh. The
mana, but the most sought after is Laudenia itself, the Continental Cross bisects the kingdom which occupies
nexus of Ascension and the home to the majority of most of the lands once known as Nebraska, Kansas, Io-
laudenians. Within their territory, most laudenians wa, Missouri, and Illinois. The white-walled city of
don’t care much for the affairs of others, especially Limshau itself was built upon a grassy plain that was, in
those on the ground, and it would take a lost to jostle the distant past, the location of the town of Wichita,
them from their meditation. Kansas.
 COMMON ADVENTURES
KNOWLEDGE Beyond the fact that both librarians and custodians are
Limshau breaks many rules assumed integral to any na- sent on missions to either collect research or acquire lost
tion. Although technically considered a monarchy, and or stolen books, Limshau also contracts out missions to
its leader is called a king by everyone (except himself those loyal to the nation. Very often these free-lances
and anyone within earshot of him), the position is an contain at least one custodian or librarian. Limshau’s
elected one, with the winner ruling for the duration of interests include missions into Tranquiss and the Sana
his life or until he retires. That said, damaskans tend Marsh as well as destabilizing the nation of Baruch
not to fix what isn't broken, and as a result the descend- Malkut.
ant of the city's founder, Ravenar Limshau, still rules
the nation. Additionally, the vast majority of the nation ALLIES
dedicated most of its resources to the non-profitable Limshau is a proud nation with many allies, including
pursuit of acquiring and documenting knowledge: eve- Kannos, Abidan, Gnimfall, and Finer Fire Pits. Librari-
rything from historical records to religious texts, techan ans and custodians have representatives in each of their
engineering manuals, novels, plays, and comic books. neighbors. Limshau even has connections with the bas-
36 Additional resources were spent on the cataloguing and tions of Angel and York, and there is regular communi-
protection of the millions of books and scrolls acquired cation between Limshau and the enclave of Genai
in this nation-wide obsession. Being a custodian or li- (many of whose residents have distant relatives in the
brarian is not so much a profession as it is a calling, a life city).
-long committed discipline. Each walled city is a glori-
fied library with businesses and residences lodged be- ENEMIES
tween collections. Nowhere is this more clear than the Despite their commendable social structure and foreign
namesake capital, with other cities occasionally having a policy, Limshau still has enemies, namely Baruch
lower ratio of books to people. Zorahn is committed Malkut. They also come under threat from anathema
more to the defense of the nation while Primmer holds from the west.
the largest collection of printing presses. Limshau is al-
so the most multi-ethnic kingdom in Canam, having a
nearly equal population of humans and fae with the HISTORY
largest collection of half-fae found anywhere. When Ravenar Limshau III arrived in Canam, he went
about gathering followers and learning about the new
world (not unlike what Vincent Savarice would do cen-
turies later). When he found the fledging bastion of
Angel, he discovered the potential of mankind and the
strengths they possessed in ingenuity which fae lacked. ADVENTURES
When Ravenar left to found his own nation, his follow- Mann seldom sends people outside of their walls,
ers numbered in the tens of thousands, many being knowing full well that they may not be allowed back in.
techans skilled in architecture and engineering gleaned Even the slightest taint of magic can result in extermi-
from millennia without magic. Together they built the nation. They have employed smaller mercenary com-
most advanced nation of fantasy, cities with indoor panies occasionally, but when it comes to retrieving
plumbing and gas lamps, heat insulation, and fireproof Mann citizens or lost technology, Mann sends its own
buildings. Spreading from the central capital of personnel.
Limshau, the nation expanded with similar looking
white-walled city-libraries including Abarbanel, Athe-
naeum, Escorias, Kodex, and Warraqeen. They later ALLIES
formed the Continental Cross—a singular highway con- Mann has no allies.
necting Angel to York. Limshau has never suffered
from invasion or engaged in outright war, though it is I admit in early versions of Amethyst,
expected to face a conflict eventually with Baruch bastion locations kept shifting loca-
Malkut when the overly tolerant and procrastinating fae tions. Angel shifted to Los Angeles to
finally come the realization that patience won’t destroy San Diego and then back again. Mann
their southern enemies. used to be Manhattan Island, but I felt that
was too much an on-the-nose reference to a
Limshau is one of the more useful af-
certain movie of my past. I also thought the
filiations for a character to have, as
concept made no sense, so I shifted it to Mar-
its central location and cosmopolitan
tha’s Vineyard, east of Montauk Point. My
attitudes make it a good staging
layout designer then went and shifted both
ground for adventures.
bastions to somewhere in Maine (could be Bos-
ton). Technically, I am right—York is most of
MANN what’s left of Long Island and Newark while
(VILLAINOUS) Mann lies in sight.
“What you call a nightmare of brutalist architecture en-
couraging a fanatical view of the world where only the There are some advantages to being
righteous judged by few are allowed to live in a technolog-
ical utopia…I call home. Let’s burn it to the ground.”
vague in a setting book, but it also
tends to infuriate collaborators - I've
learned in the course of editing this
LOCATION book that I'd been hugely wrong about
Mann is an immense stronghold of near featureless in-
terconnecting buildings so tall, they are within visual some locations for years. Even with the direc-
range of the rival bastion of York. The original island tions provided here, there are bound to be some
Mann sits upon was mostly washed away from past places that aren't easy to pinpoint. Also, pub-
manmade global climate change, but a colossal reclama- lished adventures may have a certain amount
tion project not only rebuilt it but expanded it as well. of travel time built in which doesn't necessari-
An outer wall now not only protects the inner city but ly match up with the canonical locations. Best
also the landmass—not an inch of soil is visible from the
water line. The island was once innocuously known as
thing to do is not sweat it - if it bothers you, 37
Martha’s Vineyard.
invent some reason for why it takes two weeks
to travel a distance you should be able to cover
in two days, otherwise just ignore it and hope
COMMON KNOWLEDGE nobody notices.
Mann is the most technologically advanced bastion in
Canam, rumored only rivaled by the bastion of Porto
across the ocean. They are also fanatically protective of ENEMIES
their privacy. About the only information circulating Everyone, up to and including some of its own citizens.
about Mann is that it fires upon anyone who approaches Mann’s crusade involves nothing less than the elimina-
their self-claimed jurisdictional waters who isn’t a citi- tion of all life touched by magic. Oddly enough,
zen of their city and that it hunts down expatriates like Mann’s dogma also insists that only their way of life is
criminals to be either extradited back to the city or exe- to be allowed, so bastions like York, Selkirk, and An-
cuted. The city is also known for turning their devotion gel—known to practice certain measures of tolerance to
to technology into a religion which encompasses every the outside world—are fated for elimination as well.
facet of city life. There is no one outside of the bastion of Mann that
those on the inside don’t look down upon.
 HISTORY ALLIES
Like many bastions, the history of Mann is marred in Depending on the tribe, pagus can sometimes depend
mystery, but in Mann’s situation, even the origin of the on other tribes or typhox dragons, but that’s about it.
city’s construction remains a conundrum, with theories
including that the city is a gift from God, the result of ENEMIES
man’s last forays into nanotechnology, or the conse- Pagus are hated by most everybody, even their own
quence of discovered alien knowledge. kind. Just about everyone would rather see them wiped
off the Earth.
PAGUS WARBANDS
(VILLAINOUS) HISTORY
“We are the brush in which the master paints. Cleaned In an event known as the Fall, the black star of Ixindar
of all pigment, we await a stain to define us. If our gods swept over the Earth, and in that moment, a million fae
fail to direct us, the blood of society will paint the canvas.” rose up and walked away from their families and their
villages. When they were seen again, they had lost
LOCATION their entire fae identity and resembled blank-faced or-
Pagus warbands are concentrated mostly in the seclud- ganic automata slaved under the voice of their living
ed lands of Apocrypha though quite a few have been god, Mengus. A fast reproductive cycle created an army
spotted in the rest of Canam. Pagus have a natural fear the other fae had troubles dealing with. Most pagus
of water and mountains unless their wills are overridden were killed by the first Hammer but managed to return
by shemjaza or dragon, and have such kept mostly in with the reopening of the gates millions of years later.
their nation. Exceptions have occurred and attacks It didn’t take long for their numbers to grow. However,
have been reported as far south as Sierra Madre. lacking the unifying voice of Mengus, many pagus have
started to act uncontrollably, going insane, and attack-
ing indiscriminately. Worse still—in the eyes of other
COMMON KNOWLEDGE followers of Ixindar—some pagus have begun acting
The modern pagus are descended from the original civil, regaining some measure of self-control. This is all
strain of elves corrupted by the fall of Ixindar. They believed to be a fragment of their chaotic origins not
despise all other fae and find their various cultures re- completely flushed away by corruption. Pagus are still
pulsive. Set to their own devices, pagus generally don’t programmed to follow the voice of Mengus, or in her
exhibit any positive emotions and are incapable of feel- absence, the voice of her champions, but this need of
ing anything other than hatred. They respect power total control has shown the forces of evil that the pagus
and will answer respectfully to only that which they can no longer be relied upon to be the singular force to
have no hopes in defeating. Although able to respect wipe the planet clean of chaos.
more powerful enemies, pagus will not stop an attack if
they believed themselves capable of winning, and as
such will die not realizing they were overmatched. On- SALVABROOKE
ly faced against clearly superior commanders will pagus (HEROIC)
fall in line, and thus far, only dragons have been able to “I remember reading about this constructed amusement
do this. The only exception are the shemjaza which the park in Earth’s past where people would pay to interact
pagus are programmed to follow blindly. Despite being with fairy tales, where magic was a fabrication of strings
corruptions of Ixindar, the pagus still carry with them and electronics. You could ride wooden dragons and play
38 the echo of Attricana, and left without supervision, turn
wild and unpredictable. With no underlying fae culture
fantasy with actors in rubber suits. This is just like that…
only the fairy tales are real.
or even a place in the fae ladder, pagus generally fall in- The dragons are still wood though.”
to tribes and begin developing unique traditions based
on their warlike nature. A few tribes have actually act- LOCATION
ed civil in certain circumstances under the leadership of Salvabrooke is a small civilization by Canam standards
wiser minds. though is still the largest population of gimfen one can
find in the world. A single large everlasting oak tree
ADVENTURES marks the only unconcealed entrance to the valley, be-
Pagus generally don’t undertake or offer missions. lieved to have been built over the ruins of an old city
They find a village or caravan to raid and then raid known as Salt Lake, though the geography has altered
them. Pagus don’t think three or even two moves considerably since then.
ahead. They only care about satisfying their own im-
mediate needs. Civilized pagus tribes, few that they COMMON KNOWLEDGE
are, have issues surviving against their own kind the Salvabrooke’s geography makes it extremely difficult to
racism of their enemies. find or even gain entrance to the valley without the na-
tive gimfen discovering it. Most general travelers ap-
proach from the western gateway, marked by a magical- park was a slow process starting with one town and ex-
ly imbued oak tree rumored to be the extension of a panding to others. The defining traits of the valley are
fallen chapparan that was buried at that spot. The gim- only a hundred years old, but since then, the population
fen welcome outsiders but discourage many from stay- of the valley has exploded, mostly from gimfen immi-
ing very long. The entire economy of the nation (which grants but also from outsider looking to join the indus-
is not much more than a scattering of towns within a try. The visiting population has been known to shift
day’s walking distance) is based on recreation, generat- from a few hundred to tens of thousands depending on
ing income from visiting tourists. Like Finer Fire Pits, season and periodic festivals. The recent arrival of
there is some revenue earned from manufacturing and techan tourists in the last fifty years has caused an eco-
farming, but the highest earnings come from the leisure nomic boon, and the strangest visual marker of progress
industry. Every form of fantasy can be entertained and as huge echan terrain transports shuffle about in echan
fae from across the world have gathered to earn money villages looking for parking.
showcasing their uniqueness. Salvabrooke is part cir-
cus, part freak show, part burlesque house, and in some
places, part bordello.
SELIQUAM
(HEROIC/AMBIGUOUS)
“Most fantasy worlds in fiction are all too small, so that
ADVENTURES walking from empire to empire wouldn’t take more than a
The humorous irony is that under normal circumstanc- day, lest the book be more about the journey. That’s
es, Salvabrooke would be considered an adventure, where I’m from, a fantasy world within one.”
though one where no one’s lives were at stake.
Salvebrooke is a popular destination for techans looking
to encounter the outside fantasy world without the LOCATION
hardships that face the people that actually live there. The Seliquam Federation occupies the lands once
However, under the surface, Salvabrooke is constantly known as southern British Columbia and northern
monitoring the migration patterns of nearby anathema, Washington state, including Vancouver and the other
who often come very close to stumbling into the valley. coastal islands, Haida Gwaii, and the Olympic Peninsu-
Salvabrooke also operates a diligent police force to la, with most of the nations concentrated around the
make sure tourists behave (while at the same time turn- valley of the former Fraser River (now known as the
ing a blind eye to the gimfen pickpockets, confidence River Seliquam). It is a vibrant landscape featuring
tricksters, and fraudulent sellers of knockoff goods, every type of topography contained in a small space.
which are treated as 'part of the experience.')
COMMON KNOWLEDGE
ALLIES Oftentimes considered a forgotten land, Seliquam is
Salvabrooke technically has no allies as it has made no surrounded on nearly all sides by predatory anathema
attempts to forge treaties with any neighbors. Despite and magically imbued beasts. As such, the civilized fae
this, it is expected that if the gimfen were to come un- and human settlements have gathered together into lo-
der threat, Kannos and Limshau would rush to defend. calized communities ranging from a few connected vil-
lages to small nations. These alliances are defined
more through proximity and shared threats than ethnic
ENEMIES or racial similarities. Even in the remote rainforests,
That being said, Salvabrooke also has no real enemies there is some accepted mingling between chaparrans
as they are too small to be a concern to anyone. Even
39
and their neighbors. There are accepted tolerances
anathema mostly leave them alone, since actually reach- within Seliquam that would be appalling in larger na-
ing the valley is far more difficult than seeking easier tions.
prey elsewhere. This does equate Seliquam somewhat to the United
Nations of Earth’s past—in other words, almost com-
HISTORY pletely ineffectual as a governing body, filled with petty
Salvabrooke emerged very organically over several cen- squabbling, divided by centuries-old grudges, mostly
turies as gimfen continued to congregate in the valley paralyzed by a general inability to compromise, and po-
beyond the lone tree. Although not resulting in con- litically dominated by a small handful of powerful mem-
flict, these were fae that swore against the technically ber states that favor their own goals over the general
curious gimfen, creating a bizarre schism in the species- good. If the anathema threat were to suddenly vanish,
-identical gimfen focusing on a different aspect of their it’s generally assumed that the tenuous agreements be-
stereotype. Many of their kind fall in between, but tween these nations would crumble. Until then, Seli-
where gimfen engineers dedicate themselves to learn- quam stands as an inexplicable microcosm of the entire
ing about the machines of man, the playful gimfen of continent—one still naïve of the true evils waiting to in-
Salvabrooke only care about joviality and relaxation. In fect the land.
fantasy books, these were different species, gnomes and
halflings. The evolution to a nation-wide amusement
 ADVENTURES lations between the nations, at least they are more in-
Finding adventure is not hard. Nearly every caravan clined to snipe at each other with sternly worded mis-
travelling from town to town runs the risk of being raid- sives from across their desks than with well aimed rifles
ed by feral monsters or less civilized folk. There are from across the river.
those that don’t recognize political borders or ethnic tol-
erances. Mercenaries have been paid by one nation to SELKIRK
attack another and then receive money by their targets (HEROIC)
for the counterattack. Hostile landscapes sit over hills; “Six in the day
dungeons wind within every hill. Six in the shade
Seldom are people hired for missions outside of Sel- Half at play
iquam, but there is no ending of quests within in. As an While the others trade
affiliation, one must be specific as to which nation to al- A shovel in the ground
ly with, as this can create negative relationships with Beats a rifle in the hand
other Seliquam nations. This is the only affiliation you When the dwarves come round
can have both a positive and a negative relationship Charge the military band”
with. The only organization that is united under the
banner of Seliquam is the Train Guard, a peacekeeping
force only tasked with defending the region from out-
LOCATION
side threats, not to handle internal conflicts. Someone Selkirk resides inside a mountain range of the same
can also forge a relationship with all of Seliquam by name, east of Seliquam, nearby the ruins of an old
making a connection with the Grand Council, the unit- techan town called Revelstoke. Virtually isolated, only
ed governing body which attempts to keep the nation’s a few roads exist from the colony, the most well-known
common interests inline. being the pass of Dianaso which runs from Selkirk to
Fargon in the north.

ALLIES
Seliquam’s only known alliances comes from Selkirk via
COMMON KNOWLEDGE
the town of Gateway and from Fargon traders in the Selkirk is an extremely remote bastion few people have
north. accidentally stumbled upon. It is the only bastion to
openly maintain trade with echan nations, notably Far-
gon. Isolation has also sparred the colony direct attack
ENEMIES save for a few flying creatures. As such, Selkirk’s mili-
The only known enemy of Seliquam other than Seli- tary only encounters resistance when escorting convoys
quam itself is the region of Xixion and the invading to trading posts. Still functioning manufacturing facili-
anathema. ties are one of the few aspects of Selkirk still keeping it
as a bastion, as the miners seldom encounter any of the
HISTORY high technology of the upper levels in their day-to-day
During Rarikon Baxs’ fanatical expansion of Fargon lives. Selkirk uses lighter than air vehicles and mag-
(before it was known as Fargon), the narros erected cit- netically elevated ground vehicles and trains.
ies and mines almost all the way to Xixion. The down-
side was that there was virtually no narros to inhabit ADVENTURES
them, and when the Bax Empire collapsed under the Every square inch around Selkirk is teaming with po-
40 weight of Thalagos Gin’s crusade, many of these south-
ern cities were abandoned save for a few proud and bel-
tential “adventure”—if you equate adventure with ter-
rifying risks no person should ever put themselves
ligerent dwarves unwilling to walk away from their own through. The hostile landscape would be enough, but
accomplishments. Human and other fae migrated into couple that with bands of anathema wandering the for-
the region afterwards to claim many of these abandoned ests that love to prey on humans when not at war with
cities, though most were left to be overgrown by fero- the kodiaks. Selkirk, unlike other bastions, is not self-
cious vegetation. These cities became the capitals of sufficient, so must trade with outsiders like Seliquam
the first republics, most of which remain today. Others and Fargon in order to survive. These caravans need
grew from smaller adjacent towns sharing mutual inter- constant protection and nearly every one suffers an at-
ests. tack.
The chaos to geography from magical saturation cre-
ated hundreds of lakes and rivers, forcing most travel
between nations by boat. This division created an envi-
ALLIES
ronment where the nations within Seliquam developed Selkirk prides itself in being forthcoming to strangers,
at different rates and into different methods of govern- rare that they are, and maintains successful trade and
ment. The Grand Council eventually formed when the military treaties with both Seliquam and Fargon. Trade
infighting grew so extreme that the region was in dire agreements have also been established with Kannos,
danger of being overrun: while it does little to foster re- Angel, and a half-dozen techan atolls around the region,
though these are sporadic.
ENEMIES ADVENTURES
Officially, like all bastions, Selkirk has an enemy in Adventure is a broad word, and for the people of Sierra
Mann despite never having contact with that bastion. Madre it mostly means including a unique ingredient in
Beyond this, Selkirk has suffered direct attack from a supper. They seldom want to leave and with a battery
few dragons and from creatures uncovered in the pro- of automated weaponry and a wasteland filled with zoo-
cess of mining. The anathema around the region are al- logical nightmares protecting their territory, they don’t
so a nuisance but little more than that as they often have to. Those that do are truly extraordinary in their
make bad climbers. capacity for curiosity—to see a world that frightens oth-
ers. Missions from Sierra Madre come because of a
HISTORY need of some vital piece of knowledge the city lacks,
Unlike other bastions, Selkirk is well aware of the fact it perhaps technology from a rival bastion (Sierra Madre's
started life as a fallout shelter, but what is less known is technological advancement tends to be very idiosyn-
that said shelter began life as a remote mine which be- cratic, and many advances a lower-tech bastion would
came renown internationally when remarkable though take for granted can be completely unknown). Perhaps
inexplicable deposits of rare metals were discovered, in- a prior expedition was lost. Regardless, to see anyone
cluding silver, gold, platinum, and most extraordinarily, from Sierra Madre is rare.
rhodium—perhaps the largest deposit on the planet. As
the population grew, the city quickly ran out of sup- ALLIES
plies. With inadequate resources to develop renewable Although the bastion has made contact with both York
staples, Selkirk began reaching out to the outside world, and Angel, there is no official treaty with either. The
quickly discovering the elves of Laudenia, the dwarves nearest nations to Sierra Madre are echan and formal re-
of Fargon, and other magical oddities. Selkirk has lations have never been established.
maintained its isolation out of necessity rather than
choice, protecting its resources, knowing full well that it ENEMIES
may all stop working or dry up one day, and the colony Oddly enough, Sierra Madre is the only bastion Mann
would then be unceremoniously abandoned. has not outright declared an adversary. Although there
are plenty of wandering monsters in the area most are
SIERRA MADRE unintelligent primordial beasts, and none of them have
(HEROIC) coalesced into a worthy threat. As the bastion is easier
“Our sun is manufactured. Our food is engineered. We to access than Mann, Sierra Madre has also been target-
live in a chamber forged by magic into a Euclidian geomet- ed by rival techans looking to pilfer valuable technolo-
ric shape. We accept that. It’s unexceptional.” gy.

LOCATION HISTORY
Despite assumptions, Sierra Madre is not located under The catalyst of expansion from the original fallout shel-
the ruins of Mexico City. It’s in fact Toluca, starting ter began with the uncovering of a bizarre magma pock-
life, like most bastions, as a fallout shelter. Its distant et, the result of the magical saturation after the opening
and subterranean location has spared it from most con- of Attricana. The chamber was named after its distinc-
flict, though it also means that those from the bastion tive shape, the Torus, though later the entire expanse
are the least experienced of the outside world. took on the name of the shelter, Sierra Madre. The to-

41
rus is so large that after 450 years, the city has yet to ex-
pand to the surface. There are rumors that Sierra Ma-
COMMON KNOWLEDGE dre has records which predate Attricana’s open but such
Sierra Madre is an isolated bastion stationed under- records have been locked up away from prying eyes.
ground under the ruins of an old city still with the rem-
nants of old mankind atop. Unlike Selkirk, isolated by
geography, Sierra Madre is isolated by distance and by THORNSHROUD
choice. The torus is the largest enclosed chamber ever (VILLAINOUS)
recorded, lit by an artificial sun and populated by a cul- “Don’t think of this as a good death. It means nothing,
ture only rivaled by the bastion of Mann in its techno- just as your life was up to this moment. Those you gave
logical advancement. your life to protect will die soon after you. And in the
Having pushed out the remaining fragments of timeframe of galaxies, everything you have done, every-
Bronze Age religions centuries ago, what remains is a thing your ancestors did, or anything your descendants
spiritual belief that endorses an immortal soul without will ever do...is meaningless.”
the belief in deities.
LOCATION
Unknown, though it is believed he is in Canam.
 COMMON KNOWLEDGE TYPHOX DRAGONS
Thornshroud is a legend to most, so even common (VILLAINOUS)
knowledge is scarce. He is described as little more than “We command our people with absolute discipline. The
a decaying head atop an enchanted armor of such im- fae continue to devolve into discord. The universe is on
pressive complexity, some have confused it as being our side. In the end, patience assures our victory.”
mechanical in origin. In the ranking of followers of Ix-
indar, it is believed Thornshroud is a singular authority
answerable to no one. He can command pagus, LOCATION
shemjaza, and even dragons, though it is thought to the Unlike archon dragons, typhox dragons do have a cen-
latter he has not extended this authority. The first ru- tral location and it is, unfortunately, located in Canam,
mors of Thornshroud emerged from books smuggled claiming the immense patch of land known once as
from the other side of the world but only date back Eastern Canada starting with Quebec. This region is
about 75 years, meaning he is a recent creation. These thankfully locked out from the rest of Canam thanks to
same rumors compare his construction to that of the fa- the widening of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and engorging
mous legend of Gebermach, the living machine which of the great lakes into one singular body of water. The
killed Amethyst. Gebermach was created by Mengus land pass has also been obstructed by a hazardous
but since Mengus has been silent in the modern age, no mountain pass that rose from the Earth after the open-
one is sure who built Thornshroud. ing of Attricana to ensure the pagus were kept in place.

ADVENTURES COMMON KNOWLEDGE

Thornshroud rarely employs those not corrupted by Ix- The typhox dragons are not loyal followers of Ixindar,
indar, and like dragons, he respects intelligent creatures though they are a corruption of them, same as the
willingly swearing their souls to Ixindar. However, he shemjaza and pagus. But they follow their own wants
takes issue with those believing themselves a higher au- and desires rather than the orders from Mengus, which
thority or more powerful than him. Any tasks he would explains their separation from Ixindar and their migra-
dispense would be those to destabilize echan nations or tion to Canam. They still wish the destruction of At-
raid villages. Thornshroud is also an admirer of power- tricana and the elimination of all creations of chaos and
ful magical items. have enslaved the local pagus to serve them rather than
the shemjaza which are trying to wrench control back.
Typhox dragons fall into a bizarre hypocrisy—they are
ALLIES corruptions of Ixindar, and wish the destruction of any-
Thornshroud is a devout follower of Ixindar, so is an al- thing they can’t control, but they also don’t want to de-
ly to any creature sworn to the same faith. That being stroy their own individuality, the ultimate outcome if
said, his ranking also means most all other creatures of Mengus were to be victorious. Typhox dragons are
darkness must answer to him. even more conceited than archon dragons, and the titles
they adopt tend to be as grand as they are unpleasant.
ENEMIES
Basically any creature valuing individuality and free will ADVENTURES
should be frightened of Thornshroud. Typhox Dragons employ servants and will reward loyal-
ty when it is placed before personal safety. It’s actually
HISTORY an unhealthy business practice for evil creatures to kill
42 Thornshroud was a member of a powerful village in the
Far East dedicated to the eradication of all creatures of
loyal servants, and most typhox dragons are intelligent
enough to keep their followers loyal by not killing them
Ixindar. At some point, this individual was captured for the slightest mistake. This extends to anything non
and turned into that which he had sworn to destroy. It’s -pagus, as the corrupted fae have no choice and typhox
unknown how much of the original mind is intact, have little respect for that. But other fae or humans
though Thornshroud has acted in ways indicating his which come willingly may be pleasantly rewarded, es-
memories suffered little undamaged. He has yet to pecially if the dragon’s ego is stroked. This really only
show any remorse for his actions and appears to be applies to fallen dragons as cancer dragons are nearly in-
wholly enveloped by corruption. Despite this, he was sane and death dragons prefer to kill their subjects and
never sent back to destroy his village and was instead raise them as mindless drones.
set across the ocean to Canam in an attempt to marshal
the uncontrolled armies of Ixindar. The pagus were ALLIES
running wild and the dragons operated on their own Typhox dragons have no friends. Especially not other
agenda. Meanwhile, the shemjaza were having difficul- typhox dragons. You would think other denizens of Ix-
ty controlling the pagus. Thornshroud’s singular pur- indar would fall into this category but typhox dragons
pose is to muster these armies and get them to begin dance to a different tune, in that other creatures cor-
their crusade to wipe out all uncorrupted life in Canam. rupted by Ixindar tend not to dance at all.
ENEMIES It brushes borders with Gnimfall and is near Abidan,
Typhox believe the entire world is their enemy, and and Limshau.
they are most likely right. They have an especially hot-
blooded hatred for archon dragons and laudenians. COMMON KNOWLEDGE
They also dislike other creations of Ixindar but this is York is frozen in time; for five hundred years magical
because they don’t want their monopoly of evil in saturation and limited resources has prevented the bas-
Canam threatened. If Mengus or one of her emissaries tion from advancing far beyond the 20 th century—at
were to emerge, typhox dragons would have no choice least on the surface. To protect the city, its most primi-
but to fall in line. tive buildings are the ones most people see, with the
advanced power, security, and manufacturing facilities
HISTORY kept beyond this near façade of unsophisticated archi-
The first typhox was a fallen dragon named Goch of tecture. The most obvious example of this contradicto-
Wrath, who either brought Mengus to this world or was ry presentation is the inclusion of robotic servants which
the first corrupted. The others were most certainly cor- permeate the city. York has never been able to keep
rupted, starting with the most powerful (the other back the influx of fae but the lack of aggression and ini-
Lords of Ažhi), Baenis of Gorge, Balaur of Debauch, tial positive relations has created a community of sur-
Lindis of Avarice, Lotan of Scorn, Verkelen of Spite, face tolerance. A lesser known fact of these robots,
and Zilant of Indolence. They became the first gener- which York tries to actively repress, is that they were
als of Ixindar but their overpowering chaotic origins designed and built with the collusion of the gimfen
took the best of them and they soon parted ways to fol- from Gnimfall.
low their own wicked desires. Most other fallen drag-
ons are their descendants, though the wyrms have no ADVENTURES
family feeling and most do not even bother to York has a very large standing military and utilizes it be-
acknowledge their lineage. Cancer dragons emerged yond its fae-proof fence often. York also employs con-
from an Ixindar curse upon normally kind-hearted ar- tracted security companies to beef up areas of the fence
chon dragons. Death dragons followed later as several where anathema attacks are more common. York
became enamored with the Ixindar-related field of nec- doesn’t have to worry about attacks from the north be-
romancy. Because of the difficulty in suppressing the cause of Abidan and threats from the west are pacified
personalities of the typhox dragons, Mengus would later by Gnimfall and Limshau. However threats from the
create the shemjaza in the image of the fae to enact her south have been increasing as anathema continue to re-
will, leaving the dragons largely to their own devices. produce. York also has to contend with sea creatures as
In the new age, the typhox dragons congregated in well, and they have ranged from the annoying to the ep-
Apocrypha and Ažhi Dahaka to distance themselves ic.
from Ixindar. They remain their still, building up their
armies waiting for the day they can sweep across the ALLIES
continent and wipe out all life not under their control. York’s main treaties with Gnimfall and Limshau remain
the strongest though York also has non-aggressive pacts
YORK with Abidan as well. They also have a long standing
(AMBIGUOUS) trade alliance with Angel which has born little fruit.
“I sit ‘ere watching de’ game, enjoying a calzone, and in
walks one of dem elfs. Away from the ‘Walk. Struttin’ ENEMIES
like he can walk in’ere and just order a sarsaparilla or York’s primary adversary is the sinister looking citadel 43
something. He obviously needs to be told where he can glowering at them from over the horizon—the bastion
and cannot be. There is an order and there are signs… of Mann, which has sworn to destroy York first in their
and I know dem types can read.” eventual crusade to retake the planet. That has yet to
occur. There have also been issues with fanatics from
LOCATION Baruch Malkut.
Where Angel is the most populous bastion, York is the
largest in landmass, encompassing the entirety of what HISTORY
was once called Long Island, west to what was once It is entirely possible that York is the only bastion to
Newark. The fae-proof fence that encircles the bastion have survived the intervening centuries. Either that or
spreads out to include Staten Island, Yonkers, and even the culture managed to rebuild very quickly atop the
Trenton. Most of this is dedicated to farmland with ruins of the old metropolis. The city was unable to pre-
most of the city secluded to the Village Wall which sep- vent the initial influx of curious fae though the installa-
arates Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and the remain- tion of the now famous fae-proof fence limited access to
der of the island from the rest of the continent. Unlike areas with unregulated tech in order to prevent disrup-
other bastions, the names of these boroughs still persist. tion. This gave York its famous inconsistent tone as the
York is also blessed with have few immediate threats. visible technology of the city becomes more advanced
 the further one travels from the fae-walks—specifically been born elsewhere, but still take the background if
the Broad Way, the main thoroughfare which connects you were raised or spent a significant part of your life in
York’s western gate to the docks in the East. Fae intol- the region.
erance also increases the further they are found away Discipline: Although some disciplines are rooted in
from these regions. Initial altruism came as a result of specific regions, this background is for those that com-
technology agreements with the gimfen which were mit themselves to a specific field of expertise. There is
able to design a self-sustaining robotic force known as no recommended class choice when choosing a disci-
zeros which enable York to build its infrastructure much pline.
faster than previously expected. Generations later, Supernatural: There are only three ways to tap into
these zeros still exists, self-evolved from their primitive magic: the words of Pleroma, the mixing of elements
ancestors. (alchemy), and the natural unexplained gifts of an ex-
clusive few. You possess exceptional abilities that defy
BACKGROUNDS all reason. Some ascribe it to a divine gift while others
view it as the next step in the evolution of the species.
The world is a vast and varied. Cultures and customs
Others simply believe themselves especially sensitive
have developed with no outside influence for centuries.
to the saturation of Attricana. When choosing this back-
Huge kingdoms have formed and claimed land,
ground, you are a distinct individual. This gift is be-
occasionally absorbing smaller ones in the process.
stowed from birth.
With man, there were immeasurably different
Limitations: You can only select one supernatural
traditions despite being a single species. This is a
background, no matter the number of points invested in
unique aspect of man the fae do not share. Narros in
it. All supernatural backgrounds are echan by default
Fargon are the same as the narros in the Finer Fire Pits,
and as such you disrupt technology. You have a satura-
although human influence resulted in the damaskans of
tion value of 20 which can never drop below this value
Limshau deviating from the traditional damaskans of
unless your soul switches from Attricana to the negative
Damaska across the ocean. Where on Earth a player
energies of Ixindar (see Corruption). Only one charac-
chooses to nurture her character can radically alter the
ter in a player group should be permitted to choose a
result, influencing her chosen class and even her
supernatural background and a supernatural path should
destiny.
only be selected during character generation.
In The 13th Age Roleplaying Game, backgrounds
are a broad concept describing a character’s suit of
skills, talents, knowledge, and experience. However, in ANCIENT WUXIA
Amethyst, some backgrounds offer additional unique Path: Regional
benefits for those who invest in them more deeply. Not Suggested Applications: Religion, mysticism, acro-
all backgrounds feature these benefits, and they often batics, athletics.
have background point requirements—you have to Possible Origins: Genai or any Narros community.
spend a minimum number of points on the background Martial Hero (+4): All one-handed melee weapons
to gain this additional unique feature. Moreover, Ame- which inflict 1d4 damage now inflict 1d6 damage.
thyst backgrounds also give examples on which situa- Champion Feat: If you spend a recovery (for any
tions can offer the invested background bonuses, reason), you also gain resistance all damage 17+
though these suggestions are just that and cases can be until the end of your next turn.
made for alternative approaches.

Just to be clear, the talents under

44 backgrounds do not come at the price
The narros love to take credit for influencing the
ancient Asian martial arts, as well as their mythology
of background points--they are an and culture. They place a great deal of pride in this and
award if you spend those points. You still were happy to see the pillars of their disciplines
get those background points. replicated and honored across the millennia, remaining
virtually unchanged on their return. Some humans
There are three types of backgrounds, regional, dis- don’t appreciate the assumption, claiming the narros
cipline, and supernatural. The more points spent on a had no influence in the development of human martial
background, the more dominant that path in your life. arts. Damaskans certainly make no such claim and only
There are no limits on the number of backgrounds cho- admit to a mild cultural inspiration; those from Limshau
sen (assuming you have points to spend), though super- absorbed so much human and particularly Asian culture
natural paths do have limitation in themselves (see lat- into their nation, it’s hard to determine what was fae-
er). influenced and what was originally a human concept.
Regional: You originate from a unique location. Despite this disagreement, three similar styles of
You are born and live the majority of your life in this unarmed combat emerged in three different regions in
territory. You are not required to take this background Canam. It is thought those from Limshau gleaned
if you are from this region; likewise, you could have theirs from their Genai neighbors when so many
residents of Angel left to help build the empire of
knowledge. The narros from Fargon were too remote to noble causes and refusing to stand idle while the
make this claim. Their discipline stems back to the old innocent suffer. These adventurers love sparring and
age, where they perfected their art over thousands of often duel aggressively with allies to test their mettle
years; despite their pride, it irritates them profoundly to and skill. Though not a requirement for friendship, it
know that humanity was able to create more goes a long way to match a wuxia in combat. Even
complicated systems with greater physical and mental enemies matching their skills in a fair duel will garner
conditions in a tenth the time. respect.
One trained in this practice may prefer weapons
endowed with magic, but a follower of wuxia is not BARUCH THUGGEE
helpless while unarmed. This path does not encourage Path: Discipline
violence. Instead, it is designed for self-control and Prerequisites: Human
mental clarity. Many narros and humans teach this Suggested Applications: Regional knowledge
discipline alongside book studies and commit time to its (South), stealth, wetlands and woodlands survival.
practice as another might perform aerobics in the Assassin Ways (+4): You are counted as +1 your lev-
morning. Some practitioners refuse to apply their el when calculating your sneak attack damage. If you
discipline in a violent fashion, believing to do so would do not have the Sneak Attack class feature, once per
be a failure of their philosophy. For others, to commit round you deal +1 damage per level on a hit with a me-
this practice to violence is a logical progression. Some lee weapon attack against an enemy engaged with one
take this to an extreme, using it only to benefit or more of your allies.
themselves. Others are considered heroes, fighting for

45
 Marshes and swamps cover most of the countryside in impossible to deny. With the semi-echan town of
the kingdom of Baruch Malkut. A massive landscaping Genai within the walls, one would expect Angel
effort connects distant towns and cities by roadways. residents to be tolerant to the ways outside, but the
This has led the more nefarious segments of Malkut so- adverse is actually true. The purpose of the wall is not
ciety to adapt their skills to the surrounding environ- just to keep enchantment out, but to shield themselves
ment. Bandits and outlaws master subterfuge and from having to acknowledge the reality of what’s
stealth, utilizing the natural cover of the landscape. A around them. Very few leave. Those who do are either
few have found a calling within the military, working as nomads hoping to find riches, part of a defense force
spies or assassins. These individuals are known as Ba- who patrol the outside of the wall hunting down the
ruch thuggees. raiders that plague the forests around the city, or
Thuggees leaving the "Blessed Kingdom" for any followers of childish dreams inspired by excursions into
reason find their title a burden or a curse. Declaring the echan town hidden in the shadow of the
yourself a thuggee in Limshau or Gnimfall may likely southeastern wall.
net you jail time or expulsion. Openly wielding your ti-
tle in a free house may get you executed. You must BASTION-BORN — MANN
keep your identity secret, either because of a mission or Path: Regional
to prevent a lynching. Most following this path by Prerequisites: Human, born and raised in Mann.
choice seldom have problems using their training to net Suggested Applications: Regional knowledge (East
themselves personal benefit, as their morals and values Cross), engineering, science, techan knowledge, vehicle
have already been stretched. The qualifying mission operation.
for the order is to sneak into a rival city and slay a figure Expertise (+3): Your bonus to science or techan
of importance. A few rare cases found the final deed knowledge checks with this background increase by +1.
abhorrent to their nature and escaped, carrying their
training with them into the outside world. Some try to Mann characters face an uphill struggle. Outcast, they
find new lives pursuing a nobler course. These are de- are prohibited to return to their bastion of birth.
clared traitors, with bounties are placed upon their Mannites either take jobs in other bastions or they roam
heads. the outside world, selling what they find in echa to
trade in techa. To gain the benefits from choosing this
BASTION-BORN — ANGEL background, a character must have lived in Mann for
Path: Regional some time. Perhaps they committed a crime or took a
Prerequisites: Human, born and raised in Genai or liking to the outside world and were ostracized for it.
Angel. Leaving might have been by choice, but the separation
Suggested Applications: Regional knowledge, engi- was not amicable, for Mann is jealous of its secrets and
neering, sciences, techan knowledge, vehicle operation prefers to ‘disappear’ rather than banish subversive
Good Neighbors (+1): You gain Sinitic as a bonus elements. The Mann character is most likely alone and
language. clearly inexperienced with dealing with the outside
Of the World (+3): If you fail a check related to world. Despite the circumstances of her escape, she
knowledge of the fantasy world, you can reattempt it may be the most fundamental in her beliefs. Mannites
with a +2 bonus: if you succeed the second time, your not only dislike magic, they despise it. Among other
information is mostly wrong, but there is a sizeable techans, the person from Mann is looked upon with
grain of truth to it (although you have no way of know- respect and trepidation. Mann is the most advanced
ing what is true and what isn't until you try to apply that bastion in Canam, as well as the most mysterious. No
46 knowledge). one attempting to enter has ever survived and those
that have escaped have a mark on their heads, for the
Although Angel does not fear the outside world as much knowledge locked in their minds is too dangerous a
as Sierra Madre and Mann, they still insist on keeping commodity to be allowed to roam outside the bastion.
that world as far away as possible, erecting a vast wall to
keep the enchanted world out; despite their traditions BASTION-BORN — SELKIRK
and general acceptance of fantasy, even Genai residents Path: Regional
are still techan. Despite their voluntarily isolation, Prerequisites: Techan human, born and raised in
those from Angel are far from ignorant of the world Selkirk.
beyond the walls – they just wish it wasn’t there. Angel Suggested Applications: Regional knowledge
characters are not exposed to the enchanted world for (Kesakas), engineering, science, techan knowledge, ve-
much of their youth. Television doesn’t talk about it. hicle operation.
Books don’t discuss it. Even schools avoid the topic. Brother Tongue (+2): You gain Narroni as a bonus
Like tales of oversized mutant rabbits carrying baskets language.
of eggs or jolly obese contortionists offering gifts to Miner’s Eyes (+5): You gain nightvision—able to
children, eventually the truth is revealed, not see in near darkness, though not in complete darkness.
consciously, but because it becomes increasingly
Characters from Selkirk are born into a world of to cowardice in the face of enchantment, those from
darkness and live most of their lives in the mines. Sierra Madre are the quickest to adapt when forced to.
Those that do depart are aware of the echan folk out- This also means the majority of those from the
side, particularly the narros, and trade and military underground bastion rarely return, taken in by the
patrols find their company acceptable. Selkirk’s whispers of a fantasy world.
military seeks to make the Pass of Dianaso safe. Others
trek south to find warmer climates and warmer beds. BASTION-BORN — YORK
Those that end up taking root around Angel often sign Path: Regional
up for military duty outside the walls. Prerequisites: Human, born and raised in York.
There is a stereotype attributed to Selkirk, that the Suggested Applications: Regional knowledge York
residents are all brutish and loud. This is unfortunately (East Cross), engineering, science, techan knowledge,
true. The chance that a character from Selkirk stems vehicle operation.
from the mines is high. They have been trained from Expertise (+2): Your bonus to regional knowledge
birth to extend their body’s endurance and survive in checks with this background increase by +1.
conditions that would kill most others. Since all must
serve in the military at some point, they are also trained With no imposing city walls to keep the outside where
to live in the outside world. Rarely does a single it belongs, the people of York welcome tourists and
Selkirk grunt lose a hand-to-hand fight against an travelers. However, tolerance of magic does not equate
equivalent rank from any other bastion. They are to acceptance of it. Those taking advantage of their
usually the most prepared in the open world and don’t friendliness and flaunting such enchantment may find
often experience the culture shock that plagues many themselves victims of a mob, or at very least a polite
other techans. warning from the YSDF to remove themselves from the
bastion forthwith. Due to the prevalence of passing
BASTION-BORN — SIERRA magic users in York, citizens neither fear nor loathe the
MADRE echans: they just prefer living their lives with air
Path: Regional conditioning, elevators, and parking meters. York
Prerequisites: Human, born and raised in Sierra Ma- citizens can leave and re-enter the bastion as they wish,
dre. and are some of the most commonly seen techans in all
Suggested Applications: Regional knowledge, engi- of Canam. York is also the most aggressive in patrolling
neering, science, techan knowledge, vehicle operation their borders. Although York has a fenceline, it is a
Expertise (+2): Your bonus to science checks with vastly inadequate barricade, leaving the city to depend
this background increase by +1. on open fields patrolled by a large militia of soldiers and
low-tech robots known as zeros to protect it. They
Those who leave Sierra Madre are the most unprepared must stand on constant guard from attacks. They also
for the outside world. A techan from Sierra Madre is of- operate a counter-intelligence organization that
ten considered the most naïve of any bastion resident monitors activity within the rival bastion of Mann.
(save perhaps for the youth of Angel). Being hidden Characters from York have known about magic from
underground, the population has had virtually no the day they were born. They see it passing through
contact with the outside. Not even Selkirk can boast the city to the docks. The main highway is a common
that level of isolation. Nevertheless, because the route of passage of all residents and is the only safe
majority of Sierrans follow a faith of internal meditation route for echans. York characters have gotten used to
not voicing their opinions of the world outside. They
and personal discovery, many citizens brave the
landscape outside to fortify their souls and open their privately bemoan the enchanted world and what it has 47
minds. Those that find the courage to leave often sullied man into. Other bastions look at York with
conceal their origins, analyzing what they find, and distrust, believing one false step could send a massive
when possible returning it to their home for study. ED burst throughout the city, demolishing the brightly
Even though they possess unique technology, they lit bastion and causing it to crumble into the madness of
strive to adapt what they find to better their own magic.
society. Unlike Mann, swept up in xenophobic A character from York has had the most experience
paranoia, characters from Sierra Madre are the most with echans despite their feelings towards them. They
hopeful for a time when the two worlds can live also probably know someone that has ventured into the
together. Their technology is the most advanced on outside world and returned to tell the tale. Of all the
Canam in the field of disruption resistance but they bastion-born, those from York are the most romantic
remain locked tightly in their underground fortress. Of and experience the largest number of emigrants of any
all the techans found in the open world, those from techan city. Thankfully, they are the largest growing,
Sierra Madre are the fewest. so this small migration is not noticed.
Being from Sierra Madre, characters take their
strength more from their own skills than on the
technology they flaunt. Despite being naïve and prone
 BLOOD ROYAL through to today. Alkanost and Limshau are believed
Path: Supernatural (albeit not by themselves) to possess such a pedigree,
Prerequisite: You must pick a royal line (Savarice, though Sharajaclypse and Savarice are most definitely
Limshau, or Alkanost). Your species must coincide with not. As with all royalty, the mark continues through lat-
that line (human or half-fae, damaskan, or laudenian, re- er generations, though with fae, this had only spread to
spectively). You cannot be evil. a handful of offspring, though the dragon’s blessing has
Suggested Applications: Regional knowledge relat- occasionally been known to grace members of the rul-
ed to your chosen lineage and house, diplomacy, bluff, er’s extended family. Sharajaclypse is unmated; Al-
intimidation, general leadership. kanost has only sired a half-dozen over 5,000 years;
Aura of Admiration (+3): You gain a +1 bonus to this Limshau has only two children, each with one child of
background when attempting to rouse crowds or inspire his own. Savarice’s line has sired many, making the
followers. dragon-touched human royalty the largest in Canam.
Being of true royal blood, you are a descendant of
Champion Feat: If you score a critical hit, stagger an one of these glorified family lines (Alkanost, Limshau,
enemy, or bloody an enemy, each ally nearby or Savarice). You currently don’t have a claim to the
gains a +1 bonus to attack rolls against that ene- throne; why that may be is entirely up to you, but these
my until the start of your next turn. houses are highly respected, so betrayal and expulsion
is unlikely. It’s also unlikely that you would openly an-
The People You Know (+5): Gain an additional rela- nounce your title to those around, as to do so without
tionship point at character generation. the presence of armed men tends to attract unwelcome
attention. Your voice resonates to those with open ears.
The history of royalty amongst mankind is marred with You possess a natural charismatic gravity that followers
bloodshed. The bearers of crowns have always claimed are eager to orbit around.
themselves and their descendants as the chosen of God,
but the path to reach such consecration was often paved
with the bones of their competitors. Each conquering BOTTLED BEAST
warlord claimed the mandate of heaven while their Path: Discipline
hands were still stained with the blood of the previous Prerequisites: Tilen
claimant, and earthly envoys professing to speak for the Suggested Applications: Racial knowledge (tilen),
divine took their side, lest they fall under the same fate. intimidation.
This process continues today, despite the supposedly Regression (+5): Once per battle, use a quick action
morally evolved view of modern man. As the old ways to start regression. Until you end it, you gain a +2 bo-
returned in the absence of true civility, new declara- nus to Strength-based damage rolls. You cannot use
tions of nobility emerged. Some of these first aristo- any attacks or checks that involve Intelligence, Wis-
crats and generals had no entitlement, but called them- dom, or Charisma until you end regression.
selves kings and queens regardless. Most of the first Champion Feat: Your regression power improves
rulers of man either witnessed the collapse of their vir- to +3 to Strength-based damage rolls.
gin kingdom, or were executed by those that deposed
them. These included Saran Sana, Avraham Torquil,
and Darius Konig; of these, only the last has maintained Tilen loathe the idea of returning to their roots. The
his lineage (and his life). elders remember the old ways and detest their traits
The fae ascribe a much more humble approach to more so than their descendants. They preach the ways
48 royalty. The title is not claimed, but given to them
from a higher power – not from a silent god but from
of redemption with an emphasis on the obligation to
repair the damage caused by their hands and others in
the endorsement of a dragon. This has only taken place the name of syntropy. Although virtually every tilen
with four such individuals on this half of the world: follows this tenet, not all of them agree to ignore their
Elrenar Alkanost of Laudenia, Sharajaclypse of Vakai, inner strengths, despite the worry it may cause a
Ravenar Limshau, and Vincent Savarice of Abidan. regression to old habits. When their blood pumps too
To receive this blessing, one must be in an es- quickly or if adrenaline starts to flow, their previous
teemed position of authority and not be corrupted by characteristics surface, though only on a visible layer.
the power it offers. One must show true humility and They remain themselves in every way that is important.
benevolence in the application of authority. Even then, Some think greater power sits buried within, and proper
such an exalted title is uncommon. If it does occur, the meditation and self-control could tap this resource
individual is approached in a brilliant fashion by a drag- without risking degeneration. Many tilen consider it
on of the Noble or Holy lines. That dragon announces too much of a risk and elders prohibit its practice. This
that he or she has adopted that individual under the hasn’t stopped some from trying, often with noble
wing of protection. Said noble’s name is now synony- intentions. During this moment, the tilen gains a
mous with the dragon’s. It is even believed the first fae heightened sense of his surroundings. He hears the
royals possessed dragon’s blood from a pairing with a footfalls of enemies, the beating of their hearts, their
dragon taking elvish form. Their lineage carries lungs heaving with exhausted breath. The tilen’s blood
 49

pumps faster. Muscles quiver and spasm. He moves ago in another life, and they will not risk further
with speed and agility unseen, weaving through damage to their reputation.
enemies, delivering quick and deadly blows, like a four
legged predator racing through a herd of prey. CROSSROAD DRIFTER
There is no set discipline, no books to read, and no Path: Regional
teachers to find to learn this talent. Each tilen must Suggested Applications: Regional knowledge
discover the necessary circumstances to bring this inner (Central, East Cross, and West Cross), survival experi-
power to the surface. Because of this uncertainly, some ence, streetwise, thievery, bluff.
consider it too risky and many tilen would be prepared Instinct (+2): You gain a +1 bonus to this back-
to kill a loved one if she went too far down this path. ground when rolling for regional knowledge around the
The tilen are a fragile people, few and scattered, Continental Cross.
dedicated to repairing the harm they inflicted centuries
 Many individuals are raised in a stable environment, de- egotistical government, despite the veneration of its
pendent on reliable income from parents that are always rulers.
present. The Crossroad Drifter is not one of these Even fae drifters cannot stand the idea of staying
lucky people. If he actually had a family, they were rooted in one place, and the company they keep should
nomads or merchants. Nearly every wanderer, in packs share that desire. They outlive their welcome early as
or alone, eventually migrates to the Continental Cross— they don’t consider diplomacy a useful talent. If
the singular highway that bisects Canam. There are feathers are ruffled, these nomads simply pack up and
thousands – if not tens of thousands – of miles of road move on.
that criss-cross the continent, but they are mostly
unnamed and unmonitored. Only the Cross has regular CRYPHTARON
patrols and has been cleared wide enough for three
50 caravans to sit side by side. It is generally accepted that
Path: Discipline
Prerequisites: Pagus, over 20 years of age.
travelers will pass oncoming traffic at least once a day. Suggested Applications: Intimidation, regional
It is the only safe route to Angel and the only direct knowledge (Northern Shield), racial knowledge (pagus),
road that connects the bastion, through Antikari, to monster knowledge (pagus, dragons, shemjaza), diplo-
Limshau and Gnimfall. Large tributary roads break off macy against pagus.
to several nearby free houses and the kingdoms of Ritual Scarring (+5): You gain one additional recov-
Kannos, Abidan, and the Finer Fire Pits. ery.
Because of slow travel time and the long distances
between locations, thousands are born with no real In locations where pagus are allowed to develop their
home to speak of. These drifters learn to walk early in own culture and their actions are not compelled by oth-
life and never stop moving for the entirety of their lives. ers, they still often develop traditions based around the
Despite loyalties to family present or past, they prefer same levels of violence. One ritual coincides with a
to keep few ties. Their homes are temporary bed, pagus reaching the Second Age of Krenkallakoss. A
wagon, and stable rentals. Crusades, causes, or jobs pagus at nine becomes an adult and is assumed to be a
they take on are often considered peripheral, and they warrior. Upon reaching the age of twenty, a pagus is
never believe them obligatory. They refuse to be tied permitted the opportunity to reach a higher level of au-
down to rules or by the laws passed down by some thority within the village, the equivalent to a lieutenant.
The subject undergoes repeated punishment under revolving around fast movement and quick, decisive
sensory deprivation. The pagus is blindfolded and ren- strikes at critical enemy weaknesses.
dered deaf. He is lowered into water and repeatedly After an attack from a large and somewhat organized
stabbed. Salt is packed into the wounds to induce per- bogg force 300 years ago left a section of the geology
manent scars. These marks (assuming the pagus sur- branch in ruins, Ravenar Limshau IV decreed that a
vives) denote the pagus as a cryphtaron—a trusted war- specific echelon of elite librarians be trained exclusively
rior all pagus can respect. If a pagus encounters a cry- in combat, relegating their librarian skills to lesser
phtaron in passing, it is automatically assumed the elder importance. Even before the custodians were formally
warrior is a free pagus, for those who serve the shemjaza commissioned, there was Stratos Stormguard, a master
and death dragons rarely last long enough to be so hon- of all arms and trusted ally of Ravenar Limshau. He
ored. Even pagus loyally following their demonic mas- stayed behind to watch the flock when the leader went
ters have a profound adoration for the order. Cryphta- on crusade. Stratos developed the martial practice all
ron are rarely taken alive in combat, but if rival pagus do custodians would soon follow. The martial art was
manage to capture one, the cryphtaron is permitted to known as gorna sersannis, though later masters would
take his own life; afterwards, his body and belongings use the modern English term "Lotus Blade." Oddly
are returned unspoiled to the rival village. Sometimes a enough, Stratos preferred the use of a halberd to the
captured cryphtaron is permitted the opportunity to common twin swords employed by most custodians
fight for his freedom. He is given impossible odds today. Stratos is one of the few to use both ends of his
against the village's greatest heroes. If he succeeds, the weapon without losing balance. He advanced his art to
cryphtaron is permitted to either challenge the chief for perfection before even attempting to train another. In
control of the village (which he usually does) or leave the end, he required Ravenar to fill in the gaps in the
with additional scars to return home. defense Stratos could not satisfy. It would take 150
Outside of pagus circles, a cryphtaron looks even years before Stratos considered the discipline finished.
more revolting than his cousins. To a pagus, however, The new discipline incorporated an agile battle stance,
the cryphtaron is a walking angel. able to maximize maneuverability in a restricted field of
movement. Heavy armor weighed down combatants
CUSTODIAN and blocked the advance of reinforcements; shields also
Path: Discipline proved a hazard. Pure speed became the greatest ally,
Suggested Applications: Acrobatics, athletics, re- along with the insight to anticipate and counter a foe’s
gional knowledge (Central, and a neighboring region), every move and attack. Lighter weapons were
history, an area of special knowledge of the custodian's preferred. In their natural habitat, the custodian finds
choice. no equal.
Custodian Training (+3): You can also use Dexterity
instead of Strength for all melee attack and damage The previous d20 editions of Ame-
rolls. thyst pretty much pigeonholed custo-
Lotus Blade (+5): When fighting with a katana and dians into certain classes, which were-
a wakizashi or tanto (longsword and shortsword), or a n't always the best thematic fit. In
yari (spear) or naginata (halberd), you can reroll your at- 13th Age, because the Custodian back-
tack on a natural roll of 2 or 3, but you must use the re- ground itself takes care of all the parkour
roll.
skills that are emblematic of the library ninja,
Adventurer Feat: While using lotus blade, you gain a and anyone can use two-weapon fighting,
+1 bonus to AC. This bonus increased to +2
when the escalation die reaches +4.
there can be a lot more class variety for custo- 51
dians, although rangers will still get the best
use out of the dual-wielding style. My person-
Champion Feat: When the escalation die reaches
+6, you gain your re-roll to your attack with al favorite combination is the bard, with the
lotus blade with a natural 2, 3, 4 and 5. weapon totem (a rare exception to the tradi-
tion of Limshau mages using the book), and in-
Epic Feat: Enemies engaged with you require a hard
terpreting bardic songs and battle cries as
save (16+) to avoid an opportunity attack. You 'calling your attacks'.
only require an easy save (6+) to disengage.

A custodian’s priorities are on the freedoms of all.

Behind the white walls of Limshau, elite guardians Free speech and the written word are both worthy
patrol the stacks, defending knowledge and people causes for a custodian to die for. Some have abandoned
against anyone wishing to destroy such riches. Because those beliefs, turning away from their great city. These
of the tight confines of narrow city streets and alleys, rogues seek adventure for their own satisfaction, but no
this elite force eventually developed a discipline evil soul survives the training process without being
52

discovered, and it is seldom necessary to hunt deserters dungeons to seek their treasure. An independent soul
down. still believes in the value of his training but seeks
A loyal custodian outside the walls stands ever personal adventure more than the acquisition of
vigilant to fight for the freedom and the retrieval of knowledge.
information. Being sent on fact-finding missions or
quests to retrieve priceless tomes, a crusading custodian
climbs the tallest mountains and digs into the deepest
DARAWREN weapon attack as a free action after one of your ranged
Path: Discipline, Regional attacks drops an enemy to 0 hp. At +5 in this back-
Prerequisites: Trained in Jibaro. ground, you can do this twice per battle but only once
Suggested Applications: Arcane knowledge, region- per round.
al knowledge Jibaro. Racial knowledge if you are a Champion Feat: Double your Strength bonus to
chaparran, nature. damage with ranged weapons when firing at
The Ways of Wood (+5): You gain either a ranger’s nearby enemies.
pet or a wizard’s familiar. If you select ranger as your
class, instead of the above benefits you can reduce the
cost of the animal companion talent to one slot. Many of the tales about chaparrans describe them as
phenomenal archers, able to send arrows clear over the
Many wizards across the world classify the Towers of horizon to strike a bull’s-eye. They carry bows of
Jibaro as the greatest collection of arcane magic, even inflexible wood only they can coax to bend. When a
compared to the repositories of Limshau and Laudenia. chaparran fires his bow, the arrow flies with enough
However, the knowledge locked inside Jibaro is accessi- strength to pass through trees or skulls. When images
ble only to a select few, the elite spellcasters of Jibaro, of these archers come to mind, people are thinking of
the darawren. With only one wizard graduating each a the Dawnamoak kitarri. Technically the order did not
year, Jibaro is considered one of the most prestigious originate from Dawnamoak, having derived from a
and daunting learning experiences in arcane wizardry much older chaparran forest-nation from the previous
on the planet, more so than even Laudenia. Where age. With the immigration of echa, all the grand
Laudenia's limited enrollment stems from its prohibi- masters of kitarri-kansi (the chaparran name for their
tion of non-laudenians, Jibaro's is due to a lengthy and martial discipline) were gathered by Sylvanakassus to
unorthodox teaching model. Although still employing her three tower-trees of Jibaro and allowed to perfect
totems, the mandatory standard of all wizardry, Jibaro their art. It was thought originally this effort was meant
teaches an altered viewpoint of their purpose, being on- to compete with the emerging gorna sersannis style, but
ly a repository of words, and not the focus of magic. Sylvan insisted this was not the case. Regardless,
Jibaro instructs its students that magic rises from the chaparrans from all over the world converged to the
Earth, not falls from the gate. The gate may be the ulti- towers to accept training. They returned to their
mate source of magic in the world, but the chaparrans people in hopes of passing their skills on to others, but
cite one observable fact—there's no magic in space. All in every situation, the second generation kitarri was a
creatures rise from the soil, and it follows logically that pale imitation of the original student. Eventually,
magic, too, derives from Earth; magic would not exist potentials were sent straight to Dawnamoak to
without it. The wizards of Jibaro are taught to channel complete their training under the grand masters, all of
Pleroma—the language of magic—through material whom are alive today. They are Korrissessoro,
components brought up from the Earth. This can be as Marrisikorna, and Skylenaskanna, the latter being the
extravagant as jewels but often enough it only a handful only one to have left the towers. Skylen took her
of dirt or sand. A darawren often carries a pouch of soil knowledge to other forests to train their chieftains and
when entering a dungeon or building. splinter-hounds (the leaders of a splinter-pack). The
The tests of admittance to enter the order of dara- other two grand masters have forbidden her to teach
wren are extremely taxing, and despite not forbidding non-chaparrans the art, a directive she doesn’t
non-chaparrans to enter, such exceptions have been ra- necessarily agree.
re. No laudenian, damaskan, or tenenbri has endured With the exception of the rare kitarri trained under
the opening trials. Several narros have claimed the hon- Skylenaskanna, all adepts of the discipline must embark
to Dawnamoak (unless already living there) to receive
53
or, as have a few kodiaks. There have been stories of
one or two humans managing to accept the title of dara- the black-bow of the order. Most kitarri live in the na-
wren but no one has been able to confirm their names. tion pierced by the three tower trees but most chapar-
ran villages across Canam can claim at least one
member of the order. No chaparran would even think
DAWNAMOAK KITARRI of wielding a black longbow fraudulently and a non-
Path: Discipline chaparran carrying a black kitarri bow is considered to
Prerequisites: Chaparran have taken it from the original wielder’s body, and is
Suggested Applications: Racial knowledge dealt with accordingly.
(chaparran), regional knowledge (Kesakas), diplomacy
when dealing with chaparrans," acrobatics, athletics,
bow use.
Kansi Name (+2): You gain +1 to diplomatic checks
against chaparrans who have heard of your exploits.
Power Arrow (+3/+5): You can use Strength instead
of Dexterity for all ranged attack and damage rolls with
bows. Additionally, once per battle, make a ranged
 DEATH HUNTER Outside of their duties, death hunters are detached
Path: Discipline and unfriendly. They are not necessarily mean-spirited,
Prerequisite: From or trained in Jairus. but care nothing for manners or etiquette. They speak
Suggested Applications: Regional knowledge bluntly of their personal demons, ranging from simple
(Central), knowledge of necrotic effects, survival, intim- addictions to the perverse pleasures of dominance and
idation. masochistic activities. They are neither welcomed at
Corrupted Resistance (+2): For every +1 in this parties nor do they make a point to socialize with
background, you are counted as having +10 hit points groups. Even those with a shred of charity left don’t
for the purposes of resisting fear. reveal those emotions and their rare acts kindness often
come to the surprise of others.
Champion Feat: The first time you are staggered in Jairus death hunters skirt the line between nobility
a battle, you gain additional standard action on and wickedness and many admit – even to themselves –
your next turn. If the enemy that staggered you that they have crossed the line, believing only their
generates fear, you gains a +2 bonus to attack it oath to eliminate the corruption of Sana and other
until the end of your next turn. infections like Tranquiss, Ixindar, and the Necrosea
keeps them from turning on those they swore to
Epic Feat: If the escalation die is +6 and you are protect.
staggered and engaged with an enemy which can
generate fear, the enemy cannot disengage from DOPPELSHIDO
you without provoking an opportunity attack Path: Discipline
and is vulnerable to your attacks. Prerequisites: Narros
Suggested Applications: Racial knowledge (narros),
athletics, acrobatics, endurance.
Jairus was a poor mining village with a small but
Double Form (+4): Any javelin, spear, halberd, or
promising lumber industry. Centuries ago, word came
polearm you wield counts as a two-handed weapon and
from the lips of dying refugees from the south of the
as two weapons.
collapse of a great kingdom of men. The bravest and
best of Jairus took it upon themselves to see the extent Champion Feat: Once per battle, when using Dou-
of the calamity. They expected to see razed buildings ble Form, if an enemy hits you with an oppor-
and scorched soil. They were not prepared for the tunity attack, you can immediately counter at-
Black Marsh of Sana. A curse had taken the entire land, tack as a free action with a basic attack.
spreading into the soil, flora, and the sky. Thick, black
oil – unable to burn – seeped from the ground. The Epic Feat: Any time you make an opportunity at-
few plants that did grow had no color or leaves. The tack, roll twice and take the highest result.
Jairus militia found only empty huts and keeps, no
bodies. Then they saw the shadows move. Silver
claws lashed from the darkness and only a handful of Normal narros circulate through many careers in their
the group escaped to tell the tale. early life, only settling on their final calling after
The first legends of the marsh were born and experiencing many others. Families support this for
generations later, brave warriors take it upon their youth and adult narros can often claim many
themselves to venture into the marsh in hopes of feathers in their caps. A few find their calling early and
destroying the source of the corruption. The Jairus desire no other. They take to weapons as quickly as
54 death hunters believe that if the shapeless wild of the
Marsh are destroyed, the marsh would weaken. The
their eating implements, learning early skills by
swinging at shadows and driving their blunt wasters into
true key to its elimination is the discovery and benches and walls. When their talents are allowed to
destruction of King Sana’s old castle, Kardia-Gothas. develop, they crave no other path. In a few cases, these
To prepare themselves for the trauma of the marsh, narros are granted an audition to tutor under (and
recruits are taught to control their fears by undergoing a possibly become) one of the ravnorra lords. They
battery of ordeals to tax their mental stability. undergo brutal training including walking and running
Outsiders claim this leaves emotional scars so cavernous for hours laden with heavy weights, as well as being
that incoming terrors simply fall into the depths. They beaten with sticks over their legs and arms until they no
assert that death hunters are no longer stable and would longer stumble or wince. They do not choose their own
be prone to sudden, unpredictable acts of extreme weapons: the master chooses the weapon best suited to
violence if they didn’t temper that need with excursions each student. They learn every balance point, every
into the Marsh. The hunters may possess some edge with the capacity to kill, every inch of the weapon
demented addiction to such horrors; if Kardia-Gothas in the art of war.
were to be found and destroyed, and the Marsh was to By the time they reach adulthood, they can perch
fade away, the death hunters of Jairus may turn on their upon their hilt, edge in the soil, and stand there for days
own people in some manic dependence on sadism. without falling. They can twirl their swords behind
their back, juggle them between their arms, and strike
on the upswing as well as well as the downward cleave. Vehicles: Vehicles can be adapted but the resulting
These proud knights take positions as telokkrim—the creation suffers a -2 penalty to maneuverability and a -1
honored guards of kings and favored guests. They reduction to speed. Adapted vehicles can still be modi-
climb the ladders of prestige and set themselves apart fied; modifications don't require adapting.
as the most devout disciples of combat. Equipment: Medical gear and professional equip-
Their path to perfection, however, is not yet over. ment cannot be adapted. Neither can battery cells as
The final test still waits—becoming a ravnorra lord, the they benefit from the shielding of the adaptation while
greatest and most legendary line of narros in history. inside the weapon (EDF checks are only for batteries
These fae equivalents of ancient samurai are considered when outside of equipment). You should purchase an
the greatest soldiers of all the fae and the envy of every EDF muffler bag. Batteries cannot be adapted as the
doppelshido student from the moment they pick up procedure would drain the battery in the process.
their first blade. The majority of narros that join multi- The original item being adapted is not retained as it
cultural adventuring parties begin their lives as dop- is taken apart and incorporated into the new shape.
pelshido. Whether or not they intend to pursue the This new shape is no longer sleek or beautiful. It is ug-
final tests is dependent on their individual personality. ly, clumsy, and heavy. It spits, whines, and creaks with
Some find the final grueling tests too taxing and escape every movement, seemingly on the verge of blowing
with only basic skills and little honor. Some may be apart at any second, though never doing so. The tech-
masterless ronin, their sworn lord or father felled by a nology looks clumsy, with exposed tubes and cables
coward’s weapon. The lost student must now follow an running to backpack mounted insulated power packs.
unfocused path in search for vengeance, which might Goggles become massive helmet assemblies. Armor
never be fulfilled. hobbles around quickly, shifting its weight left and
right like a drunken narros. Worse, the style of adapta-
EXPERTEERING ENGINEER tion is unique to you. Only you know exactly how you
Path: Discipline adapted the item and attempts to teach others the tech-
Prerequisite: Gimfen nique results in utter confusion for anyone other than a
Suggested Applications: Racial knowledge gimfen with equal craft ranks. Even if explained, the
(gimfen), knowledge of technology, engineering, quick exact supplies would be required, including the original
learner of machines. item.
Adaptation (+5): You learn how to reverse engineer Furthermore, the adapted item is so fragile and re-
technology you acquire and gain the ability to rebuild it quires so much fine-tuning by you that if the item is
with increased insulation and redundant electronics and given to another to use, it breaks after a round. Not
gears for it to operate in ED fields without disruption. even another gimfen could figure out the eccentricities
First, you must find or purchase a piece of technology. of the device before it fails. As a result, you can neither
You dismantle the item and reassemble it. The new lend nor sell your monstrosities to anyone and they are
item replicates the old in every way except it grows in only useful to you.
size and weight. As a result, many large items cannot Results: Adapted technology does not disrupt from
be converted. ambient EDF. It can still disrupt from active attacks
The time to accomplish the adaptation is one day (8 (EMP weapons) or if an attempt is made to enchant the
hours of hard work) per tech level of item. You must al- weapon.
so invest gp equal to half cost of the original the item.
Its weight increases by 100% if it weighs less than For reasons that are not well understood, gimfen do not
10 lbs, +50% if it weighs between 10 lbs and 50 lbs, and short out technology by their mere existence. This
+20% if it weights over 50 lbs. permitted them to slowly build a technological industry.
They were one of the very last species to break off from
55
Weapons: One-handed small arms become two-
handed small arms. Two-handed small arms become the first fae branches, and like to claim that their race’s
heavy weapons. Heavy weapons become super heavy capacity to hold technology without disruption proves
weapons. Super heavy weapons cannot be adapted as them to be the final form of the fae – the end result, the
they would be too large for an adventuring party to carry ones meant to escape the cradle of Earth.
(though rumors suggest a few grind towers have them The inherent problem with this theory is the fae’s
built in). Specialty weapons and grenades cannot be natural imperceptiveness of technology. The various
adapted. Weapons requiring tripods when adapted au- fae peoples have developed languages, cultures, and
tomatically come with one during the procedure. even expanding empires. They have forged swords,
Techan melee weapons do not need to be adapted un- laid down paths, and erected communities. After a
less they are powered: adapted melee weapons with the certain point, however, they simply stop; even if their
augment keyword can only be mounted on exo-armor. presence was not toxic to machines, the mere concept
Exo-Armor: Because the increased weight and the of industry and mechanization simply would not occur
need to adapt it to gimfen appendages, exo-armor’s to a fae if they had not been exposed to it from outside.
check penalty incurs a further -2 penalty. Some claim that because they did not evolve, they lack
the instinct to better themselves that drove humanity to
its technological peak. Despite their wisdom and
56
creative brilliance with poetry and song, fae lack the Instead of hiding inside or underneath the grind towers
drive to push and dominate their world, a natural of Gnimfall or the dozens of other communities around
byproduct of a short-lived evolved species. The Canam, experteering engineers embark into the outside
gimfen, although not subject to their cousins’ technical world in search of even more knowledge. They travel
antipathy, still lack the drive to develop their own, the world finding technology they can either use
especially in comparison to the fast pace of mankind. outright, or return home to their people. Their greatest
For thousands of years they languished with the few ability is their knack to reverse-engineer human
advances they stumbled upon through mere luck. All of technology they encounter and modify it to operate
that changed when they returned and discovered without disruption in the lands of magic. Most employ
humanity. The short-lived hairless apes found industry this ability in the field of high tech weapons, but some
and technology second nature. utilize it with standard gear as well. They are limited in
Gimfen cannot innovate, but they can replicate and what they can adapt, as the result is usually clumsier
improve. After gleaning every nugget of information and substantially larger than the original. Experteering
they could acquire, they started to adapt what they engineers are an unusual sight in Canam but their
learned to operate outside the walls of bastions. The presence proves that technology’s eventual dominance
experteering engineer is the result of this growth. over magic is inevitable.
(EX) TRAFFIC HUNTER Many take to the mines. When they finally choose
Path: Discipline their preferred career, there is very little that will
Prerequisites: Human change their minds. And in turn, they throw everything
Suggested Applications: Regional knowledge of themselves into that path, rejecting hobbies or
(South), deception, forgery, stealth, general knowledge passing fads. Despite this being a common stereotype
of fae, tracking. of nearly all narros, those of Fargon take this course to
Know Their Tricks (+2): You gain a +2 to MD near fanaticism. Each city has a skew towards a certain
against charm, illusion, or sleep effects cast by fae. path, but it hasn’t changed a broad range of dedicated
warriors and wizards coming from the sprawling
There is a small but vocal portion of the human race kingdom in the North.
that firmly believes that they are the true inheritors of
the planet. The invading fantasy creatures either had FINER MINER
their chance and failed or are the result of a breach in Path: Regional
the laws of reality and don't truly exist at all. As such Prerequisite: Narros, from the Finer Fire Pits.
they are not afforded any dignity or rights. Any com- Suggested Applications: Regional knowledge
mandments or tenets that pertain to humans do not ap- (Central), strength feats, endurance, searching
ply to fae; these creatures can be dismissed or catego- Like it Hot (+3): You gain resist fire (11+your rank
rized as demons, fiends, or any other evil force men- in this background)+. All fire-based attacks against you
tioned in religious and mythological texts. They must must have a natural attack roll of higher than this num-
be more than just disregarded; they must be sup- ber or deal half damage.
pressed, dominated, or destroyed. After a few decades,
this belief extended to enslavement, as the massive The narros from Finer fit the stereotype of their fiction-
economic possibilities of an indentured population al parallel. The city’s founder, Garach Glim, desired an
could not be ignored. King Darius founded Baruch underground kingdom to rival anything found in Far-
Malkut on the elimination of the fae races, but relented gon. When he stumbled upon an astounding treasure of
in the face of the opportunities offered by the business- unmined minerals in the Finer Vallis, he knew his
men and landowners of the new properties he had con- search was over. Three centuries later, Glim can still be
quered. found in any one of the thousands of miles of tunnels
Either you came into this career naturally or were that branch off the colossal Finer Cavern, a single cham-
bequeathed it from a family’s legacy. You were trained ber large enough to fit the entire city of Limshau. From
on how to track and capture every type of fae. For rea- there, huge smelters constantly burn, laying heavy de-
sons that are unquestionably complicated, you have posits of grime and heat over everything inside.
moved away from this profession. More than likely, Being from this region, you probably served more
when faced with this birthright, you rebuffed the re- time in the mine than in the military. The greatest by-
sponsibility, appalled by the actions of your ancestry. product of this life is a natural resistance to heat and a
Unfortunately, one cannot simply walk away from his or canny eye to notice what others don’t. Narros from Fin-
her duty. The kingdom knows everyone under its law. er take after the gimfen of Gnimfall—uncaring for per-
It never forgets, and it seldom forgives. Rejecting the sonal grooming and fascinated by whatever glitters. But
traditions of your heritage, you have escaped the king- where gimfen take interest in machinery, narros look for
dom, obsessed with making amends for actions you the sparkles in stones. Narros from Finer consider
might never have committed. those from Fargon too militant. A discipline that focus-

FARGON DISCIPLINED
es on punching shadows and meditating on balance
beams is pointless in contrast to a hard day’s work
57
Path: Regional where the sweat and physical exertion is reflection
Suggested Applications: Regional knowledge enough. In the end, something gets accomplished. To
(Dianaso), endurance, any dedicated focused set of a Finer narros, that’s all that matters—be useful, a feel-
skills (specify when selecting this background). ing shared by damaskans. Damaskans, however, be-
Dedication (+3): Once per day, if you fail a check lieve it applies to the pursuit of mental growth while
using this background, you can reroll. the narros prefer physical perfection.

As is their way, most narros dedicate the entirety of

their energy in the application of the task at hand.
They reserve nothing for the possibility of failure.
They consider one plan, one option, one course for their
life. There is no casual hobby. When a narros enters
the military (which most are required to do for at least
ten years in their youth), they think of nothing else.
Waking at sunrise, they train until the fall of night.
Others turn to spellcraft. Some embrace medicine.
 FREE HOUSE CITIZEN FRINGE FANATIC
Path: Regional Path: Discipline
Suggested Applications: Regional knowledge of a Prerequisite: Pagus between the ages of 35 and 40.
specific house and surrounding/neighboring region, na- Suggested Applications: Racial knowledge (pagus),
ture, religion, stealth, streetwise and/or thievery. monster knowledge (pagus, dragons, shemjaza), endur-
Expanded Language (+3): You gain one additional ance, athletics.
language from the following list: Argose, Damaskan, Unhinged Aggression (+5, Wisdom score of 12 or
English, Englo-Lingo, Indic, Narroni, Onespeak, Ro- lower): Focused aggression increases its effectiveness.
manic, Semitic, Sinitic, or Slavic. The attack and damage bonuses increase to +2 to attack
What I Know (+5): When in your home nation, your and +3 to damage. Focused aggression also lasts until
bonus for any checks using this background increase by the end of your next turn (whether you want it to or
+1. not). If there are no enemy targets in range at the start
of your next turn, charge the nearest target, regardless
A very small segment of the echan population in Canam of its affiliation.
considers themselves free from obligations. They have Stalwart Conviction (+5, Wisdom score of 13 or high-
no debts and answer to no one but themselves. With er): All allies in the battle gain a +1 bonus to saving
growing concerns of raiding bogg and pugg swarms, the throws.
number of truly free people dwindles daily. Many
congregate around the huge nations of Canam like As an elder pagus, one of two futures is fated to happen.
Limshau, Kannos, or Baruch Malkut. Others try There is no avoiding this destiny. You will either grow
desperately to win favor with a bastion. Many others wise and steadfast in your cultivated ethics, or you will
simply settle for one of the many free houses across the go insane. With the latter, your rage possesses you
land. The free houses are sovereign states squeezed more and more. Few pagus are able to manage their
between and around larger kingdoms. They are emotions. Pagus under the thrall of demon or dragon
relatively self-sufficient and, despite their pride, spend are killed in the unlikely event that they make it past
most of their diplomatic capital towards earning favor 35, as their madness makes them more of a threat to
with larger kingdoms. They do this either through their own kind than to enemies. If wise, they soon be-
trade goods or noble marriage, though the latter is come respected leaders and spiritual guides, an equal if
unsuccessful with the fae houses. not greater threat. All free pagus tribes are led by elder
Those raised in free houses must contend with a pagus. Unlike other races that drift into frailty, pagus
chaotic upbringing. Free houses are notorious for being continue to grow in size. A pagus has never died of old
unable to supply the needs of their people. There is age and few ever maintain their sanity into their senili-
not enough food, not enough shelter, not enough clean ty. They are often put out of their misery before be-
water, and not enough law enforcement. Those adept coming a threat to others. Only a handful of pagus have
in the skills required for adventuring often acquired managed to keep their minds together, showing poten-
these skills from nefarious sources – robbing or pilfering tial to lead their kind into an enlightened future.
their necessities on the streets. Before finding their
calling, many of these travelers lived a sordid past with GNEOLISTIC
sins they would prefer not bring up. Path: Supernatural
On the converse, those seeking adventure with roots Prerequisite: None
in a free house may have come from a rich bourgeois Suggested Applications: Nature, healing, religion.
household, adorned in the rare and costly purple-dyed
58 tunics that set them apart from the serfs. It’s possible
Indeterminate Consecration (+1): If you select cleric
or sorcerer as your character class, you do not require a
they were related to royalty or to a family with ties to totem for that class. If your class is sorcerer, you cannot
the inner circle of the aristocracy. Why these choose the Chromatic Destroyer, Metallic Protector, or
individuals would choose to leave such a station could Undead Remnant heritage talents.
be obvious or rooted in issues best suited for privacy. If Touched (+5): Choose one 1st-level at-will spell
their path keeps them around their homeland, they will from any spellcasting class. You can cast this spell once
obviously have needed expertise when dealing with the per battle.
local customs and practices. If outcast, they may wish
to remain as far away from their home as possible. From the moment of your birth, those around you knew
of your blessing. You possess a natural affinity with the
power of Attricana. You can alter the very order of na-
ture and the universe around you. You are an apotheo-
sis of the might of chaos. You can create life, heal inju-
ries, and even recall souls from the afterlife. You chan-
nel the spirit of Attricana in everything you do. Some
have claimed this power is bestowed solely from a di-
vine source. Others say faith has nothing to do with it.
If all souls are siphoned from Attricana then a gneolistic HALFMASTER
is simply a channeler of life-force. Path: Discipline
A gneolistic is an exceptionally rare soul to encoun- Prerequisite: From or trained in Kannos.
ter in worldly travels. Very often, a gneolistic is taken Suggested Applications: Regional knowledge
in (or captured) by a religious sect and convinced or (Central), acrobatics, riding, out of combat weapon acts.
conditioned to believe his power comes solely from the Reach of Choice (+3): You gain the Reach Tricks
gift of God or gods. In these cases, their path is feat.
cleansed and rewritten by the place of worship, erasing
pesky personal stains like social standing and ethnicity. Champion Feat: You can use Reach Tricks three per
They parade the gneolistic as proof of piety, convincing battle.
others to join the congregation. Even if a holy order
does not locate a gneolistic early, very often the child's
Not everyone in Kannos is privileged enough to be
own family will assume such responsibilities and a vil-
trained on a horse since learning to walk. As Kannos
lage idol is born. This would often still draw the atten-
lacks fruitful mines, their only other major donation to
tion of said holy order, forcing the idol to convert. A
warfare is their renowned spearmen. There are dozens
church has also been known to alter its doctrine to ret-
of different schools in Kannos, each teaching a different
roactively accommodate the village's traditions in order
approach to spear and lance use. Some soldiers are
to win over a resident gneolistic.
trained how to use massive spears that root in the
On a few rare exceptions, enlightened individuals
ground while others learn how to tuck a lance under the
have located and raised these prodigies under the um-
shoulder and brace for a solid hit. Some launch them
brella of secular tutelage.
against distant enemies while others prefer their use as
A gneolistic is not a proof of divinity but another ex-
thrusting weapons in close combat.
ample of how Attricana's influence knows no limits. A
The most exclusive and taxing discipline is the art
study from Limshau revealed that the ratio of gne-
of habaukeedo, which involves using every inch of a
olistics to vivicators is almost exactly one in ten thou-
polearm. This brings the weapon closer, holding it
sand, with a similar ratio between vivicators and normal
more like a quarterstaff. Like all soldiers in Kannos,
individuals. These ratios slightly improve among
halfmasters are usually forced to take to the field with
laudenians and chaparrans, but a larger population
inadequate armor; the need to deflect incoming attacks
leaves humans with the highest number of gneolistics.
as best they could resulted in the evolution of the half-
master’s art.
Normally clerics (or other historically A halfmaster can brace the weapon at its full length
divine caster classes) are not availa- for a decisive kill before the opponent’s weapon can
ble in Amethyst, other than with sneak in, but then they may switch to a tight formation
this background. While 13th Age when surrounded. It is thought the art of habaukeedo
does not really make the strong distinc- derived from either the narros doppelshido technique or
tion between different types of magic that oth- from masters of the ancient naginata skills who brought
their art to Canam via Genai. Unlike a slow and
er d20 games do, and while it would be easy to
disciplined spear wall, halfmasters often break ranks,
ignore the fluff and just play the mechanics, running after enemy squads after the cavalry has broken
there is still a very strong priestly flavor to the them. They seldom form lines with other halfmasters,
cleric class features which does not really mesh preferring to allow room for their wide range of attacks.
well with the view presented of magic as an
art or science. That said, if someone really HERBALIST
59
wanted to play a cleric and call it a wizard, I Path: Discipline
for one wouldn't stop them. Prerequisite: Wisdom 14 or higher
Suggested Applications: Healing, religion, nature,
If a player selects this path, there diplomacy in small echan communities.
should be considerable backstory as to Wildcrafting (+5): You gain a medicine pouch
what happened when his or her powers (wildcrafting bag) which offers the equivalent of one
healing potion of your tier a day. Through normal
emerged. Know that said character would standard adventuring, you recover enough materials to
be one of only a handful on the entire conti- recover the potion after four battles. The GM may
nent, and unless concealed, would affect every- award additional potions dependant on certain condi-
one around. tions (skillful search rolls).
Champion Feat: Your pouch can create one potion
of one tier higher than you instead of one equal
to your tier.
 Passed from master to disciple, this old knowledge ter is easily discovered, as not many children can swim
reappeared when the advanced technologies of MRIs underwater for hours at a time without surfacing.
and CAT scans fell apart in the world of magic. By
using whatever is found or on hand, an herbalist can This supernatural type was a feature
perform basic medical aid. An herbalist can create of the earlier editions of Amethyst
analgesics, sedatives, or even stimulants. They can and mysteriously vanished from the
sterilize wounds or simply determine which nearby first 4e version (and has been absent
plants are edible or poisonous. It is not uncommon for
an herbalist or wildcrafter, as they are also known, to
from the first draft of the other system
pick leaves, berries, or stones from the ground as they conversions that I didn't write ever since), but
walk and this talent has earned some of them positions I keep putting it back in because I like it. It's
of authority in smaller or less developed communities. a little bit more overtly animesque than others,
They are even revered in a few locations where they are but in a world where there are elf ninja librari-
given the title medicine man or shaman. A lesser ans that can walk on ceilings and blade-
accepted (and more derogatory) term is witch doctor. balancing dwarf monks and samurai, I don't
This is neither a magical art nor a pseudo-science like
homeopathy. The techniques the herbalist uses are
think it's all THAT over the top.
tested and proven knowledge passed down through
centuries of trial and error. In this new age, more items JUGGERNAUT
of benefit can be found on the roadside, with more Path: Discipline
impactful effects, but the basic wisdom hasn’t changed. Suggested Applications: Feats of strength, endur-
ance.
INCARNATE Sympathetic & Hardy (+4): Str 14—While wearing
Path: Supernatural heavy armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC; Con 14—You
Suggested Applications: Minor magical tricks and gain +5 hit points. Note: You cannot have both bene-
physical feats related to your element, sensing your ele- fits.
ment, nature. Champion Feat: You gain a +2 bonus to damage
Descent from Harmony (+1): If you choose sorcerer rolls if wielding a shield.
as your class, you do not require a totem. You can only
select spells related in some way to your chosen ele-
ment (air, earth, fire, or water). The juggernaut cares nothing about nature or the will of
Elemental Tuning (+5): Before you make any kind gods. They may not believe in warmongering but do
of attack, you can change the damage type of that attack know the benefits of wielding such weapons in the
to one of the damage types associated with your ele- modern age. Juggernauts simply wish to maximize their
ment, chosen when you gain this trait: Air (cold, light- potential in combat. One must wield a blade to survive.
ning, or thunder), Earth (acid, force, or thunder), Fire You sleep with one eye open and seldom get a full
(fire, holy, or lightning), Water (acid, cold, or poison). night's rest. In the open field, you guard the casters and
protect the fire. You are always close to your armor.
Many of the fae claim an intrinsic connection with the You practice daily to hone abilities, maximizing your ca-
primal elements. Impossibly graceful laudenian chil- pacity in combat. You know when at the peak of your
dren, and narros youth with an intuitive understanding skill, you will never be out of work. A juggernaut is
of stone and earth are two examples of Attricana’s ready for combat at a moment's notice. You prepare
60 whimsical influence. The incarnate are those rare indi- your armor before sleeping, able to don it in less time
viduals with the ability to harness these forces and di- than a rogue takes to put on his shoes.
rect them. Each incarnate generally reflects their bond- Juggernauts are not ones for speeches or promotion.
ed element in both personality and appearance. Chapar- You are the heavy brute brought forward to scare the
ran fire incarnates can be very quick-tempered and rash, front lines of the opposition, the one beside kings to
even for a chaparran, whereas earth-bonded narros demonstrate the might of an army. When seen in a tav-
would be even more stoic and reserved than the rest of ern as a possible hire, you never have to worry about be-
their taciturn race. An air incarnate is generally flighty, ing passed over. Even if your intelligence can’t net you
imaginative, and difficult to pin down in conversation. glory or gold, a few rounds in an arena will do the task
The water incarnate is subtle and usually adapts to any nicely.
society he or she is living within. It can be difficult to
discern an incarnate from birth, but the telltale signs
begin emerging in early childhood. Earth-bonded chil-
dren’s voices are coarse, their skin easily calloused. Air
incarnate are very light-skinned, where the fire-bonded
are dark, almost bronzed. Of all the incarnate, only wa-
KAVALIER KINETASSANA
Path: Discipline, Regional Path: Discipline
Prerequisite: Trained in Kannos. Prerequisite: Tenenbri
Suggested Applications: Regional knowledge Suggested Applications: Religion, stealth, bluff,
(Central), animal control, riding. concentration.
Mounted Combat (+3): Natural 16+: If you are Snap Draw (+4): At the start of a battle, you can use
mounted and hitting a target not on a mount and your a recovery to gain a +6 bonus to initiative. This can oc-
size or smaller, you inflict an additional 1d6 damage for cur after you rolled and after order is established. If you
every two levels you have. strike a target that has not had an action yet in the bat-
tle, you inflict double damage.
Adventurer Feat: If you use a saddle with your
mount, you can stand on it, hang down one side, Champion Feat: At the start of a battle, if there is a
or ride underneath the animal if you so wish. nearby enemy, you can gain a +4 to initiative,
You gain a +1 to PD while mounted and have a and start the battle engaged with one enemy (if
+2 to all acrobatic checks while mounted. you employ the bonus, you must start engaged).

Champion Feat: Anytime you recover hit points, any Epic Feat: When you hit with a readied attack, add
amount can be diverted to your mount instead. +1d8 damage to the hit.

Zatou (+5): You can use Wisdom instead of

There are horsemen and cavalry across the world.
Strength for all melee attack and damage rolls.
Some are honored and have a long lineage. It takes an
especially brilliant soul to be among the chosen of the
The dominant religious movement sweeping the tenen-
Kannos cavalry, the elite kavaliers. What distinguishes
bri nation of Vanaka endorses a xenophobic stance, de-
a Kannos kavalier from other mounted military is the
crying other species save their own, and prohibiting any
lack of heavy armor. Kannos is rich in fertile land; huge
contact with foreigners. This is despite the natural ten-
livestock populations result in the largest number of
dency of tenenbri to be interested in companions that
horses in Canam. Kannos is weak, however, in mineral
differ from the image of perfection their priests claim
resources and must trade with the narros and their
tenenbri to be. The faction in power has convinced the
human allies in Abidan. Since most farms have to
masses to ostracize anyone not like them, even mem-
survive on their own, every farmhand, stable boy, and
bers of their own species that are slightly against the
wrangler learns to ride and control a steed the moment
norm. This belief is encouraged more in cities than
they could balance on two legs. By puberty, reins are
smaller villages and many traditional tenenbri denounce
an afterthought and the saddle an indulgence rarely
the practice. Even so, there is a small segment of un-
taken. Armor – especially barding – was an
derground fae that have no home to speak of, with some
extravagance few could afford in the early days of the
venturing into the light to start anew. Tenenbri that are
kingdom. The front lines of a Kannos army are
forced out or leave willingly because of a desire for iso-
populated with such seemingly simple cavalry, offering
lation often spend years in the darkness of Vanaka,
the illusion of an inept and under-equipped host until it
learning to hone their abilities to see without seeing.
charges.
Most tenenbri encountered north of Southam are no-
Kannos kavaliers ride light in armor and nimble in
madic. Some are drifters that have gathered in a family
their saddle (when they use one). Their horses are
caravan to escape their land or explore the world. A few
lifetime partners and often share sleeping quarters.
Some traditions match a young fighter to a steed early
are hermits, keeping to themselves and staying out of 61
harm’s way. When encountering such a recluse, passers
in life. The squire and mount live their lives
are advised to leave them alone, for they may be a
responsible for the other, loyal to the end. They form
member of an exclusive order of wandering warriors,
an unspoken bond and never leave each other’s side if it
the kinetassana.
can be avoided. More often than not, kavaliers prefer
Kinetassana may be wise, even friendly to outsiders,
the company of their animals to people and often sleep
able and willing to lend their skills to the innocent. But
in stables, as horses make great alarms.
compared with other tenenbri they are quiet and unso-
Kannos kavaliers are quick on both two feet and
ciable, seldom traveling shoulder-to-shoulder with oth-
four. They leap upon their mounts without a stir and
ers. Even when enticed or forced to accompany a party,
drive even the most skittish animals into combat
the kinetassana trails behind and volunteers little.
without a stutter. There is no greater waste in warfare
On the surface, a kinetassana appears nonchalant, al-
than a trained warhorse with an incompetent rider and
most unaware of her surroundings. She rarely brandish-
there is very little more dangerous than a Kannos
es weapons openly, preferring light varieties kept hid-
kavalier and his mount.
den, exposing them only the instant they are ready to
swing and sheathing the instant the stroke concludes.
Kinetassana are nearly impossible to catch off-guard and
rarely charge into combat, preferring to let enemies ap-
 proach and attack. They don’t play with targets during KOANA STUDENT
a fight. They don’t dance, jump around, or tumble. Path: Discipline
They kill quickly and efficiently and do so with hardly Prerequisite: From or trained in Limshau.
a sound. Suggested Applications: Virtually unparalleled ar-
cane knowledge, regional knowledge (Central), history.
KNIGHT OF THE WALL Dedicated Researcher (+2): You gain a +1 bonus to
Path: Discipline, Regional this background when rolling for arcane knowledge.
Prerequisite: From Abidan. Arcane Comprehension (+5): A spell carries a spark
Suggested Applications: Religion, intimidation/ of life within it. Once per battle, as a free action, you
inspiration, feats of strength, endurance. can re-roll a missed attack roll for any spell.
Shield Lock (+3): If you and at least two allies (but
no more than four) can link shields and form a wall as It is said that Limshau’s rise to prominence as one of
quick action, each member of the line receives an addi- the world most respected and admired nations didn’t hit
tional +1 to AC until the line is broken. its stride until it absorbed nearly 5,000 humans from
Angel, thanks to Ravenar Limshau III’s “Crusade of
Champion Feat: If an enemy hits a member of the
shield wall, one nearby ally can make a basic Knowledge.” Until then, all damaskans were the same
attack as an interrupt action. across the world. It was at that point the obsessive drive
to record history reached a fevered state. Damaskans
have always been social creatures with a preference for
On the bridge Tethuss, the holy warriors of Janoah live learning and acquiring knowledge, but bookbinding was
their lives in defense of a single cause—to hold the wall a complicated procedure few of them had mastered in
against the pagus hordes threatening to sweep down the the Terros age, and the printing press was just beyond
continent. Bound in by mountains on one side and their capacity to imagine. The influx of mankind
gulping waters on the other side, all but the bravest changed that, which explains why, after only 500 years,
pagus see the isthmus as the easiest route to the unpro- damaskans in Canam look and act slightly askew from
tected south despite its towering fortress rampart. those across the Ocean. The addition of movable type
The knights on the wall, standing atop the catapulted their society in a direction unheard of before.
buttresses and manning the bridge, are rarely taken As no books or scrolls came with them when the gate
from their footing. Their defensive stance turns into an opened, the damaskans only had their memories to
offensive one and opponents find themselves facing a work from, and even then, few remembered the details
stronghold of shields covered in spikes and blades. of their history. It was assumed they were similar to the
This knight looks to his shield as his primary ally. damaskans of Damaska – towering spires filled floor to
By combining their efforts, many knights can link to ceiling with color-coded scrolls with little else to
form an impenetrable barrier against attack. This differentiate them. It is thought the prevalence of the
practice began with the first assault across the bridge, book totem didn’t become fashionable until the
with thousands of pagus battering the walls. The front damaskans began to have extensive contact with
line facing the hordes were ill equipped and the wall humans. Circulation of books in the ancient age was
behind had yet to be completed. The phalanx held reserved almost exclusively for the early damaskan
fast, with the front warriors standing guard with light wizards. Today, Limshau sports the greatest number of
shields on each arm while forces behind held onto long wizard academies in Canam, though not the largest nor
spears. The pagus could neither push nor break the most respected actual schools. Larenoak and Jibaro in
Dawnamoak, the Logos Academy in Abidan, and the
62 wall and the battle was quickly won.
To date, few have ever bested a Janoahn knight in Elsis Tower in Laudenia are all much larger and more
shield and sword combat. They are proud to stand on prestigious, though all pale in comparison to Kirjath-
Tethuss and few ever leave the fortress. And yet some Sepher on the other side of the world.
do, venturing either across the bridge, or south from the No particular school stands out from the crowd in
city. The reasons may be their own, but their shields Limshau. All of them are respected in different ways.
represent their honor, so are never separated from them. Nearly three hundred years ago, they allied to found
They avoid mounted combat and prefer to be charged the Koana District—a geographically unbound
rather than the ones charging. An entire industry has organization of all the schools in the Limshau kingdom.
stemmed from this art form. Janoahn shields are a They set a standard of quality control maintained by
highly prized commodity throughout Canam. Even every school. Despite different learning techniques and
some pagus have been seen using them, though only totem endorsement (though every damaskan student
the knights on the bridge wield them properly. chooses the book), every Koana academy must follow
strict guiding principles which includes heavy arcane
study, daily lectures, and rigorous repetitive exams and
workshops. Unlike other fae schools, which try to apply
a theological approach to magic, supporting a “gut
intuition” and encouraging natural talent, Koana schools
maintain that true wizard mastery only comes with capacity of their written form into totems that wizards
heavy research and exercise. A Koana student is can use in the application of their art. Until then, all fae
expected to remain at the school for at least twelve were in awe of the power of dragons and forever slaves
years (although ‘field study’ is part of most curricula), to the whims of Attricana. Laudenians, frightened by
though they are encouraged to remain longer if they the concept of being slaves to anything, even magic,
wish. tried to discover a way to control it. This path began
because of a dire need to prevent the degradation of
I've never been a fan of this whole their species. They hoped the words would uncover a
'wizards only' thing for Amethyst - way to control the chaotic power of the gate.
possibly that stems from becoming fa- They failed in this endeavor but did discover a way
to harness some of the gate’s power through the use of
miliar with it during the 3e days,
the dragon language. They believed that by learning
when it was a lot less restricted. There's how the dragons direct their power by focusing on a
no reason that you should be prevented from single word in all its meanings, a wizard could replicate
using a class's mechanics just because the de- the same effect. The laudenians, ever disdainful of
fault fluff doesn't match. I would allow a change, found the staff the most reliable totem and
Koana scholar to be any kind of spellcaster never supported another option. Eventually, the
(appropriately reflavored, and with the book chaparrans would adopt the same when several of them
totem). stole the knowledge from acquiescent laudenians. It
would not be until the damaskans arrived that
alternative totems emerged. They embraced the book
I’ve read about gamers throwing out and soon after, the narros also developed a similar
huge chunks of Amethyst in their own practice utilizing shields and weapons.
interpretations, but my responsibility In the modern age, nearly every race uses every
is to present the actual setting. I men- form of totem available except for laudenians, who still
tioned often that the first 3.5 OGL Amethyst stubbornly use the staff. They have used this single
was about 75% accurate. The 4E and subse- implement for their totem since the dawn of their
species. Unlike any other casters, the laudenians are
quent editions were closer to 90%, so even edi-
known to be the most numerous in proportion to their
tions like this one do not reflect the literary population and the most powerful on average. They
Amethyst I wish to present. In a faithful rep- know this and make a point of reminding those who
resentation, there is truly only one way of know, don’t know, or don’t care.
spellcasting, and those who master it are rare
and scattered. When someone categorizes Am- Ignore what I said in my last note.
ethyst as limiting, I ask them if they can wield This one should be wizards only. For
a plasma pistol in Middle Earth. those who were playing in the olden
days, remember that guy who only
LAUDENIAN MAGOS played wizards and lorded it over the rest
Path: Discipline of the party because they became a walking
Prerequisites: Laudenian 'win' button after about 8th level? Yeah... just
Suggested Applications: Regional knowledge this once, be that guy (not that the rules sup-
(Dianaso and Sky Network), arcane knowledge, history,
racial knowledge (laudenian).
port it, but pretend they do). 63
By Instinct (+3): You can use Wisdom instead of In-
telligence for all wizard class features and spells.
One Word (+5): You learned your spells from the
most powerful teachers. After each battle, you can se-
lect one daily spell to be recharge 17+. All daily spells
become recharge 16+ battle when in Laudenia or any
sky keep.
Champion Feat: Once per day, don’t bother rolling
for One Word—the spell is recharged.

The arcane arts might have originated with the dragons,

as all the words of power derive from their language,
but it is the laudenians that created the modern concept
of the wizard. They found a way to tap into the holy
language of the oldest magical race and transplant the
 LIBRARIAN I don’t read nearly enough to justify the
Path: Regional amount of allegory involving literature
Prerequisite: From or trained in Limshau. I’ve inserted in Amethyst. Three back-
Suggested Applications: Regional knowledge grounds based around books, revolving
(everywhere), general history—basically all document- around a kingdom of library-cities. The fram-
ed knowledge, research. ing fiction heavily references the value of rec-
Branch Expertise (+3): Select one specific subject,
orded knowledge, and I believe truly that peo-
either a specific nation or time period, a group of people
or science. You gain a +2 bonus to this background
ple and nations cannot rise without standing
when making a check on that subject. on the books written by their ancestors.
Champion Feat: Your bonus to your chosen subject Libraries are just that awesome.
is now +10—yeah, you’re pretty much an au-
thority. Plus you can select another Branch Ex-
pertise to receive +2.

My City (+5): When in a Limshau city, your bonus

for any knowledge checks using this background is dou- MALKUT OUTCAST
bled. Employing this feature may involve time for re- Path: Regional
search. Prerequisites: Human from Baruch Malkut.
Suggested Applications: Regional knowledge
Initially, the servants of Limshau, those responsible for (Baruch Malkut), stealth, nature, religion (Baruch
the organization and defense of knowledge, referred to Malkut).
themselves simply as librarians, a title still in use today. Awkward (+1): You automatically gain 1 negative
The emergence of the custodian order freed them of relationship point against Baruch Malkut. You can ne-
part of their responsibility for defending the pages they gate this point by spending a relationship point (though
index, and the librarians were delegated to the why would you want to?).
uninspiring but necessary duty of maintaining the Call it...My Land (+3): You gain a +1 bonus to this
treasures of the cities the custodians protect. Their background when rolling for checks within Baruch
combat prowess dipped significantly in the waning Malkut.
centuries.
Modern librarians have an encyclopedic recall of You are profoundly ashamed of your origin. You were
every book they are exposed to in the wing they call raised in a world where humans have declared
home. Some librarians remain in a certain wing of the themselves superior, children of the true god, and as
city for their entire lives, but like the custodians, the such are masters of all creatures of the Earth. You were
librarians are often found outside of the walls of the raised under the leadership of a king blessed with
cities, having taken on a duty to retrieve some precious immortality. He accuses others outside his realm of
bit of knowledge. Perhaps a single volume among the being heathens and heretics or worse, patsies for
thousands under their care has gone missing. Perhaps demons parading around in pleasant clothes and
the final critical tome of a series has finally been alluring skin. As judgment, these demons deserve
located, a retrieval too important to be tasked to appren- extermination, but if they can be indentured to aid the
tice or mercenary. As always, simple curiosity may also kingdom’s exaltation, so much the better. You had no
64
possess them to leave, but most librarians are settled in option and no cause to think otherwise. You believed
their daily tasks, taking enjoyment in their duties this was true, for it came from the lips of your elders.
behind a desk. Your teachers explained the history of the world and the
Even more so than the custodians, the librarians slow extermination of the human race through a gradual
treasure the written word and will most certainly carry process of corruption by whispers rather than swords.
several books wherever they go. They are also prone to You might have lived on a farm alongside these
chronicling every moment of their excursions beyond loathsome chattel, whip in your hand and revulsion in
the walls. Though they may certainly possess some your heart. Then one day, or maybe over many,
combat prowess, they normally lack the extreme something changed. It is possible you always had issues
physical disciplines required of custodians. Often, the with the practice. You couldn’t understand how such
librarian has left because of a singular need. They are evil could be attached to such innocence. Regardless of
frequently not as prepared for the outside world, the shape of their ears, who were the demons that
despite having intimate knowledge of its inner enslaved others? As a slaver, you might have been born
workings. into the career, or took to it easily in a culture that
supported it, but that doesn’t mean you believed in its
practice. You might never have approved of the system
but went along silently because of pressures from your
government or family.
 When you reached an age where rebellion was the vation in the life beyond. Mystic traditions have hun-
norm, you might have recoiled from the business and dreds of different names. Although this may certainly
escaped the hated reputation. Despite talents learned, be called a religion, it may also be based in the ethnic
you want nothing to do with your past and actively try traditions of a culture. Some mystics claim their insight
to destroy the machine you operated within. Likewise, derives from an awareness of the world and is not hand-
you might have rebelled against the system because of ed to them from a divine power. It is their own soul, the
events that occurred late in life, when you are forced to untapped potential of their spirit, which inevitably
face the sins you have committed. Perhaps you saw the guides them. Your choice is your own but many races
eyes of an innocent fae and realized the truth of the and cultures have their preferences. Chaparrans credit
evils you were perpetrating. But there is no room in the spirits for their guidance, studying fallen leaves off trees
kingdom for those who do not absolutely support their and the arrangements of their veins. Damaskans use
king in his plan for the world. You are either with King biblioman-cy and numerology and gain understanding
Darius and his crusade against the infidels or you side through the books they read. They gain wisdom
with those fated for the gallows or a cross. You must through raw knowledge but also from the patterns of
swear absolute fidelity to Baruch Malkut or be counted words and sentences, finding further enlightenment
among the enemy. Therefore, you left, abandoning where others find nothing. Gimfen roll dice, but the
your family, your holdings, and any claim to any land. type of dice and the images on their facings are unique
Sometimes, you appear overtly friendly to fae, trying to each sage. Laudenians have the longest and most
desperately to offset any accusation that that you complicated form, using both incense and drops of wa-
remain loyal to that old belief. You keep your origin ter in stagnant pools as their channel. Narros shatter
secret, but you know it will surface eventually. You also stones and study the fallen fragments to hear advice
believe it is fate you will eventually return to face your straight from the lips of Oaken. Tenenbri, the most
sins and family directly, and this time you won’t flee. subtle, use their fingers to touch and feel every flaw and
perfection in something to learn from it, such as reading
I generally don’t allow my players to palms or marks upon a skull. When pagus are allowed to
be evil. Very often they associate evil develop their own culture, their mystics employ animal
with selfish, and spend more time dis- entrails. The way the creature was killed changes the
rupting the group than advancing the outcome of the answer. A quiet, peaceful death is re-
quired when choosing a path or seeking answers to a
plot. So even though a player could be a slav- question while a violent death is needed in matters of
er, I prefer the path of one that has escaped war. As for humans, throughout their history, they have
and must live up to the sins of the past. I tried them all, from the study of flying birds to the anal-
have only had a game group enter Baruch ysis of rat feces.
Malkut once...most likely because the nation
didn’t exist until 2006. Prognostication is tricky for the GM
who doesn't want to be accused of
MYSTIC railroading. I suggest allowing a play-
Path: Supernatural er who takes this background to roll it
Prerequisite: None to make minor retcons--just having hap-
Suggested Applications: Religion, nature, heal, in- pened to pick up a needed piece of equipment
sight, mysticism, simple arcane knowledge. before leaving town, or having let the authori-
Lost Traditions (+5): You can cast the 7th level wiz-
ard utility spell scrying as a ritual. The ritual takes be-
ties know before jumping into the den of
thieves that captured and tied them up, for in-
65
tween 3 and 6 hours to complete before any results can
stance. Those that attempt to abuse it should
be gleaned. You must also choose a focus for your craft.
This may include bones, rocks, leaves, entrails, a book, be stricken with blindness, afflicted with terri-
dice, or even a deck of cards. fying nightmares about the future, or suffer
the curse of Cassandra and never have anyone
In the history of every culture, there have been practi- believe their visions.
tioners and disciples of ancient rituals who call upon un-
seen forces to offer guidance when hope is fleeting or
altogether lost. These conduits of wisdom employ an-
cient customs passed down from their ancestors, tracing
back an unbroken line of hundreds or thousands of
years. As a mystic continuing the old 101 ways, you uti-
lize implements ranging from as basic as a scattering of
bones to as complicated as a library of books. Every
evening, you recall the teachings of your master, hoping
to earn the illumination of the spirit that may grant sal-
 REDCAP tongue (the astute will note that there is no ancient
Path: Discipline gimfen tongue). The more wicked ones embrace the
Prerequisite: Gimfen redcap legend even to the extent of donning a hat.
Suggested Applications: Racial knowledge
(gimfen), acrobatics, intimidation. REKII
Hip Shot (+3): The shortbow in your hands counts Path: Discipline
as both a melee weapon and a ranged weapon—it does Prerequisites: Chaparran
not prompt opportunity attacks when you are engaged, Suggested Applications: Racial knowledge
regardless of the opponent you are attacking. (chaparran), awareness/perception, insight.
Redcap Reputation (+5): When you score a critical Hand Signs (+2): You can communicate with an ally
hit on an opponent, you also inflict 4 ongoing damage. without alerting you or the ally as long as you are in line
of sight using hand signs.
Champion Feat: Once per battle, if you kill an en-
Keen Eyes (+4): You gain a +1 bonus to the back-
gaged enemy, you can immediately engage an-
other nearby enemy as a free action without ground when attempting to notice something in a forest
provoking an opportunity attack. environment.

Chaparrans are nearly as xenophobic as laudenians, but

Epic Feat: If you kill an engaged enemy, you gain a
where the laudenians abhor all other species for fear of
+2 bonus to damage until the end of your next
being ‘tainted’, chaparrans simply prefer solitude.
turn. If you drop another engaged enemy be-
fore then, the duration extends until the end of When they do form bonds, they swear oaths that trans-
the next turn and the damage increases by an- cend generations. A chaparran that has joined an ad-
other +2 (cumulative to a maximum of +6 dam- venturing party has learned to work within a group and
age). has shared the key signs of her gestural language. All
chaparrans possess the innate ability to communicate si-
lently and once others pick up the important signs, a
Before gimfen were renowned for their capacity for chaparran is able to pass her impressive eyesight onto
suppressing the disruption of technology, they were others.
desperate to claim their own niche. They were a young The rekii spots targets from a hidden position. She
race broken from the damaskans late after the then passes critical information to an ally (via hand
emergence of the pagus, at a time when all the fae were signs, animal calls, and whispers) in order to improve
coming to terms with the possibility of extinction at their accuracy or position. It’s a unique gift few other
either the hands of their corrupted cousins, or from their chaparrans possess.
own degraded forms. As the chaparrans were vanishing It only takes a few days of exposure among new
in the forest as nymphs and faeries, and the narros into friends for them to take full advantage of his gift. It al-
the depths of the earth as ogres and trolls, gimfen so allows the chaparrans to maintain their oath of loyalty
emerged as a bright, bubbly light of playfulness. They while also remaining away from the social circle. Chap-
fought for many years to find an area where they could arrans cannot stand the need of other races (especially
excel. Because of their diminutive forms, several of gimfen and humans) to fill silence with the noise of
them took to being fast, quick-strike hunters. They conversation, and even those rekii that have elected to
would squirm and wriggle through battle lines, striking join with such raucous noise polluters still prefer to be
targets as they passed through legs. They eventually on their own. Often enough, the rekii remains away
from the fire and discourse; while ringing in the occa-
66 chose the shortbow as their preferred weapon because
of its versatility and compatibility to their size. It even sional comment, a rekii for the most part stays hidden
adorns the Salvabrooke flag. and watchful.
These gimfen love getting close for the strike, and
whether wielding a bow or blade, don’t find it a SALVABROOKE SEEKER
satisfying kill unless blood stains their clothes. This Path: Regional
gave them a disturbing nickname taken from human Prerequisites: Gimfen from Salvabrooke; cannot be
mythology, which most gimfen don’t respond well to. Lawful Good.
Some hate the term on pedantic grounds because they Suggested Applications: Acrobatics, thievery,
don’t wear hats. Others simply think it sullies a stealth, bluff, racial knowledge (gimfen), regional
reputable profession as a close-combat warrior which knowledge (West Cross).
commands as much respect as any chaparran ranger or Petite Larceny (+4): If you roll a natural 1 or 2 when
damaskan fighter. using this background to attempt thievery or stealth,
Regardless, the name stuck and some of the more you can re-roll. You must take the second result.
renowned assassins and war heroes in gimfen history
have been labeled as such. Gimfen that choose an Gimfen are overeager to try anything once. They live
honorable path prefer the term, “siddosamma”, which their lives as the mirror opposite of narros. Where the
they claim means “Warfueled” in the ancient gimfen narros eventually decide the path they would take for
the entirety of their lives and never deviate, gimfen an, you are most likely banished or have some need to
rarely settle. Many that grew up near machinery have see the world. Very often, that requires walking upon
embraced engineering as their chosen profession, but it.
their shops are often littered with half-completed
projects and ideas only partially realized. SPIRIT BOND
In Salvabrooke, most citizens are shopkeepers, shop Path: Supernatural
workers, or members of the small but ferocious military. Prerequisites: None
Others take to thievery or careers where similar talents Possible Application: Perception, insight, general
can be exploited. Regardless of their path, they always knowledge, general wisdom.
add a zest to their performance. Messengers run over Spirit Animal (+5): You gain a spirit animal (uses the
roofs, flipping and sliding in their sprint. Tricksters are same rules as the ranger's pet or the wizard's familiar).
theatric and take minutes setting up their scam, You cannot have a familiar or ranger’s pet if you have a
entertaining their marks, and making the ruse almost spirit bond, although you can still have an animal com-
welcoming in the end. These unguided individuals panion.
love the chase – the pursuit of anything, either as the
target or as the arrow. If you point them, they will run. The animal that joins its spirit to another is not a normal
Some apply this in a respectable craft while many creature. It materializes beside its compatriot, never
employ more nefarious ones. Occasionally, they steal venturing far, never getting lost, and always appearing
just for the thrill of taunting a chase, abandoning their in places it could never be. It finds its way into bed-
pilfered possession around the block or even returning rooms, out of jail cells, and can find its bonded ally from
it and thanking the pursuer for a good run. Some sell it anywhere on the planet.
back to the owner for a mild fee, claiming they are At first, the animal is dream-like, only appearing to
enriching the lives of those around by disturbing the the mortal. With time and meditation can one pull the
order of their lives. animal into the real world. The bonded animal is
In the eyes of many gimfen, governments and rules thought to be either a physical manifestation of the per-
are part of the corruption of the other side. As Attricana son’s soul or a spirit from the magical realm, the dream-
encourages its chaotic drive for life in all forms, said like expanse that flows from Attricana and covers the
lives prefer the anarchy of an unpredictable existence. globe.
They strive to introduce some chaos in the world This spirit guide has its own personality and is not a
around to remind everyone else that laws are part of a slave. It will depart forever if abused. Often enough,
method of control and thus, part of the problem. To the spirit tags along as a loyal pet, unassuming and inno-
them, life is designed to rebel against conformities and cent. It appears well trained and docile unless it feels
laws need not be a requirement for civility. the fear of its bondmate. Although the two cannot com-
These gimfen don’t like being called anarchists, municate through speech, they are able to detect each
preferring the term “seeker”, as they are always other's moods and emotions. Neither spirit nor
searching for something they hope they never find, bondmate would ever abandon the other unless their
because the pursuit is the true purpose in life. For partner ordered them to.
many of them, the chase ends when they die, hopefully
a long ways away from where they started.
SQUIRE OF ABRAHAM
SKY-BORN Path: Discipline
Prerequisites: Choose any religion, from Abidan.
Path: Regional
Suggested Applications: Regional knowledge (Sky
Possible Application: Religion, intimidation, bluff,
diplomacy, regional knowledge (East Cross), rousing
67
Network), perception, acrobatics. speech.
No Fear of Falling (+3): As a free action, you can Righteous Belief and That’s Enough (+5): When
use a recovery to double the bonus offered by this back- engaged with a target that has inflicted damage on you,
ground when rolling for any acrobatic or athletic stunts. you gain a +2 damage bonus.
You don’t claim the Earth as your home. You fell from Abidan is the religious nexus of Canam, a nation where
the womb and were not afraid. You clung onto ropes its constitution demands freedom of religion for all.
before learning to walk. You walked on the planks of a Unlike the nation of Trinitas on the other side of the
ship before you ever touched loose soil. You can dance planet, Abidan’s government is committed to a rejection
on the railing of a skyship thousands of feet up. of theocracy even as it embraces faith as a core value.
Like any other nomad, you have no real roots, but Nevertheless, it does maintain a dedicated order of holy
unlike those on the ground, you do have a home; it’s knights, an order known across the land for humility
just mobile. You may have a family and might have and valor. This is the Line of Abraham, the envy of
owned your own ship at one point. Some catalyst has every apprentice in the kingdom. A knight fights only
brought you on the ground. Perhaps you crashed. You when necessary. They carry a strict faith in themselves
could have been outcast for a crime. If you're a laudeni- or in the religion they are associated with and swear
 absolute loyalty to that devotion and its tenets. They Regardless of the result, some squires never return,
believe the shields of truth and virtue protect better finding a calling far more important—a calling only a
than any armor forged by man. A potential squire is god could bestow. A few do return, shaped by the
selected young and trained alongside a great knight for world into an either a broken soul bent for drunken
many years, well into adulthood. Some of the most tavern tales of better times or a noble knight of the
respected soldiers in the Janoahn army are still awaiting Line of Abraham.
approval into the line. Eventually, one is asked to take
a personal crusade—to find a personal truth and to SWORN HAND OF VENGEANCE
discover one’s soul in the exploration of the outside Path: Discipline
world. Only when students feel the path directs them Prerequisites: None
home do they finally do so, in hopes of being accepted Possible Application: Intimidation, survival, endur-
in the order. To be of this group is not to be some ance, knowledge of your sworn enemy.
church bound priest or a zealot screaming from a Sworn Enemy (+3): Choose one of the following
soapbox. This devout disciple has taken it upon herself creatures: evil dragons, boggs and puggs, chaparrans,
to preach the word of god to the unbeliever while also humans (choose a specific nation), kodiaks, pagus,
defending the tenets of faith against the heathen and shemjaza, skeggs. Against creatures of this type, you
infidel. This champion could be a crusader to inspire gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls until the first time you hit
the masses, marching along the front line of an army, one in an encounter. The first target hit takes double
motivating troops and rousing faith in the cause. A damage from the attack.
crusader loves preaching the power of faith, usually
reserving such displays for when potential combat Champion Feat: When the escalation die is +6, your
occurs. Crusaders often lead charges, standing proud, next hit on a sworn enemy is a critical hit.
commanding holy warriors into battle, and further
solidifying their status among the others. Crusaders
Childhood can often be a wondrous time. For an unfor-
hope for the day when they control armies of their own.
tunate few, like yourself, it is the source of unrelenting
This champion could also be a fanatic. Fanatics think
trauma. This nightmare could have occurred while still
of nothing other than upholding their faith against the
clinging onto your mother’s hand, or the mental and
heathens of the world. They may even subscribe that
physical scars could have been set later. Something no
redemption falls only to the worthy. A truly noble
one should ever have to experience recurs every even-
fanatic wishes to help the needy but believes destroying
ing when you close your eyes. A hand came down and
one’s enemy is the best way to accomplish that.
destroyed everything you had. They wiped out every
Finally, the champion could be a missionary. These
family member, maybe friends, or perhaps an entire vil-
followers of the faith don’t consider themselves extrem-
lage. This could have been a surgical raid or a random
ists. They seldom enlist others for the glory of combat
act of passing bloodshed. Maybe you were on hand to
and rarely join an army bent for war. Surprisingly
witness the carnage, pushed under a bed or dropped in
though, missionaries handle themselves almost or
a basket. Perhaps you arrived too late, ready for a fight,
equally well in situations where they must protect
only to be tasked to digging graves. As the lone survi-
themselves or those who need defending. Their calling
vor, you think of nothing else but revenge to placate the
forces them from the church to venture as nomads –
nightly terrors.
with or without the assistance of other missionaries –
This rage is not intended for a specific nation, king,
into the wilderness of the outside world. There, they
or thug. Retaliation is unfocused, intended for an entire
would not seek the believers but the doubtful. One
68 would appear not as the prancing paladin marching
proud and tall, but as a simple follower, wise beyond
species. This world is populated by tremendous evil,
minions of a gauntlet of shadow that stretch slowly over
the land. When violent opposition presents itself, you
their years.
will act without thinking and not stop until your ene-
Missionaries frequently approach areas of need and
mies lie dead, in hopes the nightmares will cease.
depart without ever expressing a belief or preaching a
cause. In their eyes, being loyal by the doctrine of their
faith and helping those less fortunate, even to the point TASKIN-KADA WATCHER
of raising weapons against evil, comes before Path: Discipline
attempting to preach to the potentials. They neither Prerequisite: From Taskin-Kada.
require conversion as a prerequisite for offering wisdom Possible Application: Regional knowledge (Central,
or assistance nor agreement with their beliefs as a East Cross, South), perception, insight, stealth.
condition for friendship and loyalty. They help first. Double Take (+3): Once a day, you can re-roll any
Almost all settlements welcome the missionary. Of check using this background if you don’t like the final
course, fanatics and paladins may enter claiming the result.
same title. The missionary is well educated and
survives alone in the dangers of the wild when others Taskin-Kada, a respected city in Abidan, developed a
run screaming or die in the cold. counter-intelligence group for the express purpose of
maintaining surveillance on potential enemies, and
occasionally, potential allies. This gave rise to the Stories began circulating in the past centuries of
watchers, an echelon of individuals trained in the art of aberrations of magic, more so than the already
stealth to rival even the assassins from Baruch Malkut. numerous oddities covering the globe. These are
The watchers are not spies but observers. They never creatures of higher intelligence gifted with a powerful
steal anything other than the unaltered history revealed magic with apparently no source or explanation.
before their eyes. With a reputation for honesty and Several monsters already flaunt powerful magic, but
accuracy, the word of a watcher carries weight in an these are limited to less potent spells. No magical beast
Abidan court. Among other accomplishments, that can spontaneously bring the dead back to life. How is it
reputation allowed the organization to expose then that a few humans and fae have been rumored to
corruption within a trading guild in Sclavia and recover be able to generate great magic with no source? Some of
Savarice’s pilfered holy blade when stolen by thieves these gifted individuals stumbled upon this talent in
under blessing of Darius Konig. When the watchers are childhood. Most lose control of their power, killing
not observing within the kingdom, the majority are themselves and, unfortunately, others in the process.
committed to external actions, dealing with neighbors Some are murdered by a fearful public, declaring the
both friendly and hostile. Dozens patrol lands north of youths servants of darkness. A modicum hid their
the Tethuss Bridge, a necessary task though it costs the powers, turning to clerical and arcane studies to master
most lives. The majority of them travel south, to watch and mask their ability with the accepted arts. No one
the nation of Baruch Malkut. Despite the impressive would question how one spell is cast differently than
distance between the two nations, and the fact that others. This leaves a minute group that live their lives
several other kingdoms lie in between, Savarice never possessing a single immense power: the ability to
forgot his experiences near that land and considers the manipulate the very essence of life, to heal or to harm.
rival nation the greatest threat to Canam, more so than Casting it always comes with a heavy internal price,
the pagus to the north. Taskin-Kada took an especially resulting in the eventual death of the user if the ability
vested interest in Baruch Malkut. Home to the largest is abused.
single Jewish population in Canam, Taskin-Kada A few have taken to being regular healers with no
despises the use of Hebrew words as a name for one of sworn deity with an uncanny ability to lift those from
the most malevolent nations on Earth. near death. All keep this power from the public eye,
As a member, you can either be tasked by a secret offering it in private to a select few with desperate
mission or be one that has left the order for personal causes or deep pockets. Most aware of the legends
reasons. Your specialty deals with espionage in other refuse to acknowledge these aberrations exist, for a
nations and you are not cut for dungeons, though you hermit with life’s dedication to his god could commit as
would not be frightened by the concept. great a power as the head priest of a temple. But what
of the story of the child with a gift which could only be
VIVICATOR from a god? Echalogians believe this gift is the result of
Path: Supernatural magical saturation. Since more humans are emerging
Suggested Applications: Heal, mysticism, nature, with this power than fae, some echalogians speculate
herbalism. that mankind is undergoing a similar change as the fae,
Hand of the Unspoken (+1-+5): You gain the pala- but in much more positive ways. The knowledge of
din's lay on hands feature. At +2 in this background, these beings is kept silent and the majority of the world
you are able to select the adventurer feat for lay on is unaware of their existence.
hands; at +3, you can select up to the champion feat, Though some claim to be gifted by a god or gods,
and at +5 you can select all three feats. there are others that boast the same abilities with no
such faith. 69
Regardless of magic, despite position or lineage, death
is still certain. Almost everyone believes that souls ORGANIZATIONS
continue past their mortal prison. While some believe Rarely do characters meet in taverns or stumble upon
the spirit rises to an afterlife, others affirm that the soul each other on a dirt road. Many are not foolish to ven-
recycles from animal to animal, only occasionally being ture into the outside world alone and unprepared. Of-
blessed into one of higher intelligence. Some religions ten, they’ve made friends and forged their alliances
forbid the interrupting of this process for any reason. long before seeking adventure. Characters can be ei-
Forcing a spirit back to its original body interrupts the ther part of a much larger organization or they can be in-
fate written for that soul when God blessed that baby dependent, answering to no one but themselves.
emerging from the womb. This never stops the Players should work together in forging a group that
obsessed and the mournful from attempting any course maximizes each other’s abilities. They know their
of action to bring someone back from the dead. names, their strengths, and their weaknesses.
Those that claim to be blessed with magic from At character creation, a group of players may select
their deity cannot prove their gift came from any divine one of the following affiliations. Being signed under an
power. In the end, most are con men or take shortcuts organization offers funds or equipment while independ-
to a god via some proven magic from an ungodly source. ence offers the greatest gift of all, freedom. The GM
 may select an organization for the player group if the Benefit: The player group signed to work for the
choice affects the campaign being designed. Not all Crimson Starlight receives a wheeled truck or a tracked
members of a party need to select a single organization, APC for free. It is a loan and cannot be sold. They also
though the party can only receive the benefit of one, re- gain a preferred enemy, gaining a +1 bonus to attack
gardless of the number of players in the party. To re- against puggs and boggs. Players also gain +1 point of
ceive the benefits of an organization requires at least positive relationship with Angel.
three members of party to share that affiliation. Players
can only belong to one organization at a time. It is not FREE-LANCE
impossible for players to switch their affiliation but this Outcast or deserted from a lord or king, the free-lance
is not easy and requires the GM's complicity. travels from town to town seeking money or purpose.
Often mistakenly dubbed mercenaries or sellswords, a
ABIDAN MISSIONARIES free-lance began its life as military unit sworn to a
Tasked with protecting the innocent and encouraging specific flag. For reasons which may be good or bad,
hope and virtue throughout the kingdom, Abidan this lance found itself unbound from its original
missionaries are gathered by a mutual desire to help authority. Did they abandon their assignment? Did
others in need. They need not all be followers of the they violate doctrine, or challenge the word of a lord?
same faith, neither are they required to promote said Were they arrested, sent to prison by a military court for
faith to those requiring their help. These missionaries a crime they didn't commit, only later to escape?
care nothing for political or theological agendas, prefer- Whatever the reason, wanted by their nation or
ring to show the rightness of their faith to the world kingdom, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If there’s
through their actions. They only concern themselves a problem, if no one else can help, and if they can be
with helping the needy and serving the cause to defeat found, a free-lance may be hired.
evil whenever they encounter it. Generally, They may be on the run from their homelands,
missionaries are multi-talented; they're not all just where they are definitely persona non grata, although
trained swords. Members are educators, leaders, and good-aligned nations like Abidan and Limshau rarely
healers. As the threat of an encroaching darkness put prices on the heads of such expatriates, and bastions
looms, these missions have been found more and more usually wash their hands of offenders once they have
often outside of Abidan borders. been put out of the walls.
Prerequisite: All members of this organization must Benefit: Members of a free-lance must select a
have a good alignment. kingdom, free house, or bastion. Party members suffer
Benefit: All party members gain a +1 bonus to any a -2 penalty to diplomacy checks against any resident of
check related to religion - even religions they don't be- this nation. Because of shared training, if ALL mem-
long to. All party members gain a +1 bonus to damage bers of the free-lance are in line of sight within one an-
rolls against troops, leaders, and wreckers. Players also other, they each gain a +1 bonus to MD.
receive +1 point of positive relationship with Abidan.
IRON SONS
CRIMSON STARLIGHT The Iron Sons is the largest techan free company
The CS is the military arm of Angel, often taking operating in the world. They command thousands of
missions outside of the city walls in all-terrain vehicles, troops through a decentralized control network
ETVs, or VERTOL flyers. The CS operates from four connected via a series of mobile command posts. They
immense towers situated around the outer perimeter of operate fixed offices in both York and Angel, though
70 the city. Response time to an outside attack is
measured in seconds. Recently, attacks on the wall
their operations are outlawed practically everywhere
else. Although able to function independently, each
have subsided, with boggs and puggs shifting their command node can receive directives from a central
attention to those passing to and from the city. This has voice, known as General Chauk. Instructions from this
forced the CS to leave the walls and take a more authority are seldom relayed but when issued, all units
aggressive stance on outside threats. They clash not are compelled to act. Only a few people in the world
only with surrounding raiders but with the growing know where Chauk is at any time, and his location
armies of puggs and skeggs in the region of Xixion to shifts daily.
the north. Of all the bastion organizations, the CS Although the Sons are classed as mercenaries, and
receives the most combat experience. Squads are often are easy to hire out, they receive their primary income
sent to patrol the great outer forests of Cyon. through York and Angel service contracts. This does
Another branch of CS handles internal problems not account for their entire budget, and it's believed the
dealing with Genai. Rumors tell of a smuggling route company receives significant investment from unknown
under the city leading past the walls to the outside, third parties using the Sons as their proxy in Canam.
allowing free passage for those wishing to avoid the The objective of these third parties is shared by most
main gates. Then there is the matter of the temple, a others that hire out the Sons—destroy the world of echa
giant tower in the center of Genai and the great beast and return the planet back under control of man. While
supposedly living underneath it.
some cells are known to be lenient if not diplomatic in ing equipment. Players also receive a +1 point of posi-
their relations with fantasy, most are ruthless. tive relationship with Sierra Madre.
Benefit: A party signed under the Iron Sons re-
ceives a scrambler. It is a loan and cannot be sold. If NOMADS
the party breaks from the Iron Sons (or attempts to sell Strictly speaking, to be among this group is to be
the scrambler), Iron Son command will put out a con- classed as an itinerant rather than a nomad, but that
tract for the party’s elimination. Each player also re- doesn’t trip off the tongue nearly as well. This group
ceives +1 point of positive relationship with the Iron doesn’t follow a herd; they don’t migrate with the
Sons. passing seasons. They wander the world because of a
personal need to see it or because of a fear of discovery.
LOGOS LANCE They may have secrets or carry something of value
It is not uncommon to see Limshau custodians others covet. Of course, this need not be so
operating outside of city walls. Clad in black kawabari melodramatic. Techan nomads, those outcast or unable
armor instead of the city-white of most custodians, to enter bastions, migrate to keep within areas with a
members of this group are often sent out to either low ED value. Echan nomads may be outcast from
retrieve a previously lost tome of knowledge or their own society, bound to wander aimlessly without a
authenticate an important event. Although occasionally home. Either type may possess a stigma preventing
they travel alone, most join up with a group of their settlement. Despite being labeled as an
companions with similar goals. Circumstances have organization, this group is not affiliated with any
occurred where an entire party of Limshau citizens is establishment.
gathered together to venture into the open world. Not Benefit: Once per level, a player can declare a
all have to be custodians, though one of them usually is forced full heal-up without any negative campaign ef-
(or perhaps a librarian). The logos lance, as it is called, fects. Such an occurrence is unique and there must still
is tasked for a specific mission. It is often difficult, be situation for a party to lick their wounds.
involving a journey encompassing months or even years.
This lance is commissioned by a higher authority, up to OROBAS
and sometimes including the king himself. The Selkirk defense authority, unlike many other
Prerequisite: At least one member of a logos lance interdiction forces from bastions, doesn’t consider
must have a background connected to the kingdom of echans their enemy. Most Orobas missions entail
Limshau. escorting and protecting Fargon and Seliquam patrols
Benefit: Any party member with a background con- through the Selkirk controlled section of the Dianaso
nected to the kingdom of Limshau receives a +1 bonus pass. Orobas personnel are usually selected from the
to checks with that background: any party member mining population and trained separately. Orobas per-
without one gains a temporary "Logos Lance +1" back- sonal are especially well trained in squad actions.
ground while on a mission, which can be used for most Already used to working in groups, the operatives
knowledge and diplomatic checks related to that mis- quickly learn to offset each other’s weaknesses and
sion. The entire party recieves +1 point of positive rela- operate as a cohesive unit. They seldom display
tionship to Limshau, and are supplied with riding hors- internal personality conflicts and stay together, even
es when on a mission. when on vacation. Other missions include scouting and
recon outside the Dianaso pass, as well as interfacing
MINISTRY OF with the Train Guard to defend against encroachment
FOREIGN AFFAIRS from Xixion. A few groups are occasionally loaned to
Angel for a short time.
71
This group from Sierra Madre is more interested in
subversion and intelligence gathering than anything Prerequisite: Techan human from Selkirk.
else. Even though flaunting advances few other Benefit: Orobas personnal gain one additional ad-
bastions even dream of, Sierra Madre still lacks many venturer feat. Players also receive +1 point of positive
developments even bastions like York claim. This relationship with Selkirk.
comes from the lack of outside threats and from a naïve,
narrow-minded population. Groups sent out from the RETINUE
subterranean bastion often travel north to ‘acquire’ Willing or unwilling, this company are the cohorts of a
technology from others, especially York and Angel noble. The aristocrat may be a childhood friend or a
(Mann remains a hard target and most attempting entry stranger, arrogant and pretentious or kindly and down-
are killed upon discovery, and Selkirk is just plain hard to-earth. Regardless, you are assigned to this task,
to get to). The Ministry also tracks all movement above sworn to ensure the safety of the noble, even at the cost
the city, intercepting and dealing with forces marching of your life. The reasons for this undertaking can be
over their soil. varied. It may be part of some undisclosed diplomatic
Prerequisite: Techan human from Sierra Madre. mission to a foreign land or a quest the noble is insisting
Benefit: All players working for the MFA receive on performing personally. It may be the beginning or
the shielding modification for free to all pertinent start- the unfortunate end of a crusade. Rarely, the noble
 may be an outcast, the last living heir to a throne enemies they have underestimated. Mercenaries, hero-
claimed by a usurper, the noble’s allies being all that ic or selfish (or both), must keep constant vigilance on
stands in the way of a hangman’s noose. the acquisition of funds. Jewels, gold and rare items
Prerequisite: A party belonging to this organization fetch a high price in bastions and mercenaries need to
must have one member (a PC, companion character, or keep themselves funded and armed.
non-combatant NPC) who belongs to the nobility (i.e. Benefit: Each member of a mercenary group gains
has the Free House Citizen or Blood Royal background, one relationship point to spend towards one bastion
or equivalent). (and which must be spent the same way, positive or
Benefit: Each member of the party receives +1 posi- negative, by each party member), and one relationship
tive relationship die with the nation the retinue is sworn point which can be spend anywhere.
under. If this point is not applicable, the group may in-
stead gain a free caravan with riding horses. TRAIN GUARD
Impressive as the Redoubt at Last Hope is, it is a mere
SLAVER CARAVAN fence compared with Abidan’s Bulwark or the city walls
Citizens of Baruch Malkut found outside of its borders of Angel, and it cannot completely hold Xixion at bay –
are defectors, outcasts, or slavers, the last of which only there are far too many tunnels and lesser passes through
leave the country when on the hunt for chattel. They the mountains to block them all. The military order
present a cold demeanor, mated to a desire for profit at known as the Train Guard make regular patrols of the
the expense of the freedom of creatures they consider passes, exterminating any pugg bands and other
inferior. Regardless of the campaign they find predatory monsters that they come across. Though the
themselves in, slavers are seldom noble. They care order’s training regimen was designed and perfected by
about themselves and their next payoff. Trained the ravnorra lords of Fargon, only a fraction of the
swords are bound only by gold. Barring this, loyalty is Guard is made up of narros (and then, often
earned through family blood, a common occurrence commanders) – in fact, the largest demographic are
with slaver caravans. Fathers train their sons to carry kodiaks, who make up fully thirty percent of the force.
the tradition of racial superiority and malice that make Joining the Train Guard is considered a highly
the family name what it is. The only path of prestigious career for all the people of Seliquam, but the
redemption lies with those that escape the life, but for high mortality rate of the membership keeps their
those who are part of an active caravan, their morality numbers from growing too strong. Puggs may be no
has long since died. real threat in small groups, but they are hardly the only
Prerequisite: A party of active slavers cannot have dangers in the region.
any members of good alignment. A party using the car- The Train Guard is the only truly cosmopolitan
avan as cover to aid escapees cannot have any members military force in Canam, consisting of the finest warriors
of evil alignment. contributed by the disparate nations of the Seliquam
Benefit: The group receives a slaver caravan, con- Confederation. When not wiping out pugg incursions,
sisting of two sleeper carriages and one slaver carriage they often take exploratory and punitive expeditions
outfitted with fae iron bars (draught horses are includ- into Xixion itself; occasionally, a unit will travel farther
ed). Every party member receives a riding horse. The afield on orders from the Grand Council. Within the
party receives a +1 bonus to attack rolls against fae crea- Train Guard, it is not uncommon to see humans and
tures (if active slavers) or against agents of slave- narros fighting side-by-side with kodiaks, damaskans,
keeping nations (if aiding escapees). Players also re- chaparrans, or even tenenbri – the Guard will take
ceive either +1 point of positive or negative relationship anyone, so long as their blades are keen or their magic
72 with Baruch Malkut. This point must be used in the potent. The constant infighting that plagues the rest of
same way for each party member. Seliquam is totally absent from the Train Guard, a
comradeship forged in fire that is not hastily thrown
TECHAN MERCENARIES aside for any national loyalty. As the Guard’s actions
Some people prefer working alone. Though they directly benefit Selkirk, the bastion is only too happy to
receive no benefits from governments or corporations, trade disruption-immune equipment with them at a
they set their own clocks and answer to no higher substantial discount.
authority. They are on their own in the face of a wild Prerequisite: At least one party member from Seli-
landscape of wonders and monstrosities reserved quam, Selkirk or Fargon.
usually for bedtime tales. Some mercenaries work out Benefit: Guard members receive either a revolver or
of bastions, though many actually travel between them. a bolt rifle at no cost at 1st level, and receive +1 point of
Some consider themselves wandering souls, looking for positive relationship with all of Seliquam (this can coun-
a noble fight to join. Others seek only profit. ter negative points with specific factions within Seli-
Regardless of their motives, they have thrown their lot quam).
in with technology over magic. Alas, these groups often
fail early on, unable to replace their technology fast
enough when it disrupts or simply falling victim to
UNITED YORK SELF
And sometimes the adventurers just met. It does hap- DEFENSE FORCE (YSDF)
pen occasionally—weaving a story which includes the The largest techan standing army in Canam is the York
main characters encountering each other for the first Self Defense Force. They walk the streets and defend
time. For this, though a couple of them might possess a the outlining fields from impending invasion. They
shared history, it’s not significant enough to warrant an- break up drunken tavern brawls and lead assaults
other organization selection. Of course, a boring story against dragons. Some escort echans through the city
would involve the characters meeting up for no particu- and forcefully eject others for unnecessary magic use in
lar reason, and remaining together with no defined mo- violation of the strict limits the city places on its echan
tivation. Simply associating because people seem visitors. The most boring job is patrolling the defense
friendly may be enough of a reason in real life, but this installations between York and Mann, which have never
is an adventure, and those gathering to take on a quest sparked a conflict. On the other hand, the northern
must have some united cause—a reason to stay togeth- barracks often suffer attacks from dragons. The YSDF
er. It could be a piece of vital information, a powerful works alongside the robotic zeros, but the droids are
piece of magic or technology. This organization is not never allowed to depart the fields of Halyc surrounding
an organization at all, and only really falls into play if York.
the entire party is comprise of previously unrelated Prerequisite: Techan human from York.
backgrounds with little to no common ground. Their Benefit: Members of the YSDF receive +1 point of
association begins the day of the adventure and each positive relationship with York. When operating within
must now earn the trust of the others. York, each member gains +2 to diplomatic checks
Benefit: The group receives a macguffin, which can against York residents and techan visitors and +1 to dip-
be virtually anything—a major magical artifact, a piece lomatic or intimidation checks against echan visitors.
of technology well beyond their level of expertise, a
dangerous secret. One of the player characters might
even be the macguffin. If a party member is ever in a
position where their defeat would compromise the abil-
ity of the party to deliver the macguffin to wherever it

I
needs to go (at the GM's discretion), they can only die
by performing a sacrifice. Naturally, the GM should t was a week before Aiden could sneak out of his
never tell the players exactly when this is the case, in new house. He waited until everyone had settled.
order to maintain tension. Their house was cast in an early night as the sun
dropped behind the crown. Past 10:30 pm, Aiden
WATCHERS saw the crack of light peeking under the bottom of the
The city of Taskin-Kada is the home of a very unique bedroom door go dark. He heard his relatives conclude
society charged with counter-intelligence for the entire their evening bathroom rituals. The opposite bed was
nation of Abidan. Operations involve scouting in the empty; Martin was hanging with friends that weekend,
pagus-controlled land of Apocrypha as well as extensive drinking and forgetting his problems. Their guardians of-
surveillance of Baruch Malkut. Very often, a mixed fered him a wide berth. He would have taken it either
band of trained operatives will be sent on a long-term way. Aiden knew Martin was doubltful to return for sev-
mission vital to the security of the kingdom. Although eral hours, if at all, until morning.
Watchers may comprise the majority of this unit, this is The UTR station was a two-block walk. The few coins
in his pocket would get him to Genai. The navigation
not always exclusive. The team consists of intelligence
agents, military men, and operatives specialized in screens were easy. The ride was forty minutes in an emp- 73
ty car. Each time the train stopped, Aiden leaned out to
various scientific and magical fields. They can be
see if anyone was boarding. He tapped his feet uneasily,
tasked with espionage or sabotage, but Abidan has
waiting for the seconds to pass before the doors closed.
never officially sent the Watchers on assassination.
Just as Aiden's imagination had turned the train into a ser-
Watchers have a reputation for moving quickly
pent, it was now unwillingly generating various subway
without being noticed, escaping from any situation, and
denizens, none of them terribly friendly. The doors
trudging on while others fall to exhaustion. They
closed and shuffled Aiden to the next station, where he
cannot rely on support from the home country if a crisis had to change lines, forcing a five minute wait alone on
occurs. Should any member of the Watchers be caught the platform. His head twitched in the direction of every
or killed, Abidan will disavow any knowledge of their little snap or pop. Distant laughs from drunken teens fad-
actions. ed as they diverted down another street.
Prerequisite: From Abidan; at least one party mem- The next train contained a single passenger, an elderly
ber belongs to the Taskin-Kada Watchers. olive-skinned man that stared incessantly at Aiden. Aiden
Benefit: All party members gain a +1 bonus to skill looked up occasionally, wondering who would break the
checks requiring diplomacy or when sneaking or bluff- silence. Neither did. Aiden disembarked twenty minutes
ing. later.
He finally stopped at the concrete barricade that
 sealed Genai from the rest of the city. Every road had a were hidden in the shadow of the gutter. He was appre-
gate any card-carrying member of the city could cross. hensive about touching anything but fought through it to
Pedestrian walkways were seldom watched with turnstiles turn the nozzle on the lantern. The light grew bright and
installed to monitor traffic. Aiden wondered if the gates Aiden shifted his attention back to the book.
were meant to keep out or in. He dodged under the Humans suffer from the obsolete notion that they are
ratchet bar as there was no guard on hand to prevent the dominant species upon this world. Man's strength for
him. conquest comes only from population. He exists in num-
Genai bore no resemblance to any other district in the bers. Using numbers, by all rights, puggs deserve domin-
city. Unlike the rest of the city, organized and methodi- ion. The Earth requires penance from man for he com-
cally laid out, Genai was a model of chaos. Roads split in- mitted sins against the world that gave him birth.
to dead ends; walkways looped around onto themselves. Aiden didn’t notice the light form the lamp was grow-
Buildings were built with wood and concrete, topped with ing brighter. He was engrossed in the words, wondering
ceramic tiles or gardens. The temple, a pagoda atop a what puggs were, what sins the writer was referring to.
pyramid, stood at the center of the town, towering the The light began to drift slightly over Aiden’s head, illumi-
buildings around it. Aiden only caught it from the corner nating the gutter nicely. Aiden continued to read.
of his eye as he tracked the passing street signs. Nature offered man renewable resources, friendly
Aiden found the address. Huangxia Street was an alley denizens, and land uncontested by evil. He abolished this
branching from the towering monument. The lights bare- unwritten rule to care for the world. He committed un-
ly reached into the dark chasm Aiden had to venture into. forgivable sins against nature when he embraced the ma-
Bottom lip quivering, Aiden forced himself deeper down chine. Technology offered man growth beyond what he
the alley, waiting for his eyes to adjust. could accomplish by natural means. He turned his back
A hundred feet in, he found it. The store was three on life.
stories, probably an apartment complex at one point. A Aiden finished and then realized that the light on the
large set of unlocked wrought iron gates stood ajar and page had shifted from his right to his left. He twisted
portentous, like a patient basking shark. Behind them, tat- slowly to spot the flicking flame hovering in the air beside
tered wooden doors tapped in the breeze. Aiden re- his head. It had opened the lantern door, drifted gently
checked the address. From the outside it looked like ei- from its cage, and moved closer to offer better illumina-
ther the place had been robbed or abandoned years ago. tion.
The sign above rocking like a metronome was in the same Aiden screamed and spun around, pinning himself
Asian type Aiden had read inside the codex. At least the against the desk. The spark of flame jumped from its spot
number 23C was understandable. and fluttered around him. It was no dragon, but Aiden’s
Aiden realized that he hadn’t considered what he was growing anxiety of being so far from home made him
going to do next. He was half-way across town, past jumpy. He also didn’t like bugs, and this thing moved very
most adults’ bedtime, staring at a store that appeared to bug-like.
have been forsaken. Even if it wasn’t, it would still have It floated to the book and then tapped the page re-
been closed. He knew he wasn’t being rational. Part of peatedly. Aiden didn’t know how to respond, or even if
him was wishing he had stumbled on an elderly Asian man he should. It didn’t have legs or a head; it was just a lan-
with a crooked wooden cane, round glasses, and a white tern flame that had floated from its lantern. Aiden bent
fu-manchu beard running a 24-hour corner store stocked his head and leaned forward. It tapped the page again.
with a witch’s brew of spices, frozen food, and bottled so- “What?” Aiden asked.
da with a curtained-off backroom hiding wands, magic Tap. Tap.
powders, and tiny creatures that looked adorable but act- “You want me to read?”
ed as monsters if you angered them. Tap.
74 Aiden considered returning home. However, since
the door was open, there was no harm in taking a peek.
Aiden's heart started to temper. The light drifted up
over the book. Aiden stepped back to the desk. “If…
He saw only glimpses in the darkness as he peaked past you…insist.”
the threshold. A few shelves sat in silhouette. Cheap ta- He was about to look back down, then it occurred to
bles and bamboo chairs lined one-half of the store. A dim him that a flame with no fuel source was floating in the air
lantern with a faint glow hung over an oak desk sitting at in front of him. “You can’t be real,” Aiden whispered. It
the other end. A few books waited open for a reader. bobbed in the air, floating on an invisible ocean. Aiden
Aiden willed himself through the iron jaw and past the didn’t know if that was an answer. “You shouldn’t…
tapping doors. exist.”
He squeaked a “hello” to announce himself but only "Its life has no meaning unless it can light the way for
managed a whisper. He snuck across the room and ap- others," spoke the tall figure approaching from the shad-
proached the oak desk. The immense open tome before ow. Aiden jumped upon hearing him. "If only all things
him had broken its spine at the gutter like it sat at this had such simple ambitions."
page for a hundred years. The cover had the finish of The man wasn’t a dumpy figure with almond eyes and
marble and as Aiden scrapped his finger across the tail, he shriveled skin. This stranger towered over Aiden by sev-
realized it was. He removed his glasses from his coat and eral feet. His eyes were a radiant blue, skin darker than
tried to read. the room. He had fuzzy grey hair with matching whiskers
Aiden could make out most of the words though a few under his chin, thin with a granite physique.
 Aiden backed away from the desk into the shelf behind ow of a smirk. Aiden was not smiling. Desperation had
him, jostling the heavy books resting upon it. The youth set in.
glanced back and noticed a hefty volume toppling over. It "I don't understand."
had a cover of obsidian, parading gold bosses of the gaping "Should you?"
maws of dragons. Their front claws reached across the "Was it Zmey?"
outer edge to the single oversized clasp keeping the book "Zmey?" Chen pondered the sudden question. Aiden
closed. Aiden righted it quickly—with considerable could see the man rifling through old thoughts. "Zmey is
strain—and turned back to the man. a myth, based on several stories. What attacked you…
"I'm sorry," Aiden started, "I was just--" was a death dragon."
"Quite all right, Mr. Camus," he answered. The spark "I couldn't find the other one in my book."
orbited the two of them. "It likes you." His voice was "Book?"
deep and rough, with a heartening charisma in the way he "Codex Dracontis--"
addressed the child. Aiden couldn’t place the accent but "Oh yes. I remember that one. There are better re-
he had no problems understanding him. The man stopped sources."
opposite of the desk and looked down to the book. "The "That show the other dragon? The one with gold and
memoirs of Renar Alkanost, laudenian council leader, blue scales, blue eyes, white whiskers and white talons. A
written 300 years ago." Aiden offered only a blink. long snake body. Four arms, four talons."
"Though personally I think the fae is arrogant in his opin- Chen circled around the desk, rolling his fingers across
ion. Most laudenians are like that." the spines on the shelf behind Aiden. "You know, they
"I just wanted to look..." Aiden trailed off. "You know say spotting a Yok-ani is a good omen. Seeing two por-
my name--" tends a blessed life." Chen found the book in question
"I knew your mother. I sold her the books. She and pulled it out. It was almost as large as the one already
talked about you at length. Sorry about..." he paused to on the desk, but with no cover art. There was only a sin-
choose an appropriate word, "everything." gle large Asian-sinitic letter and the English words under-
"Who are…" Aiden's voice faded and he mouthed the neath Myths of the Kuraukou-Puru.
last word formed. "Yok-ani? Are they good?" Aiden asked.
"I’m a collector. You may call me David…or Chen." "Some people certainly think so," Chen responded as
"You collect books, Davidorchen?" he placed the book gently on the table. He respectfully
"I share them," Chen corrected. He opened his palm slid the other to the side. "What do you think?" He un-
and the spark flew obediently to it. A whisper from his clasped the latches at either end of the new book.
lips and it leapt from his hand. It bounced and fluttering "I think it was good."
across the room, igniting every candle and lamp. "You sure it had four talons?"
Aiden’s eyes followed the spark as it made its journey. "Yes."
Aiden’s mouth fell open as he took sight of the forty rows "Good eye for detail, considering. They grow more as
of books that encircled the chamber, every wall, floor to they age. Three to four to five." He opened the book.
ceiling. Each volume looked as old as the book on the The heavy-stock pages were rough on the leaf, a hemp-
desk, like the books Aiden owned. They were magnifi- pulp hybrid. The letters were pounded heavily into the
cent. The only break in the books came from a glass stock. "This one talks of them. They are quiet, reserved,
showcase of old weapons modern man never used. They renowned for wisdom, and worshipped for the humility of
were obsolete devices and implements from a time Aiden their power. Under their guidance, lands see no war, fam-
delighted to remember. They gleamed with polish as if ine, or grief. At least that's the claim. Reality, well…I
forged and shaved into shape yesterday--broadswords, guess they try their best." Aiden broke from the book to
throwing axes, and a single longbow shaped from black look at Chen. "Read it," Chen added. "Stay if you wish."
wood. The flame finally returned to its home and closed
the door behind it.
"My brother will kill me if he finds out."
"Yes, I imagine he will."
75
"How did you..." Aiden started. Aiden smiled and reassured himself. He thought of
"I asked it to." Martin's shoulder punches and whatever punishment his
"But it's not alive." new guardians would inflict if he got caught. "I'll stay," he
"First rule of Attricana: Anything you can think said.
of...thinks for itself." "I'll make tea," said Chen as he walked to his kitchen.
Aiden gathered his thoughts. "Attricana?” "Uhh, Mister?" Aiden still wasn’t ready to call him by
Chen approached a window and opened the shutters name. "How much is true? Dragons? Elves?"
to the moonlight. He pointed to the bright star brushing Chen looked back at the young boy. A quiver of a
the crescent. smile crept on his face. "All of it."
“By way that everything that can’t happen, does.”
“Can’t happen…Dragons," Aiden said.
"Quite right. Hard to miss when they appear as they
did."
"They aren't real," Aiden forced himself to say,
“Can’t.”
"So says the normal world," Chen replied with a shad-
E
arth remains a crowded place. Millions of humans
survived the holocaust they may or may not have brought
on themselves. Added to that is the flood of peoples only
previously believed to exist in fiction, with their own
cultures matching closely to those portrayed in human mythology. In
those ancient tales, the interlopers went by many names. To this day,
humans still often refer to them by these labels, sometimes thought of
as endearing, other times taken as insult.
How these peoples respond to them is based strictly upon the
individual. Some take it a compliment being likened to noble and
whimsical creatures of legend. Others despise the comparison. None
of them ever match the mold precisely. Some may look the part, but
their personalities may differ radically. Some exhibit traits from a
variety of different legends while others are wholly unique without a
mirror in mythology. There are also creatures birthed from
enchantment which are new to this era, possessing no history from the
previous age.
The following races (or more properly, species) are broken up into
three categories:
Fae: These are naturally born from magic, with no original
primordial form to track evolution back to. They began as the
original fae, but have been continuously slaves to magic’s whim.
As time progresses, they continually “devolve” into more tribal,
animalistic forms. It is believed the initial fae have long since
vanished. Fae peoples include descendant species like
damaskans, laudenians, and narros. Although some claim they
no longer fit into the category, the tilen can also be found here.
In truth, there are dozens of fae species and only a few of the
oldest fae actually know them all. Other variations are dealt
with later as monsters.
Evolved: Humanity stands as the only example of an evolved
race (at least on Earth) that has achieved intelligence without
the assistance of magic.
Spawn: Spawn are those that were once normal evolved
creatures that have succumbed to magic’s influence and have
been altered and enhanced. For the purposes of this chapter,
spawn races listed here are those that have been pushed by
enchantment into a form that possess enough intelligence to
form a community. All non-natural creatures on Earth which are
not fae or human are spawn. In Canam, only the kodiaks have
advanced to the point of developing a culture.

THE LINE OF FAE

No one is certain how the fae appeared. Some insist they birthed
from trees while others claimed the sky. Others profess neither,
pointing to the soil as the source. Only dragons knew for certain and
they regard such things as trivial, not worthy of remembrance.
Considering the oldest fae maintain a connection with nature, the
exact specifics of their origin seemed inconsequential (though never
state that to a laudenian or a chaparran). The word “fae” is another
controversial debate. While the etymology points to a simple
“touched by magic” description, it shares its root with “faerie.”
Echalogical influence appears in numerous cultures, connecting
threads from various human legends and myths to the time of Terros.
The fae would later influence mythologies previously thought
unconnected. Though damaskans, laudenians, and chaparrans would
fall under a wide range of Germanic elf legends, other distant cousins
would appear in Greek or Egyptian lore, with no apparent connection
 between these influences. Even obscure concepts of
Attricana found its way into Chinese and Japanese
RELATIONS
myths. Most fae are aware how they were represented AND TRADITIONS
in human literature. Oddly enough, the traditional Despite some common ground, there exist major
prejudices of fantasy tend to match the new reality as cultural differences between human and fae nations.
well. The more dominant fae look down on their lesser When the first fae encountered humans, they assumed
brethren, thinking of them only as outcasts— that by understanding one group of men, they could
uncivilized and primitive offshoots prone to violence. comprehend the entire species, as there is little if any
Few survived the exodus, but magic kept its persistence cultural deviation between fae of the same type.
and they reappeared soon after in the modern age, as if Disastrous initial encounters between fledging fae
their introduction could not be stopped. and human communities in southern Canam soured
As fae continued to grow and develop, a rising relations for decades. Early chaparran encounters with
concern emerged as the newer species appeared less mankind were so dire, it curdled the entire race’s
developed and intelligent then their ancestors. Though opinion of the ‘monkey-folk,’ a conflict that largely
some claim a higher status, there is no denying the persists to this day; as the details of the incident are lost
recent branch species exhibit a primitive mentality, to human history, it seems unlikely ever to be resolved.
preferring to pillage and devour rather than develop and Laudenians also share a resentful opinion of man after
civilize. Fae wonder if they are doomed to devolve into an unfortunate incident with the miners of Selkirk, the
mindless animals while man continues to grow and only bastion without an intrinsically adversarial
expand. The fae take pride in their rich culture and a relationship to the fantasy world. Selkirk had already
growing fear has taken root that it may all bleed away in benefitted from a successful first encounter with the
time. narros years earlier. Though the miners were not
Then there are the pagus, appearing with the immoral or wicked in any way, and tried their best to
Ixindar migration when the black sun passed over the impress the elder elves, the humans’ brash and
world and settled in its new home in the previous age. unkempt nature fell afoul of the decorous and conceited
Pagus break most of the rules associated with fae. They attitude of the laudenians. They judged the whole of
are the oldest species without a deviation branch of the human race upon that single meeting as offensive
their own. After Mengus created them, they never and unpleasant, and isolated as they are, the majority
changed, as if Attricana stopped talking to them. has had little reason to change that opinion.
In the present, the descendants of the original fae In Southam, where humans were a minority, their
continue their traditions and beliefs with hardly a bitter opinions of the fae came from constant conflict.
hiccup from the old time. Tenenbri dig, laudenians fly, With the exception of the narros, most fae in Southam
narros protect, and damaskans remember. Meanwhile, think of mankind as little different from an animal, to
their new ape-evolved neighbors continue to expand. be hunted or domesticated like any other. Thankfully,
other encounters in the north were not nearly as soiled.
Body weight is shockingly low for the apparent mass
Damaskans and narros discovered kindness and loyalty
of the body…
among the humans in their first encounters. They also
An attempted biopsy of marrow from the scapula
found the bone hollow. Interesting. Almost like a found to their initial shock that human traditions
flying mammal. Will attempt another location. change with each nation and that time and distance
Other cavities located within the sternum and ribs. I encourage greater deviations. After only a few decades,
know why birds have hollow bones , but how does a two separate human societies populated with identical
humanoid survive with a fragile…oddly enough the humans would create distinct traditions and even new
78 bone structure itself feel very rigid, stronger than
expected, though still flexible.
languages. Unlike the chaparrans, laudenians, and
tenenbri, inconsiderate and inflexible in their traditions
Bone mineral density test inconclusive, as it does not and their acceptance of other customs, damaskans and
match with other findings. gimfen grew to tolerate and even welcome cultural
Finger bones also hollow but ulna and radius are solid. diversity.
Final results: This fae’s skeleton accounts for 8-10% of Thankfully, echalogical influence preserved many of
its total body mass, this is in comparison to an average the social customs from the ancient past, allowing a
human, where it is closer to 20%. In conclusion, this
means this chaparran’s skeleton is built more like a
certain common ground in basic relations even when
bird’s than a human’s. there is no other common language. Though each
nation has their own cultural standards, there has never
<Audio recording> been a major diplomatic incident between nations over
Autopsy on unidentified chaparran (excerpt), Angel traditional practices. Hand shaking is understood,
July 15th, 227 A.E. though damaskans abhor unnecessary physical contact
with strangers despite having no concept of personal
space, and gimfen wipe sweat from their face before
shaking hands. Waving one hand to another is a
greeting to many human cultures, and in fae nations,
though gimfen hate any hand gesture where the palm is
exposed to them. The many variations of saluting and find both methods an inadequate expression of
bowing are understood and even practiced by several appreciation, and instead throw money. Showing only
fae peoples. Narros salute by touching the first knuckle the middle finger is a human insult with no equivalent
of a clenched fist to the middle of their brow. Since in any fae culture: however, one of the most bizarre
damaskans don’t officially recognize royalty (regarding misunderstandings involving hand gestures is the corna,
‘king’ as a mere job description) or religion, the concept or “horn” sign. This involves extending the two outer
of bending knee or prostrating before a lord or faith is fingers from an otherwise closed fist. Though initially
unknown to them, causing accusations of disrespect. considered an insult and a symbol of the devil in many
Meanwhile, gimfen kowtow to virtually anybody, human cultures, it is well known throughout most fae
including their own tools (considering how close their nations as a sign of greeting, often used by fae to display
heads are to the ground, this is hardly an impedance or racial pride. It is welcomed from humans, interpreted
strain on their backs). Chaparrans will kneel but never to saying “I respect you and your species.” However,
bow. the thumb must be kept closed for this salutation, as
Standards of politeness and decorum are also very extending it out the side indicates a request for
different from group to group. Tenenbri curse and intercourse. Since this discovery, some humans have
swear loudly during the course of their daily affairs, created a variation, where placing the gesture
while laudenians are encouraged to speak unknowingly behind a human’s head insults him or her
diplomatically even in private. While damaskans are as a “fae lover,” a slur in some communities.
very reserved and frown on direct contact in public
even between intimates, chaparrans and tenenbri are
generally very exuberant and openly affectionate:
chaparrans tend to limit their expressions to hand
kissing and the brushing of noses and cheeks, but
tenenbri think nothing of open public snogging. The
basic kiss, thankfully, rarely changes and is still a sign of
affection with both human and fae nations.
Laudenians never wear undergarments and usually
keep to single layers, especially at home, regardless of
company entertained; narros like to flaunt their self-
mastery by wearing silk in the bitterest cold and layers
of wool in the fiercest heat.
These traditions, though many and varied, are not
considered serious faux pas when violated: most human
and fae cultures are aware that other cultures are varied
and intricate and will not greatly begrudge another for
not understanding every nuance of their own (except
laudenians, who take politeness very seriously and
consider that it is an outsider’s responsibility to fit in,
rather than theirs to make a guest feel welcome).
However, there are many more serious tripping
hazards. Holding one’s hands up, palms open, is
considered a sign of submission or greeting in many
human cultures, and is repeated with both damaskans
and laudenians. However, the narros take it as an
79
insult, insinuating that one is “raising a wall” in
defiance to the other. Other misunderstandings include
the use of connecting the forefinger and thumb to form
an “O” or the crossing of the index and middle fingers,
both considered sexual insults with chaparrans and
laudenians, though each sign insinuates opposite slurs
between their cultures. To the tenenbri, all silent hand
signals are considered rude, akin to talking about
someone behind their back; even the most basic manual
communication is frowned upon unless joined by a
verbal accompaniment. On the other hand, laudenians
despise noise and relish silence, thus screaming in joy is
considered unforgivably coarse, regardless of the
situation. Applause is welcomed among the tenenbri,
accompanied by roars and foot pounding, while the
laudenians show praise with simple bowing. Gimfen
 These are a few examples of the many cultural compatible and physically similar in basic ways, for all
confusions that have arisen when fae mingle with that they are commonly considered separate species.
humans. In places with extensive contact between cul- They are usually bipeds with ten fingers and ten toes,
tures, boundaries tend to erode, although the fae nature stereoscopic vision and hearing, no unusual organs
is such that usually humans adopt fae practices rather (though they lack certain vestigial ones, and those they
than the other way around, though extended contact have often work in unusual ways) and sexual
will wear away even the most hidebound fae’s re- reproduction. Human scientists, even after a few
sistance to change. In Limshau, for instance, centuries of examination, have always failed to
damaskans have adopted the practice of slapping the determine how fae resemble evolved apes to such an
raised hand of another in celebration despite their gen- extent. Although it has been commonly agreed upon
eral taboo on physical contact; this tendency has been that alien life would evolve naturally along similar lines,
exhibited by no other fae as far as anyone knows. the parallels between fae and man are too numerous to
Most humans find the honesty of fae alarming. be considered a coincidence.
Damaskans display the tendency most, but all fae find Those believing in a creation by a divine hand take
the concept of untruth somewhat baffling (even the the numerous similarities in enchanted species of fae
gimfen, whose fast-and-loose attitude toward fact is and the evolved species of man prove the existence of
explained as being ‘poetically true’). Though they God, a philosophy known as Corpus Continuity. The
might not answer a question directly or volunteer a humanoid form, consisting of binocular vision, binaural
secret willingly, they rarely lie directly (not that they hearing, base ten appendages, erect stature, and
are incapable, but it requires conscious effort; the clos- mammalian physiology match the fae species exactly, a
est thing the fae have to the concept of a pathological species not evolved from primitive animals but formed
liar is called aeshomu, or ‘mockingbird’ – one who uses from magic itself. With the exception of the pointed
half-truths to mislead). The sometimes brutal ears and the variations of fae species when they adapt to
application of this belief has ruffled more than a few their environment, there still remain remarkable
feathers, especially among the noble human houses. similarities scientists cannot explain. Because fae arose
This, accompanied by the fae’s tolerance for alternate first, many believers in Corpus Continuity also
lifestyles and practices among their own people has subscribe to Echalogical Influence. Those of faith on
made them unpopular with fanatical human religious both sides believe in the idea that God liked the
movements. Many fae have been declared corrupt and humanoid form but tried different ways to succeed at it.
wicked by church leaders. Some fae are guilty of this as Scientists refuse to acknowledge this and believe a
well, considering mankind barbaric and primitive, genetic reason exists for the similarity. To them
regardless if he uses magic or technology. Some fae echalogical influence may be the reason itself--the
have accused man of being inferior, both in breeding previous age influencing evolutionary paths to make
and in brains. Humans have countered with similar humans resemble their long dead progenitors.
accusations, adding that fae are tools of the devil, an Another popular theory claims it to be a coincidence;
image personified in the zealous ramblings of King base ten appendages, binocular vision and stereoscopic
Darius of Baruch Malkut and his disciples. hearing simply makes sense and that all intelligent life
And yet, many fae nations maintain a positive will eventually move towards that end. Others cling to
relationship with humans in spite of the massive the prevalent theory that the fantasy world doesn’t exist
casualties the fae suffered at the hands of humans in at all, only emerging because of man’s desire for it to
the first century and their capture and enslavement by exist: thus, man dictates the physique of fae, rather than
raiders and evil nations, a practice as prevalent now as it the other way around.
80 was when it began 350 years ago. With the fae’s long
life and even longer history, the intricacies of their
Fae all share several common qualities. They are
peaceful within their own species (i.e., laudenians never
culture are so extensive that the rare humans who marry fight laudenians). They are also monogamous and loyal
a fae can take the entirety of their extended lives to their mates; divorce is virtually non-existent, and
learning the details and still be surprised at the end. though remarriage upon the death of a spouse is not
unheard of, neither is it common. When single, they
FAE DESCENDANTS are also known to be somewhat promiscuous. Even the
laudenians, with their strict heritage and tradition, do
After dragons, the first species born on Earth were the not consider sex for pleasure either sinful or immoral
fae. No one remembers what they originally looked between consenting non-bonded adults. Although they
like or how many there were, for the original fae denounce the use of sex slaves by human masters, fae
vanished hundreds of thousands of years before the do not prohibit pre-bonded (pre-marital) sex.
First Hammer struck (though they must have had Prostitution is rare given their sexual freedom, but it
pointed ears and sharp features, as these dominant has been known to occur. There are virtually no crimes
features still survive in all their descendants). Their dealing with vices in fae cultures: as they are immune to
susceptibility to magic altered their original form and the ravages of addiction, most things humans would
they broke off into dozens of smaller offshoots consider vices simply are not harmful to them either
relatively quickly. These offshoots remain genetically personally or culturally. Additionally, they do not
consider homosexuality a sin and bonded same sex RACE STR CON DEX INT WIS CHA ANY
couples occur openly in all fae communities. Some Chaparran +2 +2
observers claim fae are all pansexual, though this is not Damaska +2 +2
entirely the case: most exhibit distinct preferences, but Gimfen +2 +2
often these preferences are based on previous exposure Human +2
rather than biological imperative. Some human nations Kodiak +2 +2
frown on these freedoms and expressions, especially Laudenian +2 +2
within those nations that use religion as a device of fear Narros +2 +2
to keep the population in line (a tendency not exhibited Pagus +2 +2
in any fae nation). Tenenbri +2 +2
These non-strictures apply when the fae cultures are
Tilen +2 +2
allowed to govern themselves. In some locations,
where fae are not in places of authority, they abide by
the rules of the nation they inhabit, usually without
complaint. As a rule, all fae abhor social conflict and FAE RACIAL TRAITS
will do anything they can to prevent it, though the There are several features applying to all of the fae de-
extremes they will go to vary from type to type: scendants:
laudenians and chaparrans will generally remove
themselves (or the offender) from the equation,
damaskans and narros will attempt to mediate, the
UNIVERSAL FAE RACIAL
boisterous tenenbri will turn the conflict into a formal TRAITS
debate with clear parameters for victory, and the Echan: All fae (except pagus) are tied to chaotic
accommodating gimfen will quite happily concede energies of the white gate of Attricana. You disrupt
anything to an intractable enough opponent and find technology on you and around you. You have a
some way of making up lost ground later. saturation value of 20 which can never drop below this
value unless your soul switches from Attricana to the
Studying sample 345B negative energies of Ixindar (see Corruption).
Subject: Larena Senarius, Damaskan (Volunteer)
Immunities: You are immune to all natural disease,
Analyzing sample discovered a standard long polymer of and cannot be a carrier of such ailments. You are unaf-
nucleotides in a double helix configuration. Initial investiga- fected by all genetic diseases and disorders, but not
tion found the helix to be super coiled. Twenty-three pairs mutated genes from radiation or enchanted viruses.
of chromosomes were identified. However, chemical im- Furthermore, you are unaffected by natural psychologi-
perfections have been located along several pairs. A few cal or behavioral ailments such as addiction or schizo-
nucleotides are missing in key areas for life to sustain itself. phrenia, though concerted attacks on your sanity may
Defects have been detected on the adenine, thymine,
still affect you. Enchanted diseases and conditions can
and cytosine. Five copying errors have been located, leading
evidence towards extensive somatic mutations of a severe still affect you, as can natural diseases that have been
variety. At least two chromosome inversions appear along imbued with magic, although you gain a +1 bonus to all
the strand. Many of these mutations seem of a dominant defenses against such attacks.
phenotype. These anomalies cover the spectrum of pat- Light Sleeper: Unlike humans, fae require little
terned genetic diseases, some being autosomal dominant, sleep and they jostle awake with surprising ease. You
while another is autosomal recessive, and yet another will can sleep comfortably in any position and maintain bal-
be mitochondrial.
ance while doing so. You require only four hours of
Thinking logically towards this, the patient should be
affected by sickle cell anemia, hypophosphatemia, and leber’s sleep every 24 hours, which may be non-consecutive.
Like all living creatures, you require REM sleep, but
81
hereditary optic neuropathy. I also personally identified two
other defects connecting to hemophilia and spinal muscular this only requires four hours of consecutive, comforta-
atrophy. This subject should be dead. I have confirmed that ble sleep every three days. If you are not allowed com-
EDF had no part in corrupting this data. fortable sleep in order to reach a REM state, sleep dep-
I am in no way experienced with this level of genetic rivation will eventually set in. You can sleep in heavy
abnormality. By all accounts, the patient should not be able armor for three days before fatigue sets in. You only
to walk, talk, or even breathe, let alone hunt and have a
family. I will thank the volunteer for her services and for- suffer a -3 penalty to all Perception skill rolls while
ward my data to the Tilthe. Personally, I find this break- asleep.
down of scientific reasoning disturbing and hope that my Fae-Iron: A specific ratio of lead and iron is ex-
data is flawed. tremely toxic to all fae. It is a forbidden substance, out-
lawed in most civilized communities. You have vulner-
Walter Krause ability fae-iron.
Porto Medical Journal, smuggled to York
January 2, 495 A.E.
 CHAPARRANS of these written - where other fae take pride in their
books and scrolls, chaparrans seldom write anything
The huntress sat perfectly still in the canopy above as the
down. Chaparrans believe most other fae have
prey blundered carelessly along the forest path. Though
forgotten their origins. They believe that the original
they bore no signs of their allegiance, she recognized their
fae were birthed from the forests and should always
bearing: slavers, almost certainly from the despoiler nation
to the east, invading her forest in search of chattel. The remain tied to them. The chaparrans live almost
more fools they. The huntress stood silently, balancing exclusively among the woods, growing towers, temples,
effortlessly on the thin branch, and fitted an arrow to her and whole communities from the soil and roots. Their
bow. mere presence encourages vegetation, and the tallest,
The first human died with the arrow in his throat. His thickest trees in the world grow where chaparrans live.
companions turned sharply at his last gurgling scream, and The actions of the past are simply covered up. Rings of
then looked up at the ominous shadow perched among wood grow over old wounds, protecting damage. As long as
the leaves. the wood grows, all is good. The trees spoke of terrible
“Ambush!” the leader yelled, drawing a crossbow. sins of man committed upon nature, the raping of the earth
“Get—” his words were cut off as he suddenly felt the to construct false idols. But man refuses to hear the song of
pressure of a knife at his throat. He could have sworn the the wood, even now. Man ambles unaware. When they
elf hadn’t moved, and yet somehow she had fallen from walk into the forest, they fear. They fear the unknown.
the trees and crossed the clearing in the blink of an eye. They fear resentment and retaliation. They walk oblivious
to the truth.
“Who’s next?” whispered the chaparran as she melted Nature forgave man.
back into the trees, leaving the slaver captain bleeding out Like a mother forgiving all the sins of the son, nature
onto the mossy ground. absolved man of his past transgressions. The Hammer was
_______________________________________________ an act of God, not of nature. They seldom got along any-
way. The mother created life. God gave them ambition.
Average Height: 5’8” – 6’3” God punished them. Nature simply gave life another
Average Weight: 80-120 lbs. chance, forcing the planet to erase and try again. Man
should consider himself blessed. If they embrace the ways
Average Starting Age: 100 years
of nature, following us into the wood, speaking the ageless
Estimated Life Expectancy: 3,000 years tongue, we would – as would the tress – welcome them into
Bonus Language: Chaparra open arms…and they shall never fear again.
Ambition. It should be a sin.
+2 Wisdom or +2 Strength Sylvanakassus
356 A.E., from a speech
LISTEN TO THE WIND
Your perceptions are so keen you could use an enemy's Most communities are small. With such an obscure
breathing in the dark to aim your shots. When wielding people, accurate numbers are impossible to come by.
a shortbow or longbow, you may use Wisdom as your Estimates range from 80,000 to 800,000 chaparrans
primary ability for all attack and damage rolls. across the world (even the most optimistic guess falls
just shy of a million), scattered among a thousand
forests of varying size. Chaparrans mostly keep to
WEALD WALK (RACIAL POWER) themselves, refusing to become involved in the affairs
Once per battle, if there is a tree nearby, you can tele-
of outsiders. One could walk through a chaparran forest
port beside any other tree you can see. The trees must
without ever knowing of their presence. Unless
be rooted in the Earth.
threatening fae or tree, trespassers often cross without
82 Champion Feat: You gain three uses per battle of
weald walk.
worry or encounter: more nefarious individuals vanish
after entering. They defend the forests when necessary
with their inestimable archery skills. Their bows and
arrows grow naturally from wood, a result of their
This power can be supernatural, or symbiosis with the trees around them.
not - up to you. I personally prefer Their outward emotional displays are reflected
to think of it as 'slipping into the mostly in their music and dance. They pound beats
shadows and running really fast to a into fallen logs with amazing speed and augment those
new location'. sounds with kinetic syllables of phrases strung so fast as
to make the words meaningless. Chaparrans’ passion
Hiding in the deep woods across the world, the for dance knows no equal. A chaparran’s heartbeat will
chaparran fae have evolved concealment to an art form. increase to virtually that of a hummingbird in the grip of
Where the laudenians are merely disdainful of those a dance. Bodies move almost violently, with fists
unlike themselves, chaparrans are downright pounding and legs striking, only their absolute
xenophobic and hostile to outsiders. Their kind date discipline preventing injury to others. Watching a
back further than anyone can recall, including chaparran dance charges the soul and pumps the heart.
themselves, for they keep few records, and almost none Every move denotes a meaning others seldom
understand. To outsiders, the dance looks chaotic with
83
 thrashing appendages and whirling bodies without care brown is most common, but any brunette shade is possi-
for people or objects around. Those involved in the ble), though a few have black or even red hair. This is
dance hardly open their eyes, confounding outsiders as curly more often than not, and generally worn short or
to how the dancers don’t crash into each other. All in tight dreadlocks to avoid catching on branches. All
chaparrans know this dance and practice it daily. The their joints are capable of hypermobility, and a chapar-
art connects to a form of martial art called Manora ran’s big toes, while not fully opposable, are significant-
Chaparra, believed to purge the darkness from their ly more dexterous and strong than normal, enabling
souls, allowing them to fight with clean spirits. This them to grasp branches equally well with feet and
form developed after the First War. The majority of the hands and giving them improved balance in the tree
pagus created on the night of migration came from canopy; a chaparran archer hanging upside down from a
chaparrans and the fae left behind swore an oath to branch to set up a shot is a truly fearsome sight. They
eliminate their cursed brothers from the world. Their often wear furs and pelts, adding to their girth, but
obsession continues to this day. exposing a great deal of skin to maintain agility. They
The chaparrans believe the fae are not devolving hate adorning themselves with gems or shiny rocks and
but becoming one with nature. Their descendant seldom wear metal of any kind.
offshoots are not necessarily violent, but more Playing a Chaparran: Chaparrans are the best species
xenophobic, becoming increasingly skittish of outsiders. to play because they are the most like the traditional
They also grow more connected with nature, even to elves of legend. They have the oldest history and the
the point of exhibiting animal physical traits. most exotic beliefs. They are proud and powerful and
Chaparrans respect their descendants and scold the are the envy of many others. To play a chaparran is to
laudenians for hanging onto what they call a “bankrupt wholly embrace the fantasy world and all of its
obsession.” possibilities.
When chaparrans die, tradition decrees that the Chaparrans seldom seek adventure outside their
body must be dropped into a grave without a coffin. forests. Of all fae peoples, they and the tenenbri are
After prayers are finished and before dirt pushed over, a the least encountered outside of their regions. Since
single acorn is placed in the mouth. This seed always only a laudenian-chaparran crossbreed can result in
grows, despite surrounding competition and available chaparran offspring, few outcasts can be identified as
water. These trees grow taller and wider that any such. Only in extremely rare cases do chaparrans brave
grown from nature and many claim the great temples of the outside world. Only the young and curious disobey
Jibaro and Libanus emerged from fallen chaparran their culture and heritage to embark on such a voyage.
priests. This tradition extends to wandering chaparrans A player creating a chaparran should be aware of
as well, and travelers across the world always know their propensity of solitude. Though some will
where one is buried by the massive tree dwarfing all obviously forge and protect friendships with outsiders,
those around. Such lone sentinels have appeared in they still prefer fae to humans and seldom invest time
deserts, atop great peaks, and even in caves, declaring or emotion in relationships with the latter. Chaparrans
to all those who see it that a chaparran rests there. rarely bond with non-chaparrans and less so with
They contend that their souls will move from wood to humans.
flesh every generation. Killing one simply moves their Chaparrans avoid heavy armor and favor wooden
soul to a tree for its lifetime. After an era, the soul weapons over metal; if metal is unavoidable, the weap-
returns to flesh. on will be crafted with a wooden grip. For most, the
Physical Description: Chaparrans are only slightly bow is the weapon of choice, followed by the spear,
taller than damaskans, on par with the average human, fighting knives, or even the scythe; while chaparrans
84 but give the illusion of much greater size due to their will use swords, they prefer makana (a wooden club
increased muscle mass and physical stamina. Of all the inset with sharp protrusions of stone or metal).
fae descendants, the chaparrans have the greatest Many assume chaparrans are utterly wild in
spectrum of skin tones, from light tan to ebony black. demeanor and decorum. In truth, they are quite
Their ears are short and flush with their heads, making civilized and maintain good grooming and health.
them almost indistinguishable from humans at a Unlike other fae, known for being austere, chaparrans
distance. A chaparran’s eyes usually are of green and wear their emotions on their sleeves…if they actually
bluish hues and they will often pierce their ears in had sleeves. Everyone knows immediately when a
several areas and color their bodies with tattoos, chaparran is upset. Thankfully, this openness spreads
especially around the face, shoulders, and back. Fae in to more upbeat emotions as well. Chaparrans enjoy the
general remain youthful in appearance throughout their outdoors and need to see the sun to orientate
long lives, but this tendency is the least pronounced themselves. Without this, they often grow confused
among the chaparrans due to their constant exposure to about the time of day, sleeping at odd hours for random
the elements. While chaparrans spend most of their lengths. Chaparrans also have the dual disadvantage of
lives with an apparent age ranging from a human young being both agoraphobic and claustrophobic: they are
adult to a healthy adult in their late 30s, those past their intensely uncomfortable outside of a forest, edgy almost
second millennium more often resemble a human in to the point of uselessness in a dungeon or town, but
their sixties. Most chaparrans have brown hair (dark virtually unstoppable in their forest homes.
 Chaparrans are also highly religious and commonly by their given titles unless they are true intimates, most
profess a faith in Berufu, the fae mother god who gave simply ask that outsiders refer to them as “Krysid”
life to their ancestors. Nearly all chaparrans openly pray which means “Fae-Born” in their language (it was more
to the woods every morning, noon, and night, thanking than a century after mankind’s initial contact with
her for their life. chaparrans before the humans figured out why they all
A chaparran player character is one who wishes to had the same name). With proven comrades, the chap-
see what lies beyond the trees of home. They may still arran may permit a human to address them by an adopt-
be skittish of strangers but brave enough to take ed title which describes their accomplishments or role
chances where others would run away. Chaparrans have in society. Under no circumstances will any human,
a flight instinct and will bolt instead of standing ground even the closest of friends, be allowed to use a short-
unless allies or the innocent are threatened. ened form of their true name.
Example Truenames: Brassekonnas, Jassakerak,
They assumed men all acted alike. Trees were just wood Killikassawar, Marakenassa, Taneggoras, Satthrassin
to us, construction and kindling, as worthless as dirt, trodden
on with equal disdain. I remember and recounted a different Example Titles: Darawren (“Earth-seer”), Hiinodor-
view. I spoke of ancient lore, where the tree stood tall in its ran (“Fire Dancer”), Kitarri (“Black Bow”), Merawrak
rightful place of worship. I brought up the Garden of Eden, (“Swift Birdcatcher”), Nathash (“Red-Bellied Salm-
the tree of life, and the tree of knowledge, though I do admit on”), Shikkakarri (“Deer Stalker”)
starting with that later anecdote probably wasn’t wise. I
moved onto the Kabbalah’s Sefirot tree, depicting the map of I really wanted to upset the expecta-
creation. I mentioned the Ashwath Vriksha, the banyan tree
that represented eternal life in the Hindu religion. I even tions people had about the fae. I never
remembered the Lote tree at the end of the seventh heaven. agreed with the black-skinned dark
Of course, I refrained from mentioning Christmas trees as I elves of “tradition”. The first thing I did
imagine that may really upset them. When I spoke of the ash when I broke from “license” was to make my
tree Yggdrasill from Norse and how it supported the heav-
ens, I finally got the attention of the priests. I told how the subterranean elves albinos and my wood elves
tree connected the sky, the earth, and the underworld to- dark skinned.
gether, and how its existence was vital to the entire uni-
verse—referred in popular myth as the World Tree. I even
added that the last humans would survive Ragnarök by hiding
Surprisingly, this works even though
within its branches. the conceit of the setting is "all the
These are all legends and taste of the flamboyance my myths are true".
ancestors were known for. One of the priests scolded my
scoff, declaring a similar concept in their faith. They claimed
Berufu, the mother of all fae, planted a single tree to remind
the fae where they came from and where they were destined The illustration and some of the back-
to end. Berufu proclaimed any who climbed to its tallest ground does suggest a Native American
branch would feel her breath and understand the world’s
true purpose and form.
allegory, though in truth, I was pushing
This great tree cannot be found in this forest or any oth- for more Eastern and Southern Africa.
er on this side of the planet. It grows from another on the Speaking of the illustration, the chaparran
far side of the world. It is not a stout tree with a trunk of image was the first finalized image by Nick
mighty girth. It resembles the trees seen here, though indige-
nous to that land. It towers through clouds, upon clouds, Greenwood, DEM’s long-time primary illus-
reaching a point where one could observe the curvature of trator. As time went on, I began to rely on my
the planet. This tree can neither be seen by flyers or from
the ground at any distance. A tree growing to the strato-
other artists less and less, delegating all illus-
trations to Nick. Initially, it was because he 85
sphere would be a grand climb indeed.
was the only artist I found with the talent I
Sugi Gantilanna required that would accept commissions in
The New Irminsul black & white. As time progressed, it became
obvious that I had caught lightning in a bottle
Names: Unlike other fae, often taking human-like and would never have considered doing Ame-
names to better associate with the human world, thyst without his contributions.
chaparrans refuse to do so. Their names, like all fae, are
personal and are only meant to be heard by pointed
ears. A chaparran’s family name merges with their
given name: this full name is usually four or more
syllables long and always features both hard consonants
and hissing sibilants (multiple instances of K, G, or S
when spelled in the English orthography) interspersed
with elongated, rich vowels. Since they don’t adopt
human names and refuse to let humans address them
 DAMASKANS knowledge, Limshau. Because of the peculiar homoge-
neity of all fae, both nations looked initially identical.
I sidestepped the bravo easily and delivered a precise
All damaskans favor stone or adobe for building, rather
chop to the back of his neck. He went down without a
than wood. Most of their cities are built into tall moun-
sound. The remaining thugs regrouped, hefting their tet-
tains or next to cliffs and always facing a major river or
subo nervously. One came for me, but I ducked and
threw myself to the side, one finger catching ahold of the body of water. Where they differ is that Damaska's cit-
shelf on the wall beside me. Twisting in mid-air, I scuttled ies expand with abandon across open fields stopped
backwards up the shelf, noting as I did so that I had been only by water and cliffs, whereas Limshau restricts its
remiss in dusting this section of the stacks and reminding cities with stout walls. Damaska’s cities scrape the sky
myself to attend to it once I had dealt with these hooli- with sharp spires—a landscape of porcupine quills—
gans. Drawing two shuriken from an inside pocket of my while Limshau’s jigsaw of flat, interlocking, and tessel-
leather coat, I removed two of the remaining combatants lating buildings allow one to sit atop a roof and watch an
with accurate strikes to the hamstrings, then drew my unobstructed sunset. The Damaskan fae across the
blades and looked down at the last one. His downed ocean in Lauropa wear looser clothes, wield different
companions were moaning most annoyingly. “Did you weapons, and are more open in public, whereas the
not read the notice?” I asked the band of ruffians. “It Canam damaskans are more reticent, with clothing and
plainly says ‘silence in the library.’” weaponry largely influenced by the former Asiatic hu-
_______________________________________________ man cultures. Since fae never change unless branching
into a new species, this deviation in Canam is solely due
Average Height: 4’8” – 5’7” to their interactions with humanity, a species almost
Average Weight: 70-100 lbs. completely foreign to the Damaskan Empire in the
Average Starting Age: 100 years East.
Estimated Life Expectancy: 1,500 years Damaskans are the most common, most often seen,
Bonus Languages: Damaskan, one other language. and most widely circulated fae in the world. Though
the people of both Damaska and Limshau are consid-
+2 Dexterity or +2 Intelligence ered the same species, damaskans from Limshau often
refer to themselves as ‘Limshau fae’ to emphasize their
THINK BEFORE ACTING cultural distinctions. Damaskans are also one of the few
fae species to permit the term ‘elf’ to be applied to
Your intellectual pursuits, far from impeding your com-
them, often using it themselves. Of all fae, damaskans
bative edge, have only honed it. You may use Intelli-
are the most numerous with the largest kingdoms. Be-
gence as your primary ability for attack and damage rolls
cause of their circulation over the globe, no one can be
with all ranged attacks.
sure how many damaskans live on Earth, but it’s proba-
bly between 2 and 3 million, although only about half
GRAVITY FOCUS (RACIAL POWER) reside in Canam. Narros hold rights to the largest ar-
Once per battle as a free action, until the end of your mies, but damaskans claim all other records. They have
next turn, you gain a +2 bonus to AC and PD and you the most artisans, the most diplomats, the most histori-
do not provoke opportunity attacks. ans, and the most architects. Their wizards all employ
Champion Feat: While using gravity focus, your bo- the book as their totem, which makes them hard to dis-
nuses to AC and PD increase to +3. You can tinguish from others since nearly all damaskans (at least
now walk on walls, allowing you to move across a in Limshau) carry books through their day-to-day activi-
wall, ignoring opportunity attacks and engage- ties.
86 ment. You must still come down at the end of
your movement. You also gain one additional use
Damaskans migrated across the globe very quickly.
Even though Damaska remains the largest fae empire,
of gravity focus (2 total) per battle. dozens of others appeared in a matter of decades. The
Damaskan and Limshau empires remain loyal to each
Epic Feat: While using gravity focus, your bonuses other, though not often in contact.
to AC and PD increase to +4. You can now Damaskans loathe pagus as well as the majority of
walk on ceilings. You also gain one additional the lesser fae due to their destructive tendencies, but if
use of gravity focus (3 total) per battle. they encounter a free pagus with no overtly hostile in-
tent they will not distrust him instinctively as another
species might. They have a deep mutual respect for
The first Damaska, before the Hammer fell, was the dragons. Limshau places its trust in their proven alli-
oldest empire in history. After the gate re-opened, ances with the gimfen, chaparrans, and humans – spe-
damaskans rebuilt their civilization, though split into cifically with the kingdoms of Abidan and Kannos.
two different empires on opposite sides of the planet. They are generally indifferent to other species in gen-
In the ruins of the laughably termed ‘old world’of Lau- eral, preferring to judge individuals on a case-by-case
ropa, Damaska was restored to mimic its former glory. basis. Limshau is currently in conflict with Baruch
Conversely in Canam, the fae erected the empire of Malkut due to said nation’s policy on fae salvery but
war remains undeclared.
 Each individual damaskan possesses an encyclope- siderable study to master, and those without a dam-
dic knowledge on a subject defined by their individual askan brain simply cannot manage the mental gymnas-
tastes. Where those from Damaska prefer internal re- tics required to write it at full speed.
call for this information, citizens of Limshau insist on Damaskan musicians prefer quiet, more subdued
writing all of it down. Until the damaskans appeared, music as a rule, and favor woodwind instruments. Their
fae seldom recorded anything. Their history was preferences in the physical arts tend naturally toward
marred with inaccuracies, legends claimed as fact, or calligraphy, followed by the arts of illustration: drawing,
facts discredited as myth. This was part of the reason illumination, woodcuts, lithographs, and the like. Lau-
why fae history from the time of Terros is so vague and ropan damaskans maintain a certain interest in architec-
sporadic. Alas, damaskans could bring nothing with ture; Canam damaskans have largely substituted this for
them to the new world and had to reconstruct their past
from memory – and although their memories are good,
an appreciation for the aesthetics of craft and engineer-
ing.
87
they are not eidetic. One distinction damaskans are When they die, their bodies are burned and scat-
clear to make is that they never volunteer their own tered to the wind.
opinion in their papers or journals, nor clog the books Physical Qualities: A damaskan’s eyes are slightly
with judgment, sentiment, or meaningless diatribe. slanted and have epicanthic folds similar to humans of
Where humans believe any individual can stand on a Asian descent. Their ears taper straight out the sides of
box and preach prose worthy of print, damaskans re- the skull to a very sharp point and have a tendency to
main quiet, recording events objectively. flutter and vibrate slightly depending on mood. They
The damaskan written form is substantially differ- generally have darker hair tones and seldom grow it
ent from other fae languages. Damaskans know both beyond shoulder length. Their skin ranges from light
the classical cursive and a shorthand variation they in- tan to olive color with eyes of brown and grey. When
vented called sonna-eliano, which has been translated reaching adulthood, damaskans still resemble human
into English as ‘orthoglossy’. Every damaskan from young adults barely out of puberty (17-19 in human
both empires knows this writing style. Using orthoglos- years). Even at their most venerable age, damaskans
sy allows a damaskan to write five times faster than any don’t often look a day past 30 and none look older than
other scholar. With some effort, non-damaskans can be 40 when they finally shuffle on. Because of a peculiari-
taught this writing style, but its intricacies require con- ty of the damaskan brain, they are able to employ both
 lobes simultaneously, and their analytical and creative call them shy, often staying quiet during conversations,
centers are diffuse rather than localized. This makes but in reality they merely prefer to speak only when
them functionally ambidextrous, as well as enabling having something useful to say. Until then, they keep
them to work on one project while thinking about an- back and avoid making their presence intrusive. This
other. Damaskans frequently wear new clothes, or at makes them appear distant, detached, and even cold.
least pressed and clean. They abhor getting dirty. They are not actually emotionless, but prefer not to
88 They also rarely pierce their skin or adorn their bod- be demonstrative except in private or when not on duty.
ies with tattoos, although this has little to do with any When dedicated to a task, they think of little else and
philosophy other than just not seeing the point. speak only when necessary; however, get them started
Playing a Damaskan: Damaskans are clearly the best on raw knowledge or ask them to recite some nugget of
species to play because they are built on the strengths information and they talk like uncorking a champagne
of being a fae without the arrogance and xenophobia of bottle.
other peoples like the laudenians and chaparrans. They They believe in discipline and order and find disor-
are the easiest to get along with, are possessed of a wide ganization of any kind unsettling, and deliberate false-
range of talents suited for almost any class, and have a hood sets their teeth on edge. Damaskans seldom un-
virtuous path ingrained in their soul—the pursuit of derstand fear and often engage in fights they know they
knowledge. What path could be more honorable? They cannot win to save the life of another. They also place
are civilized, numerous, and are the least stigmatized of an unnatural level of security on the written word, put-
all the fae species. ting themselves in harm’s way to protect a book; even
A player creating a damaskan should be aware of the less scholarly-inclined from Damaska find this urge
their timid nature. Damaskans are often reserved, sel- nearly unavoidable.
dom speaking out of turn, but can be prone to sudden Due to the shape of their ears, damaskans avoid
bursts of emotion when finally pushed. Some might wearing helmets whenever possible, and because of
their slight builds favor lighter armor over heavy plate. traditional one at birth, even in all-fae communities.
Limshau fae prefer light, form-fitting leather armor with Some damaskan families, especially in Limshau, have
a generally Asian cut, and their preferred weapons are adopted their chosen human name as their true name,
similarly of oriental styling; all damaskans favor pole- nearly forgetting their heritage. Not just due to integra-
arms or light weapons that can be dual-wielded when- tion, many believe a new world requires a clean slate,
ever possible. and a new family name is a good place to start. Other
fae frequently deplore this practice and a few dam-
The world evolves. askans without native names have been denied entry in
Magic and science are interchangeable. Interpreting one
from the other depends on your vantage point. Elves, much fae-only communities on this basis.
like any other intelligent race aware of its own progress, Most damaskans keep their fae names if they have
observe life from a sword’s edge, with the past and the them, privately known only by loved ones and family.
future on either side. I fear elves never bother to walk this Even in situations where the damaskans use their fami-
line, choosing to live in old ways. Humans arose and – given ly name, they still regularly select a human given name
the chance – failed at greatness. Their weakness is mortali- because the damaskan language contains many pho-
ty. Man’s obsession with compressing time doomed their nemes and tonal variances that sound similar to hu-
species. How I respect those humans that can sit for a
week under a tree and pray, close one’s eyes for a whole
mans, and consequently their native names can be diffi-
day without opening them. What courage that must take cult to pronounce accurately. Their chosen human
for a species so short lived. Most elves, including those names are usually simple, with little cultural identifica-
reprehensible laudenians, don’t appreciate the small victo- tion, and are often picked to reflect an attribute of the
ries in other species. The path remains the same. individual. Family names are very culturally specific
Utilizing our patience, elves gain the opportunity to and sometimes reflect an attribute of the family or im-
learn from Man’s mistakes. We live enchanted. Magic flows portant individuals within it. Damaskan names are not
through us but does not control us. Earth is a shared plan-
gender-specific. While both Limshau and Damaska
et. Only by uniting and merging our knowledge with those
of humans, narros, and gimfen, can we build a future. place the given name before the family name, a dam-
Limshau Historical Entry 2534A askan will usually adopt the name order of whatever
Ravenar Limshau IV community they are currently in (so a damaskan visiting
Fargon or Genai will give their family name first).
Damaskans maintain a deep pride in whichever be- Examples: Ravenar Limshau III is his real name,
liefs they profess and are known to defend their convic- but his sister’s husband elected to adopt the human
tions to the death, but at the same time they do not title “Strongbow” to replace their damaskan family
consider it their place to criticize another person’s be- name of Kaixiu’Ooria. Centuries later, few in that fami-
liefs. Due to their large numbers, damaskans follow ly ever use that title. Their fourth child, a daughter was
several belief systems. The largest percentage worship given the damaskan name Reivune, which eventually
the dragon god, Amethyst, believing his soul exists be- turned into Raven, which she elected as her open name,
yond the gate. Others worship the fae god Berufu, as well.
while others follow the earth god Oaken. A smaller
Limshau is repeating events of Earth’s past and will fall un-
number have even embraced a few human faiths. But der a hailstorm of fire and brimstone the like of which only
regardless of their proclivities, a truly pious damaskan is god has seen before. Those with ears pointed and round
a rarity: less than 10% of damaskans worldwide endorse commit the most grievous sins of hedonism. Its capital and
any religious belief, and fewer still are inclined to prose- all its cities both walled and open are cursed by god. It is
lytize what faith they do have. too late for prayer, for they are all doomed.
For most, the pursuit of knowledge takes the place This damnation spreads to all those within the white
of other spiritual concerns. Damaskans welcome adven-
ture for the sheer experience of it, and often engage on
walls, especially the impenitent human sodomites who fall
for the pleasures of the sinned, soiled flesh. Divine punish- 89
ment shall come quick. When their flesh burns away, we
what has been sometimes termed a ‘scholarly pilgrim- will mock their calamity. It is not a sin to take pride in
age’ to discover new learning. Some also embark on god’s fury.
quests for their people. A common sight in open echa, Shall we be the hands of god?
damaskans are ever expanding and rely on the adven- Father Prias
turing spirit of their people to establish a growing civili- Selected Sermon
zation. They react to threats to knowledge in much the Faustis, Baruch Malkut
same way that zealots react when their beliefs are chal-
lenged: threatening to put flame to parchment is the Example Given Names: Demosin, Keeilian,
surest way to enrage such fae. Ourokess, Ravenar, Reivune, Zallamber
Names: Unfortunately, while phonetically pleasing Example Family Names: Anaiquore, Ekka’Vraiul,
to the ear, the damaskan language can somewhat diffi- Hastalleiki, Kaixiu’Ooria, Talassezri, Uotha’Vuesti
cult for those unfamiliar with it to get their tongues Example Open Names: Damon, Chandleer, Hope,
around. Damaskans often adopt a human-sounding Peregrin, Raven, Salla
name when in public: their contact with humans has
been so extensive over the centuries that modern dam-
askan parents generally give this name alongside the
 GIMFEN tion. This movement cannot provoke an opportunity
attack and your critical range increases by +2 for the
He might have been small, but I’ve never seen anyone put
attack. If you don’t inflict a critical hit, you regain the
away booze like Errrick. Yeah, that’s how he spelled his
use of this power.
name—he liked to roll it off his tongue, particularly
around the ladies. And there were plenty of ladies Champion Feat: If you score a critical hit with jump
crowding around him at the moment, at his table in the charge, increase the escalation dice by +1. Once
middle of the tavern, as he downed shot glass after shot per battle, when the escalation dice reaches +6,
glass of something pungently green. Across the table, his you recover the use of jump charge.
opponent, a big burly human, was starting to look a bit
queasy as he placed another glass shakily upside-down on Epic Feat: Once per battle, if you kill a target with
the table. The human burped, his eyes crossed, and he fell jump charge, you can immediately use it again as
sideways off his chair. a free action.
“Well, demoiselles,” said Errrick, “looks like I win.
And with my winnings I’ll buy a drink for any lass who
wants a kiss—” he took a small tin out of his pocket – No one is sure how the gimfen broke off from the other
“after I freshen up, of course!” As he chewed the mint fae, being only superficially similar in body and utterly
leaf, however, three of the human’s friends, equally mas- distinct in mind. They possess at the same time a natu-
sive, got threateningly to their feet. ral curiosity about the world and a near-total lack of im-
“Hold your horses, runt,” one of them growled. agination. They embraced many human customs when
“Your kind always cheats. I bet you got a bottle strapped relationships blossomed between the two species, and
to your leg or some other weird gizmo.” The gimfen are the second most common nonhuman species (after
looked up, smiled, then reached down and pulled up his
the damaskans) seen in echan human communities.
trouser leg. There was indeed a bottle strapped to his
They have a flare for fine food, good tobacco, and com-
calf… full of a golden amber liquid, into which was set
fortable clothes. Gimfen love dance from every culture
some sort of plastic straw leading up through his clothes
but have never developed one of their own.
and out his collar. He winked and took a swig from the
The curiosity of gimfen eventually spread to tech-
straw. Then, as the giant blinked at him, he moved like a
cannonball, bowling the man over and shoving the barrel nology. Most fae reach an impasse when encountering
of the plasma rifle which had, until that moment, rested human technology: touching or even being in the same
against the table leg into his interlocutor’s eye. vicinity of any complex device inevitably causes it to
“’Tis not a manly thing to call a gentleman a cheater, eventually break down. However, the gimfen don't
dear fellow,” he said evenly. “What say we all settle this share this curse. This strange deviation, once thought
outside?” to be a production of corruption from Ixindar, was later
_______________________________________________ accepted by the other fae as another attribute of a late
branch in the fae tree. The gimfen desire to pursue
Average Height: 3’3” – 4’3” technology in an age where machinery didn’t work reli-
Average Weight: 40-60 lbs. ably turned into a fixation. Many of them obsessed
Average Starting Age: 30 years about discovering a way to allow machinery to operate
Estimated Life Expectancy: 500 years in a realm of magic. The gimfen eventually turned out
Bonus Language: Damaskan numerous masterful technicians, engineers, alchemists,
and inventors, though nearly always refining existing
+2 Dexterity or +2 Charisma accomplishments rather than pioneering new ones.

90
Where laudenians pioneered totem magic and narros
Small: Gimfen have a +2 AC bonus against oppor- the forging of magical items, gimfen took pride in alche-
tunity attacks. my, stumbling into potion brewing soon after. What
they lack are spell casters – not because they are incapa-
ble, but because for most the principles of magic simply
DISRUPTION REDUCTION aren’t interesting (and get in the way of the study of
Gimfen do not disrupt technology like other echan rac- mechanism). Gimfen are never content simply to ob-
es. You do not increase the penalties to EDF in an en- serve the world, but believe it can always be improved.
counter. Even the most sedentary pursue constructive hobbies
such as basic carpentry and metalwork, while others
LITHE & IRRATABLE found a happy medium with minor gadgets and tools.
Size is not an obstacle to you in a scrap. You may use Many a gimfen’s home is adorned with never-used in-
Dexterity as your primary attribute for attack and dam- ventions.
age rolls with all melee attacks. After the return of magic, the first bastions were
barely more than a few buildings. They grew slowly
JUMP CHARGE (RACIAL POWER) under constant attack from the outside. A few collapsed
Once per battle, if unengaged, you can engage any or turned to magic, abandoning the old ways of science.
nearby target and make a basic attack as a standard ac- Others remained stubborn and fought against the en-
chantment. Such was the case with the eastern Canam magnetism, electricity, and internal combustion – ad- 91
city of York, under barrage from dragons and pagus. vances they would not have discovered on their own.
The bastion turned to a nearby growing civilization of The neighboring gimfen town, Gnimfall, accepted back
gimfen for assistance. The gimfen were welcomed into its pilgrims and the nation flourished.
the libraries to learn everything they could about hu- Despite lacking the spark of genius necessary for
man technology, sciences of the body, machine, and true innovation, gimfen knew one thing mankind
atom. With the help of the resourceful and inventive didn’t: how to insulate technology from magic.
gimfen, York was able to defend itself against predators, Although not perfect by any means, this clumsy
and their expansion became reinvigorated. Despite procedure could help certain machinery operate without
their invaluability, this agreement with an echan people the constant fear of disruption. The gimfen combined
was unofficial and kept secret: the gimfen were not al- what they discovered with what they already knew and
lowed to live within the population or enter through the within a century the landscape of gimfen communities
main gates. After their usefulness expired, the gimfen changed. Where once there were tiny shops and
returned to their homes leaving only a few behind in garages surrounded by farmlands, now the villages were
the city for maintenance. Thankfully, they did not dominated by grind towers—oddities of mutated
mind being ostracized, and got a more than fair ex- technology. They hold few people, designed primarily
change for their labors: they now held the secrets of for defense, sound baffling, and temperature
 maintenance for underground factories. Gnimfall, the fae who turn to the worship of Mecha in the hopes of
largest collection of towers, is not an open-air city, but obtaining the same grace do not lose their toxic effect
hundreds of levels stretching more than a mile on machinery is explained as them ‘not doing it right’).
underground. The levels are a mixed lot of housing, Mecha’s symbol of faith lies in the gimfen’s tools,
factories, and processing plants so jumbled and which he prays to every morning. They hold that
seemingly disorganized that tourists often get lost Mecha, the Machine God, is responsible for all the
92 without a guide. Grind towers now dot the globe, devices the gimfen make.
marking the presence of gimfen communities. Physical Qualities: Gimfen are the shortest of the
Not all have embraced the way of technology, major fae. They feature thin, lightly slanted eyes of
preferring to keep a balance between nature and bright green and blue tones. Their hair is often
machine. Gimfen communities like Salvabrooke are vibrantly colored and their ears taper straight back, with
laid back, agrarian places, possessing little technology the tips sometimes as much as an inch from the back of
beyond that known in the immediately pre-industrial their head. Their skin is often lightly colored, and un-
era of humanity’s lost history. Currently there are more like other fae, they are known to freckle. Because of
than three million gimfen in various villages and their quickness to adopt other cultures, anything goes
colonies about the world. They get along with the when it comes to their attire and whatever else they do
narros and damaskans, but their relations with other fae to their bodies. Gimfen enjoy their sense of humor as
have strained since the gimfen have so often turned well as a desire to possess shiny objects. Their
away from their roots. Gimfen often welcome humans, connection with nature has largely fallen by the wayside
especially ones with a new toy. in favor of the new knowledge from man and their
Most of gimfen worship “Mecha,” which they obsessive fascination with human machinery.
believe allows them and only them to operate Gimfen look like pubescent youths through the
machinery in the presence of magic (the fact that other majority of their lives. This makes many humans
uncomfortable when dealing with gimfen adults. They names every century or so. Family lineage means
only break from this in their final years, when their age nothing to them. Because of this constant variation,
rushes upon them, growing wrinkles and spots, aging some outside critics grow concerned with potential
decades in days. Most gimfen have difficulty growing gimfen inbreeding. Gimfen never seem to worry about
facial hair, but that doesn’t stop them from trying: a it. Their names sometimes reflect the cultures they
flamboyant moustache or goatee may be the work of integrate in, adopting narros and or human titles. They
decades and is seen as a major accomplishment. also frequently, but not always, use alliterations.
Playing a Gimfen: Gimfen are the best people to Examples: Xris Jiggadaxion, Glynn Glengarrie,
play because they have no inhibitions. They are not Kimma Kutaming, Malachi Boomfellow, Maris
bound by foolish honor or some obsolete drive to Nippentuck
survive. They are neither arrogant nor afraid. They
don’t worry themselves about the petty issues that The smallest room is still the universe to whoever lives
inside. Fae have preferred in the past to close all the doors
absorb so many others. They are the best because they around and sit, comfortable they understand the entire
are the only fae able to embrace a new world while world— (Noise from the Grind Tower muffles the trans-
remembering the old one. No other fae can enter a mission).
town tavern with laser rifle on his back. They are the They fear to open the door and discover that more
life of the party and the center of attention. waits across the threshold. That is what prevents us from
A gimfen player character always follows one of two moving forward, the refusal to expand beyond our universe.
paths: nature or technology, with technology being by The laudenians, the tenenbri—yes, even the narros—all sit
in a room bricked in by ignorance and held by fear. Like all
far the most common. Gimfen are the first to try fae, the gimfen emerged into a room not unlike them.
anything. They are naturally inquisitive, but this often (Noise from the Grind Tower muffled the transmis-
gets them into trouble. Despite being great liars, an sion).
attribute the other fae dislike, gimfen share with the It had the same bricks bound by mortar, the same door
other fae a propensity for naiveté. They believe all others refused to open. One would assume we would
everything is safe and everyone is honest unless proven follow the lead and pat ourselves for understanding the
otherwise. One prevalent route is the thief, as gimfen universe, as we perceived. Unlike our cousins, our cage
was different. Someone put in windows. Faced with the
look naturally innocent and inconspicuous (and are
truth, who would not open the door? Gimfen may be
known to let their enthusiasm for baubles get the better small. We may be ridiculed and insulted, but we see the
of legal constraints, usually without malice; when con- truth. The room is shrinking. How ironic those with the
fronted, a gimfen kleptomaniac will usually express most room to breathe are the ones so adamant about es-
surprise at their thoughtlessness and promptly return caping. In conclusion, we must— (noise from the Grind
the stolen goods with a smile), though dungeon delvers Tower muffled the transmission).
are equally as popular. An alternative approach is the Karlis Kronas
(Gnimfall Address, July 23, 999 A.E.)
techan enthusiast, walking around with a modified
human firearm she can hold and fire safely. When
brandishing such a trophy, a gimfen is no longer
unassuming. There have even been gimfen spotted Initially, I had played with a few
sporting a heavily insulated plasma rifles on their backs. other ideas with gimfen, including one
All gimfen leave their village at some point in their where they remain child-like until the
lives but seldom make roots. They leave for a variety of last few decades and then became
reasons including adventuring or the acquisition of
“adults” in order to sire offspring, and an al-
treasure, fame, or technology (which for many is
ternate take involved them morphing into
treasure). For them, adventuring is more of a career
than an opportunity. Gimfen are curious, inquisitive, adults once they bonded with another. Both 93
and extremely impulsive. They love to see the world ideas were saddled with the side effect that
and often feel other cultures should be gifted with the gimfen would age like a human when that
odd knowledge they alone possess. Gimfen come close occurred. I thought it was initially a neat
to developing addictive personalities. They are happy idea—gimfen could remain children forever
to try new things, especially in regards to dance and until they decided to have children of their
food. Their unending curiosity makes them open to
anything.
own, being forced to accept a mortal life in
Names: Gimfen have no language of their own. In trade (somewhat inspired by the episode “Miri”
the old world, they spoke damaskan; in the new, they of the original Star Trek). In the end, despite
are just as likely to speak English as a first language. the value in the fluff, I thought it was a cop-
Like the damaskans, gimfen adopt a human first name out and abandoned both ideas and left the
either at birth or when leaving an all-fae community, potentially disturbing idea of gimfen breeding
but – unlike the damaskans – they intentionally spell in the setting. It may return to that previous
these names idiosyncratically, and think nothing of gen-
idea in the future.
der-bending names or adopting a human surname as a
given name and vice versa. They also change their
 LAUDENIANS Epic Feat: If the escalation die is +6, slide waltz is
No railing separated the platform from the clouds below, always in effect (though as an interrupt, it can
despite the thousands of feet to the ground. Only a nar- only affect one hit per round).
row path, scarcely wide enough for one to put two feet
together, connected it to the tower behind. Hassanan
walked along it steadily, gliding from foot to foot so grace- Of all the fae, a laudenian would be the most pompous.
fully that he hardly seemed to take a single step. The Laudenians, like most of their cousins, believe they are
clouds beneath him roiled in the mountain wind, yet not a the true descendants of the original fae. The difference
flutter disturbed his flowing robes or a single strand of his is that they might actually be right. Some claim their
long hair. He reached the platform and raised his long, embracing of the sky made them immune to the physi-
spindly hand to the crystal staff that sat upon a plinth at its cal changes brought on by interacting with the Earth.
center. With his other hand, he made a gesture, and the Before the First Hammer, most laudenians lived in a
pale, transparent image of a laudenian woman with a floating city no one could locate unless the laudenians
pinched face appeared in the air. “You are certain of wished it to be found. After their return after the Sec-
this?” the illusion said. “Completely,” said Hassanan. ond Hammer, the city reemerged, then promptly van-
“This experiment will conclude my research.” ished once again. Everyone aware of its existence
The female wrinkled her nose. “But, such a noisome knows the city floats around the Nankani Mountains,
creature…” but steers clear of the sparsely inhabited lowland passes
The magos slowly shook his head. “Necessary, my in favor of the virtually impassible high rocks. The city
friend. But fear not, I shall not let it touch me.” From often remains rooted next to a mountain for years, then
within his sleeve, he took a small transparent cube and seemingly at random it uproots and drifts elsewhere.
tossed it across the plinth, where it hung in the air, turn- Since returning to Earth, the laudenians have retaken
ing gently. He made a gesture across the staff, and the the skies, rebuilding a vast network of floating keeps
cube seemed to fold itself inside out. From the distortion shrouded in the clouds.
of space emerged a very large, confused and angry skegg, Most people have never seen a laudenian and could
which had been minding its own business torturing a cara- not describe one if asked. Laudenians commonly pro-
vaneer when this weird silvery thing had come down and hibit outsiders from entering their keeps. Their land is
stuffed it into a tiny box. Now released, its eyes alighted rich in natural resources and they use these riches to
on the laudenian, and it growled and went for his neck. trade with the few other nations they find agreeable,
Without seeming to move, the magos sidestepped the
Fargon being the chief recipient of their largesse. Few
fuming beast, extended a finger, and spoke a single word.
non-fae ever see these floating keeps. Their single city
The skegg froze, eyes wide, and in an instant was trans-
appears on the surface to be one of technology, but un-
formed into a statue of pure crystal. “Hypothesis con-
derneath the shine of the walls flows pure magic.
firmed,” the magos said, rubbing his cheek. “Ever to earth
Laudenia is a dream to many that swore they saw it.
they do return.”
Laudenians commit to this life because of a fear of
_______________________________________________
degradation. If they truly were the first branch from the
original fae, then they have watched helplessly as their
Average Height: 5’10” – 6’7”
Average Weight: 40-55 lbs. children turned into the chaparrans, narros and dam-
Average Starting Age: 150 years askans. This might not have alarmed them initially
Estimated Life Expectancy: 10,000 years? beyond the observation that the laudenians themselves
Bonus Language: Laudenian were growing fewer. Then the chaparrans started to
beget deviations, and then the narros. Damaskans fol-
94 +2 Wisdom or +2 Intelligence lowed shortly behind and with each branch, the emer-
gent race acted more feral, more uncivilized then their
ancestors. Fearing a fate similar to the original fae, the
EMERGENCE laudenians fled to the sky, convinced the magical influ-
When employing a light or simple melee weapon, you
ence stemmed from the fae’s interaction with the Earth.
can use Wisdom in place of Strength as your primary
Their theory may have had some merit, for the dwin-
attack/damage attribute.
dling of the laudenian population slowed…but did not
stop completely.
SLIDE WALTZ (RACIAL POWER) Today, laudenians number less than 20,000, though
Once per battle, if an enemy hits you, you can interrupt some suspect this number is much lower, closer to
that action and increase your AC or PD by +2. If the 5,000. Despite near immortality, their population con-
attack misses, you can make a basic attack. If the ene- tinues to fall. This is largely the product of the whis-
my still hits, you recover the use of slide waltz. pering influence of magic from which they cannot es-
Champion Feat: The bonus to AC and PD with slide cape, resulting in children of lesser quality in their eyes.
waltz increases to +3 Laudenians reproduce extremely rarely and their even-
tual fate appears fixed, ultimately leaving a vast, sprawl-
ing empire of empty and forgotten castles in the air.
Laudenians rarely mate with non-laudenians, and they tasm spells for communication and entertainment, and
strictly forbid bonding with humans under penalty of spell-coded items fulfilling day-to-day conveniences
expulsion from the sky. even for the non-magically adept; unfortunately, most
As part of their claim to be the most ancient fae, the
laudenians believe that they pioneered the modern
of these devices do not work outside of the magical
field of the aerial realm. 95
study of magic, the use of Pleroma to encode spells, and Laudenians enjoy the music of strings and their
the construction of totems to hold those spells. Their dance often involves slow, subtle movements. Their
approach to the practice of magic reflects this attitude. rituals, like everything involved in their culture, take
While earthbound mages favor individual style and re- several days to complete. One festival, the Kenaz Sky,
gard the method of magic to be largely a matter of per- occurs once every 500 years and lasts six months. The
sonal preference, laudenians are very formulaic. They few laudenians that ever die are placed in a gargantuan
treat magic the same way techans treat the principles of mausoleum at the base of their city. All laudenians,
science, and for much the same reason: their entire cul- even the ones that perish far away, always wish their
ture is dependent on it, and most laudenians know at bodies returned to their home. Their faith dictates that
least the basics of magic even if they do not practice it is the only way they may find peace.
themselves. A laudenian sky-keep is almost indistin- The laudenians worship a god of the ancient fae,
guishable on the surface from the more advanced basti- Berufu, whom they believe lives not beyond the gate,
ons. The old adage that any sufficiently advanced mag- but in the shadow realm where the universe was
ic is indistinguishable from technology is plainly at formed. Attricana to them is a source of power but is
work in Laudenia, with magical constructs and enchant- neither a divine entity nor the gateway to their god’s
ed barges taking the place of robots and vehicles, phan- domain.
 Physical Qualities: Laudenians tower over all other outside of the city is practically unheard of and few ever
fae and even most humans. They have olive to dark leave their home except under orders, on an extremely
skin and often long and flowing dark hair. Their ears important quest that requires their undivided attention;
are smaller than a chaparrans, tapering quickly to a only the rarest of the rare wish to see the world for
point. Their eyes, usually dark brown and grey, always themselves.
reflect a glint of light as if a candle always hangs sus- They almost never wear armor, and when they do it
pended over their eyes. Braided hair is common but is usually light chainmail constructed out of magically-
tattoos and piercings are not. Most wear long robes of infused materials – they find heavier armor insufferably
white or green terminating just above the ankle. The burdensome. The weapon of choice for nearly all
more a fae species is connected to the earth, the more laudenians is the longsword or rapier, and although they
animalistic they become: chaparrans and narros are all do not have the same martial traditions as the narros,
on average stronger and sturdier, their later branches laudenian philosophy holds the blade and the wielder to
even more robust. Laudenians, by contrast, are almost be one. Swords themselves do not run in families due
impossibly slender and light-bodied, with subtly alien to their wielders’ long lives even compared to other fae,
body proportions. Their senses are adapted in the op- but each lineage has their own style which is never
posite way from the common expectation of fae: while taught to outsiders.
their hearing is acute (out of necessity, since sound car- Laudenians are known to be extremely arrogant.
ries far less well in thinner air), instead of superior vi- They are the longest-lived of echan kind outside of
sion in the dark, their eyes can see slightly into the ul- dragons and most of the elders date back to before the
traviolet spectrum. Additionally, thanks to a nictating gate exodus. Their egotism refused to die when they
membrane that both filters out harmful rays and guards lacked corporeal forms and only amplified when re-
against dust and dryness, laudenians need neither turned to the world. Laudenians consider themselves
squint or shy away from a blinding glare, nor do they superior and often patronize those unlike them.
even need to blink, only closing their eyes to sleep. Laudenians are often revered by other fae, a fact a
Their unyielding stares can be as disconcerting to out- laudenian is sure to bring up. They command respect
siders as their strangely elongated frames. and believe themselves correct in every assumption.
There is a claim that no laudenian has ever died of Laudenians are known to have the most powerful spell-
old age. Some have been rumored to have lived for casters of all fae. A laudenian character could be more
15,000 years or more, though with a mere five centuries humble than her parents, whom most likely still live in
since the gate’s reopening, it is impossible to verify this. the sky, but this would not mean the character isn’t still
They reach adulthood after 150 years and don’t show arrogant.
any discernible growth for another 1,000. No laudenian Names: Laudenians refuse to adopt human names.
has ever looked over 50. Thankfully, their fae names are much easier to pro-
Playing a Laudenian: Laudenians are the best spe- nounce than a chaparran’s or damaskan’s would be, be-
cies because they are the oldest fae and the most proud. ing softly sibilant and roll quite easily with the slightest
The wisest of them have their names etched in books effort, like all the words in their language. Instead of
in every library of every other fae species. Laudenians having a family name, laudenians list a roll of their an-
forged the first magical items, pioneered the use of to- cestors, every generation adding a name. Most laudeni-
tems and the language of dragons, and built an empire ans only mention one or two generations, but fanatics to
in the sky to look upon others below. They are arrogant laudenian heritage will often insist on announcing
and belief themselves always to be right…but that’s themselves tracking back five or six generations. The
because they usually are. greatest elders, of course, do not have even five or six
It should be noted that a laudenian character would generations to trace back: if a laudenian names three
96 be a rarity. This laudenian would be the only one in a generations of ancestors and proclaims quietly ‘That is
group and probably would not have seen another of his all,’ it would be best to take them very, very seriously.
kind in years. There would most assuredly be a reason, The one bizarre aspect with laudenian names is that
even if they withhold it from their companions, why every name in a given lineage has exactly the same
this laudenian has taken the risk of walking on the soil. number of syllables. Most despise foreigners shorten-
Laudenians dislike nature. They have no problems ing them, though quite easy to do so.
wearing metal armor and wielding forged weapons, but Examples: Brassana Halcyos, Massinan Lasseriss,
they abhor the natural world and have lost their empa- Milanus Serani Lissero Renessan, Nazarini Kolbessito
thy for it. The only reason why they have been able to Thassatera Engiraini, Sirenus Fellerose, Sulei Kandoss
survive unchanged these thousands of years is by flee- Mentar
ing to the sky, since the magic of Attricana reflects off
the Earth. They never walk around in bare feet and Laudenians were heavily inspired by
cannot stand being immersed in water. Since they nev- Middle Eastern cultures. In older ver-
er perspire, the concept of washing only becomes ne- sions of Amethyst, their sky culture and
cessity when dirtied from earth-walking. Even essential network were more developed, a fact I’ll
natural resources are harvested for them by autonomous
magic constructs, so a true laudenian never needs set
be re-addressing in the next book.
foot on the corruptive ground. To meet a laudenian
NARROS of the culture as a whole. There is a martial skill
attached to every facet of their lives. The same
“Strike! Up! Hold! Strike! Low! Hold! Middle! Strike!”
techniques and movements used in warfare are
The drillmaster called the moves, and the students fol-
duplicated in the mines, planned and coordinated with
lowed them, each warrior moving as one. Each stood
precision.
balanced on one leg atop a small, sharp pyramid, and peri-
odically the senior students would pass along the line, Narros love the horn and drums and their battle
striking the examinees’ shins with heavy wooden rods. marches move to the sound of heavy bass from
Not one wavered, nor even flinched. But that was only to trumpets and skins louder than the footfalls of a
be expected. This was not a test of the students’ dedica- thousand feet. Narros don’t dance – they don’t lack for
tion, or even of their technique. The ravnorra’s eyes nar- physical coordination, but the wild abandon of dancing
rowed as she passed down the line. At last she came to runs contrary to their cultural precision and discipline.
one of the students, to the untrained eye seemingly no The narros estimate more than five million of their
different from any other. “You!” she declared. “Step out kind walk the Earth. Narros live almost exclusively in
of line!” The young narros obeyed without hesitation. Canam and Southam and rarely appear anywhere else.
“Are you left- or right-handed?” she demanded. Their biggest concentration lies at Fargon in the utter-
“Neither, Tomannik-mir,” the student replied, “but I most north, with another collection in the western
am accustomed to write with my left hand.” mountains of Southam, where the people often clash
The instructor nodded to one of the seniors. “Bind with the tenenbri over an ancient religious dispute; a
his left hand behind his back.” She reached out her own smaller colony of about a hundred thousand resides in
hand and another of the older students placed her long- the Finer Fire Pits in Canam’s midwestern region. By
spear in it. “Defend yourself,” she said simply, raising the sacred law, narros caves never burrow beyond 1.25
spear to the ready. miles below sea level. Their mines are like a labyrinth,
_______________________________________________ covering hundreds of square miles. Part of their belief
system demands that they climb the highest mountain
Average Height: 4’ – 4’9” in their city (every narros city is built around and/or
Average Weight: 195-395 lbs. within a mountain) every year to reaffirm their
Average Starting Age: 75 years confidence that the sun remains above.
Estimated Life Expectancy: 1,000 years The few narros holy men worship an idol-less god
Bonus Language: Narroni referred to as Oaken – the spirit of Earth. Oaken lives
deep underground at the core of the planet. The narros
+2 Constitution or +2 Wisdom dogma explains that Oaken, originally a fragment of a
much larger being, drifted into the Solar System and
IRON ROOTS the Earth formed around him. To them, the white gate
When staggered, you have a +2 bonus to MD. created the fae, but Oaken provided them with a shape
and a world. Narros believe their power comes from
Champion Feat: You gain a bonus to damage rolls below, not above, which may explain why most narros
equal the escalation die bonus. hate to fly despite having no fear of high places. The
root of their abhorrence for the tenenbri leads from a
belief that their cousins dug too far and suffered
STUBBORN RESOLVE Oaken's punishment. In the narros view, the tenenbri
(RACIAL POWER) never got the message. Like man, most narros bury
After you are staggered for the first time in a battle, their dead, though usually in stone.
your next attack roll against a single target, unless a nat-
ural 1, automatically hits. When Amethyst was a free homebrew 97
Champion Feat: Once per battle, as a free action, game, I asked Nick Greenwood permis-
spend a recovery to regain the use of stubborn sion to use his artwork (always a good
resolve. idea—artists love it when you actually
ask them). The image which sold me was of
Despite ignorant stereotyping claiming them to be a dwarf in monk robes assuming a martial arts
squat, long-nosed dirty miners, narros don’t really pose. It was not a difficult task getting Nick
resemble the fantasy creature they’re often compared to reimagine that old image for a new game.
to. While the majority live underground, they are not
singular in their purpose of greedily digging for riches in Physical Qualities: Narros do not possess the heavy
the Earth. In fact, narros are among the most selfless of trunk torso many would expect though they are still
all fae, taking on the role as protectors for all their allies. much stronger than other similar bipeds (this is simply
Even when outnumbered, narros often win in open not immediately obvious). They are slower and less
combat. They are the greatest soldiers of the fae, with agile then their cousins, but their every movement is
only the pagus threatening the claim. Almost every made with utmost precision. Where all other fae have
narros citizen knows how to use a weapon. Soldiers hollow bones, the narros claim their skeletons’ marrow
enforce a strict discipline in the art of war, a reflection is solid iron. The proof is in their unbreakable
 physiques and shockingly heavy frames. Narros hate equivalents, narros have a general aversion to body hair.
the water and are all tremendously bad swimmers, due Males sport tight trimmed beards, patterned sideburns
to their size-to-weight ratio. A narros will avoid any or short braids when they grow them; the only

98
body of water where he cannot keep his feet on the moustaches considered fashionable are thin side-
bottom and still breathe. whiskers. Their hair is often pulled back to a tail, loose
Narros’ silvery skin reflects a glitter in sunlight. strands tightly controlled. Some narros males shave
Their skin tones range usually between peach and pale themselves completely bald. Unlike the legends they
white. Their ears are long but remain flush to their inspired, female narros neither grow facial hair nor look
heads. Their eyes, seemingly always squinting, can overtly masculine. It is only when narros dress for war
open extremely wide and their irises loom large in their that males and females become indistinguishable.
sockets, though their colors, dull browns and matted Narros age proportionately to humans at an approxi-
grays, don’t shine even in the brightest light. Narros mately 12:1 ratio.
eyes can adapt between light and dark vision in an in- Playing a Narros: Narros are well and beyond the
stant, and their vision extends far into the infrared best people as there is no subtlety behind them. They
spectrum, allowing them to see almost perfectly even in scoff adversity and seldom run from a fight. They are
total darkness. the strongest and take pride that the entire fae species
Narros insist on a high degree of personal grooming. would have been wiped out long ago if it weren’t for
Males despise painting their bodies in any way but them. They are soldiers from birth. In the end, why
women often do: the same abhorrence does not apply to would anyone want to be anything but the greatest
tattooing, but this is still a rare practice. Body piercing warriors of legend?
is unknown among them. Unlike their stereotyped
 A narros character should not just be some loud greatest shame is to lose his liege lord on the battlefield,
fighter with an axe. They can be anything they choose for this means that he has failed to perform the duty
and commit themselves 100% to that duty, often that should have been utmost in his mind, and he will
ignoring other concerns. They are fanatical about any likely never be able to find another lord with such
crusade they are on. A narros would be the first to stained honor. Warriors shamed in this way traditionally
awake in the morning to tackle the day’s goals. They foreswear their family names and depart from narros
will ignore fleeting pleasures like smoking and sex society on quests to redeem themselves, in order to pre-
when committed to a quest. When sworn to a lord, vent their dishonor from reflecting upon the clan.
friend, or party, a narros will risk everything including Those who lost their community or their lord often trav-
his own life to protect them. This focused spirit is el alone across the world as masterless ronin. All narros
admirable but can sometimes make a narros a real drag adventurers maintain an utter dedication to their chosen
at parties – unless they have decreed that it is now time path, even without a crusade or cause in their hearts.
to enjoy themselves. The narros believe in hard work Names: Unlike gimfen and damaskans, placing little
and hard play. It is common for a narros to work past stock in their family names, narros cherish their family
the point of exhaustion during the day, party and drink names more than their given ones. They place their
until past midnight, sleep insufficient hours, and start family names first when writing them down and
everything again the following dawn, apparently none announcing themselves in public. Narros refer to each
the worse for wear. They are extremely regimented in other by their given names only in private or when
whatever direction they take in life. Mages own more asked; using a person’s given name without their
books. Priests pray longer. Soldiers train much more permission is considered at best a breach of etiquette, at
fiercely. They are focused in their view – some human worst a deadly insult. Married couples call themselves
would-be wags claim that the name ‘narros’ is synony- by their given names in their homes. Friends and
mous with their mentality. family members often refer to each other by the
Narros favor medium to heavy armor, if they wear additional titles Kar (Father/Ruler), Mir (Mother/
armor at all. Those from Fargon prefer heavy steel Mistress), Lan (Son, first born), Sen (Son, second born
lamellar and crested helmets superficially similar to or later), Jes (Daughter) or the generic titles Nor (senior
those of the ancient Japanese samurai, but they tend to or social superior), Kin (male equal), Mon (female
prefer heavier weapons as a rule; though every narros equal), and Dan (junior or social inferior), appended to
has a particular favorite, spiked maces, hooked halberds, the end of whichever name is used. The given names
and double swords are in overwhelming evidence in are usually shorter than their family titles, thus making
narros armies. Rare is the narros mage whose totem is their full names somewhat front-heavy.
not the weapon, and most of those few instead favor the Examples: Ballakoya Kasey, Kranerose Jibbs, Rag-
shield. errick Griff, Sollomas Karan, Sorannik Mogh, Ungnaro-
Because of their polar opposite concepts of an na Mina
appropriate attention span, the narros and gimfen don’t
always get along. They are otherwise at least tolerant of Foolish Humans. The best route is down, never up. I read
their history—always building up. Up…why? What is up
most other fae, and particularly of humans – indeed, the there? Clouds. Clouds made from water. I can dig and get
narros boast the only open trading agreement between a that and it would cost far less. Now I am not saying that
fae kingdom and a techan bastion. However, they over- humans are stupid. They value gold and respect the steel
whelmingly despise the tenenbri. The schism between we forge.
the two is rarely mentioned – its roots stem from a However, I don’t know how they could have missed
religious dispute, a divergence of dogma that can be coruthil. Such a wondrous element, bestowed from Oaken
himself. The almost mystical properties of it lead me to
tracked back thousands of years in the pre-Hammer
age. Some have accused the narros of holding grudges
believe that coruthil, before the saturation of magic, looked 99
ordinary, containing no special properties, useless. When
far longer than socially acceptable. Still, this discord is a enchanted energies passed through it, coruthil emerged
poor rubbing of the hatred the narros feel for the pagus. from this dead rock. So much the better. The bastion
Not even the ogres, a lower fae branch from the narros, humans sat on riches beyond what they can imagine for
can match the loathing felt to the corrupted fae of thousands of years. Millions of years of unmined riches.
Ixindar. Being the primary military force for all good This is a great time to be a narros. The humans have no
and honorable fae, the narros have clashed with pagus idea what they were missing.
Garach Glim
more often than other peoples. A narros need not
Finer Fire Pits
require a reason to fight them and the opportunity to do 225 A.E.
so would be reason enough to join a quest.
Narros uphold their discipline when on their own or Originally I had the honorifics appended
outside of their community. Personal and family honor
to the beginning of the name to try to
is very important to all narros, although their definition
of it is a trifle unusual: a person’s honor is defined by shake up the Japan-isms just a bit.
how thoroughly she dedicates herself to her task, and a But then I kept forgetting to actually
family’s honor is wrapped up in how thoroughly they do it myself, and so I changed it back.
have taught their scions to do this. A narros warrior’s
 PAGUS one single desire--to eliminate anything as commanded
by their masters.
Murok always sat by himself, away from the fire. We as-
When the black gate was unearthed again at the
sumed it was because he wanted to spare the rest of us
beginning of the new age, the pagus were the first to
the sight of his ugly mug, but one day I plucked up the
emerge, even before the whisper of Mengus could have
courage and went to ask him why, as he sat in the dark
and the cold sharpening his notched blade. tainted the nearby humans as well. Five centuries later,
“Because I don’t want to look at your ugly mugs,” he the pagus number in the tens of millions with
told me, and I went away satisfied. concentrations on every continent.
A little known fact about the pagus is that Ixindar's
_______________________________________________
control is lessened the further one travels from Ixindar.
Mengus strengthens its influence by channeling the
Average Height: 6’3” – 6’7”
gate’s syncretic power through the will of its loyal
Average Weight: 200-250 lb.
disciples, the shemjaza. Separated from that influence,
Average Starting Age: 9 years.
it falls under corrupted dragons to enforce the will of
Estimated Life Expectancy: 40 years
syntropy, despite not always following their avatar's will.
Bonus Language: Paggin
Without the control of these authorities, pagus act
independently, though still bound by a compulsion for
+2 Dexterity or +2 to Strength
violence and a brutal culture that reflects that
propensity. This is not helped by the tendency of
STEADFAST pagus to degenerate into madness as they grow old (if
If you fail a saving throw other than death saves, you they survive that long). Only a noteworthy few
may spend a recovery as a free action but regain no hit maintain their sanity. These singular elders gain an
points: instead, you can reroll that save. You gain a +4 enlightened view of the role pagus are forced fill in this
bonus to the roll. world. Their wisdom and strength of personality is such
that younger pagus around them will bind themselves
FOCUSED AGRESSION without thinking to any action the elder commands.
(RACIAL POWER) Unfortunately, this usually entails the same bloody
The first enemy that hits you in an encounter becomes conflict forced upon them from demons and dragons.
your focus. Your critical threat range against that ene- Even more uncommon are the elder pagus that preach a
my increases by 1. rejection of the ideals imposed by their creator and
controllers. These pagus attempt an unpretentious life
Champion Feat: You gain a damage bonus to your filled with hunting, revelry, and reproduction. They
focus equal to your level until the focus is stag- avoid the wars demanded by others, Regrettably, these
gered. pagus are often still called into conflict as they must
habitually defend their lands from outsiders, often their
Epic Feat: If your focus makes a critical hit on you, own kind.
your critical range against your focus increases Pagus have no concept of godhead. The pagus of
by +2 (total +3) until you score a critical (then it Kakodomania fear and worship Mengus and the
reverts back to +1 until it scores a critical again. shemjaza as powerful beings much stronger than
themselves, and the same with the hordes of Apocrypha
for their death dragon masters, but there is no
The pagus emerged over a single night during the age apprehension of divinity in this adoration, merely the
100 of Terros—the era before man when fae and dragon
reigned unopposed. When the black gate of Ixindar
deference of a bully for an even greater bully. Even
free pagus continue this tendency, holding warleaders
drifted over the sky on its arrival, the whisper of and the few pagus elders (usually the two are
Mengus corrupted a million fae to its cause. They synonymous) in almost fawning esteem. A few free
abandoned their families and friends. Most of these pagus who fall in with more open-minded fae will turn
tainted creatures were chaparran, though no part of half-heartedly to the worship of Berufu, but those few
faekind was left unspoiled. They vanished on an pagus who become truly devoted members of a religion
unspoken pilgrimage to the land where Ixindar finally tend to favor human religions – usually Islam (the tenet
settled. of absolute submission before God being a comforting
Loved ones that followed who had not heard the familiarity for them), but there have been reports of at
whisper were killed by their own corrupted families or least a few pagus Buddhists who, by abandoning all
cursed themselves. When finally emerging in their worldly attachment, have managed to abandon the
initial raids against their ancestors centuries later, the brutality and rage that is the pagus’ birthright.
fae no longer resembled the peoples they escaped from. Most travelers upon encountering roaming pagus in
They had grown in muscle. They had lost their hair. Canam immediately assume an impending bloody
Their skin had grown pale. They looked nearly encounter. This is a proper and entirely warranted
identical to each other and shared a single disposition, assumption. The number of enlightened and peaceful
pagus is miniscule, and they are seldom seen wandering
on open roads. Every fae people has sworn to their the old fae are their ears—still pointed, but short and
destruction and will not stop to consider whether the flush to their heads. Although pagus don't appear
target of their ire be redeemed, although those who "stretched" like laudenians, they still look thin given
travel with companions of the ‘civilized’ fae are usually their height. They are muscular but not well built like
given the benefit of the doubt. While non-fae like the shorter narros. This is deceptive, as the pagus are
humans and kodiaks don't always reflect this racial among the strongest fae. The arms of a pagus dangle
hatred, they all know to beware of the pagus. To see nearly to his knees.
one is to assume combat; to see more is a portent to Pagus are completely hairless, and there is no sexual 101
invasion. dimorphism, with females as strong and as violent as the
In Canam, the vast majority of pagus currently live males.
in the landlocked region of Apocrypha. As creatures of Pagus have strong but animalistic senses of smell,
syntropy, they find the overwhelming chaos of nature hearing, and sight, but they do not process them sepa-
distasteful and generally avoid mountains and large rately as most creatures do; instead, all perceptions are
bodies of water. This has kept them sealed in this fed directly into the centers of the pagus’ brain that
region for centuries. Pagus that are found outside this control their instincts. This strange synthaesia allows
are often raiding bands free from the will of Ixindar. pagus to seem to be able to see in perfect darkness, de-
They may also be expeditions seeking a safe route from tect even magically silenced enemies behind them, and
Apocrypha. The enemies of pagus seldom ask for track by scent creatures that normally leave no trail. It
details. It is unknown how many civilized pagus have is not possible for them to relay this information to oth-
lost their opportunity to develop because of this. ers, however, as they are incapable of processing it in-
Physical Qualities: Pagus are taller than most men, tellectually: all they can do is react to the stimulus.
looming over all other fae save laudenians. Pagus have Playing a Pagus: Pagus are the best species to play as
pale, cracked skin marked with raised veins and bruises they are committed and single-minded warmongers.
from rapid aging. The only recognizable feature from There is no strategy when dealing with a pagus. You
 However, if the group is populated by noble warriors,
an initial encounter should be established (if not fully
played out). Kodiaks carry no inherent grudge with
pagus nor do tilen or even most humans outside of
Abidan, but all other fae are more inclined to decapitate
first and ask questions later. This generally prevents
pagus from being encountered alone in a tavern.
Once the pleasantries of introductions have passed,
a pagus can be a fierce and effective (as well as loyal)
contributor to a party.
Names: Pagus speak a guttural language assembled
from other fae tongues. Paggin borrows heavily from
narroni and chaparran into a patois mixed with the
shemjaza tongue of ignotan. This language forms the
basis of their names, despite that pagus are forbidden to
speak pure paggin in any village controlled or
influenced by Mengus. Pagus place their given names
at the end and their clan names at the beginning,
forming it into a single title broken by clicks and glottal
stops. Outside of pagus villages, these additional names
are dropped in favor of a more fearful title like Manik
the Malign and Kallis the Monster.
Examples: Alik'asti-Kross, Bagga’kes-Naga, Ghraal-
Shotek, Manik'kalik-Manik, Monko'Kallis, Zakka’
shoon-Kagin

Conan Veitch was a strong advocate

for pagus being influenced by certain
MMA fighters, exclusively those with
abnormal reach. I had started with Na-
than Jones, but Conan insisted on Stefan
Struve. He won, and my idea turned into the
half-pagus. In the 3.5 OGL Amethyst, we
introduced the idea that pagus get stronger as
they got older, playing with the old senility
rules in that edition. It is something I still
endorse in games without “aging rules”. So if
a GM wishes to make a powerful pagus as an
important villain, simply make him older.
They can grow wise or insane as they age, but
102 regardless, they always get stronger. In the
monster section later in the book, there is a
guide for equating levels to how old a pagus is,
but this is not set in stone. A pagus player can
still be young and high level.

point him in a direction, let him go, and keep your

distance.
A pagus joining a party has an uphill journey.
Where the tilen are unjustly pigeonholed as predators,
the pagus’ reputation has been well earned. Creating a
pagus character must begin with an origin. Where was
this pagus born and how did he reach this point in life?
If joining an evil party, no explanation is required.
TENENBRI Adventurer Feat: Recovering from piezo scream is
On the far side of the wall, Mustafarnis could feel the hu- now a hard save ends, 16+. Targets also suffer
man construction machines shoring up the barrier. She damage (1st level—2d4, 3rd level—2d8, 5th
had no doubt that she could climb it faster than the snip- level—4d6, 7th level—6d6, 9th level—10d6.
ers atop the wall could react to her presence – they had
not seen her come this far, after all, and they were accus- Champion Feat: You can increase the range of piezo
tomed to watch the forest line rather than the base of the scream, affecting up to three additional nearby
wall – but such was not her intent. The men in Limshau targets of your choosing.
had said there were secret entrances, and none could find
a secret better than a tenenbri. Patiently, she traversed
the wall, feeling the vibrations from the machines through Many human cultures have tales of wicked creatures
her hand and training her brain to ignore them, focusing that live beneath the Earth, but all of them differ
all her attention onto her feet. drastically on the particulars. As with most elements of
There! A tiny opening, barely wider than a sewer human mythology derived from the age of Terros, it
grate, but no trouble for a slim fae to slip through. She bears only a passing resemblance to reality.
made her way unerringly through the many branching The tenenbri mark a point in fae history where the
tunnels until she emerged once more into the light, her naiveté of free-thinking fae was stained with bloody
sightless eyes unblinking. She lingered in the shadows civil conflict. The tenenbri live underground, but
until an unobservant peasant wearing a conical straw hat unlike the similarly subterranean narros, they seldom
wandered near the alley where she lurked, and then return to the surface: only one of many points on which
emerged wearing his hat and tying a strip of silk torn from they differ from their cousins. Although both share
his sleeve across her eyes. some common heritage and religious beliefs, the two
Taking care to deliberately stumble every few feet as peoples oppose each other on many fundamental values
she tapped along the street with her sword-cane, Musta- and had already been involved in smaller ethnic clashes
farnis waylaid a passing yoriki and spoke in perfect, unac- by the time the pagus arrived. After the War of the
cented Sinitic: “Excuse me, but can you tell me where to Fallen—the conflict between the fae and pagus—had
find David Chen’s bookshop?” defused from immediate fear to daily concern, the
_______________________________________________ clashes between the narros and tenenbri resumed.
The narros are a much older people than the tenenbri,
Average Height: 4’5”-5’3” having broken directly from the laudenians, while the
Average Weight: 50-75 lb. tenenbri branched later from damaskans. Tenenbri are
Average Starting Age: 55 years. in many ways more fanatically religious than the narros
Estimated Life Expectancy: 500 years and worship the same god, Oaken. However, tenenbri
Bonus Language: Tenenbra differ on interpretation and several fundamental beliefs,
including the approach to daily rituals, the formation of
+2 Charisma or +2 Wisdom culture and government, and their views of those not
sharing their beliefs.
BLINDSIGHT The focal-point of conflict in the previous age
You are blind but gain an extrasensory ability to com- revolved around the ownership of the Well of
pensate. You cannot read with blindsight, but you can Salvation—a holy monument to all that worship Oaken.
read Pleroma--its glowing words illuminate even those The well, a smooth, naturally-formed circular pit 345
who cannot see. You are immune to being blinded. feet wide and 1.25 miles deep, was said to have been
Invisible opponents gain no advantage over you; you formed by Oaken to be his voice. He commanded the 103
don’t suffer any penalties attacking invisible targets. fae to emerge into existence from this very mouth.
Naturally formed steps allowed a long and dangerous
PIEZO SCREAM (RACIAL POWER) trek to the flat and featureless bottom. Only the most
Once a battle, you can emit a high-pitched scream to devout narros were allowed to make the pilgrimage to
disorientate or damage enemies. its base. The well carried a breath of cold, moist air that
Target: All engaged enemies continuously spilled from its mouth, felt by believer
Attack: Ability + Level vs. MD and unbeliever alike that lined the perimeter. Suicide
Hit: The target is dazed . was an unfortunate common side-effect of the experi-
Special: When you create your character, choose ence (history does not relate whether this was
Constitution, Strength, or Wisdom for the key ability for considered a theological problem or a sociological one).
piezo scream. This choice remains throughout your The narros, long before the tenenbri had even been
character’s life. formed, forged the great surface city of Antok to serve
as the haven for all religious fae that endorsed Oaken as
their creator and savior. One of the basic
commandments of Oaken passed by the Antok
cardinals was that no fae was to dig deeper than the
depth of the pit. It was this sin the tenenbri had
 committed, and had done so willingly and repeatedly. bonding and even consorting outside their species is
While the tenenbri claimed they had already embraced strictly prohibited, although this runs entirely counter to
the darkness when this occurred, the narros contend the most tenenbri’s natural preferences.
tenenbri lost their eyes and their desire for daylight the Everything about their culture is a consequence of
moment they affronted their god. them losing their sight. The tenenbri are far and away
The smaller conflicts that broke out over minor the loudest fae one will ever encounter on any conti-
religious disagreements continued until a tenenbri nent. Keeping one’s voice low is considered impolite in
cardinal, Nihilochrysis, founded the Enos movement—a their society, and whispering is downright rude; any sort
subset of tenenbri dogma that revolved around the guilt of hand gesture, though not difficult for a tenenbri to
of being cast down by Oaken for the sin of digging too perceive thanks to their ability to feel air currents, is
deep. This differed from standard doctrine that seen as a deliberate snub. They stamp their feet when
claimed the tenenbri were a master race and the only they walk (as long as they are not trying to sneak up on
ones with the right to venture into God's sworn land. an enemy) and are constantly performing tiny non-vocal
Thousands of followers of Enos, including sounds, such as snapping fingers, clicking tongues, or
Nihilochrysis, marched upon Antok on pilgrimage with whistling through their teeth even when not speaking;
the peaceful intent of praying alongside their narros they also indicate that they are still listening through a
cousins, but the guards of Antok, on orders from the variety of non-articulate vocalizations, sometimes
religious hierarchy, prohibited the tenenbri's entrance. overlapping with their interlocutor.
The fall of the Hammer precludes an accurate Additionally, tenenbri don't rate physically
account of history, but what is known is that this refusal attractiveness the same as those with normal vision.
sparked a crusade, despite the peaceful intent of the Perfect bodies with perfect skin are boring to them.
original pilgrims. When the battles had ceased, the They find imperfections and physical flaws attractive,
tenenbri were in control of Antok, and some say that especially if they are natural or from accidental injury.
they survived the Hammer’s fall not by passing through Tattoos are worthless to them. Scars from combat or
Attricana but by hiding within the Well. By some mira- labor, missing digits, or simply hereditary features that
cle, the Well also reemerged into the new era, and the are different from the norm are naturally attractive, an
tenenbri and narros of Southam are now locked in a aspect the religious elite have been trying to train their
bitter struggle over the possession of the holy city of people to reject. Since there are few humans in
Antok. Southam and the majority of non-tenenbri peoples are
The dominant tenenbri faith holds that they are in open war, it's an easy law to enforce. When the
Oaken’s chosen people, all other fae having been failed tenenbri escape from their land and venture north into
experiments suitable only to serve the tenenbri. Canam, this often changes. Outcast tenenbri have
Exactly how humans, coming after the fae as they do, fit bonded with a variety of fae and non-fae, from humans
into this worldview is a matter of some theological and pagus, to oggraks and kodiaks. The rare cases
debate which most tenenbri resolve by simply when tenenbri marry outside their race are often
categorizing humans as unusually articulate animals. described as avidly passionate. Other words to describe
The tenenbri are passionate about whatever beliefs them in a relationship are hot-blooded, fiery, and
they hold and show their emotions visibly. Their faith, lustful.
while self-aggrandizing and xenophobic, is neither evil No one is sure how many tenenbri there are but
nor overwhelmingly corrupt, but is also rarely seen out- estimations place them between three and six million,
side of Southam. The Enos movement, though over ninety-eight percent of which live in the
sparking a campaign that cost thousands of lives, never mountains of Southam.
104 endorsed the use of violence in aggression, though its
tenets do not preclude fighting to defend one’s beliefs.
Physical Qualities: In size, build, and general
features, tenenbri are almost identical to damaskans,
The few tenenbri that don't follow a specific belief albeit slightly shorter. However, their entire race is
system or are not fanatical about their faith are still blind. Their eyes are glossed over; irises are faded to
notorious for being stubborn and close-minded about near nothing, concealed under cataracts. The slightest
what they consider to be true. They are demonstrative light reflects a glint off the back of their corneas,
with their preconceptions, and will often volunteer shimmering with a white glow in direct illumination.
them freely even if not asked. Tenenbri honesty comes Their deathly pale skin feels cool to the touch and
from their natural ability to detect deception and tastes salty, a sign in humans of cystic fibrosis, a
hidden emotions in others. Like the narros, tenenbri condition the tenenbri would all probably suffer from if
bury their dead in stone. magic did not suppress the gene in their body. Their
Tenenbri are astoundingly selfish most of the time, long ears respond to vibrations in the air, detecting
thinking only of themselves or the group they travel movement in total darkness, and like the damaskans,
with. While they often go to even suicidal extremes to their ears are prone to twitch depending on their
protect their loved ones, the same individual might emotional state. Though their enhanced hearing
callously allow someone unknown to them to perish greatly assists them, it is their connection to the ground
because it simply wasn’t their business. In closed that offers them the greatest awareness of their
tenenbri communities like the kingdom of Vanaka, surroundings. Even though the tenenbri have no vision
105
 to speak of, they still maintain a surprisingly high level develop a taste for knife throwing or small, powerful
of personal grooming. Their clothing is rarely overtly spring-loaded crossbows.
ostentatious, as their aesthetic sense is attuned to Regardless of their natural proclivities, a tenenbri
texture rather than color: what to a tenenbri may seem willingly sworn into a group of adventurers will seldom
like an outrageous costume is quite often puritanically steal from them or betray their trust. However, a
plain to others. tenenbri may invite trouble with her very presence be-
Playing a Tenenbri: Tenenbri are the best species to cause of her exotic appearance and unnerving behavior.
play because they have a single feature that sets them If not, she is likely to cause a stir the moment she starts
apart from all others; they can see without seeing. They talking: tenenbri are the most opinionated and
can feel the beating hearts of those around them. They demonstrative of all fae and have even less patience for
can notice enemies while all others are helpless. They tact and diplomacy than damaskans.
look through walls, through crowds, and through deceit. Names: Tenenbri have no use for family names;
They are bizarre and graceful without the petty naiveté they have only one name, using phonemic similarity to
that so many other fae exhibit. denote relation. For example, two names like
Tenenbri outside of Southam are often outcasts. Sharajaclypse and Lamaclypse, the ending ‘-clypse’
Some communities are so fanatical that even talking to denotes their genetic similarity. The common syllable
a non-tenenbri may exact banishment, and even among may occur at any point in the name: siblings usually
more moderate societies expulsion is the preferred have the same sound on the same syllable, but the rules
punishment for most serious offenses (unorthodoxy for other relations are byzantine and only make sense to
being considered a serious offense by most). Virtually tenenbri. Most children are raised in communal crèches
all tenenbri found in Canam are those who have been and some tenenbri children don't even know who their
exiled from Southam, usually for rejecting the dominant parents are (tenenbra has no generic terms for family
belief that the tenenbri are a master race others should members in any case, everyone being addressed by
serve. Even though the tenenbri would be valuable in name). In larger cities, this is not always the case.
mines, most narros refuse to employ them, though gim- Examples: Sianodell, Mianodell, Farianoda (These
fen have no such prejudices except insofar as a tenenbri would mark similar genetic markings based on the
in a gimfen community would have to be kept away "iano" in their names. Sian and Mian may be sisters but
from sensitive equipment that can’t be shielded. Fari could be an uncle or cousin), Mazicalatte, Rana-
Canamite tenenbri find surprising acceptance in echan sorrei, Tepsidra.
human kingdoms, considering the treatment that
humans are subjected to in Southam. Limshau finds The tenenbri are my personal favor-
the tenenbri braille books fascinating additions to their ites, so it annoys me that they come
collection and will always allow a tenenbri to settle from the wrong continent (so I always
within their borders. have to come up with a contrived ex-
The narros, of course, still hold a grudge, with the
majority of the narros judging the tenenbri as
planation for using them). I've always
dishonorable and untrustworthy. Unsurprisingly, narros been keen on the 'blind warrior' archetype, alt-
and tenenbri are almost polar opposites in their hough I wasn't introduced to the popular
mentalities. Where the narros take pride in their "Zatouichi" character until relatively recently.
discipline and military might, tenenbri play life loose,
letting their emotions carry them; as warriors, they In the next expansion, there is some
employ stealth and trickery more than a daunting shield explanation why the tenenbri are ap-
106 wall. Tenenbri prefer talking their way out of fights or
finding a way to trick two enemies into killing each
parently absent from Canam. They
aren’t. To summarize, humans aren’t the
other. Their extraordinary hearing and vibration
sensitivity have allowed them an impeccable awareness only creatures fleeing from the south. Beyond
of people’s intents. Tenenbri are considered extremely slavers and predatory oggraks, many just wish
exotic and many humans get tongue-tied when dealing to escape the tenenbri/narros war engulfing
with them, for while most fae are merely uncomfortably the continent. Boats landing on southern
honest, tenenbri can casually identify when someone is shores of Canam are actually relatively com-
not telling the whole truth and are not shy about telling mon. Librarians and custodians from Limshau
the world.
have been known to travel to south, offering
Tenenbri have little use for armor, preferring to
strike from the shadows and then retreat before an sanctuary and passage back to the kingdom.
enemy has the opportunity to target them. They favor Many in the south don’t know of the situation
light short blades, easily manipulated in tunnel fighting; up north and many fae immigrants land in
tenenbri travelers, freed from the constraints of the Baruch Malkut, unaware of the hell awaiting
underground, frequently adopt walking sticks with them.
concealed blades, easily drawn and easily stowed. They
do not care overmuch for ranged weapons, though some
TILEN BLOOD SURGE (RACIAL POWER)
Kinien had told her there was nothing to it: just stare at Out of necessity, but still filled with trepidation, you
them with wide eyes, smile, laugh at their jokes, and they drain the blood of a target to heal your wounds. Once
would be putty in her hands. But Kinien wasn’t here, and per battle, you can make the following attack on a target
Sallah was becoming increasingly nervous surrounded by Target: One living creature
the three drunken aristocrats. She flinched as one of Attack: Ability + Level vs. MD. If you miss, you
them put his arm around her bare shoulders, his fingers regain the use of blood surge.
questing for the neckline of her elaborate dress. She Hit: You grab the target. Spend a recovery. The
fended him off with a forced coquettish giggle, and shud- target takes damage equal to your full recovery value.
dered inwardly as she smelled the jealousy rising in the You recover hit points equal to the damage inflicted. If
others. At this rate, they would start fighting over her no the target is willing, you inflict half damage and you
matter who she chose to dance with. She didn’t think she regain 1.5times your recovery value.
could handle that… the shouting, the acrid smell of sweat, Special: When you create your character, choose
the blood pounding in the brawlers’ hearts, the sweet, Strength or Dexterity for the key ability for blood surge.
delicious blood she just couldn’t help but imagine how it This choice remains throughout your character’s life.
tasted how it felt she wanted it NOW… the tips of her
Adventurer Feat: You can reverse your power, in-
teeth pricked her tongue and she realized what she was
flicting damage upon yourself to heal the target.
doing, hurriedly chastising herself. She had always been
You can control the amount of damage dealt:
more sensitive than her brother; why wasn’t he here to
even though you are willing, hit point recovery is
keep her in line? As she sat there miserably, feigning
1:1 rather than 2:1.
smiles and wondering how to extricate herself from the
trio of boors, a fourth man broke away from the crowd
on the dance floor and came toward her. Sallah looked Champion Feat: Instead of healing damage, hit points
up at him as he held out his hand – one of her gallants you gain through blood surge can be temporary
looked like he was going to object, then recognized the hit points. You choose which when you use the
newcomer and decided against it. Her breath caught in power.
her throat. This man smelled nice… very nice. She found
herself unconsciously glancing at his neck, and forced her- Epic Feat: You gain a second use of blood surge per
self to look up into his limpid blue eyes. battle.
“May I have the pleasure of this dance, mademoiselle?”
he asked. “Ah…” Sallah stammered, and then smiled gen-
uinely. “Of course, milord.” The tilen are scions of an ancient evil dating back to the
First War. They descend from the servants and con-
_______________________________________________
sorts of the Lords of Death, ghulath in the tongue of the
ancient fae, who discovered how to take Ixindar’s power
(These traits do not apply to the elder tilen, who are
for themselves and used it to create unspeakable un-
substantially more powerful and are not suitable as
dead horrors that served only their own selfish whims,
player characters)
and not the whisper of Mengus. The ghulath and their
Average Height: 5’8” – 6’4”
spawn walked the nights of Terros and used their mes-
Average Weight: 45-70 lbs.
meric powers and colossal strength to drain the blood of
Average Starting Age: 30 years
the living to sustain their wicked unlife. When Attrica-
Estimated Life Expectancy: 600 years
na reopened in the modern age, some of these unwilling
Bonus Languages: Two human languages, one fae
slaves found their souls returned to them, and ever
language.
since they and their children have struggled to throw off 107
the shackles of their dark legacy and return to the light.
+2 Wisdom or +2 Dexterity
The birth and history of the tilen is marred with
pain, suffering, and mystery. How they came to cherish
REDUCED HEALING life from origins steeped in evil points to the tenacity of
You recover only half the normal hit points from recov- their spirit. The details of their curse and crusade for
eries and other healing effects. Your recovery value is redemption are known only to a few, and they rarely
not changed, and temporary hit points are unaffected. speak of the past. Before the time of man, when the
war with the dark forces of Ixindar was sweeping the
VAMPIRIC REMNANTS planet, a group of corrupted rebels created a land that
When you get emotional in any way (in battle, when refused to follow either path. They embraced the
angered, or in passion), old vampiric traits emerge: your negative energy of Ixindar but believed that death was
eyes glow and your incisors extend. When in this state, the true gateway to everlasting power. Among these
you gain a +2 bonus to intimidation checks but suffer a insurgents appeared the initial lords of decay, the
-4 penalty to diplomacy. ghulath (creatures of darkness that have gone by dozens
of names throughout human history: draugr, vrykolakas,
chupacabra, vampire). They created armies of mindless
 undead and forged a kingdom to call their own. They throughout their history, only one has ever fallen back
were despised by both sides. Requiring servants, allies, to darkness, and that only temporarily. Tilen both fear
slaves, and lovers, these initial lords brought others into and despise undead and many of them have vowed to
their fold. These disciples were horribly corrupted to remove from the Earth all mindless mockeries of life.
the wicked will of their seducer. Ghulath may be They consider necromancers, nihilimancers, and their
creatures of the night, barred from the land of the old ghulath masters sworn enemies.
living, but they never actually died. Like all the forces There are less than 10,000 tilen in the world but
of Ixindar, the ghulath lords and their kin hid within the with their appealing nature and hospitality to outsiders,
realm past the black gate, waiting for the opportunity to their numbers are beginning to grow.
be brought to solid form again. Upon their return, they
found a world very different from the last. They Consider this; the majority of tilen born are females, all tall,
beautiful, without blemish or wrinkle, not an ounce of fat on
claimed their own patch of grass and soaked it with them. Exotic and rare with both a chill and a warmth for
blood, starting the infection known as the Necrosea. every desire, you could scour every royal line and not find
Their devotees followed their lords in their crusade such fortune in gaining one’s favor.
to forge an army of death to even rival Kakodomania. I will not repeat the misguided and insufferable opinions
They were expecting neither the white gate to burst of those wishing their demise. I am simply asking the ques-
open nor the effect of its flood across the world. When tions that sit on so many of our lips. Look at the facts:
the white gate returned, a deluge swept over the Earth. A) Tilen produce offspring more successfully with non-
tilen than themselves.
Records are vague on specifics, but the wave changed B) Their offspring are always tilen. Sure they may have
everything, sending the armies of Ixindar back into the other’s hair or cheeks but the resulting race is still the
their realm of Kakodomania and destroying the undead same.
hordes where they stood. It forced the ghulath to C) In the centuries they have lived in this age, tilen show
rebuild, but they would do it alone. When the flow of no signs of creating a descendant species like the other fae.
Attricana hit their loyal spawn, those who were not I can figure two possibilities out of this. The first is that
destroyed were forced back into the light. Those tilen have been placed on the planet to save the fae from
turning into monsters. If tilen truly look the closest to the
minions taken from Kakodomania and the ghulath lords
original fae like some, including them, claim, then this is a
themselves were unaffected, being willingly bound to path to saving the fae species in its entirety. Second, this is
Ixindar, but a precious few of those taken against their the nefarious plot by evil hands to wipe out the fae, and hu-
will awoke from their feral existence and remembered manity as well, by seducing them all into producing a singular
their lives. Many died trying to escape the darklands. species of tilen with no others. With only tilen, their popula-
The remaining survivors vanished from the sight of tion growth would grind to a crawl and they would potential
man or fae, but their determination allowed them to decline to extinction given enough time. As they were once
endure. These individuals became known as the elder creatures of darkness, this theory may have some weight,
making the tilen one of the most gilded plagues in all of the
tilen. They were the most powerful and the most history.
shamed over past sins. Their children would resemble I want to make clear this does not make them all evil. I
them, but exhibited only a pale imitation of their personally believe the tilen may be innocent in this conspira-
power. Elder tilen never die, only able to leave this cy. It would not serve the forces of evil to make them all
planet through an accident or through the brutality of a deceitful for the truth would eventually be revealed. Tilen
deliberate death by another’s hands. They are would have no control over their desires. It’s natural as it is
psychologically incapable of taking their own lives. in all of us, to find companionship, to seed a further genera-
tion with your offspring. How could they be blamed for
This curse of immortality is not shared by their wishing what we all wish? I truthfully believe that if this mat-
descendants. ter is ignored, the tilen could be the only civilized people left
108 Tilen don’t need blood to survive, but it is the only in the world.
way they can heal major wounds since the natural
regenerative rate of their own body is impeded by the Logan Markus
necrotic power of their heritage. They are extremely Public Address (before his forced retirement), Kannos
sensitive and avoid violence when they can, both for
moral reasons and because the numbers of their species Physical Qualities: Like their vampiric forebears,
are so few. Pairings between tilen are almost always tilen have pale skin (though without the pallor of
childless, with a birth rate of only three percent. This unlife), faintly prominent canines, and a sensitivity to
rises nearly twelve percent when bonding with a non- light: they also cast no reflection and only weak
tilen (there are no half-tilen: the child of a mixed union shadows. They are generally thin, almost frail, but their
is always a pureblooded tilen). Their bonding ritual is a strength is deceptive given their slender bodies. The
passionate and extended kiss that nearly suffocates the elder tilen came from every fae species and retain their
non-tilen partner. original basic forms, but all their descendants now have
Most tilen are nomadic, hiding from the light and the same basic physique regardless of their lineage.
judgmental outsiders. They spend most of their time This fact has brought accusations of corruption—
fighting against their own untamed natures, believing believers claiming the tilen were intentionally released
themselves one step from regressing back to the by the darkness to convert the planet to their form.
undead. They carry that fear to this day, though Tilen age at nearly the same rate as humans, reaching
 109

maturity in their twenties but then remaining in that and attire, reflecting brilliant greens, blue, and even
state for nearly 200 years before slowly aging, though orange. Their eyes often expose a tilen’s presence from
never appearing older than 50 human years. Their skin across a crowded room, as their radiance bursts from the
is cool to the touch but not cold, dry, or cracked. Their shadows where they frequently try to hide. Though
hair is usually bleached gold or white, often streaked passionate and kind creatures in general, tilen are
with silver. Their ears taper long and straight up, incapable of crying. The majority of tilen are female
though the edges tend to become jagged with age. and are on average taller than the males.
Their eyes stand out from their monochromatic skin
 When tilen get profoundly excited, stressed or have no native martial traditions. If forced to fight, they
angered, their ghulath traits become more exposed. prefer heavier armor and reach weaponry, or better still,
Their eyes glow bright red or yellow, their upper canine crossbows or magic, the better to minimize the chance
teeth sharpen and extend nearly to their lower gums, of injury.
and their nails grow long, sharp and strong. They Tilen are emotional and expressive but rarely lose
despise showing this side of themselves, especially to control of their facilities. Even when they do, their fear
those they care about. of a relapse that will turn them back to darkness is
Tilen claim the uniformity of Ixindar resulted in a strong enough to prevent them from doing anything
shape closer to the original fae. Many laudenians and truly heinous. They loathe exposing their ghulath
chaparrans view this as an insult, since each claims their traits: it unmasks them, and tilen fear that, if others
own form to be direct descendants of the original stock. were to see them in that state, it would cause a violent
The narros and tenenbri never made an official stand on reaction and endanger them and those they care about.
the matter, but secretly disapprove of the tilen claim. Living so close to the specter of death, they are not only
Most humans don’t understand why this matters to the driven to survive, but have a pathological abhorrence of
fae: gimfen know why it matters, but simply don’t care. causing an unnecessary death.
The tilen don’t assert arrogance or superiority with their Among allies, friends, or family, tilen are open,
contention—in their view, it is only common sense. honest, gentle, and fiercely loyal. Once they establish a
Playing a Tilen: Tilen are the best people to play bond in any form, they honor and relish such
because their colorful heritage will encourage role attachment, knowing perfectly well how rare they are
playing outside of combat. They are the best choice when images of tilen can be seen on so many city walls
because they are the fewest on the planet. When a tilen proclaiming them to be demons from a wide range of
enters a crowded room, they are the only ones of their legends and religious books.
kind in it, and heads will turn. They are a double- As religion is usually used as an excuse for expelling
edged sword because of their dark past and kind nature. them from a community, most tilen have a healthy
In the end, such a rich palette will create a more distrust for any organized faith. This is more
interesting character to play. pronounced with human religions, as the fae faiths have
A tilen player character must accept that their no concept of ‘hell’ or ‘demons’ beyond the very real
species is stigmatized as much as the tenenbri – in some embodiments of Kakodomania, but even so, the tilen
cases, even as much as the pagus. Tilen are executed always harbor a suspicion that any gods they might pray
on sight in some nations in the world (not just in Baruch to do not want them. Those who still yearn for the
Malkut, where all fae run this risk). They usually keep sacred tend to be drawn to religions that are more
to themselves and seldom advertise their presence philosophy than faith; Buddhism in particular has a
outside their own villages. Though almost entirely moderate following among tilen. Of course, those who
benign and peaceful, tilen suffer greatly at the hands of integrate into another society will adopt the customs
others. Most fae avoid the tilen and several human and religion of their adopted home—until such time as
villages openly hunt them. Despite this, tilen numbers that religion is turned against them.
continue to rise, as their demure nature and statuesque Names: The first tilen elders adopted new names
good looks are distinctly appealing, especially to when they were pulled back into the light, mostly
humans—which in turn often provokes others (mostly human-inspired, to sever their connection with the past.
humans as well) to accuse them of being evil tempters Their descendants continue the trend, usually choosing
and servants of darkness, planning a clandestine a new name when they enter a new community (a
campaign to destroy all children of God by breeding useful practice, given their propensity for being driven
110 them out. They regard the tilen as demon masters of
seduction—modern day succubae and incubae—whose
out of town for perceived offenses). There is no con-
sistent naming scheme among tilen, as they have no
only purpose is to tempt men away from chaste and native language of their own, usually adopting that of
loyal human marriages, to produce an army of cambion the nearest community for their day-to-day business.
half-breeds. More than 85% of all tilen are female, Examples: Azula Jaheer, Lhamah Cyrose, Mira Die-
which does not help this growing stereotype. Never- masko, Naga Sorenti, Saleena Kaeris, Zacheria Korvek
theless, tilen continue to live their lives, willingly
offering the hand of friendship at the risk of having said Tilen began with a single character, Sa-
hand removed. leena Kaaris, and the race expanded
Tilen have little culture of their own. Their desire around her. She was pulled from a much
for acceptance makes them quick to adopt the customs
older campaign I ran from the 90s called
of whatever community is willing to welcome them.
Contrary to the traditional view of vampires as beings of
Terminals—about parallel realities collapsing
consummate style, tilen on their own will often adopt in on each other—and created the tilen to jus-
drab, unassuming clothing, preferably covering as much tify her introduction. This was years before
skin as possible to prevent sunburn, often adopting the vampire craze took off and I considered
wide-brimmed hats, deep-hooded cloaks, or veils for removing them before the 4E edition.
good measure. Being deeply opposed to violence, they
NON-FAE RACES Evolution is the adaptation of a natural animal to its
environment. Further generations of a species may not
HUMANS necessarily be superior, but those that survive would be
“I do not understand, Nejima-san,” said the damaskan better suited to their surroundings with an advantage
child, her lip curling in distaste. “What is the purpose of over the competition. This process eventually resulted
this exercise, if it is not combat training?” in humanity – with no signs that evolution has ceased.
Nejima sighed and adjusted the straps on his boxing The fae continue to adapt to their surroundings as well,
gloves. “It’s many things, Denka-chan,” he explained. “I but their development degrades their form, making
find it serves me better than meditating for clearing the them more animalistic and feral. Even the laudenians,
mind.” the most magically endowed of all fae, fled to the skies
The little girl shook her head. “But, if you hurt some- to prevent degradation. Some humans, especially those
one—or if you get hurt—” Nejima smiled. “That’s part of echa, firmly believe mankind’s turn to magic will be
of the fun,” he said. “You have to focus on your oppo- the key to their final path to perfection, able to master
nent so you don’t get hit, and if you do you have to condi- the world of enchantment in all its forms while fae
tion yourself so you don’t feel it, and you have to trust continue to be slaves to it. Since only humanity has 111
that he’ll do the same. It’s almost spiritual, when you arisen with any notable footprint as an evolved species,
think about it.” they are the only ones listed, however broken into two
The elf still did not seem convinced. “But… but... groups: echan humans and techan humans. Though
Men… touching!” she stammered. “And in shiny under- humanity is still the most numerous intelligent species
wear!” on the planet, less than 400 million humans live today,
Nejima looked at the child’s red-faced visage for a many of them outside of bastions.
moment, and then burst out laughing. “Yes, well,” he said, Humans emerged millions of years after the last
when he had regained his composure, “Perhaps I should magical creatures escaped or fell to dust. Mankind grew
try to explain again when you’re older.” from hairy apes to the form that walks with pride today.
_______________________________________________ Since their peak in the age of technology, most of the
human population has died off, leaving less than 3% to
(See The 13th Age Roleplaying Game Core Book on rebuild. The origins of this disappearance are not fully
Human Racial Traits) understood; some claim it was natural disasters resulting
Average Starting Age: 20 years from the Second Hammer, others blame the
Estimated Life Expectancy: 80 years encroachment of Kakodomania in the early days of the
gate’s reopening, and there are those who believe that
 mankind had already practically destroyed himself species are found in proximity to the settlement.
through war, pollution, and disease by the time magic Outside of the major human nations, dozens of villages
changed the world. Some escaped into bastions while and communities dotted across Canam and even the
others embraced the ways of magic. Many more were world practice bigotry against the fae ranging from
killed in the first few decades. After five hundred years shunning or enslavement to expulsion or eradication,
of living on their own, mostly xenophobic of outsiders, but there are just as many communities who simply
the citizens of bastions can sometimes be looked upon welcome them with open arms.
in a wholly different light than their magically saturated Humans have maintained most of their old religions,
brethren. Techa-folk often fear magic, claiming it but virtually all religious zealotry disappeared when less
steals their souls or changes them irreparably. The use than 200 million people survived to the new age. They
of magic does change a human: he stops being a quickly banded together, abandoning old bigotries and
creation purely of nature, and his mere existence begins conceits from the old world. The holy lands many
to break down the laws of the known universe just as fought, killed, and died for were gone, and with nearly
the fae do. Techa-folk claim this removes them from all of the ancient sacred relics gone with them, most
the human race. Echa-folk claim this is how man is took this as a sign to live for the betterment of all
supposed to be. They are both wrong, but that’s beside mankind and not die over the buried remnants of
the point. Until magic infuses a human, by embracing forgotten conflicts. Sworn enemies put aside their pasts
it as a mage or accepting its touch in weapon or armor, in favor of rebuilding. Many of them found new
she has a choice whether or not to let the enchantment enemies, as well as new friends, with arriving echan
into her spirit. Once one does, she is borne along with peoples. In this new world, the big five religions
the tide, and it is very difficult to come down from it. survived: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Chinese
Mankind emerged into the new dawn with nothing. Folklore, and Buddhism. They remain the majority by
The old cities were gone. No corporations or an enormous margin. Smaller faiths – Judaism,
organizations, no clubs or allegiances, nothing that Sikhism, Shinto, etc. – appear in certain regions. With
defined mankind as a species, or anchored them to their 95% of humanity eliminated at the dawn of the new
fidelity to god or country, endured. Fragments of the age, the survivors believed that Armageddon either had
old age were scattered in the few ancient ruins that passed or was yet to come. The majority of man, even
somehow endured. Survivors had to set aside their within the bastions, is still controlled by rulers
ignorance and stubbornness. Many refused and died professing a faith in an almighty power. With the
praying for a deliverance that never arrived. Suicide exception of a scant few, most use this belief to lead the
took many in the first few years. Later – when the first people in wisdom and kindness, not in fear and lunacy.
fledging communities encountered the first non- Those embracing echa believe in the gate as a lens of
humans – hostilities followed. their faith and not necessarily a symbol. Faiths
Many more humans fell under the blade in conflicts including a heaven believe it sits beyond the gateway of
they often initiated. A pause in their fear and paranoia Attricana. Those without a heaven (or even a god for
resulted in a stay of annihilation, preventing man’s that matter) believe the gate to be either a reflection of
second near extinction. Eventually, these first nature or a mirror of their own soul.
communities grew enough to sustain themselves. Before the gate opened, the world was divided on
Though nations changed, ethnic groups continued to the origin of man, firmly separated between a scientific
grow. Racism died in the face of other, very real theory and a religious belief. This all changed when
monsters. Bastions formed with wide spectrums of Attricana opened. With this new angle on the world,
color and creed. Some cities (like Angel) did separate many humans faced new facts: the introduction of the
112 regions for specific groups, but this usually came at the
request of the segregated group, wishing to preserve
fae and dragons, and a past world and history unknown
to them. Some elected to believe their dogma accurate
their ancient cultures against the melting pot. Outside despite contradictory evidence, concocting extravagant
of the bastion walls, any remaining propensities for theories claiming the previous age did not exist at all,
racism were usually diverted onto other species. and the new arrivals were demons meant to be
Humans have short memories, and there is nobody repressed or destroyed. Others took these new peoples
alive today who remembers the ancient hatreds and and their similarities as the final proof of divine
conflicts in times before the second Hammer. Few creation, still placing man atop this ladder of progressive
nations advocate hatred of other humans, although superiority. Many older religions did adapt and
techan humans often act superior to outsiders. Echan changed their scripture based on the new world. Some
human nations respond well to each other with Baruch still attempted to use fear to suppress their believers
Malkut being a notable exception. With Darius Konig’s while others took this as an opportunity to start over.
doctrine of Sapien Superiority and their murder and The vast majority of humanity accepts natural selection
enslavement of thousands of fae and humans who don’t as the origin of humanity, whether or not they have in-
share their views, no other human echan kingdom will tegrated it into another belief system.
trade with them. Other nations like Kannos and Abidan Many human languages died within a few
maintain good relations with their surrounding fae generations of the Hammer’s fall. Others merged to
neighbors. Specific diplomatic ties depend on which create new variations. Now only a handful remain.
Surviving vernacular soon divided into regional slangs Without upgrading their technology, techan characters
and patois, becoming recognized languages themselves won’t fare much better than low-level echans.
with distinct lexicons, syntaxes, and phonetic A techan character is a stranger in a strange land. It
pronunciations. Of the major languages, the only ones might be Earth but centuries under the glare of
that survived more or less intact are English, French, Attricana have changed the landscape. Techans leaving
Spanish, and Mandarin Chinese, and most of these are the walls are truly entering a fantasy world for which
relegated to purely academic use in favor of more they have little to no preparation. Some may leave
modern amalgams of a variety of regional languages. willingly while others are forced to because of
English was the dominant language of the world before obligations or because of an obsession that haunts them.
it changed and often the only one that two disparate Some may open their eyes, welcoming the wonder of
groups of survivors would have in common, so most this new world. Others watch with jealousy and
modern languages are hybridized with it. In Canam, resentment. Regardless, techans are loyal to their own
the major dialects are Common English (English kind and don’t often welcome foreigners. While
grammar with additional vocabulary drawn from outside, they miss their refrigerators and computers.
Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, and a variety of indigenous On the other hand, some techans have given up their
tongues, most prevalent in western and northern central heating and televisions to pursue a path of
Canam), Native English/Englo-Lingo (distinct dialects, magic, embracing the new world with a romantic naive-
but both mostly pure English with French and German té, unaware of the horrors awaiting them. Loyal techans
influences, found in eastern Canam), and Onespeak strive for the day when the gates close, orphaning the
(roughly equal parts Spanish and German with some fae to the ravages of the real world, a time where
English influences, the dominant language of southeast mankind could retake the planet as its true inheritors.
Canam). Common English is the lingua franca of the The fae would be forced to escape back into the
human race in Canam and the few ports outside the formless void of dreams and delusions. Those unable
continent that maintain any regular contact, and is the or unwilling to make such a journey would be subject to
language most non-humans pick up when wishing to the harsh reality of natural laws and perish quickly.
communicate with mankind. Techans fear the future of a world where magic reigns
The majority of bastion-born believe mankind uncontested and humanity lives stagnant, in limbo,
earned his right for total dominion of the globe and wait never changing, forever in a fantasy world without
for the day when technology will recover the planet consequences.
again. A few believe in a shared future where Most echan humans have wholly accepted their path
technology can exist side by side with magic, though with no desire to settle within the walls of industry.
with mankind as the true proprietors of the world. They take on magic without worry of the consequences.
In echa, this belief is reversed. While some think They believe techans follow an obsolete conviction,
the new races are intruding and should be eliminated or frantically clinging to a dying mind-set. Echan humans
enslaved, many have embraced the new world, insist this new world is as real as the one that came
considering it the utopia and haven predicted in before and it deserves to exist as much as anything else.
religious texts. Only when the dark hordes and their Those with a faith in the unseen believe it to be the
minions are eliminated and the hell gate closed will this ultimate solution to humanity’s avarice. If man
world truly turn into Eden. continued alone, he would have destroyed the world in
Physical Qualities: Humans continue to be more his greed. With magic and disruption, it keeps mankind
varied than any other civilized race on Earth. They humble and in check—Nature finally striking back for
possess virtually every possible skin color (including a sins committed on its soil. Even those without religion
few that were physically impossible in the old world),
range in height from three feet to a towering seven, are
believe this new world is the proper one. At the very
least, it’s far more interesting. Some just don’t care
113
thin and fat, and sport a variety of hair colors and styles. about the fate of humanity and have turned their back
Since almost every religion and ethnic group is to selfishly embrace the romance and exotic nature of
represented on Canam, a player can select any ethnicity their new neighbors.
of his choosing. It is suggested that upon choosing an Then there are those on either side who simply have
ethnic group, the player takes the time to research the yet to make a choice. It must be stressed that though
unique strengths of said group. millions of humans would be considered ‘echan’ simply
Playing a Human: With such a wide range of because they live in regions that accept the existence of
possibilities, humanity is the best people to play. They magic as a reality of life, only those who actively use or
have the greatest variety of options. In this new world, expose themselves to magic are actually enchanted (and
they have the most to gain (and lose) with the coming thus generate EDF). At the same time, there are plenty
events to follow. In the end, humanity will be the force of so-called techans who hearken after either a simpler
that will decide the fate of the world. life or merely a less predictable one outside the bastion
A player creating a human should first determine his walls.
origin: from a bastion or from the outside world. The Humans often seek excitement for the sheer thrill of
player character choosing a path of technology must it. Some escape their bastions while others dedicate
have access to said technology on a regular basis. themselves to entering one. Humans follow whims and
 dreams more than any other species. They are caught wield or use magic though surrounded by it. The
up on causes while others let things pass. Their short techan or techans also must be careful to keep their
lives force them to condense as much experience as more sensitive gear away from the powerful magic items
possible in a brief span of time. in the group or risk disruption. This problem escalates
Names: Human names continue to evolve today. as levels progress and more powerful technology shorts
Now with the commingling of many ethnic groups, first out more often and more severely, despite the shielding
114 and last names can (and usually do) represent several
cultures. The degree of infusion of Asian blood and
techniques some bastions developed. This struggle
reflects in the rest of the world as well.
languages into the general Canamite population means
that old Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Indian names There should be a lot more Chinese
are as common, if not more so, than those originally of names in the examples, but I'm a lot
European extraction.
less familiar with Chinese than I am
Examples: Chiaki Jones, Kim Jansen, Kiba Hebrus,
Delacroix Lin-Wei, Miranda Okama, Robert Naseen
with Japanese, and I thought that just
Mixed Groups: Of course, one could mix both echan grabbing names at random out of Hong
and techan players together into one group. Why they Kong action films would be in slightly poor
would choose to unite is left up the imaginations of the taste.
players or DM. One idea could be a shared past
between several characters (both raised in Angel, one in David Obatala Chen was inspired by
Genai, the other in the main city), a techan out of place Egg Shen from Big Trouble in Little
in the world or even characters romantically linked.
China. So yeah, there’s that.
Either way, they attempt to survive together, flying in
the face of convention insisting the worlds live apart. In
this situation, the techan must exercise caution and not
KODIAKS allies with knowledge, clothes, tools, and finally
weapons. Better armed, these civilized kodiaks
In light above, I see fires by man and unman. I tell not
overwhelmed their unfortunate rivals, whether they be
apart. They better for sparking fires? I make fire here.
boggs, skeggs, or other kodiaks.
No need to set them to sky. Here they cook and warm.
Almost all kodiaks reside in Northern Canam with a
We thank wood for burning. We plant again to make
grow more. few migrating through the rest of the continent. They
No wood in sky. Man pray fire. Seek fire. Wrong for are virtually unknown elsewhere. Their presence in
this. any non-kodiak community is uncommon; the only
No pray fire, pray wood. Wood better. place in Canam where kodiaks and non-kodiaks
Pray Wood. regularly mingle is in the confederacy of Seliquam, in
_______________________________________________ and around the Dianaso Pass, and even there, most
kodiak bands keep to themselves.
Average Height: 6’4” – 7’2” The kodiak belief system is essentially animist, with
Average Weight: 350 -450 lb. everything in nature having a spirit. Where they differ
Average Starting Age: 15 years. from other animist traditions is that kodiaks do not
Estimated Life Expectancy: 80 years believe that the spirits should be importuned or even
Bonus Language: Argose bothered unnecessarily. Where a human tribal hunter
might give thanks to the spirit of the prey, kodiaks
+2 Strength or +2 Constitution descend from predators higher on the food chain; if they
are able to catch something, that is proof that they
deserve to have caught it, and no thanks to any
IMPOSING BUT CLUMSY noncorporeal power are needed. Their beliefs are more
You suffer a -1 penalty to attack rolls with weapons you a means of explaining natural and supernatural
wield in one hand. You can wield larger weapons; these phenomena to a culture that has no traditions of either
weapons have their damage dice scaled up: science or magic, and they find other species’ notions of
1d6>1d8>1d10>1d12. So a 1d8 spear inflicts 1d10 and a gods and afterlives to be eccentric at best and
greatsword inflicts 1d12. delusional at worst. A few kodiaks who deal
extensively with the narros have converted to the
NATURAL WEAPONS worship of Oaken, but this is uncommon and usually
Your claws are powerful weapons. They deal 1d6 dam- scoffed at by their brethren.
age each level Your claws cannot be enchanted, but can Kodiaks speak in a series of grunts and whimpers
benefit from magic items that grant their enhancement known as Argose; they can manage other languages only
bonus to other items. They are eligible for two weapon with difficulty, and always heavily accented. Few non-
fighting. kodiaks comprehend their language.
Champion Feat: Your claws have their damage dice Physical Qualities: As their name suggests, most
scaled up: 1d6>1d8>1d10>1d12. They also gain kodiaks are derived from northern grizzly bear stock,
+1 bonus to attack (cumulative to a max +3). though there are a few bands whose ancestors must
have interbred with polar bears or black bears from their
Epic Feat: Your claws have their damage dice scaled size and coloring. Kodiaks are enormous, with many
up: 1d6>1d8>1d10>1d12. They also gain +1 towering over seven feet. They are covered from head
bonus to attack (cumulative to a max +3). Their to toe in heavy fur with large eyes and articulate claws.
critical threat range is also increased by +1. Their snouts are shortened to fit a proper mouth that
can articulate speech (albeit not terribly well). It is
nearly impossible to tell a female from a male upon a
115
In the north of Canam, influence from Attricana has cursory examination, or for that matter even distinguish
forced the native bears upright. At first, these creatures one individual from another: kodiaks tell one another
remained lawless. They quarreled amongst themselves apart by smell more than sight. There are a branch of
and raided neighboring communities for food. Even elder shamans revered by the kodiaks as living deities.
today, kodiaks still lack sufficient success at civilized These are not true kodiaks, being proportioned more
society. Most cling to the quest for survival with such like normal bears, with shorter limbs and larger torsos.
an obsession that they care for little else. They also rarely wear clothes or wield weapons.
A band's disposition relies on its leader, dictating Kodiaks only wear layers for protection. If they travel
how the tribe will act and where they will travel. Will too far south, they stop wearing unnecessary clothes,
they hunt or forage? Will they attack or trade? A few except armor. While not dependent on magic to live, as
tribes close to the narros in Fargon or migrating into the fae are, kodiaks are still an inherently echan folk and
sparsely settled lands down the Dianaso pass, disrupt technology just as the fae do. They are also
understanding that their future depended on pushing immune to most, but not all, human ailments, although
past their fear of others, attempted a dialogue. The they can be carriers – but they also have their own
kodiaks developed into trained hunters and farmers. As unique disorders, which can be difficult for a non-
they brought in food, the civilized folk repaid their kodiak physician to even diagnose let alone cure with-
116

out the aid of magic. Kodiaks also retain some vestiges gigantic, bipedal bear. Its roar can be heard from across
of their ancestral hibernation instinct, and although the room. Seeing one in battle fills enemies with dread.
they can easily overcome it, they tend to be sluggish in They are the biggest and the strongest. Who cares
the winter months: however, they also are able to sur- about anything else?
vive on practically no food during that time, having Kodiaks are a rare addition to any adventuring party.
stored up sufficient reserves during the summer and They seldom leave their tribes and when they do find
autumn. themselves thrown together with non-kodiaks, they are
Playing a Kodiak: Kodiaks are the best species; often taken advantage of. Kodiaks may be the strongest
there can be no argument. A kodiak enters the room and most durable, but they are rarely the smartest.
and all eyes turn. Every mouth gulps its drink. Respect There has never been a kodiak wizard mentioned in
is bestowed without knowing anything further. It’s a any book, and even the darawren of Jibaro have only
ever accepted four kodiak druids. They prefer loose- I tend to give kodiaks a disproportion-
fitting armor to heavy plates. They avoid shields and ate amount of attention relative to
relish two-handed weapons, especially heavy clubs and how rare they are in the canon set-
battleaxes. Kodiaks are brought into a party for their ting. In fact, the entire concept of the
strength and not their colorful conversation. They say
little, making others skittish around them. When they
nation of Seliquam was originally born
do associate with outsiders, it's often with other peoples from learning that the Lushootseed name of my
bound to nature (chaparrans being the noteworthy hometown roughly translates to "There Are
example). Other semi-feral species often take a liking Bears Here."
to kodiaks. There have even been a few rumors of
kodiaks taking changelings or nariisa as mates.
No one dares cross a kodiak. They defend their
INTER-SPECIES ROMANCE
friends with violent fervor, building themselves into a Each line of the fae is technically a separate species,
crazed frenzy like a mother bear with a cub. Kodiaks and were it not for magic, they would not be genetically
suffer from low intelligence but should not be compatible with one another. Likewise they are
considered stupid. They are simple and talk in basic genetically incompatible with humans. Magic,
phrases but only speak this way because of apathy however, enables crossbreeding between fae lineages
towards conversation. Kodiaks can’t stand small talk. and even with evolved and spawn races, with varying
They despise politeness and rarely return courtesy. degrees of success. The first issue in fae-human cross-
Words like “please” and “thank you” have no mirror in breeding is time. Fae are generally long lived, imbued
their tongue. A kodiak character has likely left his tribe with an amazing degree of patience. Most fae
because of dishonor or less commonly because of a gestations take more than fourteen months, and their
command or need to wander the world. He may even fertility cycle ranges from one to two years, not monthly
be the last of his family. as with human females. Additionally, many fae refuse
Names: Kodiaks can tell each other apart easily, to take non-fae mates not out of bigotry but fear of
differentiating sex, age, and family line. Because of loneliness. Nearly all fae mate for life and the idea of
this, they have no need for complicated names or family outliving the short lifespan of their mate by hundreds or
titles. They have single names of few syllables, which thousands of years frightens them. However, a strange
are easy to pronounce, and are not usually used within side effect does occur in those rare situations where fae
their own communities. One account claims the bond for life with a shorter-lived species. Throughout
kodiaks only have thirty different actually names they all fae species, the process of pair bonding forces both
continually recycle, but this has never been proven. sides to sacrifice part of their soul to the other. The
Examples: Donan, Goran, Hagga, Koa, Rogan, ceremony, differing with each species, can take less
Warro. than five minutes in a private encounter, to several
Half Kodiak: Kodiaks rarely breed outside their hours or even days in a public venue. The
species. Like humans they can mate with any fae (most consequences are eternal. Humans and fae cannot
commonly with nariisa), but their children will always reproduce with each other without this ceremony. The
be a pureblood fae of the fae parent’s species. Humans bonded souls push past scientific barriers. Humans may
and kodiaks cannot produce children. not be born enchanted creatures, but they instantly
become one when they bond with a fae. Although

117
 bonding is technically not necessary between fae, many include vows but also exchange colored ribbons, sashes,
frown on married couples not bonding (and it does or scarves (depending on family tradition), which the
increase the chances of conception). Though a few married couple wear for life. Limshau custodians
have tried, no one has ever successfully forced a exchange small blades, not much use in combat,
bonding in order to extend one’s life. Both parties must ornately decorated with merging family symbols.
be willing or the procedure can never finalize. Sometimes offering said ribbon or blade is akin to a
Unfortunately, there exists one exception to this marriage proposal. Fae never jump into marriage and
rule: the pagus. They somehow found a way to mate few fae marriages have ever ended in divorce. Even
with anything successfully, bound or not, and they do it when elders frown and forbid the pairing, once it
often. Pagus can bond for life like all fae, but this occurs, nothing more is said on the matter.
situation is extremely rare and reserved for those In the decades after first contact, many suitors
embracing the path of good (bonding is strictly attempted to woo fae maidens, some for conquest and
forbidden in Kakodomania and in any villages ruled by others for marriage. This seldom worked: initially, the
evil dragons, resulting in immediate execution of both fae were skittish of mankind, and most initial meetings
118 parties). The pagus ceremony looks strangely alluring
and involves hours of synchronized chanting from the
ended in violence. Eventually, saner minds began to
reach out, but the mingling of breeds would not occur
couple and friends. The chants blend into a moan that for many more decades. In the first century, the entire
shakes the ground. Compared to the usual negative planetary population of fae-human hybrids could be
views many have of them, this remains one aspect of counted on a single hand.
the pagus still beautiful. There is no record about which species was the first
The longest bonding ceremony (taking three days to yield, but the balance of probability is that it was a
without sleep, exchanging thirty pages of vows) is with damaskan. As is usually the case, it probably occurred
the laudenians, who rarely take human mates. from shared experiences. Not a single fae people or
Laudenians share magical spirit via a special chant cast nation condones arranged marriages, not even within
by an arcane priest. The shortest ceremony, that of their royalty. Fae establish a connection that overcomes
chaparrans, takes less than five minutes: a tree is personal beliefs and interests. Most of the time, this
planted and the blood of both sides drips into the roots. remains mere friendship, though this comradeship can
The tenenbri have no ceremony; their bond occurs be as resolute as any marriage. Occasionally, it
merely by both sides allowing it to do so. Gimfen continues to form an intimate sharing of souls, and the
ceremonies involve some poetry and vow exchanging, two sides bond for life. This surmounts such pesky
drinking from enchanted waters, and prayers to hurdles as age, sex, or race. As humans and faekind
whatever god/s they worship (if any). Damaskans shared their lives, bonded couples began to emerge.
 In nations like Laudenia and Dawnamoak, pairing BONDING BENEFITS
fae with human is frowned upon or outright forbidden Locator: Both mates know each other’s exact posi-
(due to simple prejudice in the case of the chaparrans tion within 5 miles and general direction within 25
and an ingrained fear of degradation among the laudeni- miles.
ans). This fanatical view is most prevalent at the core of Life Sharing: The side with the lesser life span lives
their societies: chaparrans (more than laudenians) are longer. 20% of the difference between their maximum
often more approachable outside of their nations, and ages is added to the age of the lesser-lived species. All
the farther one travels from the labyrinth of Vanaka, the other age quantities are unchanged. This information is
more likely one is to find a tenenbri who appreciates a uncommon and few outside of the fae know it. The
non-tenenbri partner as anything more than a novelty. longer-lived side loses that same 20% quantity from his
Narros’ discipline and their preferred environment have or her age. It’s the trade-off both must be willing to ac-
made interracial couples relatively uncommon. The cept. This also applies to different fae species with vast-
same goes for gimfen, but with them, it’s their visible ly different age limits: for calculation purposes, assume
age that turns most away. This leaves the vast majority a lifespan of 5000 years for laudenians. (Example: A
of interracial couples from damaskan blood. Since tilen female bonds with a human male. The human has
Limshau permits and encourages mingling races on the capacity to live to 184 years while the tilen drops to
every level, the kingdom became the hub of romantic 496 years.)
voyages. In the end, most suitors encounter failure. Whisper: Mates can both whisper messages and re-
Despite being quixotic, fae are skittish to bond, ceive whispered replies from each other with little
especially damaskans, known for their distant emotions chance of being overheard. They must be within a mile
in public. Fae often act alien compared to common of one another or be able to see each other by some
human customs. They are all brutally honest and find means, directly or indirectly. Magical silence, one foot
deception rather repugnant. Coupled with their long of stone, one inch of common metal (or a thin sheet of
lifespans and aged wisdom, most wooers are lead), or 3 feet of wood or dirt blocks the whisper. The
apprehensive to speak up. Fae do not fall in love in a effect transmits sound, not meaning. To speak a mes-
day like humans. For them, it takes time and most sage, one must mouth the words and whisper, possibly
pursuers don’t have the necessary patience. Those allowing observers the opportunity to read lips.
doggedly determined to win the favor of a fae’s Dreamspeak: After two hours of sleep, both sides
attention can be rewarded with a prize greater than the can carry on a conversation as if they were next to each
trophy of the exotic catch or the years the bond offers. other. The effect lasts for ten minutes and has no range
Because fae are immune to all human disease and limit.
without a bond are not capable of producing offspring Consequences: If one side dies for any reason, not
with humans, females became sought after for slaves. only do all these bonuses vanish (sometimes resulting
Sexual merchants bought and sold stock from the backs in the surviving mate dropping dead instantly if their
of carriages for centuries. Many governing bodies time is up), but they also suffer a -1 penalty to their PD
attempted to close these crime rings, but rumors point or MD for life (random). This cannot be removed by
to a few still circulating. Baruch Malkut, for example, any means. Re-bonding to a new mate does not recover
still employs thousands of slaves. Some believe those this penalty (although it does restore the other benefits)
are urban legends meant to scare fae from leaving their and another death compounds it. The shortened life of
homes. the longer-lived side stays shortened.
Note: A 1st-level character can only begin the game
I was single and very lonely when bonded with the GM’s permission.
writing Amethyst; just FYI. What I 119
find interesting was that my collabo-
rators judged that half-fae couldn’t ex-
FAE MIXED BLOOD
Crossbreeding between fae species occurs relatively
ist if we were approaching the setting from frequently, but the offspring of such a union, even
a logical point of view. Unsatisfied by that, I though they may take equally after both parents in
created bonding to allow half-breeds to ex- terms of appearance, are always the same species as the
ist…the unfortunate side effect of all of this parent lower on the devolutionary ladder:
was the creation of Baruch Malkut.
Laudenian > Chaparran > Narros > Damaskan >
It does, thankfully, mean that we can Tenenbri > Gimfen > Pagus > Lesser Fae (bogg, skegg,
legitimately talk in terms of 'species' pugg, etc.)
rather than 'races' - something that I
A pagus mating with any other of the major fae can only
wish more mainstream RPGs would
produce a pagus child, for instance, whereas only a
pick up on. laudenian-laudenian pairing can produce a laudenian
child. Tilen are an exception to this rule: any offspring
 of a tilen, even with a laudenian or a human, is a pure- distrust and seldom communicate, and the Southam
blood tilen. tenenbri avoid everyone equally. Only damaskans,
Human-fae unions are unusual. Instead of being narros, and gimfen embraced their new fellow
wholly of one species or the other, the children of such inhabitants, occasionally in more than one sense.
a pairing are true hybrids. Those born from the rarer species like tenenbri,
chaparran, and laudenian often find their lives difficult,
HALF-FAE (HUMAN/FAE) as their fae parent is almost always an exile from their
native society (or becomes one shortly after the child’s
Occasionally it bothers me that I’ll outlive my father by
birth). Thankfully, this problem does not occur with
two centuries at least, and that my mother will never be
damaskans, who embrace their children, regardless of
able to see the colors I paint on this canvas. My sensei
who they are, and value individual differences more
tells me not to worry about it. Focus on what they made
when they made me, he says, and the gifts that both have than most fae (this significantly increased the
given me to bring their worlds together. And so I search population of Limshau in its early days, as the lack of
the world for new pigments to astound the eyes of the stigma resulted in a migration of half-fae of other
humans who see my art, and new textures to amaze the species to its cities). Nearly all half-fae in Canam reside
tenenbri who feel it: two worlds wrapped up in a single in Limshau, but that still accounts for a very small
canvas. I’ve made many friends on my journey, many of portion of the kingdom’s population (some say less than
whom will outlast me, some of whom I’ll say goodbye to a thousand). Gimfen and narros half-breeds do not
long before I’m ready to go, not a single one of them like occur frequently, but when they do, they are treated no
me. But I can’t say that I regret getting to know a single differently from their fae parents except insofar as
one of them, for any of that. We just keep on going one allowances must be made for their height.
day at a time. Half-fae have never developed nations or
_______________________________________________ communities of their own. They either remain in their
homelands, or venture to others if not accepted.
Average Height & Weight: Average of human and Because a half-fae cannot be born except to a bonded
fae couple (except half-pagus), if the child is expelled from
Average Starting Age: 20 years their home culture, the entire family typically leaves as
Estimated Life Expectancy: Average of human and well. In human circles, feelings towards them depend
fae on how the community responds to integration. Some
Bonus Language: Fae parent’s language fearing the fae ostracize the half-breeds as much as the
Half Half-Fae: The child of a half-fae and another laudenians do. The only bastion which tolerates the
fae (full or half) is a half-fae of the species of the parent presence of half-fae is York, and even then, their
further down the ladder. Any child of a half-fae and a movements are as tightly regulated as the infrequent
human is a human. fae visitors: half-fae generate just as much EDF as
purebloods do, after all.
You inherit the fae parent’s ability bonus choices. Physical Qualities: Half-fae share the most dominant
characteristic of their fae parent. Their ear size is
FAE BLOOD midway between the human size and the fae parent.
They are also between their parent’s heights. Their
For all effects related to race, you are considered a fae
skin always favors the darker tone. Magic often forces
of your parent’s species.
submissive genes into dominance when humans and fae
breed; blonde hair will sometimes surpass black, blue
FAE GIFT
120 You receive the racial power of your fae parent.
eyes over brown. Thankfully, the fae parent filters out
genetic defects or inherited disease. Human physical
features not seen in fae but considered appealing (like
BONUS FEAT freckles or snaggleteeth) often pass on, but negatively
Being part human, at 1st level, human PCs start with viewed genetic traits such as a predisposition for bald-
two feats instead of one. ness or obesity almost never do, for reasons which sci-
ence is unable to explain. Half-fae may grow beards
When humans first found their world invaded by these regardless of their fae parent.
pointed-eared humanoids, speciesism quickly followed. Playing a Half-Fae: Many believe the half-fae are
Most human communities openly hated them: indeed, the future of the Earth, the eventual course for
the oldest may have resulted from just such a everyone. Together, as one mixed species, the planet’s
xenophobic settlement. But nearly all such populations population can truly be in peace, to unite against the
without sufficient infrastructure to support their coming darkness. Half-fae often let the winds call them
technology either destroyed themselves or were to the open country. Though longer lived, like their fae
destroyed by predators, lacking allies to defend them. parent, they still desire to seek adventure like their
Most human echan civilizations that flourished did so human progenitor. This makes them the best species
by declaring no ill will to their new neighbors. to play because they have the versatility of humans with
Laudenia and chaparrans still hold the humans in the exotic strengths of the fae.
 Because a half-fae results only from bonded parents, locations hostile to fae, their unique heritage may be
raising one is a blessed affair, despite the feelings of the enough to prevent instant lynching (and, if nothing else,
community. Half-fae rarely encounter abuse within the it is a lot easier for a half-fae to pass as a human), but
family and consequently seldom abandon their the best they can hope for in such places is immediate
loyalties. Only acts of fate can result in a half-fae not ejection. Fae communities that deride mankind consid-
having a normal childhood (this, of course, assumes er themselves too civilized for such harsh action, and
both parents are good; evil parents can commit merely shun an unwelcome interloper or politely ask
whatever atrocities they want against their children). them to conclude their business and leave swiftly. Half
Half-fae, like humans, develop their personality -fae, for the most part, tolerate this unpredictability. 121
more from how they are raised than what their racial Despite attempts to quash the use of the term “half-
stereotype denotes. Ones raised in open and elf” as a racial slur, it still gets bandied about. Many
welcoming cultures like Limshau will usually retain half-fae try to use the term “minaan”, which is
more of their cultural roots, but with a general cosmo- damaskan shorthand for “gifted from two” or
politan attitude; those raised in isolated or insular socie- “mesinaan” which is similar, but comes from laudenian
ties will mostly conform to those cultural norms. A half- as “strengths with differences,” though the laudenian
fae player character will be shaped by their home term is not used in their language to that effect. Many
culture more than their species; to that end, it is helpful half-damaskans actually do not object to being called
to know which parent is the fae, and in which parent’s “half-elf,” many of them being familiar with human
culture the family resides. This will help create a legends in which this was a term of respect.
believable back-story. Unfortunately, in many communities, those of mixed
Despite a probable pleasant childhood, when a half- human blood are labeled as half-castes or worse, half-
fae ventures into the world, she might encounter breeds, a derogatory slur no “minaan” takes lightly.
problems in traveling. Some nations accept those of
mixed blood as no different as any other person while
others revere or revile them as they would other fae. In
 T
he tea was no simple drop-bag of disheveled books about the kid that discovered he was a demigod, or
twigs and bark. Chen had brought a kettle of an heir to a kingdom, or a member of a secret order, or a
scolding water, a saucer and cup, and a smaller wonder child with a wand. That's what he wanted; those
kettle. Inside the smaller kettle was a collec- characters never had to give anything up. He wanted his
tion of dried herbs, flowers, leaves, and honey. Chen fantasy. "I don't like this place. I prefer the world I read
poured the hot water in the small kettle, and then emp- about."
tied the small kettle into the cup. Aiden repeated that "Why?" Chen answered.
process and emptied the larger kettle before finally speak- "Because…I don't know…because it's different, be-
ing to the man again. cause it's amazing. Because…" Aiden felt a drop run out
"Do you have more?" of his nose. He sniffed it up quickly and swallowed.
"Tea or dragons?" Chen replied. "Because my mother made it sound so wonderful." Aiden
"About everything outside." held back a tear. "And I want my dreams to be real."
Chen waved to the room. "They're all on that sub- Chen placed his hand gently on Aiden's shoulder and a
ject." tear finally broke free from his eye. "If you run from a life,
"I want to read them all." running will be your life. A fulfilling existence is defined by
"There will be time for that. It’s getting late." moving towards something, not away from it. You can
"Then I want to see it myself." read about that world for as long as you like, but I can't
Chen raised a brow. "A zeal for adventure got you let you make that decision."
already?" "Isn't it mine to make?"
"It's just like the books. Just like the games I play." Chen nodded. "But you need to know why you make
Aiden was getting excited. "I want to see it all, everything it...and now's not that time."
that they said wasn't real, castles, magic, fae." Aiden's shoulders slumped and he tried to hold back in
"It may look the dream, child, but it'll carry the chill of his emotions. He threw Chen's arm away and bolted for
reality. And what will it prove? Even if it feels like your the door. He didn't look back. Aiden wanted to abandon
fantasy, you’re not the storyteller." Aiden didn't appear his normal life, the one filled boring classes, imposing bul-
dissuaded. "How will you survive out there? Can you lies, overbearing brothers, and callous gods, a life com-
wield a sword, shoot an arrow?" monplace in the real world. He wanted to be like the
"Maybe," Aiden responded in reflex before realizing characters he read about, like the computer avatar he
that the most strenuous physical activity he had ever done controlled, someone of consequence, with a life ending in
was avoid a soccer ball when playing goalie because he a happily ever after, not a number on a marble cover
didn't want to get hit in the face. Chen saw through the wedged alongside hundreds of others in a mausoleum.
boy's naivety. Aiden slammed the gate open, and it ricocheted off
"I don't mean to turn you away," he said, "just under- the concrete wall. He was too angry and confused to be
stand that many people claim that world as home, and you frightened of switching stations or running down streets
would not be any more special out there than in here. with inadequate lighting. He darted across intersections
You may wish to be a character in your own fantasy, but without alerting the crosswalks and ducked into darkened
this is no work of fiction. It’s real. You’re not chosen by paths between buildings to shortcut his return home. All
fate. Your parents were ordinary. No gods kissed you the while he thought of what could be out there. He im-
upon your birth. What do you do well?" agined the dragons, the fae, the princesses, and the possi-
Aiden scrunched his lips, shrugged, and sighed. "I read bilities that, until now, had only existed in fiction. Out
books. Don't suppose that means much." The sudden there was everything he could not be in here.
wash of insight over his face was unmistakable. "Magic. I
could do that." * * *
122 "How?" Chen motioned to the lamps. "You've just
seen that. How could you know? Maybe it's something I Aiden returned only minutes before sunrise. The
do naturally no one else can." door to the apartment didn't creak. He snuck into his
"If it's all real then magic can come from books! I can room and navigated around the unpacked boxes. The
learn!" he begged. "I can do that! Just give me the right moon was about to fall under the crown. Aiden slipped
books!" The wide-eyed appeal of the youth showed his under the sheets and closed his eyes. Despite being tired,
commitment. he opened them moments later and rolled back to see
Chen reached out and grasped Aiden's wrist. He Martin’s still empty bed. Aiden moved his attention to the
pulled the boy’s sleeve to reveal the broken watch. Chen window, to the setting moon and its companion, to that
pointed to the timepiece. one bright star floating near the lunar horn.
"This world," he said, pointing to the east, "and that Attricana.
world do not mingle. What you have here doesn't work It wasn't a star but a hole in the cosmos, a door to
out there--no cars, no computers, no phones. Once you another place. From it flowed the chaos that shaped a
commit to that path, you can't come back." new world while destroying the old one.
"I…" Aiden trailed off. He was about to say I under- Aiden closed his eyes and dreamt, though not of drag-
stand, but he didn't. Why was it that way? Why were ons and elves, of knights and wizards. He dreamt of his
there walls around the city? Why did the mere presence mother.
of dragon make his watch stop? Aiden remembered
 * * * "Yeah...it's ok?" Martin answered. Aiden smiled and hob-
bled with his heavy bag to the girl. "Be home by 4:00," he
Aiden looked at the passing businessmen, politicians, added. "Go nowhere else!"
policemen, and teachers. They all knew. Maybe not of Aiden finally turned back and waved. "Thanks, Marty!"
magic and monsters, but they'd known enough and hadn't he shouted. Martin watched them approach the swings
told him. They didn't care. They didn't want to know, to with other children. Aiden placed his bag on the sand.
be reminded about what wasn't normal. Children played When Martin was satisfied that Aiden wasn't walking into
the games. They dreamt. The avatars they took on in the a bully trap, he continued walking. When he was out of
digital world offered them the role they could never fulfill sight, Aiden immediately turned to Lara.
in life. Aiden looked over his classmates and wondered "Thanks Lara," Aiden said, picking his bag back up and
how many of their dreams had been denied. strapping it to his back for the long haul.
"Computer programmer!" William shouted. Aiden "You are invited," she answered.
realized that the books given to him were old and worn "Thanks...I know." Aiden made for a nearby path that
for a reason. No one wrote these stories anymore. No bisected two houses and led back to a main road.
one wanted to be reminded about what they had lost. "Where are you going?" she asked.
"Nice, Jeffery. Lara?" Mr. Leach asked. Aiden won- Aiden stopped and turned back. "Better you don't
dered why his mother had made the exception. Why did know."
she tell him those stories, search for that rare freeware? "You're weird, Aiden."
"An architect," Lara answered. "Thanks." He smiled. He stepped away to the path
"Good, that's productive, Aiden?" but kept looking at her. "Lara? Do you know about
Weeks before, Aiden had been daydreaming of riding what's beyond the city?"
dragons and rescuing princess, engrossed in forgetting the "Past the wall?” she asked. Aiden nodded. “It's wild
world around him. Now he wanted to know everything, and dangerous. Why?"
every why and every how. Leach didn't repeat himself; he "No reason," Aiden replied, turned and upgraded his
leaned in to force Aiden's attention. walk to a run as he reached the path.
"Hmm?" Aiden responded, oblivious to the subject.
The class never taught him what he really wanted to
know. He learned it because society expected him to,
because he was adept at it, because eventually childhood
must end. But fantasies were now fact, and Aiden could
learn of that without the mockery of embracing a dream.
Leach was about to scold him again, but stopped.
"What do you want to do when you’re older?"
"What I want?" Aiden almost mumbled.
"Yes...I mean we have an architect, programmer, doc-
tor." He pointed to another child. "A janitor for some
reason. What do you want to be?"
Aiden thought it over. He didn’t care how the class
would react. "I want...to be a wizard."
The students looked to him. A few chuckled. William
gritted his teeth. He had been warned to keep quiet.
"A...wha…Aiden." the teacher stuttered. Leach could
piece together in an instant what thoughts had been cir-
cling like a maelstrom in Aiden’s mind.
"Yes," Aiden answered.
123
"Why?"
Aiden tried to think of a better answer but his mind
had been fixated on the how, not the why, so no better
answer slipped out. "Because I can," he said.

* * *

Martin was leaning on a railing outside of Aiden's

school as his little brother ran out.
"All good?" Martin asked. Aiden nodded. Martin led
his brother away. He took the responsibility seriously,
checking traffic and passersby.
"Aiden!" Lara shouted from a playground. The broth-
ers noticed and stopped. "We're playing at the grounds,
wanna come?" Rejected tenenbri sketch
Aiden looked back to Martin with his doe eyes on cue.
I
n the fantasy world of Amethyst, there are real people and there
are heroes, but mostly there are real people. The tales about
great warriors are often fictionalized or heavily exaggerated. This
story is not about the ordinary, but the exceptional. The same is
true for the world of science. Players are creating those few extraordi-
nary examples of heroism, regardless if they wield a sword or a fire-
arm.
This chapter presents the class options available to player charac-
ters in Amethyst, including five new classes suitable for techan char-
acters.

FANTASY CLASSES
Certain 13th Age Roleplaying Game classes are restricted in canon
Amethyst:
•The only canon spellcasting class in Amethyst is the wizard, though
other spellcasting classes like sorcerer and cleric can be included
through the use of backgrounds (incarnate, gneolistic). Regard-
less, spellcasters are extremely rare in the setting—there should
only be one in a party.
•In The 13th Age Roleplaying Game, the bard and paladin are
“optional” spellcasters. To remain canon, they are not able to
select spells. Bards can still select songs.
•Barbarians are not common in the more civilized modern age, and as
such the class is restricted to chaparrans, echan humans with wil-
derness or wasteland backgrounds, kodiaks, and pagus.

If you desperately want to play a different type of

spellcaster but still want to stick roughly to can-
on, pick a totem as a cosmetic choice and ignore
the standard fluff for your class: as far as the sto-
ry's concerned, you're a wizard. Only the wizard class
gets mechanical benefits from choosing a totem - refla-
vored 'wizards' just need to have the thing on hand in
order to cast their spells.

TOTEM MAGIC
The term ‘wizard’ covers a wide spectrum of spellcasters and magic
users across the world. They may wish to protect good, or destroy eve-
rything around. They still, however, follow one common belief: The
gates contain unlimited power and sit waiting to be harnessed. Wiz-
ards discovered long ago that certain shortcuts exist to channel ener-
gies from the gates. It is an almost scientific study of the ways of mag-
ic.
Non-human mages revealed that certain words in vocal and writ-
ten form channel immense power from the gates. This power lay with
the dragons for millions of years before the fae pursued this path.
These words, found in the ancient tongue of the first language ever
spoken, Pleroma, have been described as the base code of the uni-
verse: the word is the thing, and the thing is the word. A wizard must
first understand how the word works in all ways by contemplating it
in every dimension (quite literally – both written and spoken Pleroma
extend into at least four dimensions), absorbing its meaning into his
or her soul. Wizards all share a common desire to study the behavior
of these ancient words and discover new ways to utilize their poten-
tial. The books of a spell caster reflect this wish. The bigger the li-
brary, the greater the understanding the wizard possesses of the ar-
cane arts.
 A mage need not be completely fluent in Pleroma to them as others would quest for magic weapons. A wiz-
use this power, of course, since it defies human and ard’s honor insists these items either remain in their
even fae psychology to truly master it: instead, each location or be taken to Kirjath-Sepher or Limshau for
mage is bound to a totem, a metaphysical cheat sheet storage. The wizard must be able to cast the spell to
that helps them visualize the multi-dimensional script inscribe the word on his focus totem.
that makes up a spell formula. The final key to the At 1st level, a wizard chooses a totem. Specific to-
spell is the power word. The mage inscribes the word tems offer certain abilities depending on their type.
on his totem and memorizes it. When the mage speaks Wizard can change his totem later, but it takes time and
that word, the energy channels through the totem and money. Totems can never be spread over multiple
the spell is cast. Each spell resembles a different symbol pieces (so it could never be armor).
or sets of symbols, depending on the complexity or Available Totems include:
power from the spell – to those without understanding,
they are meaningless squiggles, but to the arcane adept Book of Knowledge: The most common totem on
they leap from the totem’s surface, glittering in three Earth is the book. It is the most powerful totem and the
dimensions and extending backward and forward in easiest to master. Schools dot the planet dedicated to
time. Some, particularly magic rituals, are so large they this belief. More wizards use book totems than any oth-
cannot fit on a totem and must be in their own book for er. Limshau employs them almost exclusively: all dam-
recall. The most common focus totem is the spellbook; askan mages trained in a Koana academy use the book,
however, different cultures favor different totems. and as most human mages learn their craft from
Nevertheless, each totem is unique to the caster – what Limshau, the tendency has carried over. They believe
precise form it takes and how mundane or extravagant it that power from Attricana and Ixindar has its own rules
looks depends on the staidness or flamboyance of the and is not random, which means it can be eventually
wizard. understood. All mages carry books, but the final Plero-
ma power words rest inscribed in the book wizard’s to-
MAGIC SOURCE tem. When you cast a spell, it emanates from your
Magic stems from one of two sources. One choice hands, not your book. A few cautious wizards have even
comes from Attricana, the other from Ixindar. Where strapped their books to their belt to grab at a moment’s
Attricana is chaotic and whimsical, Ixindar is never- notice while keeping their hands otherwise free. The
changing and uniform. There is little flash with Ixindar advantage of a book is that it can include Pleroma trig-
magic. It is also a corrupting force, whispering new ger words and several rituals all in one (in contrast to
thoughts and ideas into its caster. It's not a healthy op- other totems where additional books are needed for
tion for heroic characters, but it does offer a variety of rituals.
different abilities and powers, not the least of which is Benefit: Utility Spells become recharge 17+ after
the replication of magic without disruption. each use. This means regardless of the utility spell you
Spellcasters bound to Ixindar can replicate many of use, after casting it, you have a chance to immediately
the effects of those bound to Attricana, but their magic recover it.
is always devoid of the spark of life that Attricana magic Orb of Imposition: The orb is an uncommon choice
has. The disciplines of necromancy (manipulating life for most fae and is often found with wizards practicing
force) and nihilimancy (directly negating matter and the darker side of magic, the energy tied to the polar
energy) are tied exclusively to Ixindar: this includes all power of Ixindar. Occasionally, a few tenenbri have
powers that deal negative energy damage, which are not been seen using an orb, but this choice is seen predomi-
available to Attricana casters in a canon Amethyst game. nantly with negative casters or with humans that come
126 about their training from a less than respectable source.
Benefit: You are counted as one level higher for
TOTEM MASTERY calculating damage with attack spells.
A totem is required for all spells, and serves as an imple- Shield of Strength: Although wizards cannot use
ment for spellcasting (even if the implement type is not armor as a totem, they can choose a shield. The symbols
normally permitted for the class). A wizard can only usually start on the inside, but as the wizard learns more
cast spells if his totem is in his possession (i.e., holding spells, they must eventually cover the front as well. The
it or simply touching it). The word in physical form narros are regarded as the instigators of this totem, and
must be in hand when the wizard speaks it. If the to- only they and the occasional human mage use it.
tem is stolen or taken in combat, the wizard is power- The shield can only be light steel, wooden, mag-
less. Stealing a totem is useless to a thief as there is not narros, coruthil, or angelite. You use this shield as an
enough information about the word for another caster to implement.
use it. Another wizard could learn the spell but by the Benefit: You suffer no attack penalties for holding a
time they understand it, they have already committed shield. Additionally, you gain a +5 AC bonus with Ab-
enough research to find the words on their own. juration instead of +4.
Certain high-level spells (9th level) are so rare they Staff of Defense: Outside of the book, the staff is
can only be found inscribed on unique items spread one of the most common totems used, being the oldest
around the world. Sometimes, wizards must quest for known application of the craft. Many less civilized com-
munities capable of competent wizardry often use it. A that remain stalwart even in the face of overwhelming
staff also remains popular with the traveling wizard, as horrors.
it’s less clumsy and can easily be disguised as a walking Of course, many bastion-born take jaunts into echa
stick. Staff totem mages continue to stay fashionable without fear of reprisal, but tourists stick to the main
with many fae races, especially chaparrans and laudeni- road and sleep in large caravans escorted by guns and
ans, the latter admitting the efficacy of no other totem swords, spending most of their time in large cities, safe
except for the rare laudenian sword magos. from the dreadful fiends of fairy tales. Such travelers
Benefit: You gain the champion feat for counter- are naïve, their adventures sanitized, pre-chewed for
magic—you can now cast counter-magic twice per bat- their consumption to be swallowed easily. A techan
tle. The epic feat for counter-magic is now a champion party has no such luxuries. They venture in the deep
feat. forest, into the darkest dungeons, taking on the worst of
Weapon of Confrontation: Although choosing a horrors. They rescue lost vacationers, scavenge
weapon seemingly appears without penalty, the bene- technology, and defend their cities from invading forces
fits are double-edged. First, weapons have the smallest on all sides. Techans don’t take on these jobs for glory,
available surface area of any totem, limiting the number but out of duty for the bastion where they were born,
of spell triggers that can be encoded on it. Additionally, out of loyalty to another, or for the acquisition of power
wizards with weapon totems often have a need to wield and wealth.
them in combat despite never being able to match a In this new time in this new world, techans care
fighter on even ground. This does not stop a large num- nothing for gender, race, age, or religion. They don’t
ber of wizards from using weapons, chiefly those for judge their comrades based on beliefs, preferences, or
whom magic is a tool rather than an art. Narros and vices. In the end, they are all human—techan humans,
tenenbri, of course, argue about who developed it first. and as members of the true human race, they must
Narros began with the shield but claim the transition to work together to push back the wave of enchantment
weapon was an obvious one while the tenenbri claim which threatens to drive out mankind’s footprint
they hold the sole claim on the weapon totem. Compli- forever.
cating the matter further is a small tradition of laudeni-
an sword magos who claim that they originated the NON-TECHANS AND TECHAN
practice. Many human cultures embrace the weapon
totem as well. CLASSES
The weapon can only be a sword, axe, falchion, The military skills of the techan classes are not exclu-
maul, or warhammer. The weapon must be composed sive to the bastions, although the technology that sup-
mostly of wood and/or steel (or magnarros, coruthil, or ports them is. With the GM’s permission, an echan hu-
angelite). man or even a non-human might take a techan class
Benefit: You suffer no attack penalties wielding a (although only gimfen can fully benefit from such a
light or simple one- or two-handed weapon. The attack selection). It should be stressed, however, that such a
penalty for wielding a heavy or martial one– or two- choice would be highly unusual, and should only occur
handed weapon is reduced to –2. under exceptional circumstances.
Adventurer Feat: Your penalty for wielding a heavy
or martial one– or two-handed weapon is re- TECHAN AMMUNITION
duced to 0. In other editions of Amethyst, we insisted that players
track their ammunition. To honor the philosophy of
The 13th Age Roleplaying Game, we are removing that
TECHAN CLASSES limitation. A GM is encouraged to insert a shortage 127
from time to time, perhaps tied to negative relationships
Techan classes are cut from a different cloth from
with bastions. A party should make contact with a sup-
traditional fantasy roles. Where one group stumbles
plier (bastion or atoll) once ever few weeks to re-supply.
into each other after a round of mead in a dingy tavern,
If they don’t, a GM should/could inform the group they
techan parties have usually trained together as a
only have one or two battles left in which to use their
cohesive unit long before attempting a voyage in the
firearms before running out. Alternately, you can have
wastelands. A techan party must operate as cohesive
the groups’ ammunition last four to six battles before
unit, remaining in contact and providing support. They
requiring a supply. This resupply could involve visiting
can’t act selfishly or abandon their comrades in need.
a merchant or simply returning to the party’s vehicle,
In the middle of battle, their loyalty is not for their gov-
equating a full heal-up to an ammunition re-supply.
ernment or for the coins in their purse, but for the
This rule does not apply to special weapons which
brothers and sisters alongside them in the thick of com-
very much have a limited ammo supply.
bat. Techans have no healing magic, no elemental
Additionally, this refers to only total ammunition
control over water or air, no symbiosis or sympathy from
supply and not clip size, as weapons still need to be re-
the surrounding environment. When in open echa, they
loaded when empty. Each time an attack roll is made,
are foreigners at best, unwelcome invaders at worst. In
ammunition is expended, even if it is an attack roll
order to survive, they must form groups, loyal bonds
made twice.
 GROUNDER doomed to fail. Let others deal with objectives and just
let you shoot something.
Grounders in the military are often soldiers, occasionally Builds: Both the front grounder and heavy grounder
referred to as grunts. They occupy the largest ratio of have the same stats, gear, and basic attacks but have
the armed forces of any bastion. You stand out from the different level progression tables.
others. You have exhibited a natural talent that could Ability Scores: You need Dexterity or Strength to
have paved the way for officer training, but for a variety wield weapons, based on your inherent training. You
of reasons, you declined. You prefer to be a member of gain a +2 bonus with one as long as it isn’t the same
a team rather than the leader of an army. If you are part ability you increase with your racial bonus. Additional-
of a mercenary company, you could have become disen- ly, you can either use Strength or Dexterity as your at-
franchised, tempted by the offers of wealth, or took on a tack and damage attribute with ranged weapons.
personal mission that forced you to leave the service.
Although demonstrating some natural leadership
skills, your range of authority is usually limited to those GEAR
brothers-in-arms you can see around you. When the At 1st level, grounders start with a one-handed simple
firing starts, you rely on training and inherent reflexes melee weapon for emergencies along with one or two
to save yourself and your team. You have embraced this firearms. They also gain one armor set. Additionally, a
path with a profound gusto. You can handle any weap- grounder can start with either 25 UC or roll 1d6 x 10
on and any armor, up to the largest powered suits. You UC.
are a grounder, and like the medieval knights of ancient
legend (and those that have taken their place today) ARMOR
you are the first and last line of defense. Your rifle is Grounders can wear either light or heavy armor. Gener-
your sword and your faith absolute—faith that the group ally, it is believed that a heavier weapon specialist
you have joined operates as a well-oiled machine. And would also lumber in the heaviest armor, though this is
unlike technology, this is not a machine that can be by no means a rule. Because of the need to wield two-
broken by magic. handed weapons, grounders seldom use shields.
Play Style: You are responsible for the safety of the
comrades next to you. Since you are considered the Grounder Armor and AC
source of the heaviest weapons, you will also gather the Type Base AC
most attention. Without you, the others would be over- None 10
run. There are two variations of grounder, the front Light 13
grounder and the heavy grounder. One is committed to Heavy 15
mobility and lighter weapons, the other is dedicated to Shield +1
heavier weapons at the cost of maneuverability.
Grounders fill a variety of roles. You can be the leader WEAPONS
or the heavy support. You can target enemies from a Firearms can be pistols, rifles, or heavier weapons like
distance or get up close. You are only as good as the machine guns. Although a player certainly can select a
men and women next to you. The majority of your special weapon at 1st level, these have limited ammo,
abilities require the help of others to succeed. Your and after being used, are effectively worthless until new
power is the weapon in your hand and the strength you ammo can be procured. It is suggested a grounder take
offer your allies as backup. On your own, you are a two-handed weapon along with a backup pistol. Cer-
FRONT/HEAVY GROUNDER STATS
128 Ability Bonus +2 Strength or Dexterity (different from racial bonus)
Initiative Dex mod + Level
Armor Class (heavy armor) 15 + middle mod of Con/Dex/Wis + Level
Armor Class (light armor) 13 + middle mod of Con/Dex/Wis + Level
Physical Defense 10 + middle mod of Str/Con/Dex + Level
Mental Defense 10 + middle mod of Int/Wis/Cha + Level
Hit Points (8 + Con mod) x Level modifier (see level progression)
Recoveries (probably) 9
Recovery Dice (1d10 x Level) + Con mod
Backgrounds 8 points, max 5 in any background
Icon Relationships 3 points
Talents 3 (see level progression chart)
Feats 1 per Level
FRONT GROUNDER LEVEL PROGRESSION
Grounder Total Hit Points Total Maneuvers Maneuver Class Level-up Damage Bonus
Level Feats Known Pool Talents Ability From Ability
Available Bonuses Score
Level 1 (8+CON mod) x3 1 adventurer 3 1st level 3 ability modifier
Level 2 (8+CON mod) x4 2 adventurer 4 1st level 3 ability modifier

Level 3 (8+CON mod) x5 3 adventurer 4 3rd level 3 ability modifier

Level 4 (8+CON mod) x6 4 adventurer 5 3rd level 3 +1 to 3 ability modifier

abilities
Level 5 (8+CON mod) x8 4 adventurer 5 5th level 3 2x ability modifier
1 champion
Level 6 (8+CON mod) x10 4 adventurer 6 5th level 4 2x ability modifier
2 champion
Level 7 (8+CON mod) x12 4 adventurer 6 7th level 4 +1 to 3 2x ability modifier
3 champion abilities
Level 8 (8+CON mod) x16 4 adventurer 7 7th level 4 3x ability modifier
3 champion
1 epic
Level 9 (8+CON mod) x20 4 adventurer 7 9th level 4 3x ability modifier
3 champion
2 epic
Level 10 (8+CON mod) x24 4 adventurer 8 9th level 4 +1 to 3 3x ability modifier
3 champion abilities
3 epic
tain weapons have a single shot option while others can Grounder Melee Weapons
fire multiple times an action. One-Handed Two Handed
Auto Weapons: Weapons in the equipment section Small
denoted as being auto can be used with any powers, 1d4 knife 1d6 club
maneuvers, or talents Light or Simple
Heavy Auto: These weapons require the use of 1d6 shortsword, tonfa 1d8 spear
powers, maneuvers, or talents with the AUTO de-
scriptor and cannot be used with powers, maneuvers, or Grounder Ranged Weapons
talents without it. This is important when detailing One-Handed Firearm Two-Handed Firearm
which class features you plan on implementing and the Light
weapons you choose to use (see OUTFITTING). 1d4 pistol 1d6 rifle
(Auto) Property: Both front and heavy grounders Medium
have powers or maneuvers with this descriptor. If they 1d6 pistol 1d8 machine gun
have the auto property, auto and heavy auto weapons Heavy
can be used, but single shot weapons cannot. 1d8 hand cannon 1d10 heavy gun
(Any) Property: Any type of weapon can be used 129
with a power or maneuver with this descriptor. BASIC ATTACKS
Primitive Ranged Weapons: There is nothing stop-
ping you from wielding medieval ranged weapons in a
MELEE ATTACK
pinch, especially if your normal weapons suffer disrup- At-Will
tion or run out of ammunition (by hand of a cruel GM). Target: One enemy
However, because they are not your specialty, you suf- Attack: Strength + Level vs. AC
fer attack penalties with such weapons. Crossbows are Hit: WEAPON + Strength damage
fairly similar to guns, and only inflict a -2 penalty: other Miss: Damage equal to your level
ranged weapons inflict -4. The GM may also rule that
particularly primitive firearms (such as muzzle-loaders) RANGED ATTACK (ANY)
are sufficiently far removed from what you're familiar At-Will
with to warrant the -2 penalty, depending on your home Target: One enemy
bastion's tech level. Attack: Strength OR Dexterity + Level vs. AC
Hit: WEAPON + Strength OR Dexterity damage
Miss: Damage equal to your level
130
CLASS TALENTS FRONT LINE ASSAULT
Choose three of the following class talents. The front You inflict additional damage depending on the type of
grounder gains an additional talent at 6th level. weapon you are wielding. You cannot use front line
precision with front line assault.
Auto Property: Weapons with the auto property
DEFENSIVE PERIMETER inflict +2 bonus to damage. At 5th level, this increases
You and one ally you are next to gains a +1 bonus to AC to +4 damage. At 8th level, it increases to +6.
and PD. This is not cumulative with other uses of de- Heavy Auto Property: Weapons with the heavy auto
fensive perimeter. property inflict +4 bonus to damage. At 5th level, this
Adventurer Feat: Once per battle, if an enemy increases to +7 damage. At 8th level, it increases to
scores a hit on you or your ally benefitting from +10.
defensive perimeter, the damage is halved.
Adventurer Feat: Once per battle, change the clip of
a auto or heavy auto weapon as a quick action.
Champion Feat: If an enemy scores a critical hit on
either you or your ally benefitting from defen-
Epic Feat: You can elect to not inflict extra damage
sive perimeter, the damage can be inflicted on
with front line assault and instead make and ex-
either you or your ally.
tra basic ranged attack against another enemy.

FROM THE KNEE

Wasted ammunition is wasted time. You crouch, secur- FRONT LINE PRECISION
ing your weapon to your body as you fire. You can use a When wielding a two-handed small arm or heavy weap-
move action to gain a +1 bonus to your next attack roll. on, you do not suffer the –2 penalty to firing after mov-
Adventurer Feat: When you use your move action ing. You cannot use front line precision with front line
with from the knee, you crit range also increases assault.
by +1 on your next attack roll. Adventurer Feat: If you score a critical hit on a
ranged attack roll using a weapon without the
Champion Feat: Once per battle, if you still miss auto or heavy auto property, you increase the
after using from the knee, re-roll. If you still weapon damage by one die.
miss, you recover the use of this ability.
Champion Feat: Spend a quick action to gain a +1
bonus to your next attack roll with a weapon
DOUBLE TAP without the auto or heavy auto property.
You don’t haphazardly waste ammunition in a strafing
line, but instead train carefully and purposefully to mul-
tiple targets. If you are unengaged, use a move action FULL SUPRESSION (AUTO)
at the beginning of your turn and for your next attack, You gun down the terrain in front of your enemies, pre-
roll twice and take the higher result. venting their advance. If you hit a normal-sized target
that is nearby or far away, you can choose to inflict half
Adventurer Feat: If you hit and roll a natural even
number with your highest attack roll with dou- damage and the target is unable to move closer to you
ble tap, double your attribute damage on the hit. or any nearby ally until the beginning of your next turn.
You decide this after you hit.
131
Champion Feat: If you hit and roll a natural 18+ on Adventurer Feat: You can use full suppression
both your attack rolls, you actually hit twice. against large enemies. Additionally, you can
elect to do only 1point of damage (not halved)
and gain a second basic attack on a different
I do encourage players to create a “rounded enemy. If you hit with this attack, you must em-
grounder”, and not be a one-note, gun ob- ploy full suppression on that target as well.
sessed soldier that fires first, fires second, and
maybe asks a question when the clip is empty.
To make a comparison, I prefer Zoe than Jayne Champion Feat: You can use full suppression against
from Firefly. huge enemies. If you kill a non-mook with full
suppression, you gain a basic attack.
 SLOW IS SMOOTH (ANY) 1st LEVEL MANEUVERS
Only idiots and players of first person shooters run BRACED SHOT
headstrong into a firefight. Take it easy and check your Enough limp wrist, hold your weapon tight!
targets. Once per battle, use a move action to pop free Flexible ranged attack
from one enemy. Triggering Roll: Any miss
Adventurer Feat: Your enemy meets the butt of Effect: Re-roll the attack. If you hit, you inflict half
your rifle as you pop free, taking damage equal damage.
to your attack ability score (x2 at 5th level; x3 at
Adventurer Feat: You gain a +2 bonus to attack on
8th level).
the re-roll.

Champion Feat: You gain a second use per battle of Epic Feat: Damage is no longer halved.
slow is smooth. Additionally, you can pop free
from two enemies instead of just one. You can
still only inflict damage on one enemy each time.
FIRE SUPPORT (ANY)
Back! Back vile fiend! This...is an actual fiend, right?
Flexible ranged attack
FRONT GROUNDER Triggering Roll: Any hit with a natural 16+ on a nearby
Even if you answer to another authority, when the bul- unengaged target.
lets fly, you act on instinct as part of a unit. You keep Effect: The target is pushed to far away.
your weapons light so you can move without stumbling.
Champion Feat: If you score a critical hit on the
You will seldom employ heavy auto weapons and prefer
target, it is dazed.
maneuvers to frontal assaults. The majority of your
abilities should be ones that assist the group as a whole
rather than deliver the maximum damage to a target. Epic Feat: If you score a critical hit on the target, it
is weakened as well as dazed.

CLASS FEATURES
The front grounder has two class features: Action shot CAUTERIZE (ANY)
and brotherhood. It has to hurt if it’s going to heal.
Flexible ranged attack
ACTION SHOT Special: You can use this maneuver once per battle.
If an enemy engages a nearby ally, you gain a basic at- Triggering Roll: Any hit.
tack as an interrupt against the triggering enemy. Target: You or an ally you are next to.
Champion Feat: You can use action shot against Effect: The target can heal using a recovery but only
enemies which close in from far away to nearby. recovers half hit points.
Adventurer Feat: The target also automatically pass-
Epic Feat: The target of action shot is vulnerable to es the next save required before the beginning
your attack. of your next turn.

Champion Feat: The target recovers full hit points

BROTHERHOOD instead of half.
132 If a nearby ally is hit by an attack, you gain a +1 bonus
to attack rolls against the enemy that made that attack
until the end of your next turn. COVERING FIRE (ANY)
Adventurer Feat: If you hit the enemy while benefit- Crap! Out of ammo. Uhh, little help!?
ing from the bonus, one ally engaged with the Flexible ranged attack
enemy can pop free. Triggering Roll: Any natural even miss and you run
out of ammo.
Champion Feat: If you hit the enemy and the natural Effect: One nearby ally can make a ranged attack, in-
attack roll was even, the enemy suffers a –2 to flicting half damage on a hit.
attack until the end of its turn. Adventurer Feat: You also reload your weapon as a
free action.
CRIPPLING WOUND (ANY) MEMBER OF A TEAM (ANY)
That pinch you’re feeling isn’t regret...it’s a bullet. You’re not part of some fantasy party where everyone is
Flexible ranged attack selfish.
Triggering Roll: Any critical hit Flexible ranged attack
Effect: The target is hampered until the beginning of Special: This can only be used once per battle.
your next turn. Triggering Roll: Any hit
Adventurer Feat: To recover hampered is now a Effect: Use an available move action this turn and rally.
normal save (11+). Adventurer Feat: One ally next to you can also rally
as part of your turn.
Champion Feat: To recover hampered is now a hard
save (16+). Champion Feat: After using member of a team, each
ally gains a +5 bonus to their next attempt to
Epic Feat: If you hit the target again while it is ham- rally.
pered, it automatically fails its next save.
Epic Feat: Every conscious ally in the battle can
choose to rally the same time as you.
HEAD DOWN (ANY)
Option one, stand and fight; option two, run away. We
good for two? QUICK RELOAD (ANY)
Flexible ranged attack This was not how you wanted this day to go
Triggering Roll: Any miss Flexible ranged attack
Effect: Until the end of your next turn, you suffer a –2 Special: This can only be used once per battle.
to attack rolls and enemies cannot inflict critical hits Triggering Roll: Any natural miss that also empties
on you. your clip.
Effect: You reload your weapon.
Champion Feat: Your penalty to attack rolls is re-
duced to –1. Adventurer Feat: Quick reload works on any natural
hit as well.

MAGIC BULLET Champion Feat: Quick reload can be used twice per
That’s some bullet. encounter.
Flexible ranged attack
Triggering Roll: Any natural 20
Effect: The bullet exits the target and makes another STUPID MANEUVER (ANY)
ranged attack against any other nearby enemy. "Hey ugly! Look at me! Your mother fornicates
Adventurer Feat: If the second attack rolls a natural
with...with something uglier than you!
20, you can use magic bullet again. Flexible ranged attack
Triggering Roll: Any miss on an unengaged target.
Effect: The enemy you missed suffers a –2 penalty to
Champion Feat: You gain a +2 bonus to any subse- any attack which does not include you until the end
quent attacks rolls with magic bullet.
of its next turn.

Epic Feat: Magic bullet can now activate if you kill a Champion Feat: It’s really pissed; the target can suf-
fer a –4 penalty instead of a –2 but then it will
133
non-mook target with any natural even hit.
have a +2 bonus to attack you.

Epic Feat: You can use stupid maneuver on a hit

with a natural 16+ as well.
 STRAFE (AUTO) FOCUSED FIRE (AUTO)
A common maneuver in a FPS—it shouldn’t work, but This is not some spell in an MMO; this involves real
it does. bullets.
Flexible ranged attack Flexible ranged attack
Triggering Roll: Any hit with a natural 14+ Triggering Roll: A natural even hit. You must have at
Effect: You inflict half damage; make a second ranged least two shots left in your clip.
attack against another enemy that is near or next to Effect: Double your attribute bonus to damage (x2 at
the previous one. If that is a hit with a natural 14+, 1st level; x4 at 5th level; x6 at 8th level) and your
inflict half damage and make a third ranged attack weapon runs out of ammo.
against another enemy that is near or next to the pre-
Champion Feat: If you kill a non-mook enemy with
vious one. This also inflicts half damage. If you hit focused fire, make an additional attack on anoth-
with every attack roll, strafe cannot be used for the er nearby enemy. If you hit, you inflict the re-
rest of the battle. maining damage leftover from the first enemy.
Adventurer Feat: If the third ranged attack is a hit
with a natural 14+, make a fourth attack against
another enemy that is near or next to the previ- If a player abuses this power (using it
ous one. This inflicts half damage. every turn), have them run out of clips
on a 16+...oops.
Champion Feat: You can decide to inflict full dam-
age on the second or third hit; by doing so, you
recover the use of strafe and the chain ends.
GLOWING WEAK SPOT (ANY)
I think I hit him in his gentleman’s sausage.
Flexible ranged attack
Triggering Roll: Natural 20
WEAPON SPECIALITY
Effect: Until the target is staggered, you and all allies
This is my rifle, this is my gun; this is for fighting, this
gain a damage bonus against the target equal to the
is for fun.
escalation die.
Flexible ranged attack
Triggering Roll: Any hit with a natural 16+. Champion Feat: Glowing weak spot now triggers
Effect: You gain a damage bonus with this attack equal on a natural roll 19+ .
to your Wisdom or Intelligence modifier.
Epic Feat: Glowing weak spot now triggers on a
Adventurer Feat: Increase the bonus damage by
natural roll 18+ .
your final attack roll –20.

Champion Feat: Weapon specialty now triggers any

PULL BACK! (ANY)
natural roll 14+.
TIME! TO! GO!!
Flexible ranged attack
Triggering Roll: Your first natural hit against an unen-
3rd LEVEL MANEUVERS gaged target.
FIRST PERSON SHOOTER (AUTO) Effect: You and all allies next to you can move away
Conserve ammo? Why? from the target—the target is one additional move
134 Flexible ranged attack away.
Special: You can use this maneuver once per battle.
Triggering Roll: Any miss with a natural 2or 2
Effect: Use two more bursts of ammunition and re-roll
5th LEVEL MANEUVERS
the attack. You cannot inflict a critical hit. If you still AGGRAVATE THE WOUND (ANY)
miss, you recover the use of this maneuver. Keep on the pressure, don’t let up.
Flexible ranged attack
Champion Feat: First person shooter now triggers Triggering Roll: Any hit with a natural 16+
on a 2, 3, or 4. Effect: Until the beginning of your next turn, all allies
gain a damage bonus to your target equal to your at-
tack attribute modifier.
Champion Feat: Increase bonus damage by Intelli-
gence or Wisdom modifier (it cannot be the
same as your attack attribute).

Epic Feat: While in effect, one ally increases their

critical threat by +2.
TRACKING FIRE (AUTO) SUPPORT ROLE (ANY)
Don’t look at me; look at where I’m shooting! Am I doing all the work around here?!
Flexible ranged attack Flexible ranged attack
Triggering Roll: Any hit with a natural even 16+ Triggering Roll: Any even hit.
Effect: All allies gain a +2 bonus to attack your target Effect: Select one nearby ally to make a save for one
until the beginning of your next turn. effect the ally suffers from.
Champion Feat: If you score a critical hit, all allies Champion Feat: Two allies now benefit.
also gain a +1 bonus to their critical threat.
Epic Feat: If you score a critical hit with support
Epic Feat: You gain the benefits from tracking fire role, one ally automatically recovers.
when it comes around to your turn.

9th LEVEL MANEUVERS

TRAILING BLOOD (ANY) METICULOUS AIM
It can be hurt. That thing just walked in front of the crosshairs.
Flexible ranged attack Support Maneuver
Triggering Roll: You inflict a critical hit.
Effect: Use a quick action before your next attack
Effect: The target also takes ongoing damage equal to
roll and gain a +4 bonus to attack.
twice your level + twice your attribute bonus.
Epic Feat: Once per battle regardless of your next
Champion Feat: Quadruple (instead of double) ei-
roll, it is a hit.
ther your level bonus or attribute bonus to the
ongoing damage.
NERVE SHOT
Epic Feat: It is now a hard save (16+) to recover It’s all in the reflexes.
from the ongoing damage. Flexible ranged attack
Triggering Roll: Any hit with a natural 18+
Effect: The target is dazed until the beginning of
7th LEVEL MANEUVERS your next turn.
ALL IN (AUTO) Epic Feat: Once per battle a target is stunned in-
This engagement is making me very cross indeed. stead of dazed.
Flexible ranged attack
Triggering Roll: Any natural odd hit.
Effect: Spend a recovery but regain no hit points—half ONE LINER
the value is added to the damage roll. "I'm gonna get medieval on yo' ass."
Champion Feat: Increase the added damage to your Flexible ranged attack
full recovery but you suffer half your recovery Special: This can only be used once per battle. You
damage. also must actually give a cheesy one-liner.
Triggering Roll: Any natural even non-critical hit
Epic Feat: Make a hard save 16+ to no longer suffer Effect: This hit becomes a critical hit.
half damage from inflicting full recovery damage. Epic Feat: Increase weapon damage by 1 die.
135
BLOODY MESS (ANY) I suggest if the player does not give an
OH MY GOD THE QUARTERBACK IS TOAST! appropriately memorable and/or
Flexible ranged attack cheesy one-liner (voted on by the
Triggering Roll: Any natural hit.
group), then the player cannot use this
Effect: You must hit the target three times (using
bloody mess) consecutively without missing or hitting power again until a full heal-up.
another target. On the third hit, you inflict two more
dice of weapon damage and increase the multiplier of And just going to the Wikiquote page
your damage bonus your from ability score by 1. for any Samuel L. Jackson movie is
Champion Feat: Weapon damage increased by 2. cheating.

Epic Feat: Weapon damage increases by 2 (4 total)

and multiplier of your damage bonus your from
ability score by 1 (2 total).
 HEAVY GROUNDER LEVEL PROGRESSION
Grounder Total Hit Points Total Powers Pool Class Level-up Damage Bonus
Level Feats Known Available Talents Ability From Ability
Bonuses Score
1 (8+CON mod) x3 1 adventurer 4 1st level 3 ability modifier
2 (8+CON mod) x4 2 adventurer 5 1st level 3 ability modifier

3 (8+CON mod) x5 3 adventurer 5 3rd level 3 ability modifier

4 (8+CON mod) x6 4 adventurer 6 3rd level 3 +1 to 3 ability modifier

abilities
5 (8+CON mod) x8 4 adventurer 6 5th level 3 2x ability modifier
1 champion
6 (8+CON mod) x10 4 adventurer 7 5th level 4 2x ability modifier
2 champion
7 (8+CON mod) x12 4 adventurer 7 7th level 4 +1 to 3 2x ability modifier
3 champion abilities
8 (8+CON mod) x16 4 adventurer 8 7th level 4 3x ability modifier
3 champion
1 epic
9 (8+CON mod) x20 4 adventurer 8 9th level 4 3x ability modifier
3 champion
2 epic
10 (8+CON mod) x24 4 adventurer 9 9th level 4 +1 to 3 3x ability modifier
3 champion abilities
3 epic

HEAVY GROUNDER Champion Feat: Roll 1d3 twice and take the highest
Your job is not to talk but to deliver maximum stopping value when determining possible targets.
power. You wield the heaviest weapons and the heavi-
est armor. You are also often the slowest. You take or- Epic Feat: Enlarge the area—you can affect 1d4 ene-
ders rather than give them in hopes those orders in- mies (roll twice and take the highest value).
clude the release of hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
You will have the most powerful weapons in the entire
team and you use them to keep enemies at bay, pinning SOLID STANCE
them and bringing down the largest opponents in the If you don't move on your turn, you gain a +2 bonus to PD
encounter. and a +1 bonus to AC until the start of your next turn.

CLASS FEATURES 1st LEVEL POWERS

The heavy grounder has two class features: Area denial BACKUP WEAPON
and solid stance. They also gain powers based on their Always have something handy...for close encounters.
136 level. There are powers which are at-will and those At-Will
which can only be used once per battle. Some are at- Interrupt action
tacks while others are support. Trigger: An enemy engages you while you wield a two-
handed firearm.
AREA DENIAL Effect: You switch to a one-handed firearm or light me-
You...shall not...PASS! lee weapon and make a basic attack.
Support power (auto) Adventurer Feat: Your interrupted ranged attack
At-Will gains a +2 bonus to attack.
Target: Any region between you and up to 1d3 ene-
mies in a group. Champion Feat: Your enemy is vulnerable to your
Effect: You can make a ranged attack against one target interrupted ranged attack.
that passes through said zone as an interrupt. All tar-
geted enemies need one extra move action to pass
Epic Feat: Roll twice for your interrupted ranged
through the zone until the start of your next turn. attack and take the highest result.
Adventurer Feat: Area denial now only takes a
move action to use.
CHAIN ATTACK FROM OUT OF NOWHERE
Use the first attack as a guide to strike the next. I will remain combat effective.
Ranged attack (auto) Support power (any)
At-Will Battle
Target: One enemy Effect: Spend a recovery, but regain no hit points; in-
Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC stead, you recover one battle power you have used
Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage, and make an this encounter.
identical attack to the nearest enemy to the last one.
Adventurer Feat: This becomes an at-will power.
Repeat this process until you miss or until you hit
three enemies. Each enemy can only be attacked
once.
FULLY AUTOMATIC CONTROL
Miss: Damage equal to your level. Subsequent attack
Wildfire is for amateurs; I prefer to hold onto my gun.
rolls can benefit from miss damage.
Ranged attack (auto)
Adventurer Feat: You can chain up to four enemies. At-Will
Target: One enemy.
Champion Feat: You can chain up to five enemies. Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC
Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage
Epic Feat: You can chain attacks back to enemies Miss: Re-roll the attack. You must accept the new
you previously attacked, but you still can't attack result. If you rolled a natural 1, you cannot re-roll.
the same enemy twice in a row. If you hit with the second attack, you inflict half
damage. This power inflicts no miss damage.
CREEPING BARRAGE Adventurer Feat: You can re-roll twice if the second
You lay down suppressing fire to hold back the enemy is also a miss.
Ranged attack (auto)
Battle Champion Feat: Inflict full damage with the first re-
Target: 1d4 enemies in a group roll but not the second.
Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC
Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage and the target is
stuck until the beginning of your next turn. JUMP IN FRONT
Miss: Damage equal to your level. Tell my wife I love her! Forgot...not married...
Special: On your next turn after using creeping barrage, Support power (any)
you can use it one additional time, though you must Battle
target different enemies. Interrupt action
Trigger: You and at least one ally is struck by the same
Adventurer Feat: Roll twice for the number of tar- attack.
gets and take the higher value. Effect: You are targeted by a number of attacks equal
to the number of allies affected by the original attack.
Champion Feat: Increase the number of targets by Your allies are pushed out of the attack area (if one)
+1. and are not hit. You can limit the number of allies
you take the hit for.

FOR THE COMMON HONOR

There he stands alone. But in the field, what? Part of a
Adventurer Feat: You suffer half damage from hits
other than the one originally targeted on you. 137
team.
Battle
This is much less immediate-death-
Interrupt action
Trigger: One nearby staggered ally is hit with an attack
save-inducing than the original 4e
that does not include you. iteration, but you still don't want to
Effect: You are hit by the attack instead of the ally. make a habit of it. It helps if you use
Adventurer Feat: You can use this power twice per
it to save the medic.
battle and you only suffer half damage.

Champion Feat: After suffering damage from this

power, you can then make a free basic ranged
attack. If this attack misses, you recover the use
of this power.
 MICRO BURST Epic Feat: You can now add +3 weapon damage at
Just a quick splash of bullets. the cost of three bursts of ammunition. This
Ranged attack (auto) includes miss damage as well.
At-Will
Target: 1d4 enemies in a group
Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC SHOOT AND SCOOT
Hit: WEAPON damage Slow is smooth; smooth is fast.
Miss: Damage equal to your level. Ranged attack (any)
Adventurer Feat: If you kill a non-mook enemy, left- At-Will
over damage can be added to another hit made Target: One nearby enemy
from micro burst this turn. Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC
Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage, and you move
away from the target (taking one additional move-
Champion Feat: You can add your Dexterity bonus
to damage. ment to reach you—though this can move you away
from allies). You suffer no penalties to attack from
moving until the beginning of your next turn.
Epic Feat: Roll twice for the number of targets and Miss: Damage equal to your level.
take the higher value.
Adventurer Feat: Use shoot and scoot against en-
gaged enemies— you gain a +5 bonus to all dis-
RAPID FIRE engage attempts with this power.
It’s like holding down a hotkey.
Ranged attack (auto)
At-Will STANDING BARRAGE
Target: Two enemies next to each other up to far away. Hold still and carefully bring down hell.
Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC Ranged attack (auto)
Hit: WEAPON damage. Battle
Miss: Damage equal to your level. Target: 1d4 enemies in a group
Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC
Adventurer Feat: Target 3 enemies next to each
Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage, and the target is
other.
stuck until the beginning of your next turn.
Miss: Damage equal to your level.
Champion Feat: For every 1 less target you attack, Reckless: You can be reckless with standing barrage,
roll another attack roll with rapid fire and take targeting an additional 1d4 enemies but any allies
the higher result. You can elect to attack one nearby an additional target suffers one fourth the
target and roll three times. damage inflict on the enemy.

Epic Feat: Add your Dexterity bonus to damage. Adventurer Feat: Roll twice for the number of tar-
gets and take the higher value (including reck-
less).
RIDDLE THE TARGET
Don’t let up until the body hits the floor. Champion Feat: Increase the number of targets
Ranged attack (auto) (including reckless) by +1.
138 At-Will
Target: One nearby enemy Epic Feat: Only allies engaged with enemies suffer
Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC reckless damage.
Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage. You can increase
the weapon damage by 1 die by using one additional
burst from your weapon. You must have available
ammunition in your clip.
Miss: Damage equal to your level.
Adventurer Feat: You can increase your weapon die
by 2 at the cost of two bursts of ammunition.

Champion Feat: You can increase miss damage the

same as hit damage by adding bursts; for every
additional burst, increase miss damage by your
level (max +2).
WILDFIRE MINDLESS MAYHEM
Sometimes you just have to spray and pray. I totally did not close my eyes. I’m a professional.
Ranged attack (auto) Ranged attack (auto)
Battle Battle
Target: 1d4 enemies nearby or engaged with you. Target: Five nearest targets.
Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC
Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage. Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage
Miss: Damage equal to your level. Miss: Damage equal to your level.
Adventurer Feat: Enemies suffer a –2 penalty to Champion Feat: Allies hit suffer half damage.
opportunity attacks during wildfire.
Epic Feat: You can ignore one nearby target and
Champion Feat: You can elect not to roll for targets target one further target.
and instead attack all enemies engaged with you.

TAKE OUT THE KNEES

WIND KNOCKED OUT Those could be testicles; at this point, I don’t care.
If you never give up, you can’t possibly lose. Ranged attack (any)
Support power (any) At-Will
Daily Target: One nearby non-flying enemy
Interrupt Action Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC
Trigger: You take damage from a hit Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage, and the target
Effect: You suppress the damage and all effects of the stumbles and falls prone. It disengages from any of
hit until the end of the battle or until you are reduced your allies, and until it takes a move action to stand
to zero hit points. up, it is vulnerable.
Miss: Damage equal to your level.
Adventurer Feat: You ignore the damage complete-
ly. Champion Feat: Use an auto weapon and increase
the damage by your Dexterity modifier.

3rd LEVEL POWERS Epic Feat: The target is also hampered while prone.
GREATER AREA DENIAL
They’re not getting near us!
Support power (auto) 5th LEVEL POWERS
Battle BLITZ
Target: A region between you and up to 1d4+1 ene- Eyes open, still firing blind.
mies in a group. Ranged attack (auto)
Effect: You can make a ranged attack against any tar- Battle
gets that passes through said region as an interrupt. Target: Up to 5 nearby enemies.
All targeted enemies need one extra move action to Attack: Dexterity –2 + Level vs. AC
pass through the region until the start of your next Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage
turn. Miss: Damage equal to your level.
Special: Use a move action at the beginning of your
next turn to continue using greater area denial. You
Special: Any allies engaged with targeted enemies suf-
fer one fourth damage inflicted on the enemy.
139
can only target the same enemies as last time and
Champion Feat: Double the ammunition usage for
only ones that weren’t attacked the previous turn.
each attack to remove the attack penalty.
Champion Feat: Roll 1d4+1 twice and take the high-
est value when determining possible targets. Epic Feat: Increase the number of targets by +1.
Allies no longer suffer damage.
Epic Feat: Enlarge the area—you can affect 1d6 ene-
mies (roll twice and take the highest value).
 SHORT CONTROLLED BURST 9th LEVEL POWERS
I’m being civilized and checking my targets. FALL OF HEAVEN
Ranged attack (auto) Death am I, and my present task Destruction.
At-Will Ranged attack (auto)
Target: One or two enemies. Daily
Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC Requirement: The escalation die must be +4 or higher.
Hit: WEAPON damage Target: Each nearby enemy.
Miss: Damage equal to your level. Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC
Champion Feat: Target up to three enemies. Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage, and the target is
stunned until the beginning of your next turn.
Epic Feat: Instead of targeting three enemies, you Miss: Damage equal to your level.
make three attack rolls, breaking the attacks up
Epic Feat: You can target all enemies you can see.
against any combination of enemies.

MEASURED RESPONSE
7th LEVEL POWERS Proportionate retribution only. No point in wasting am-
CLOUD OF HELLFIRE mo on the dead.
Time to blot out the sun. Ranged attack (auto)
Ranged attack (auto) Daily
At-Will Target: One enemy
Target: 1d4 enemies far away. Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC. The target is vulner-
Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC able to this attack.
Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage, and the target is Hit: WEAPON + 2x Dexterity damage. Increase your
hampered until the beginning of your next turn. weapon damage by 1 die.
Miss: Damage equal to your level. Miss: No damage, but you recover the use of measured
Champion Feat: Allies gain a +2 bonus to attack hit response.
targets until the beginning of your next turn. Epic Feat: Increase you weapon damage by 1 die,
and increase your attribute modifier to x3.
Epic Feat: Enemies hit are vulnerable until the begin-
ning of your next turn.
The grounder was originally a single
class from 4th Edition, but as time
MACHINE OF DESTRUCTION went on, it became split into two varia-
Say hello to my really, really big friend. tions—one that rains down area effects
Ranged attack (auto) and one involved in direct one-on-on fighting.
Battle I’ve always kept them connected, which result-
Effect: You are stuck until the end of your next turn. ed in grounder being the largest and most com-
While stuck from this power, all additional powers plicated class in the 13th Age adaptation. I
are reduced from a standard action to a move ac- always figured a five-person party would actu-
tion. You cannot use this power if already stuck ally have one of each build. Snipers and gun-
140 from an outside source
slingers I always considered optional. The
Champion Feat: While stuck from this power, you grounder was simply the most realistic option.
gain a +2 bonus to PD and AC.
Archetypally speaking, this is the
Epic Feat: If stuck from an outside source, as long as
least interesting option, due to the
your are not helpless or hampered, you can acti-
vate machine of destruction, even if you already spectacular lack of grunt soldier pro-
activated it this battle. tagonists in movies (and the spectac-
ular lack of personality in modern FPS
avatars). Try looking at 'Starship Troopers',
'Full Metal Jacket,' 'Stalingrad,' and the quirk-
ier '90s or '00s shooter games for inspiration.
GUNSLINGER
The gunslinger is all about being close. Employing skill
and a stroke of luck, you maneuver until the enemy
cannot avoid your attack. You evade fire while return-
ing it with pinpoint accuracy. Although occasionally
using stealth and trickery in your attacks, just as often
you leap boldly—and some may say insanely—into the
thick of enemy fire. You avoid any weapons or gear
which could encumber you—agility is vital in every-
thing you do. While the rest of your allies remain back,
you move through enemy lines, disrupting their strate-
gies, and striking important targets. Like the sniper,
you role is detached from the rest of the party, but just
because your friends can’t see you doesn’t mean they
don’t benefit from your contribution.
However, unlike the sniper, said contribution does
not come in the form of status effects and hindrances.
It’s about copious amount of firepower dedicated to one
or many opponents at once. It is not unheard of for you
to jump into a dense collection of enemies, downing
every one before they even see you. You employ light
weapons in this practice, slipping by fallen enemies and
dancing through battle lines to find your target.
Play Style: You are responsible for the safety of the
comrades in your party. You use movement and agility-
based maneuvers to move within close range in order to
maximize the potential of shorter range, one-handed
weapons. Your maneuvers are just that. You employ
them in conjunction with kata powers that allow in-
creased gunfire, either to one or multiple targets.
Ability Scores: You use Dexterity for gunslinger
attack rolls. You also employ Wisdom with certain pow-
ers, maneuvers, and talents. You gain a +2 bonus with
one of your choice.

GEAR
At 1st level, gunslingers start with a one-handed simple
melee weapon for emergencies along with up to two
pistols. They also gain one armor set. Additionally, a
gunslinger can start with either 25 UC or roll 1d6 x 10
UC.
141
ARMOR
Gunslingers should wear light armor in order to remain
mobile. If they attempt to wear heavy armor, they suf-
fer attacks penalties with one-handed firearms.

Gunslinger Armor and AC

Type Base AC Attack Penalty the same weapon, though if different, you will need to
None 10 — state which weapons are being used at any time. For
Light 14 — example, certain firearms do more damage than others
Heavy 15 -2 while some have automatic settings.
Shield +1 -2 Primitive weapons: There is nothing stopping you
from wielding medieval ranged weapons in a pinch,
WEAPONS especially if your normal weapons suffer disruption or
Kata powers can only be used with one-handed small run out of ammunition (by hand of a cruel GM). How-
arms. It is suggested you either wield one or two (this ever, because they are not your specialty, you suffer
affects which talents to select). They don’t need to be
attack penalties with such weapons. Crossbows are fair-
 GUNSLINGER LEVEL PROGRESSION
Gunslinger Total Hit Points Total Maneuvers Kata Class Level-up Damage Bonus
Level Feats Known Powers Talents Ability From Ability
Bonuses Score
1 (8+CON mod) x3 1 adventurer 2 1 3 ability modifier
2 (8+CON mod) x4 2 adventurer 2 2 3 ability modifier

3 (8+CON mod) x5 3 adventurer 2 2 3 ability modifier

4 (8+CON mod) x6 4 adventurer 3 2 3 +1 to 3 ability modifier

abilities
5 (8+CON mod) x8 4 adventurer 3 3 3 2x ability modifier
1 champion
6 (8+CON mod) x10 4 adventurer 3 3 3 2x ability modifier
2 champion
7 (8+CON mod) x12 4 adventurer 4 3 3 +1 to 3 2x ability modifier
3 champion abilities
8 (8+CON mod) x16 4 adventurer 4 4 3 2x ability modifier
3 champion
1 epic
9 (8+CON mod) x20 4 adventurer 4 4 3 2x ability modifier
3 champion
2 epic
10 (8+CON mod) x24 4 adventurer 5 4 3 +1 to 3 2x ability modifier
3 champion abilities
3 epic
GUNSLINGER STATS
Ability Bonus +2 Dexterity or Wisdom (different from racial bonus)
Initiative Dex mod + Level
Armor Class (light armor) 14 + middle mod of Con/Dex/Wis + Level
Physical Defense 11 + middle mod of Str/Con/Dex + Level
Mental Defense 10 + middle mod of Int/Wis/Cha + Level
Hit Points (8 + Con mod) x Level modifier (see level progression)
Recoveries (probably) 8
Recovery Dice (1d8 x Level) + Con mod
Backgrounds 8 points, max 5 in any background
Icon Relationships 3 points

142 Talents
Feats
3
1 per Level

ly similar to guns, and only inflict a -2 penalty: other Gunslinger Ranged Weapons
ranged weapons inflict -4. The GM may also rule that One-Handed Firearm Two-Handed Firearm
particularly primitive firearms (such as muzzle-loaders) Light
are sufficiently far removed from what you're familiar 1d4 pistol 1d6 rifle
with to warrant the -2 penalty, depending on your home Medium
bastion's tech level. They do not count as one-handed 1d6 pistol 1d8 machine gun
Heavy
small arms.
1d8 hand cannon 1d10 heavy gun
Gunslinger Melee Weapons
One-Handed Two Handed BASIC ATTACKS
Small MELEE ATTACK
1d4 knife 1d6 club
At-Will
Light or Simple
Target: One enemy
1d6 shortsword, tonfa 1d8 spear
Attack: Strength + Level vs. AC
Hit: WEAPON + Strength damage
Miss: Damage equal to your level
RANGED ATTACK MANEUVERS
At-Will Maneuvers are movement based powers that affect how
Target: One enemy you move and how you employ your attacks.
Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC At 1st level, you begin with two maneuvers. When
Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage you reach a level when you are able to select an addi-
Miss: Damage equal to your level tional maneuver (4th, 7th, 10th), you can elect to gain
an additional feat instead.
GUNSLINGER CLASS
FEATURES CLASS TALENTS
You have the following class features. Choose three of the following class talents.

CINEMATIC STYLE ACT ON INSTINCT

You are functionally ambidextrous, and can wield one- Swap Wisdom with Dexterity (and vice-versa) for all
handed weapons in either hand without penalty. This maneuvers, powers, and talents. This is a single swap at
really has no bearing on game mechanics; we just think character generation and you cannot use this talent on
it’s cool to mention. the fly later.
Additionally, you can use a one-handed small arm as
a melee weapon (treat as a club). You also do not pro- BULLET BALLET
voke attacks by using one-handed small arms against Use two one-handed small arms and increase the crit
targets engaged with you. range of your ranged attacks by +1 against enemies that
are not staggered. The feats attached to bullet ballet
KATA POWERS require the use of two one-handed small arms.
Kata powers allow you to engage multiple enemies or Adventurer Feat: The crit range increases by +2.
focus fire on specific ones. They are not attack powers
in themselves but do allow you to employ your basic Champion Feat: Your first ranged attack against an
ranged attacks in unique ways. Kata can only be used undamaged enemy has its crit range expanded to
with one-handed small arms. Like feats, there are kata +5.
powers only available at adventurer, champion, and epic
levels.
Epic Feat: If you kill a non-mook with a critical at-
tack using a ranged weapon, you can immediate-
The single biggest fictional influence ly make an additional basic attack.
on this class is the movie
'Equilibrium', which consists mostly
of Christian Bale doing frankly impos- CONVERGING FIRE
sible things because the director doesn't You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls with one-handed
believe in flawed heroes. The flavor text we've small arms against targets you are engaged with.
traditionally used for the various gunslinger Adventurer Feat: If you miss with an attack roll with
abilities and powers reflects an in-universe a one-handed small arm, increase your next hit
awareness of how unrealistic things like 'gun by a WEAPON die (max 1).
kata' are... and yet, in Amethyst's world, they
somehow work. GMs who enjoy mind screw Champion Feat: Your maximum increased WEAP-
143
might suggest that perhaps these things only ON die increases to 2 (missing two attacks con-
secutively).
work because the gunslinger believes they will,
and that if the gates were to close, they'd sud-
Epic Feat: Your maximum increased WEAPON die
denly become impossible again... increases to 3.

The references to the movie are not

meant to be allegorical in anyway
about altering reality. I separate most
game mechanics from setting material,
and in this case, I throw realism out the
window if favor of player enjoyment. In reali-
ty, why specialize in pistols when a machine
gun can mow down goblins from a safe dis-
tance?
 COWBOY ACTION FAST SWITCH
If using a single one-handed small arm, increase its You can switch to any of your weapons as a single quick
damage die by one step (1d4 to 1d6 to 1d8 to 1d10). action without dropping any weapons.
The feats attached to cowboy action require you to
Adventurer Feat: The first time you need to reload
wield only a single one-handed small arm. a one-handed small arm in a battle, you do so
Adventurer Feat: If you kill a non-mook, you can with quick action.
make a second attack using the same bullet
against another enemy near the first. Champion Feat: Reloading a one-handed small arm
always takes only a quick action.
Champion Feat: Increase your miss damage with
ranged attacks by your Wisdom modifier.
Epic Feat: You can reload two one-handed small
arms with a single quick action.
Epic Feat: Use a recovery as a free action and regain
no hit points; gain a +20 bonus to your last at-
tack roll.
GUNPLAY
You gain a +1 power bonus to AC and PD against
ranged attacks.
DEFENSIVE FIRE
If you hit an enemy with a one-handed small arm, said Adventurer Feat: Use a move action to increase
enemy suffers a –2 penalty to attack you with a ranged these bonuses by +2.
weapon until the beginning of your next turn.
Champion Feat: Your AC and PD bonus to ranged
Adventurer Feat: The penalty applies to all attacks. attacks increase to +2.

Champion Feat: The penalty increases to –3. Epic Feat: Your bonus to AC and PD now applies to
all attacks.
Epic Feat: Your critical threat range against an ene-
my suffering from above penalty increases by +1.
HYDROSTATIC SHOCK
If you are wielding a single one-handed small arm,
DUAL WIELDING once a round as a free action, select one creature you
When wielding two-one handed small arms, you are have hit during your turn. The target suffers an addi-
counted as wielding two melee weapons (re-roll all nat- tional 1d4 damage at the beginning of its turn.
ural 2 attack rolls). In addition, you can reduce the 5th level gunslinger +2d4 damage.
damage die of your weapons by one step (1d10 to 1d8 to 8th level gunslinger +3d4 damage.
1d6 to 1d4) and make a ranged attack. If you hit, you
can make a second attack as a free action. Adventurer Feat: Increase the die from d4 to d6.

Adventurer Feat: If attacking different targets, do Champion Feat: Increase the die from d6 to d8.
not reduce your damage die.
Epic Feat: Increase the die from d8 to d10.
144 Champion Feat: If you hit with the second attack,
you can inflict half damage but gain a +2 bonus
to AC and PD until the beginning of your next QUICKDRAW
turn. You gain a +2 bonus to Initiative.
Adventurer Feat: Increase your initiative bonus by
Epic Feat: If you hit with the first attack and attack your Wisdom modifier.
the same target with the second, increase your
crit range with the second by 2. Champion Feat: If you act first in a battle, on your
first turn, roll twice for all attacks and take the
higher result. Also, re-roll all damage dice
where the result is 1.

Epic Feat: If you act first in a battle, on your first

turn, all attack rolls have their crit range ex-
panded by +2.
REFLEX SHOT HARD BOILED
When wielding one-handed small arms, you can make a “Give a guy a gun, he thinks he's Superman. Give him
basic ranged attack as an opportunity attack. two and he thinks he's God.”
At-Will
Adventurer Feat: You gain a +2 bonus to attack
with opportunity attacks. Quick action
Effect: Make a basic ranged attack. If you hit, inflict
miss damage. If you miss, you inflict no damage.
Champion Feat: If you hit an enemy your size at-
tempting to disengage with an opportunity at- Adventurer Feat: Add your Wisdom modifier to a
tack, it cannot disengage. hit.

Epic Feat: If you hit a creature larger than you with Champion Feat: Double your Wisdom modifier on a
an opportunity attack, you can pop free from all hit.
other enemies and move with the enemy you
hit. Epic Feat: You can inflict a critical hit.

JUST ONE BULLET

KATA ADVENTURER “I tip my hat to you...one legend to another.”
BETWEEN THE EYES Battle
"If you want to shoot, shoot. Don't talk too much." Free action
At-Will Requirement: You must wield a single one-handed
Standard action small arm.
Effect: Make a basic ranged attack. Target PD in- Effect: Add your Wisdom modifier to all damage rolls
stead of AC. Inflict no ability damage on the hit. until the end of your turn.
Adventurer Feat: Gain a +1 to attack with this pow- Adventurer Feat: Use a recovery as a quick action
er. and sustain this power for one additional turn.

Champion Feat: Outthink your enemy, target the

lowest of your enemy’s defenses. RAPID KILL
“Guns don't kill people! But they sure help.”
At-Will
BOUNDARY THRESHOLD Move action
“There was a firefight!” Effect: Make a basic ranged attack, but if you hit, you
At-Will only inflict 1/4 damage. You cannot inflict a critical
Standard action hit.
Effect: Make a basic ranged attack against each ene- Adventurer Feat: You can score a critical hit.
my engaged with you. Inflict no damage on a miss.
Adventurer Feat: You can pop free from any ene- Champion Feat: You inflict 1/2 damage to mooks.
mies you hit.

Epic Feat: If you make three ranged attacks with this

WAY OF THE GUN 145
power, all attacks gain a +2 bonus to attack. You leap over obstructions and enemy heads, and land
This bonus increases by 1 for every engaged in the thick of evil. A tornado of gunfire ensues.
with you. Battle
Standard action
Effect: Make a basic ranged attack against all nearby
GUN-FU enemies and enemies engaged with you (max 6). On-
ly apply damage to one hit. All others you hit cannot
"I saw this in a movie once..."
engage you until the beginning of your next turn.
Battle
You also pop free from enemies engaged with you
Standard action
that you hit.
Effect: Make three basic ranged attacks. If you miss
with all three attacks, you regain the use of this pow- Adventurer Feat: If you attack at least four targets,
er. you can apply damage to two hits.
Adventurer Feat: You regain the use of this power if
all three attacks are even misses. Champion Feat: You can move once between your
attacks in order to engage more targets.
 KATA CHAMPION PARTING SHOT
BLOOD IN THE EYES You give the illusion of cowardice but turn quickly and
“Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage fire back as you move away.
against the dying of the light.” Battle
At-Will Standard action
Interrupt action Effect: Pop free from an enemy and make a basic
Requirement: You are staggered ranged attack. If you miss, you regain the use of this
Trigger: You regain hit points (either on your turn or power.
outside of it) Champion Feat: This power is reduced to a move
Effect: Make a basic ranged attack. action.
Champion Feat: You gain a +3 bonus to attack with
the basic attack. Epic Feat: You can target two enemies engaged with
you.
Epic Feat: If staggered, anytime you take damage,
you can use blood in the eyes. You can only use
this ability once per round. REACTION TIME ZERO
Responding to an ally’s need should be a reflex, and
thankfully for you, it is.
DESPERATE MEASURES At-Will
Enemies are all around you! They’re closing in! Do Interrupt action
what you do best. Trigger: An alley is staggered.
Battle Effect: Make a basic ranged attack.
Standard action Champion Feat: You gain a +4 bonus to attack with
Effect: Make a basic ranged attack against up to three the basic attack.
nearby targets. Enemies not suffering hit damage are
dazed until the beginning of your next turn.
Epic Feat: If you hit the target, the staggered ally can
Champion Feat: Target up to four enemies. make a basic attack or pop free.

Epic Feat: Target up to five enemies.

TARGETING LOCK
GRAND SLAM You focus on the target and think of nothing else.
Battle
You unleash your weapons on the target until your fin-
Move action
gers tire.
Effect: Target one enemy you can see. You gain a +2
Battle
bonus to attack said target until it is killed. Until the
Standard action
target is killed, you suffer a –2 penalty to all defense
Effect: Make three basic ranged attacks against one
against all other enemies (except the one you have
enemy. If the target is staggered, you cannot make
the bonus against).
the second or third attacks.
Champion Feat: Your penalty to defense is reduced
Champion Feat: If you miss all three attacks, you
146 recover this power.
to –1.

Epic Feat: Your crit range against the enemy increas-

Epic Feat: You can re-roll one missed attack roll
es by +2.
with this power.
KATA EPIC WEAK SPOT
DIRECT FIRE Go for the eyes! Does it have eyes?! Hit in the neck!
You let out your loudest war cry as your pummel your It’s gotta have a neck. Does it have a reproduction sys-
target. No seriously, you have to do that now. You owe tem?
the other players candy if they don’t like your yell. At-Will
Battle Standard action
Standard action Effect: Make a basic ranged attack. If you hit, you can
Effect: Make basic ranged attack against the nearest inflict only miss damage, and the target is weakened
enemy. If you hit, repeat the attack and continue until the beginning of your next turn.
repeating until you miss or until you run out of ammo. Epic Feat: If you inflict a critical hit, the weakened
If you miss the first attack, you recover the use of this requires a normal save (11+).
power.
Epic Feat: You recover the use of this power if you
miss the first and second attack. MANEUVERS
ABNORMALLY FAST
Running, ALL THE TIME!
FANNING FIRE At-Will
Fill the air with enough lead and it doesn't matter if Standard action
your aim sucks. Effect: You gain two move actions but must either
Battle move or use maneuvers with them.
Standard action
Adventurer Feat: You gain your Wisdom bonus to
Effect: Make a ranged basic attack. If you hit, make
any acrobatics or athletics checks you need to
another basic ranged attack and continue until you
make while moving with this power.
miss or hit four times. You can alternate with second-
ary weapons or just one a single one. If you miss the
first attack, you regain this power. Champion Feat: If you use all available move actions
to move, you gain a +3 bonus to PD and AC.
Epic Feat: You regain this power if you miss the first
two consecutive times.
CLASSIC TUMBLE
And sometimes, you just need to roll.
SUSTAINED FIRE Battle
You leave nothing for later, unleashing a storm of gun-
Interrupt action (once per round)
fire.
Trigger: You are hit with a melee attack
At-Will
Effect: You take 1/4 damage.
Standard action
Effect: Make three ranged basic attacks. Each attack Adventurer Feat: If you are staggered or the hit is a
suffers the following penalty to attack: First –2, sec- critical, you recover this power.
ond –3, third –4.
Epic Feat: The penalties are reduced to -1, -2, and -3 Champion Feat: The power also triggers on ranged
respectively. attacks.

Epic Feat: You can decide to take half-damage and 147

VECTORED VOLLEY you recover this power.
You open a firing arc in front of you.
Battle
Standard action
ENDORPHIN RESPONSE
You pull energy from a hidden reservoir and achieve
Requirement: Two enemies in range that are next to
something borderline paranormal.
each other.
At-Will
Effect: Make a basic ranged attack against each target.
Quick action
If you miss both attacks, you regain this power.
Effect: Use a recovery but regain no hit points. Instead
Epic Feat: You can attack three targets next to each you gain a move action.
other and regain the power if you miss all three
times. Champion Feat: You can combine two move actions
and replace them with a standard action.
 KINESICS WETWORK
Study your enemy and anticipate their next move. Zero body count? We'll see.
At-Will Battle
Move action Move action
Target: One nearby enemy. Target: One enemy far away or closer.
Attack: Wisdom + Level vs. MD Effect: Move closer to the target, and repeat using the
Hit: The target cannot engage you until the beginning same action each turn. No enemy can engage you
of your next turn. until you engage your target. This effect ends if you
change targets or stop moving to the target.
Champion Feat: Gain a +2 bonus to attack with this
power. Adventurer Feat: You gain a +2 bonus to all defens-
es until you engage your target.

KINETIC AND FLUID Champion Feat: You gain your Wisdom bonus to all
You spin, tumble, and jump through an enemy’s flank, damage rolls until you engage your target.
avoiding fire and counterattacking with deadly accura-
cy.
Battle EQUILIBRIUM
Move action "The geometric distribution of antagonists in any gun
Requirement: You must be unengaged. battle is completely f***ing unpredictable. But it
Effect: Move twice. Enemies cannot engage you until sounds way cooler the other way."
the beginning of your next turn. Battle
Adventurer Feat: If you have an available standard Interrupt action
action, you can take it between your moves. Trigger: An enemy misses with a melee attack.
Effect: Make a basic ranged attack against the enemy
that missed you. If you miss, you recover the use of
Champion Feat: You gain a +4 bonus to AC and PD
from ranged attacks. this power.
Adventurer Feat: Make two basic ranged attacks but
only one against the triggering enemy. You must
OUT OF THE FIGHT miss twice to recover the power.
You know when your body has taken enough punish-
ment. You pull yourself out of combat. Champion Feat: You use the triggering enemy as a
Battle shield; you gain a +4 bonus to AC. The next
Interrupt action enemy attack that misses hits the first enemy. If
Trigger: You are staggered. the attack still hits, you recover this power.
Effect: Pop free from all enemies.
Adventurer Feat: You also cannot be engaged until
the beginning of your next turn. LIMBER UP
It’s the eighteenth rule.
At-Will
Champion Feat: You gain a +2 bonus to AC against
Move action
opportunity attacks until no longer staggered or
Effect: You gain a +5 bonus to all checks to balance,
148 killed.
jump, or climb until the end of your turn.
Champion Feat: Increase the bonus to +10 but this
SLIPPERY BUGGER power cannot be used the rest of the day.
It’s like you’re covered in grease...you could still be, but
that has nothing to do with this power.
At-Will WHERE THEY DON’T EXPECT YOU
Move action Float like a butterfly, sting like a gun.
Target: One engaged enemy. Battle
Attack: Wisdom + Level vs. PD Interrupt action
Hit: You pop free from the target. Trigger: You are hit.
Champion Feat: This power is reduced to a quick Effect: The attack is a miss.
action. Adventurer Feat: Spend a recovery as a quick action
to recover the use of this power.

Champion Feat: Make a ranged basic attack as part

of this power.
MARSHAL GEAR
You possess either a natural talent for leadership or have At 1st level, marshals start with a one-handed simple
undergone extensive training to deal with stressful situ- melee weapon for emergencies along with one or two
ations. You know the dangers that lurk in the open firearms. They also gain one armor set. Additionally, a
world and can anticipate the actions of your enemies. marshal can start with either 100 UC or roll 3d6 x 10
You went through basic like everyone else but were UC.
separated early in life, groomed and greased into an
elite commander of war. Whether your troops follow ARMOR
you because of earned respect or because their contracts Grounders can wear either light or heavy armor. There
demand it, you have a duty to do your best for them: is not real preference.
poor leadership in the field results in a short lifespan for
all involved. Out of combat, you are often the first and Marshal Armor and AC
last to speak. You can talk your way out of a situation or Type Base AC
be the one to instigate a fight. In the end, the marshal None 10
points the way. Light 13
As a marshal, you often began your career training to Heavy 15
be grounder but moved into a command position either Shield +1
by accident in the field when your commanding officer
fell to enemy attack, or by taking classes on how to be WEAPONS
someone responsible for a team. Perhaps you have a Firearms can be pistols, rifles, or heavier weapons like
natural talent for leadership despite being a soldier like machine guns. It is suggested a marshal take a two-
the rest. Alternately, you might have been funding the handed weapon along with a backup pistol. Certain
team, so leadership is assumed. Thankfully, you are no weapons have a single shot option while others can fire
rank amateur and have experience dealing with the ex- multiple times an action. Unlike grounders, marshals
pected issues of the outside world. gain no additional class bonuses from auto weapons.
Beyond your combat abilities, you are the public Primitive weapons: There is nothing stopping you
face of the group. Outside of combat, you do all the from wielding medieval ranged weapons in a pinch,
talking. You consider it a failure if a situation devolves especially if your normal weapons suffer disruption or
to violence, since ammunition is scarce in the fantasy run out of ammunition (by hand of a cruel GM). How-
world. You would much prefer to talk your way out of
ever, because they are not your specialty, you suffer
situations and depend on your charisma to handle the
attack penalties with such weapons. Crossbows are fair-
crises that occur.
But when the bullets fly, you are as expertly trained ly similar to guns, and only inflict a -2 penalty: other
in combat situations as everyone else. You can analyze ranged weapons inflict -4. The GM may also rule that
a battle before the first weapon is raised. You can pin- particularly primitive firearms (such as muzzle-loaders)
point threats and coordinate the group to ensure a quick are sufficiently far removed from what you're familiar
and decisive victory. with to warrant the -2 penalty, depending on your home
You bolster the line, keeping the unit aware of on- bastion's tech level.
coming threats. You inspire others to fight beyond their
limits. They would die for you and you for them, but Marshal Melee Weapons
the real mark of a leader is to fortify your line of attack One-Handed Two Handed
Small
149
to be so indomitable as to ensure your enemies die for
their own causes, whatever they may be. 1d4 knife 1d6 club
Play Style: You are responsible for the safety of the Light or Simple
comrades next to you. You organize the actions of oth- 1d6 shortsword, tonfa 1d8 spear
ers in the fields to maximize firing potential while also
keeping allies out of potential crossfires. Without you, Marshal Ranged Weapons
the team’s coordination begins to break down. One-Handed Firearm Two-Handed Firearm
Ability Scores: You need Charisma or Wisdom to Light
properly coordinate your group. You gain a +2 bonus 1d4 pistol 1d6 rifle
with one as long as it isn’t the same ability you increase Medium
with your racial bonus. 1d6 pistol 1d8 machine gun
Heavy
1d8 hand cannon 1d10 heavy gun
 MARSHAL LEVEL PROGRESSION
Marshal Total Hit Points Total Command Class Level-up Ability Damage Bonus
Level Feats Presence Auras Talents Bonuses From Ability Score
1 (7+CON mod) x3 1 adventurer 2 3 ability modifier
2 (7+CON mod) x4 2 adventurer 2 3 ability modifier

3 (7+CON mod) x5 3 adventurer 2 3 ability modifier

4 (7+CON mod) x6 4 adventurer 2 3 +1 to 3 abilities ability modifier

5 (7+CON mod) x8 4 adventurer 3 4 2x ability modifier

1 champion
6 (7+CON mod) x10 4 adventurer 3 4 2x ability modifier
2 champion
7 (7+CON mod) x12 4 adventurer 3 4 +1 to 3 abilities 2x ability modifier
3 champion
8 (7+CON mod) x16 4 adventurer 3 5 3x ability modifier
3 champion
1 epic
9 (7+CON mod) x20 4 adventurer 4 5 3x ability modifier
3 champion
2 epic
10 (7+CON mod) x24 4 adventurer 4 5 +1 to 3 abilities 3x ability modifier
3 champion
3 epic
MARSHAL STATS
Ability Bonus +2 Wisdom or Charisma (different from racial bonus)
Initiative Dex mod + Level
Armor Class (heavy armor) 15 + middle mod of Con/Dex/Wis + Level
Armor Class (light armor) 13 + middle mod of Con/Dex/Wis + Level
Physical Defense 10 + middle mod of Str/Con/Dex + Level
Mental Defense 11 + middle mod of Int/Wis/Cha + Level
Hit Points (7 + Con mod) x Level modifier (see level progression)
Recoveries (probably) 8
Recovery Dice (1d8 x Level) + Con mod
Backgrounds 8 points, max 5 in any background
Icon Relationships 3 points
150 Talents 3
Feats 1 per Level

BASIC ATTACKS
MELEE ATTACK RANGED ATTACK
At-Will At-Will
Target: One enemy Target: One enemy
Attack: Strength + Level vs. AC Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC
Hit: WEAPON + Strength damage Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage
Miss: Damage equal to your level Miss: Damage equal to your level
CLASS FEATURES FOR THE GOOD OF THE TEAM
All marshals gains the following class feature. You can sacrifice your standard action on your turn to
give another ally in line of sight a move action either on
BIG PICTURE your turn or as an additional move action on his turn.
Use an interrupt to boost an ally's effectiveness. The Likewise, you can also sacrifice your move action to
ally inflicts extra damage equal to your Wisdom or Cha- give another ally a quick action either on your turn or as
risma modifier + your level on his next hit. The modifi- an additional quick action on his turn. Additionally,
er damage doubles at 5th level and triples at 8th level. once per day, you can swap your initiative order with
When you use big picture, you lose your standard action another ally.
on your next turn. Champion Feat: When you sacrifice an action, the
target ally gains the same type of action.
Adventurer Feat: Add both your Wisdom and Cha-
risma modifier as a damage bonus. Both modifi-
ers double at 5th level and triple at 8th level. Epic Feat: Once per battle, when you sacrifice a
move action to give an ally a move action, the
ally can take a standard action instead.
Champion Feat: Double your level damage to the
hit.
This is where I impose an unfortunate
Epic Feat: You only lose your move action instead of house rule that the player with the
your standard action on your next turn.
least amount of social graces cannot
play the marshal. I know that character
ENCOURAGING SUPPORT attributes are what matters, but it won’t pre-
Once per battle, when you rally, one ally next to you vent a player from putting his foot in his
with 1 or more hit points remaining can rally for free as mouth. Die rolls can only do so much.
well. The ally is not counted as having rallied.
Adventurer Feat: You affect up to two allies next to CLASS TALENTS
you or one nearby. Choose three of the following class talents. You can
select an additional talent at 5th and 8th level.
Champion Feat: You can use encouraging support
twice per battle. BOAR’S HEAD
If you move, one unengaged ally next to you can move
Epic Feat: You gain a +2 bonus when attempting with you. This is usually used to move ranged weapons
subsequent rallies. Each time you fail, the bonus further away from oncoming opponents.
increases by +1 until you pass.
Adventurer Feat: If you use a move action for any
reason, you can still use boar’s head—you can
move allies without moving yourself.
FIELD ADVICE
Once per battle, you can use a move action to grant an
ally next to you a +3 bonus to their next save. The bo- Champion Feat: Target one engaged ally and said ally
nus does not apply to saving throws against uncon- pops free.
sciousness or death. 151
Epic Feat: You affect up to two allies next to you.
Adventurer Feat: If the ally still fails the save, they
obviously weren’t listening, and you recover the
use of field advice.
CONTROL THE BATTLE THEATRE
If you nominate an ambush, two allies with the highest
Champion Feat: FIGHT DAMN YOU! FIGHT!
initiative can ambush with you.
Field advice now works on saves against death.
Adventurer Feat: During the ambush, all enemies
Epic Feat: Once per day, field advice can make the are vulnerable to your and allies’ attacks.
affected ally automatically pass the save.
Champion Feat: Three allies with the highest initia-
tive can ambush with you.

Epic Feat: If in an ambush, you and all allies gain a +2

bonus to initiative. You and allies gain a +2 bo-
nus to attack until the first enemy’s turn.
 FACE SLAP PAT ON THE BACK
Once a day, you can use a move action to wake up an When the party uses a quick rest, you can award a re-
unconscious ally next to you. If the target was uncon- covery to an ally that used one during the previous bat-
scious from being reduced to fewer than 0 hit points, tle. Allies cannot have more recoveries than they are
she is healed to 1 hit point. The target is also dazed allowed.
until the end of the battle.
Adventurer Feat: You gain two recoveries you can
Adventurer Feat: Ally can spend a recovery and award (you can award two recoveries to one
regain hit points. ally or one recovery each to two allies).

Champion Feat: You can spend a recovery with face Champion Feat: Once per day, you gain three re-
slap and the ally recovers the hit points. coveries you can award.

Epic Feat: Slap the target silly. Spend an additional

recovery and remove the dazed condition. READING BODY LANGUAGE
You gain a +2 bonus to skill checks relating to bluffing,
diplomacy, and sensing motive.
FOCUS TARGET Adventurer Feat: The bonus increases to +3.
If you hit an enemy with an attack, select one ally. If
the ally hits with an attack before your next turn, the
Champion Feat: Once per day, if you don’t like your
ally gains a damage bonus equal to half the damage you
skill check with this talent, re-roll.
inflicted. This bonus damage uses ammunition from
your weapon.
Epic Feat: You can skip rolling with this talent and
Adventurer Feat: Selected ally gains a +2 bonus to just take a natural 10.
attack.

Champion Feat: If the ally misses and you hit again PLAN OF ATTACK
on your turn, you can add half the damage from If an ally scores a critical hit, you can select another ally
your last turn and this turn. to gain a +2 to his critical threat on his next attack roll.
Adventurer Feat: The bonus to critical threat in-
Epic Feat: Once per battle, your selected ally auto- creases to +3 instead of +2.
matically hits, regardless of the roll.
Champion Feat: Once per day, instead of scoring a
critical threat, the selected ally’s hit can be
KNOW A GUY WHO KNOWS A GUY turned into a critical hit.
You gain a +1 bonus to a positive relationship of your
choice.
Epic Feat: If the escalation die is 5+, the benefitting
Champion Feat: Once per level, you can reroll your ally can roll twice and take the higher result.
relationship dice.

Epic Feat: Each time you roll relationship die, you SACRIFICAL BOOST
152 can increase one die roll result by +1. Once per turn, as a quick action, you can sacrifice a re-
covery to give an ally a recovery.
Adventurer Feat: Instead of gaining a recovery, the
MARK OF THE PUPPETEER selected ally can gain an additional move action
If you hit an enemy with a ranged attack that is not en- on his turn.
gaged with you but is engaged with another ally, you
can inflict half damage and said ally can pop free.
Champion Feat: Instead of gaining a recovery, the
Adventurer Feat: If you kill the target with your selected ally can use your recovery value as a
attack, said ally can pop free of all enemies. damage bonus on his next hit that turn.

Champion Feat: Said ally gains a +2 bonus to PD and Epic Feat: When spending a recovery you have giv-
AC until the beginning of your next turn. en, the selected ally gains a bonus equal to half
your recovery value.
Epic Feat: You can now affect two allies engaged
with the targeted enemy.
153
 TRUE LEADER BY EXAMPLE
Once per turn, you can use a quick action to reduce the You don't keep back and order from a distance; you
escalation die by 1 (you can’t reduce it below +3), and stand shoulder to shoulder with those you lead.
use it to give another ally an additional standard action Effect: Nearby allies gain a +1 bonus to PD or MD.
on their turn. Booster: Targeted allies in range gain a +1 bonus to AC.
Adventurer Feat: You can reduce the escalation die Adventurer Feat: The bonus is to PD and MD
twice with a single action and select two allies.
Champion Feat: The bonus increases to +2 for PD,
Champion Feat: If the escalation die is +6, you can MD, and AC.
turn an ally’s hit into a critical hit as an interrupt;
the escalation die is reduced to +3. Epic Feat: After the booster is activated, the first
critical hit on an ally is turned into a normal hit.
Epic Feat: Once per day, you can reduce the escala-
tion die from +6 to 0, and all allies gain the ben-
efits of a quick rest. ENCOURAGING FIRE
You stand with your allies and support their fire.
Effect: When a nearby ally misses with an attack, the
VIVO! “encouragement” pool increases by +1 (max +6).
If you use a sacrifice, you gain a +5 bonus to your re- When a nearby ally uses the pool, it is reduced to 0.
prieve save. This bonus reduces by 1 each time you use Booster: The pool increases by +2 for each miss.
it. Adventurer Feat: The encouragement pool is not
Adventurer Feat: The bonus to reprieve increases used up when an ally using it misses.
by +3.
Champion Feat: If the pool reaches +6, the next hits
Champion Feat: The bonus to reprieve increases by using the pool is turned into a critical hit.
+3.
Epic Feat: When an ally rolls a natural 1, the pool is
Epic Feat: The bonus to reprieve increases by +3; increased by +2 (+3 when boosted).
additionally, you can offer your bonus to an ally.

FOLLOW MY LEAD
COMMAND PRESENCE AURAS You see, that’s how it’s done. Now suck less!
You can use words and actions to inspire those around Effect: If you score a critical hit, The next nearby ally’s
you. These come in the form of command presence critical threat increases by +1; if the next ally fails to
auras. You gain two at 1st level, gaining an additional score a critical hit, this bonus increases to +2 for the
aura at 4th level, 7th level, and 10th level. Auras affect next nearby ally, and so on (max +5) until the begin-
nearby targets (sometimes allies; sometimes enemies). ning of your next turn. When an ally scores a critical
You activate an aura as a standard action, which lasts hit, this bonus is removed.
until you end it as a quick action or until you fall uncon- Booster: All nearby allies gain a +1 to their critical
scious. In addition, each aura can also be temporarily threat.
154 boosted. You may have multiple auras in effect. Adventurer Feat: If no allies score a critical hit, you
Booster: Each command presence aura can be gain the threat bonus on your next turn.
boosted once a day. Boosting one still allows the boost-
ing of others. This means multiple auras can be boost- Champion Feat: You or any ally benefitting from the
ed. Boosting takes a quick action and can occur any- max +5 threat bonus can turn a hit into a critical
time the referenced aura is in affect. Once boosted, the hit automatically.
effect lasts until the end of the battle.
Affect: Auras affect nearby allies or enemies. It
Epic Feat: The threat bonus begins at +2 and in-
affects all eligible nearby targets but the GM can pro-
creases by +2 to a max of +6.
hibit certain allies from benefitting, most likely because
they cannot hear the marshal.
HEARTEN THE SQUAD MOST INTERESTING PERSON IN
You are only as good as your weakest link. THE WORLD
Effect: When using recoveries, allies increase their re- I don't always save the world, but when I do...
covery die by one step (1d6 to 1d8 to 1d10 to 1d12). Effect: Nearby allies gain a +1 bonus to any skill
Booster: When using recoveries, nearby allies roll one checks they apply a background to.
die twice and take the higher result. Booster: The range of this aura becomes unlimited.
Champion Feat: When boosted, nearby allies roll Champion Feat: The bonus increases to +2.
two die twice and take the higher results.
Epic Feat: When boosted, allies can add the escala-
Epic Feat: When boosted, nearby allies roll three die tion die to their skill checks.
twice and take the higher results.

POWERFUL UNITED
INTIMIDATING MUG We are more powerful than the sum of our parts.
Opponents take one look at you and begin to rethink Effect: Each nearby ally can sacrifice his or her action
their approach. to give another nearby ally a lesser action on either
Effect: All nearby enemies require one additional move one’s turn.
action to engage you and allies next to you. Booster: At the end of the initiative order, pick one
Booster: Nearby enemies must make a save to engage nearby ally to gain a single standard action.
allies next to you.
Adventurer Feat: When boosted, the selected ally
Adventurer Feat: Affect nearby allies as well. gains a full turn.

Champion Feat: When boosted, each ally can pop Champion Feat: When an ally sacrifices an action,
free as a quick action once. the target ally gains the same type of action.

Epic Feat: When boosted, select one enemy—it Epic Feat: Once each per battle, each ally can sacri-
now takes two actions to engage you or any ally. fice a move action to give another ally a stand-
ard action.

MASK OF AUTHORITY
Your friends believe themselves better knowing you are SELF ABSORBED
around. Actually, it’s all about me.
Effect: Nearby allies gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls. Effect: Each time you suffer damage from a non-critical
Booster: If an ally in range misses with an attack roll, hit which does not include another ally, you divert
he gains a cumulative +1 bonus to his next damage half of the damage to a nearby ally you can see. The
roll (max +10). affected ally is pulled next to you if not already (if the
Adventurer Feat: Damage bonus increases to +4; ally cannot be moved, the ally cannot take damage).
boosted damage increases by +2. Booster: If an ally is staggered by the shunted damage,
said ally gains a basic attack immediately.
Champion Feat: Damage bonus increases to +6; Adventurer Feat: You can control the shunted dam-
boosted damage increases by +3. age (up to half damage inflicted to a nearby ally). 155
Epic Feat: Damage bonus increases to +8; boosted Champion Feat: You can divert any amount of dam-
damage increases by +4 (maximum is now +12). age to a nearby ally (including all of it).

Epic Feat: You can now divert critical hit damage as

Marshals are a bit out in the cold too well. Additionally, two allies gain basic attacks.
with regard to iconic representations
in fiction, although not as badly off
as grounders. Richard Sharpe, Jack
O'Neill, Malcolm Reynolds - these are the
kinds of examples the class is meant to evoke:
the front-line commander who is more con-
cerned about their troops' well-being than the
mission and wouldn't ask anyone to take a risk
that they wouldn't take themself.
156 STIRRING SPEECH SUBTLE ENCOURAGEMENT
Using only your words, you call your comrades back What is this “know thy enemy” crap? It isn’t about
from the most harmful of afflictions. what you read in books.
Effect: Nearby allies double their hit points when cal- Effect: Nearby allies gain a +2 bonus to saves to recov-
culating their resistance to fear. er from conditions and ongoing damage.
Booster: Allies quadruple hit points when calculating Booster: Each nearby ally can automatically make one
their resistance to fear. save.
Adventurer Feat: Targeted allies are immune to Champion Feat: Increase bonus to saves to +3.
being confused.
Epic Feat: When boosted, allies pass normal saves.
Champion Feat: When boosted, targeted allies are
immune to being hampered.

Epic Feat: When boosted, targeted allies are also

immune to being vulnerable.
OPERATOR Unlike standard 13th Age classes,
there is no alternate ability modifier
The general-use operative, the jack-of-all-trades – the
techan group will be hard pressed to survive without for operator. I mean, why would you
their operator. The operator is a vital member, especial- add to anything else?
ly as a group ventures deeper and deeper in the world
of fantasy. You found the outside world fascinating, but
you are not one to forget the damage it has done to your GEAR
species and their legacy. The progress of man has fal- At 1st level, operators start with a one-handed simple
tered and you strive to get it back. melee weapon for emergencies along with one or two
But to destroy a thing, you must understand a thing. firearms. They also gain one armor set. Additionally,
You refuse to turn a blind eye to that world, for naiveté an operator can start with either 100 UC or roll 3d6 x 10
is a sure path to death. Just shooting stuff that doesn’t UC. They should use these funds to purchase needed
conform is a sign of archaic military monsters. That equipment like medical and engineer kits.
primitive attitude is a sign of archaic military monsters.
True survival deals with mankind’s unique ability to ARMOR
adapt, to understand the ways and flaws of a system. As Operators usually only wear light armor as heavier armor
an expert in this world, you know how to survive in it, impedes their scientific work. Shields would also be
but more importantly, you know how to survive in it unwise. Mechanics have a tendency of tweaking their
without magic. armor for bonuses.
You don’t specialize in one talent but many. You are
the linguist, the mechanic, the medic, and the professor Operator Armor and AC
rolled into one. You understand the relationship be- Type Base AC Attack Penalty
tween magic and technology and can repair the results None 10
when they clash. You have seen the types of injuries Light 12
sustained on human flesh by the claws and spells of Heavy 13 -2
monsters and the conditions other doctors would scratch Shield +1 -2
their heads over. You know more about the regions and
monsters of the world than any other. Of all the mem- WEAPONS
bers of a techan group, you are probably the only one Firearms can be pistols, rifles, or heavier weapons like
that could survive on your own—not that you would machine guns. Although a player certainly can select a
want to. special weapon at 1st level, these have limited ammo,
The operator is the foremost authority on the out- and after being used, is effectively worthless until new
side world and its effects on man and machinery. You ammo can be procured. It is suggested an operator take
have studied echa and know it as well as anyone that a two-handed weapon along with a backup pistol. A
has spent their entire life out there. Unlike others, you medic often only uses weapons to hold off enemies as
may not have the fevered hatred of the world of fantasy. he patches his friends, while mechanics use weapons
You have been accused of being a sympathizer, but one they’ve modified. What good is a weapon modification
must know an enemy in order to defeat it. You address if you don’t use it?
this with two possible approaches. One is to support Primitive weapons: There is nothing stopping you
the group as a doctor and the other is to maintain the from wielding medieval ranged weapons in a pinch,
technological supremacy of the team as a whole. especially if your normal weapons suffer disruption or
157
Play Style: You are responsible for the safety of the run out of ammunition (by hand of a cruel GM). How-
comrades next to you. You maintain the scientific supe- ever, because they are not your specialty, you suffer
riority of the group, keeping machinery operating,
attack penalties with such weapons. Crossbows are fair-
patching injuries when they arrive, and disabling and
ly similar to guns, and only inflict a -2 penalty: other
enabling demotions. You are also, on average, the most
experienced member in regards to echa. Without you, ranged weapons inflict -4. The GM may also rule that
the others would be lost with broken technology. particularly primitive firearms (such as muzzle-loaders)
Builds: Both the mechanic and the medic have the are sufficiently far removed from what you're familiar
same stats, gear, and basic attacks but have different with to warrant the -2 penalty, depending on your home
level progression tables. bastion's tech level.
Ability Scores: You need Intelligence more than
anything if you wish to be an operator. You gain a +2
bonus with it, and unlike other classes, it can be the
same ability you increase with your racial bonus (yes,
we went there). You still need Dexterity as your attack
and damage attribute with ranged weapons.
 MECHANIC OPERATOR LEVEL PROGRESSION
Operator Total Hit Points Total Shiny Red Class Level-up Ability Damage Bonus From
Level Feats Button Talents Bonuses Ability Score
1 (8+CON mod) x3 1 adventurer 1 3 ability modifier
2 (8+CON mod) x4 2 adventurer 2 3 ability modifier

3 (8+CON mod) x5 3 adventurer 2 3 ability modifier

4 (8+CON mod) x6 4 adventurer 2 3 +1 to 3 abilities ability modifier

5 (8+CON mod) x8 4 adventurer 3 4 2x ability modifier

1 champion
6 (8+CON mod) x10 4 adventurer 3 4 2x ability modifier
2 champion
7 (8+CON mod) x12 4 adventurer 3 4 +1 to 3 abilities 2x ability modifier
3 champion
8 (8+CON mod) x16 4 adventurer 4 5 3x ability modifier
3 champion
1 epic
9 (8+CON mod) x20 4 adventurer 4 5 3x ability modifier
3 champion
2 epic
10 (8+CON mod) x24 4 adventurer 4 5 +1 to 3 abilities 3x ability modifier
3 champion
3 epic
MECHANIC / MEDIC OPERATOR STATS
Ability Bonus +2 Intelligence
Initiative Dex mod + Level
Armor Class (light armor) 12 + middle mod of Con/Dex/Wis + Level
Physical Defense 10 + middle mod of Str/Con/Dex + Level
Mental Defense 12 + middle mod of Int/Wis/Cha + Level
Hit Points (8 + Con mod) x Level modifier (see level progression)
Recoveries (probably) 8
Recovery Dice (1d8 x Level) + Con mod
Backgrounds 8 points, max 5 in any background
Icon Relationships 3 points
Talents 3
158 Feats 1 per Level

Operator Melee Weapons BASIC ATTACKS

One-Handed Two Handed
Small
MELEE ATTACK
1d4 knife 1d6 club At-Will
Light or Simple Target: One enemy
1d6 shortsword, tonfa 1d8 spear Attack: Strength + Level vs. AC
Hit: WEAPON + Strength damage
Operator Ranged Weapons Miss: Damage equal to your level
One-Handed Firearm Two-Handed Firearm
Light RANGED ATTACK
1d4 pistol 1d6 rifle At-Will
Medium Target: One enemy
1d6 pistol 1d8 machine gun Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC
Heavy Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage
1d8 hand cannon 1d10 heavy gun Miss: Damage equal to your level
MECHANIC OPERATOR Okay, I’m not saying there’s some magical
button on your gun; it’s more a meta-
In combat situations, a mechanic operator is useful by
improving the effectiveness of technology (namely phorical approach to modifying technol-
weapons and powered armor). Outside of the fight, ogy to work in your favor. I also would
they can build and maintain the technology a group restrict this power to weapons the operator
possesses. actually owns and spent time modifying. He
should be able to find a decent reason why
MECHANIC CLASS FEATURES something he picks up suddenly works better
All mechanic operators gains the following class fea- in his hands.
tures: Advanced technical degree, midas touch, shiny
red button. While the mechanics for this ability
(and those that play off of it) call for
ADVANCED TECHNICAL DEGREE regular effects, the name of the fea-
You can gain a +2 bonus to any skill check regarding
engineering, electronics, or learning or adapting tech-
ture suggests a degree of randomness.
nology. At 5th level, this increases to +3, and at 10th For those special "I wish to press it, but
level, it increases to +5. I'm not sure what will happen if I do" mo-
ments, the GM can introduce an additional
MIDAS TOUCH minor non-mechanical effect (flip a coin to see
While you are wielding a firearm, its damage die in- if it's positive or negative) on an odd d20 roll,
creases by one step (1d4 > 1d6 > 1d8 > 1d10 > 1d12). and make up an unusual effect on a natural
This stacks with any other effect that increases damage roll of 13 (or whatever number you prefer that
die size.
isn't 1 or 20).
For every step above 1d12, add additional damage
with each hit as indicated below.
1 step above 1d12 +1d6 damage Condition Effect
2 steps above 1d12 +2d6 damage Before a ranged at- Unless you roll a natural 1, you
3 steps above 1d12 +2d8 damage tack roll hit.
4 steps above 1d12 +3d8 damage After a ranged Increase the “natural” value on
attack roll the dice by +1
5 steps above 1d12 +3d10 damage
When rolling for Increase the weapon damage
Adventurer Feat: Increase midas touch by one step. damage die by +1; this increases to +2
at 5th level and +3 at 8th level.
After making a skill Gain a +5 bonus to your skill
Champion Feat: Increase midas touch by one step.
check involving check result.
technology
Epic Feat: Increase midas touch by one step. After making a skill Gain a +5 bonus to your skill
check involving check result.
technology
SHINY RED BUTTON An enemy hits with You gain a +2 bonus to AC
Your friends don't know about this little red button you a non-critical attack and PD
put on this device. Don't you just want to press it?
And when you do, it can do a variety of things. You
159
Adventurer Feat: You can push the button 2 addi-
press the button as a free action and can do so before, tional times per day.
during, or after an action has taken place. It generally
works mostly with weapons, but any device which could Champion Feat: You can push the jolly, candy like
theoretically be tweaked given a valid enough argu- button 2 additional times per day.
ment.
Each day, you gain a number uses of shiny red but-
Epic Feat: You can succumb to the maddening urge
ton equal to your Intelligence modifier + 1, gaining an
to push the button 2 additional times per day.
additional use a day at 2nd, 5th, and 8th level. There
are features and feats which can modify this number.
You can use shiny red button in any combination, even
using them all in once brilliant show of technological
superiority.
 CLASS TALENTS Adventurer Feat: Push the shiny red button twice
Choose three of the following class talents. You can and the target is dazed until the beginning of
select an additional talent at 5th and 8th level. your next turn.

A LABORIOUS TASK Champion Feat: Push the shiny red button thrice
If you fail a skill check related to engineering, electron- and the target is stunned until the beginning of
ics, or any sciences, you can spend a recovery as a free your next turn.
action and re-roll.
Adventurer Feat: You gain a +5 bonus to the reroll. Epic Feat: Push the shiny red button thrice and in-
flict ongoing damage. The ongoing damage
Champion Feat: The bonus to the reroll increases equals 5 times your level. As usual, a normal
to +10. save (11+) ends the damage. A critical hit
doesn’t double this ongoing damage.
Epic Feat: You can’t fail the reroll.
DISRUPTION INSURANCE
It turns out, it only needed a bolt twist. Any technology
A SCIENTIST, NOT A SOLDIER you wield gains +3 bonus to disruption saves.
If you hit an enemy with any type of attack, you can Adventurer Feat: All allies next to you benefit from
inflict half-damage and you can pop free of that enemy. your disruption bonus as well.
Adventurer Feat: You now inflict full damage and
can still pop free. Champion Feat: Any technology you wield automati-
cally passes all disruption saves.
Champion Feat: You can still pop free if you miss.
Epic Feat: All allies next to you automatically pass all
Epic Feat: If you pop free, you can move to be near disruptions saves.
the target instead of next to it.
ECONOMIC PLATING
BUTTON SAVANT You gain a +2 bonus to AC when wearing light armor.
If you score a critical hit without the benefit of pushing Adventurer Feat: If you push the shiny red button to
the shiny red button, you gain a use of shiny red button. boost AC and PD and are still hit, you recover
You cannot have more than your total allowed button that use of shiny red button.
pushes.
Adventurer Feat: At the end of a battle, you gain a Champion Feat: Your bonus to AC increases to +4
push of the shiny red button.
Epic Feat: When you push the shiny red button to
Champion Feat: As a move action, spend a recovery, boost AC and PD, you gain a +4 instead of +2.
but recover no hit points; instead, you gain an
additional use of shiny red button you must use
160 before the end of the battle. FIRING MECHANISM TWEAK
You can now push the shiny red button to reroll a
Epic Feat: Once per day, you can implement two missed ranged attack roll. Like usual, rerolls use am-
effects when pushing the shiny red button. munition.
Adventurer Feat: Push the shiny red button before a
ranged attack roll to roll the attack roll thrice
CRIPPLING MODIFICATION and take the higher result.
You can now push the shiny red button to add addition-
al effects when rolling damage. Champion Feat: Once per turn, you can push the
Condition Effect shiny red button after hitting a target to make a
When rolling for Target is hampered until the second attack roll against the same target.
damage beginning of your next turn.
When rolling for Target is vulnerable until the
damage beginning of your next turn.
INCREASE FIRING POTENTIAL normal save (11+). Results can include improved criti-
You can now push the shiny red button after hitting a cal threat on an enemy, the disarming of dungeon traps,
target but before rolling for damage to increase your or applying logic to resolve situation before it devolves
critical threat range by +1. into violence.
Adventurer Feat: Push the shiny red button twice to Adventurer Feat: Your bonus increases to +6. You
increase the critical threat range by +2. also gain a +1 bonus to MD.

Champion Feat: Push the shiny red button thrice to Champion Feat: If you roll a natural 2 through 9
increase the critical threat range by +3. with your skill check, you actually rolled a 10.

Epic Feat: Your bonus to MD increases to +3. You

INTELLIGENT DESIGN can also add your Intelligence modifier to your
If you score a critical hit, add your Intelligence modifier normal save employ more science.
to the hit. This damage doubles at 5th level and triples
at 8th level.
OVERDRIVE
Adventurer Feat: You can add your intelligent de- Once a day, you can attempt to temporarily overdrive a
sign damage with a natural even hit as well. weapon or device, offering it a quick boost at the sacri-
fice of its reliability. Use a standard action and select a
Champion Feat: Replace Dexterity with Intelligence piece of equipment you can access. Make an engineer-
when adding attribute bonus to ranged attacks. ing skill check and consult the following table: you can
apply any one modification for which you meet or ex-
Epic Feat: Press the shiny red button to add your ceed the DC. The modification lasts until the end of
intelligent design damage to your hit if not a the battle (or five minutes). After the battle has con-
critical or an even hit. cluded or time has elapsed, you must make another skill
check against the same DC. If you fail, the item be-
comes non-functional until the end of the next battle or
MACGUY SOMETHING the next full-heal up (whichever comes first). You can
Once a day, you are able to construct useful items or only have one item on overdrive at any one time.
tools to accomplish something generally not allowed
given the available resources available. The GM can Bonus Engineer DC
either supply a random assortment of items you can use Weapons
+1 to damage 20
to create a tool or you can make a case for common
+2 to damage 25
items one is likely to find in order to solve an immedi-
+3 to damage 30
ate crisis. This may involve searching an area or assum-
+1 to attack, +2 to damage 30
ing certain items are available. If the GM is convinced
+2 to attack, +3 to damage 35
by your argument, roll a normal save (11+) to see if the Electronic Devices
improvised gadget or solution works. +1 skill bonus 20
Adventurer Feat: Add your Intelligence modifier to +2 skill bonus 25
the save. +3 skill bonus 30
Vehicles
Champion Feat: You can use MacGuy something
twice per day. If you fail a save, you recover
+1 to maneuver
+1 to maneuver
20
25 161
that use of MacGuy something. +2 to maneuver 30

Adventurer Feat: You can use overdrive twice per

MORE SCIENCE day.
You gain a +3 bonus to one specific scientific field for
the use of skill checks. This can be astronomy, physics, Champion Feat: You can double your Intelligence
archeology, anthropology, chemistry, any scientific field modifier when rolling the overdrive skill check.
you think may be useful in the outer world. This be-
comes a personal interest and character focus, as it was
your focus in school before leaving home (your backsto-
ry should reflect this).
Additionally, once per day, you can convince your
GM that your understanding of the interaction of sci-
ence and magic can give you an advantage in the cur-
rent crisis. If the GM is convinced by your argument
(perhaps based on a thesis you wrote in school), roll a
 MEDIC OPERATOR LEVEL PROGRESSION
Operator Total Hit Points Total Powers Pool Class Level-up Damage Bonus
Level Feats Known Available Talents Ability From Ability
Bonuses Score
1 (8+CON mod) x3 1 adventurer 4 1st level 3 ability modifier
2 (8+CON mod) x4 2 adventurer 5 1st level 3 ability modifier

3 (8+CON mod) x5 3 adventurer 5 3rd level 3 ability modifier

4 (8+CON mod) x6 4 adventurer 6 3rd level 3 +1 to 3 ability modifier

abilities
5 (8+CON mod) x8 4 adventurer 6 5th level 3 2x ability modifier
1 champion
6 (8+CON mod) x10 4 adventurer 7 5th level 3 2x ability modifier
2 champion
7 (8+CON mod) x12 4 adventurer 7 7th level 3 +1 to 3 2x ability modifier
3 champion abilities
8 (8+CON mod) x16 4 adventurer 8 7th level 3 3x ability modifier
3 champion
1 epic
9 (8+CON mod) x20 4 adventurer 8 9th level 3 3x ability modifier
3 champion
2 epic
10 (8+CON mod) x24 4 adventurer 9 9th level 3 +1 to 3 3x ability modifier
3 champion abilities
3 epic
TECH SUPPORT WIDGET BAG
Once a day, if your weapon disrupts, make a ranged You keep pieces handy for on-site repairs and for build-
attack with said weapon. If you hit, double the damage ing technology. You have 200 uc worth of widgets.
inflicted. If you miss with the attack, the weapon back- Widgets cannot be sold or traded. They are useless to
fires and you take half damage. The weapon does not others. It cannot be disrupted and the parts work with
disrupt. the device you attempt to repair or items you want to
build. You can increase the size of this widget bag later
Adventurer Feat: You either take a quarter of the
by investing in more widgets. This can come by dis-
damage on a miss or inflict half damage on an
ally next to you. mantling found technology or just locating widgets from
wrecks and broken machines. When you scavenge
technology, the GM may award a certain value in addi-
Champion Feat: Allies next to you also benefit from tional widgets.
tech support.

Epic Feat: You no longer suffer damage on a miss.

MEDIC OPERATOR
162 You can also use tech support twice per day.
Techan parties for the most part can’t benefit from the
miracles of magical healing, and thus are forced to em-
WEAPON GURU ploy more scientifically consistent methods to recover
Increase your midas touch by one step. from injuries. Considering most characters can’t re-
move a bandage properly from the package, they re-
Adventurer Feat: When you score a critical hit, quire the use of a medic.
midas touch increases by one step.

Champion Feat: Push the shiny red button to in-

MEDIC CLASS FEATURES
All medic operators gains the following class features:
crease midas touch by one step.
advanced medical degree, hippocratic oath, intelligence
resistance, and risk an aneurysm.
Epic Feat: Push the shiny red button to increase
midas touch by two steps but your weapon can-
not be used on your next turn.
ADVANCED MEDICAL DEGREE
Once per day, as a free action, you can gain a +3 bonus
to your next heal check. At 5th level, this increases to
+5, and at 10th level, it increases to +7.
HIPPOCRATIC OATH DIAGNOSE AND CURE
The medic operator has access to powers, but unlike Once per battle, as a move action, select one ally next to
other classes, yours are entirely daily. Fret not, because you suffering from a condition requiring a save. The
you can spend a recovery as a quick action, regain no hit ally gains a +4 bonus to the save.
points, and recover the use of one of your powers. Un-
Adventurer Feat: The ally makes the save immedi-
less otherwise stated, you can only recover a power ately on your turn.
once.
Champion Feat: The bonus to save increases to +6;
INTELLIGENT RESISTANCE the ally automatically makes any normal saves.
You gain a +1 bonus to all saving throws.
Adventurer Feat: The save bonus increases to +2. Epic Feat: You can use diagnose and cure twice per
battle.
Champion Feat: Once a day, you can automatically
pass one saving throw.
EVASIVE OVERDRIVE
Epic Feat: The save bonus increases to +4. Target one enemy you can see with a move action. You
gain a +2 bonus to all defenses against the target until
the creature is dead, the battle ends, or you select an-
RISK AN ANEURYSM other enemy.
Once per round, use a move action and spend a recov-
Adventurer Feat: The bonus to all defenses increas-
ery, but regain no hit points; instead, you gain a stand-
es to +3.
ard you must use before the end of your next turn.
Adventurer Feat: You use a quick action instead of a Champion Feat: The bonus to all defenses increases
move. to +4.

Champion Feat: You use a free action instead of a Epic Feat: You can target two enemies.
move action.

Epic Feat: You gain a move and a standard action. LIFE AND LIMB
Once per battle, if you hit a target, you can pop free and
the target cannot engage you until the end of your next
CLASS TALENTS turn.
Choose three of the following class talents. Adventurer Feat: You can use life and limb twice
per battle.
DEFILADE
Twice per battle, if an enemy hits you with a non- Champion Feat: You can use life and limb thrice per
critical ranged attack, you can turn that attack as a miss battle.
as an interrupt.
Adventurer Feat: You can use defilade four times Epic Feat: Life and limb can be used at will.
per battle.
MEDICAL CARE
163
Champion Feat: All nearby and closer allies gain a
Target one ally with a move action to gain a +3 bonus to
+1 bonus to attack any creature that misses you
MD until the end of the battle or until you select anoth-
with a ranged attack.
er ally
Epic Feat: You can use defilade against melee at- Adventurer Feat: You can replace the +3 bonus
tacks. with your Intelligence modifier.

Champion Feat: You can target two allies.

Epic Feat: All allies next you benefit from the bonus.
 MEDICAL EXPERTISE NATURAL HEALER
164 If an ally next to you hits a creature, as an immediate
action, you can grant a damage bonus to the hit equal to
Twice per battle, you can use a standard action to heal
yourself or a target next to you. The target uses a re-
your Intelligence modifier. This bonus doubles at 8th covery but regains hit points equal to your recovery val-
level. ue + your Intelligence modifier.
Adventurer Feat: The damage bonus is equal to Adventurer Feat: The target regains hit points equal
your Intelligence + Wisdom modifier. to your recovery value + 3x your Intelligence
modifier.
Champion Feat: Once per battle, you can double
your damage bonus on an ally’s hit. Champion Feat: You gain a third use per battle.

Epic Feat: If the escalation die is +4 or higher, medi- Epic Feat: You gain a fourth use per battle.
cal expertise also increases the threat range by
+1.
NOD AND SAY “INTERESTINGLY” MOVE TO ASSIST
You gain a +2 bonus to any Intelligence checks; this An ally requires assistance. You race over to them in
increases to +3 if it pertains to any science. hopes of helping.
Daily
You can alternately stop the game Effect: Move next to any nearby ally without provoking
and look up the answer on the inter- opportunity attacks. You can make a basic attack at
net...because your character is obvious- any point. Targeted ally can spend a recovery.
ly smarter than you. Adventurer Feat: You can move next to a ally that’s
far away.
Adventurer Feat: The bonuses increase to +4 and
+6 respectively. Champion Feat: If you score a critical hit, the ally
can spend two recoveries.
Champion Feat: You gain a +1 bonus to Intelligence.
PROTECT THE FALLEN
Epic Feat: You gain a +1 bonus to Intelligence. You would rather die than allow an ally under your care
to come to harm.
Daily
1st LEVEL POWERS Effect: Make a basic attack and an ally next to you can
EMERGENCY PATCH rally.
You stop what you are doing and see to the injuries of Adventurer Feat: Roll twice for your attack and take
an ally. the higher result.
Daily
Target: You or one ally next to you.
Champion Feat: Two allies next to you can rally.
Effect: The target regains hit points equal to your re-
covery value. The target can spend a recovery to re-
gain additional hit points equal. SACRIFICIAL RECOVERY
Adventurer Feat: Target regains additional hit points If they were in place, they’d do the same.
equal to twice your Intelligence modifier. Daily
Target: One ally next to you
Effect: You lose 1 recovery; the target gains 1 recovery.
Champion Feat: If the target was killed in the previ- Special: When you use this power, make a normal save
ous round, you bring them to 1 hit point. (11+) to recover it for free.
Adventurer Feat: You no longer need to make a
DELAY CONTAMINATION normal save to recover this power.
Nothing helps more like a whole lot of drugs
Daily Champion Feat: This power only requires a quick
Target: You or one ally action to use.
Effect: Target passes its next saving throw and gains a
+4 bonus to saves against the same condition until Epic Feat: When the target receives your recovery,
the end of the battle.
Adventurer Feat: Target passes all saves for that
they can make a normal save (11+) to gain two.
165
condition until the end of the battle.
SUPPORT ROLE
Your attack is more of a diversion to allow others the
Champion Feat: This is reduced to a quick action.
opportunity to recover.
Daily
Effect: Make a basic attack, and two allies you can see
FIND THE VEIN
can make saving throws against conditions they suffer
It’s so much easier when they don’t squirm.
from.
Daily
Effect: You gain a +5 bonus to any heal or medical Adventurer Feat: Allies gain a +4 bonus to the save.
checks required by the end of your next turn.
Champion Feat: Targeted allies automatically pass
Adventurer Feat: The bonus increases to +10. normal saves.
 3rd LEVEL POWERS GOT NO GURNEY
AMPHETAMINE INJECTION No one, no one gets left behind.
This one boosts focus and alertness. Daily
Daily Effect: You and one ally next to you pop-free from all
Target: Two allies (which can include you) enemies and move away from any previously en-
Effect: Target is immune to being dazed for the rest of gaged enemies (they become nearby). Your ally
the battle. can make a ranged attack.

Adventurer Feat: Target three allies. Adventurer Feat: You also make a ranged attack.

Champion Feat: When you first use this power, Champion Feat: All enemies are vulnerable to your
increase the escalation die by 1. attacks during this power.

Epic Feat: Roll twice for all attacks and take the
CATECHOMALINE INJECTION higher result.
This one boosts the target’s fight or flights hormones.
Daily
Target: Two allies (which can include you) next to you THEREPUTIC NIHILISM
Effect: Target gains a +2 bonus to AC and PD until the Most treatments do more harm than good. This is not
end of the battle. that.
Daily
Adventurer Feat: Target three allies. Flexible attack
Trigger: You hit with an attack
Champion Feat: When you first use this power, the Effect: You inflict ongoing damage equal to five times
first attack against an affected ally misses.
your level plus your Intelligence modifier.
Adventurer Feat: Double your Intelligence modifier.
This power and others like it does
make the broad assumption that the Champion Feat: The save to recover from the dam-
medic operator has access to drugs and age increases to hard (16+).
is able to administer them without access
to a lab. I would normally say, just go with it. Epic Feat: If you use a recovery and reset this pow-
er, the enemy fails it’s first save.
There are justifications which can be made, but
the truth is I didn’t want to force the medic to
track his ingredients. If this still feels thin, one 5th LEVEL POWERS
could always rebrand the powers. MEDICAL MASTER
No, really, I don’t have a god complex.
Despite the clinical connotations of Daily
Target: Two allies (which can include you) next to you
the word, pharmaceuticals are most- Effect: The target can spend one recovery, recover hit points,
ly natural derivatives anyway. It and gain a +2 bonus to MD for the rest of the battle.
should be assumed that a field medic Champion Feat: The bonus to MD is equal to your
166 in a hostile environment where ma-
chines regularly break should at least know the
Intelligence modifier.

medical uses of stinging nettles, leeches, and Epic Feat: The target can spend two recoveries.
moldy bread.

EXOTIC CONCOCTION SLIPPERY LIKE A HUMAN

You dose up your allies with something which is most You jump out of the grasp of some mighty big hands.
definitely illegal in the rest of the world. Daily
Daily Effect: Until you make an attack on an enemy, you can
Target: You and all allies next to you. pop-free of any enemy as a quick action.
Effect: Each target can rally a second time at any point Champion Feat: You pop free of all enemies with a
in a battle without requiring a save. quick action.
Adventurer Feat: Instead of using a second free ral-
ly, a targeted ally can turn a hit into a critical hit. Epic Feat: You can choose to make an attack with-
out ending this power by taking a -4 penalty to
Champion Feat: When you use this power, all allies your attack roll.
can immediately spend a recovery.
UNHEALTHY DOSE OF THE DOCTOR IS OUT...OF HIS MIND
METHYLXANTHINES You screw up and take it out on the enemy. Some may
“ENERGY! ALL THE TIME!” consider this a mild overreaction.
Daily Daily
Target: You or one ally next to you. Requirement: You make a skill check and don’t like
Effect: Target spends a recovery but the hit points the result, or an ally is reduced to below zero hit
gained become temporary hit points. points.
Effect: Make a ranged attack. Continue making
Champion Feat: If you spend a recovery and use this ranged attacks until you score a critical hit, run out
power a second time in the same battle, the of ammunition, or make four ranged attacks.
escalation die increases by 1.
Champion Feat: You can make up to five ranged
attacks, and ignore your ammunition use for
Epic Feat: Target also gains a +3 bonus to all saving
these attacks.
throws while having temporary hit points as well
as a +1 bonus to attack.
Epic Feat: You can make up to six ranged attacks
and score up to two critical hits. Ignore your
ammunition use for these attacks.
7th LEVEL POWERS
MINOR MEDICALY MIRACLE
“We all thought you were a goner...well, they all
thought…” 9th LEVEL POWERS
Daily CRIPPLING ROUND
Target: One ally next to you killed anytime this battle. You hit a tender spot and gain precious time to plan
Effect: The target is raised to 1 hit point but is uncon- your next attack.
scious for the rest of the battle. Daily
Flexible ranged attack
Champion Feat: The target is dazed instead of un-
Trigger: You hit with an attack.
conscious for the rest of the battle.
Effect: The target is hampered until the end of your
next turn.
Epic Feat: The target can recover from the daze by
making a normal save (11+). Champion Feat: The effect now requires a normal
save (11+).

PATTERN RECOGNITION Epic Feat: The effect now requires a hard save
You quickly ascertain your enemy’s tactics and motives. (16+).
You taunt it to open a weakness.
Daily
Effect: Until the end of the battle, add your Intelli-
MAJOR MEDICAL MIRACLE
gence bonus to all damage rolls. This bonus doubles
"'Playing' god? Please."
Daily
at 5th level and triples at 8th level.
Target: One ally next to you.
Champion Feat: Stop your damage bonus as a free Effect: If the ally has been killed in the battle or the
action and increase the escalation die by 1. last ten minutes, she awakens with one hit point.
Alternately, an ally can spend as may recoveries as 167
Epic Feat: Stop your damage bonus as a free action he wants.
and your next hit becomes a critical hit. Special: This power cannot be reset.
Epic Feat: A target can be revived if killed in the past
hour.
POUND THE CHEST
“LIVE, DAMN YOU! LIVE”
Daily
Target: One ally next to you that has been reduced to
zero hit points or has bee killed in the previous round.
Effect: Target spends a recovery, is stable, but remains
unconscious until making a hard save (16+).
Champion Feat: If the target has no recoveries, use
one of your own.

Epic Feat: The save to wake up is now normal (11+).

 SNIPER LEVEL PROGRESSION
Sniper Total Hit Points Total Powers Class Level-up Ability Damage Bonus From
Level Feats Known Talents Bonuses Ability Score
1 (6+CON mod) x3 1 adventurer 3 3 ability modifier
2 (6+CON mod) x4 2 adventurer 4 3 ability modifier

3 (6+CON mod) x5 3 adventurer 4 3 ability modifier

4 (6+CON mod) x6 4 adventurer 5 3 +1 to 3 abilities ability modifier

5 (6+CON mod) x8 4 adventurer 5 3 2x ability modifier

1 champion
6 (6+CON mod) x10 4 adventurer 6 3 2x ability modifier
2 champion
7 (6+CON mod) x12 4 adventurer 6 3 +1 to 3 abilities 2x ability modifier
3 champion
8 (6+CON mod) x16 4 adventurer 7 3 2x ability modifier
3 champion
1 epic
9 (6+CON mod) x20 4 adventurer 7 3 2x ability modifier
3 champion
2 epic
10 (6+CON mod) x24 4 adventurer 8 3 +1 to 3 abilities 2x ability modifier
3 champion
3 epic
SNIPER STATS
Ability Bonus +2 Dexterity or Wisdom (different from racial bonus)
Initiative Dex mod + Level
Armor Class (light armor) 10 + middle mod of Con/Dex/Wis + Level
Physical Defense 11 + middle mod of Str/Con/Dex + Level
Mental Defense 10 + middle mod of Int/Wis/Cha + Level
Hit Points (6 + Con mod) x Level modifier (see level progression)
Recoveries (probably) 8
Recovery Dice (1d8 x Level) + Con mod
Backgrounds 8 points, max 5 in any background
Icon Relationships 3 points
Talents 3
Feats 1 per Level
168
SNIPER In the anarchy of the outside world, you can com-
pensate for every situation. If an enemy presents you
You are as important as any member of the group, but with a target from over a hill, so be it, but you are equal-
you don’t spend your travel time walking in step. You ly skilled if you can see their eyes and feel their breath.
scout ahead, away from the distractions of the others, You don’t wish to see a magical monstrosity unless it is
ever vigilant against any interlopers. You slither under behind the targeting reticle of your scope or dead on the
bushes, stalking your prey. You strike close with the ground after you claimed it as a kill.
blade or pistol or at distance through the scope. You are a master of long-range fire. You take out
Snipers are still members of the team and can con- targets well beyond the range of any of their weapons.
tribute to the effectiveness of the group by creating By using gut instincts and field experience you can
chaos in enemy lines. Nothing is more frightening than compensate for wind, gravity, and even the curvature of
an enemy no one can see. As a distant set of eyes, you the planet. Your goal is to never be in direct combat
can communicate, via whispers and movements, neces- and to prevent your allies from coming to harm.
sary information on approaching enemies. When en- Play Style: You are responsible for the safety of the
gagements get messy, you will still join the thick of it, comrades next to you. You move by stealth and strike
never abandoning others despite the ambiguity of your at range. You observe enemies and relay information
location.
 169

back to the group so they can properly coordinate an GEAR

ambush. Without you, the others would be unprepared At 1st level, snipers start with a one-handed simple me-
for the shocks and surprises that await them. lee weapon for emergencies along with two firearms—
Ability Scores: You can use either Dexterity or with at least one being a sniper weapon. They also gain
Wisdom for sniper attack/damage rolls. You gain a +2 one armor set. Additionally, a sniper can start with ei-
bonus with one of your choice. At character creation, ther 25 UC or roll 1d6 x 10 UC.
select which ability to be your “attack” attribute. The
other becomes your “alternate” attribute. Class fea-
tures and powers refer to “attack” and “alternate” at-
tributes.
 ARMOR BASIC ATTACKS
Snipers mostly wear light armor to stay mobile. If you MELEE ATTACK
wear heavy armor, you can employ no sniper powers. At-Will
Note: Some powered armors allow the use of sniper Target: One enemy
powers. Attack: Strength + Level vs. AC
Hit: WEAPON + Strength damage
Sniper Armor and AC Miss: Damage equal to your level
Type Base AC
None 10
Light 10
RANGED ATTACK
Heavy 11 At-Will
Shield +1 Target: One enemy
Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC
Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage
WEAPONS Miss: Damage equal to your level
Snipers will generally wield a one-handed firearm
(pistol) and a long-range, two-handed sniper rifle. Snip-
er weapons employ a stabilization mechanism of some CLASS FEATURES
form (generally a bi– or tri-pod) and a targeting scope. You have the following class features.
Technically, you can turn virtually any single-shot
weapon into a sniper weapon given such modifications. MARKSMAN TALENT
Almost all powers require the use of a sniper weapon Once per round on your turn, when using sniper weap-
and cannot be used on weapons without a brace and a ons (a braced weapon and employing a targeting sys-
targeting system of some kind. Automatic rifles with tem), you gain the ability to inflict additional effects
single-shot functions can be sniper rifles, as can pistols depending on how much you defeat your enemy’s de-
with an added shoulder stocks. It is generally assumed fense by.
that if you acquired a pistol at character creation, it will You decide to use marksman talent after resolving
be one with an removable stock. Likewise, it would an attack, and you only apply one condition listed above
make sense any two-handed or heavy weapon you ac- per hit. You can choose any result equal to your roll or
quire would be compatible with your sniper powers lower. If you score a critical hit, you must still deter-
(rocket launchers and gatling guns do not apply). mine by how much you beat the enemy’s defense.
Primitive weapons: There is nothing stopping you Enemy’s Defense Additional Effect
from wielding medieval ranged weapons in a pinch, Beaten by
especially if your normal weapons suffer disruption or 5 Target is hampered until the start
run out of ammunition (by hand of a cruel GM). How- of your next turn.
ever, because they are not your specialty, you suffer 10 Target is dazed until the start of
attack penalties with such weapons. This starts as low your next turn.
as –2 for crossbows but can be as high as –4 for long- 15 Target is weakened until the start
bows and slings. of your next turn.
20 Target is stunned until the start of
Sniper Melee Weapons your next turn.
One-Handed Two Handed
Small Adventurer Feat: After hitting a target with a sniper
170 1d4 knife 1d6 club ranged attack, increase the attack roll by +1.
Light or Simple
1d6 shortsword, tonfa 1d8 spear Champion Feat: After hitting a target with a sniper
ranged attack, increase the attack roll by +2
Sniper Ranged Weapons total.
One-Handed Firearm Two-Handed Firearm
Light
Epic Feat: After hitting a target using a sniper ranged
1d4 pistol 1d6 bolt rifle attack, increase your attack roll by +1 (+3 total).
Medium
1d6 pistol 1d8 sniper rifle
Heavy
1d8 hand cannon 1d10 sniper rifle cannon
RANGE ADJUSTMENT SNIPER RANGED ATTACK
In addition to the standard 13th Age Roleplaying Game In addition to your basic ranged attack, you also have
ranges of engaged, nearby, and far away, Amethyst in- access to a sniper ranged attack.
troduces distant and extreme. Attacking distant targets At-Will
(3-5 moves away) suffers a –4 penalty to attack rolls Target: One enemy far away or further
while attacking extreme targets (6-10 moves away) suf- Attack: Attack attribute + Level vs. AC
fers a –8 penalty to attack rolls. The sniper is able to Hit: WEAPON + Attack attribute damage
reduce these penalties with the following feats. Miss: Damage equal to your level
Adventurer Feat: Reduce range penalties by half. Adventurer Feat: Increase your miss damage by
your alternate attribute.
Champion Feat: You suffer no range penalties to
distant targets. Champion Feat: Increase your hit damage by your
alternate attribute.
Epic Feat: The penalty to extreme targets is reduced
to –2. Epic Feat: If you score a critical hit, triple your alter-
nate attribute bonus to damage.
The sniper is a considerable departure
from what you come to expect with
13th Age. In the core game, combat is CLASS TALENTS
Choose three of the following class talents.
expected to be close, while the sniper re-
quires to be at range—resulting in the two
new range increments. If the future game is BLOODY OR PIERCING
When you make a sniper ranged attack with a weapon
expected to take place entirely in dungeons, with the sniper property against a target at least 5
players should be made aware of this. 13th squares away, you can choose to target AC or PD. If
Age philosophy runs against tactical combat, you hit PD, you inflict no damage but add a +5 to your
and the sniper embraces that role. attack roll for the purposes of marksman talent.
Adventurer Feat: Increase the bonus to marksman
GMs, you will find it difficult to talent to +7.
engage a sniper directly. My advice
is not to try - instead, make it so that Champion Feat: If you hit the target’s PD, you still
the sniper has to make a hard choice inflict damage as if you missed.
of who to provide fire support for. Avoid
obvious 'boss monsters,' or have them come in Epic Feat: Increase the bonus to marksman talent to
twos or threes. If you really want to offer up +9.
the sniper some immediate threat, you still
have some options: tougher monsters that can
shrug off an initial shot and then come run- BOOM! HEAD SHOT.
ning for revenge, swarms that can overwhelm If you kill a non-mook with a ranged sniper attack, all
the sniping position, or cutthroat types who enemies nearby are dazed until the start of your next
turn.
171
sneak up on the sniper. Just bear in mind that
the ideal position for a sniper is some ways Adventurer Feat: All nearby non-mooks also suffer
damage equivalent to a miss with a ranged sniper
away from the main battleground, and by de-
attack.
voting extra attention to one character you're
more likely to do a disservice to the bulk of the Champion Feat: If you kill a mook with a sniper
party. ranged attack, you can make another sniper
ranged attack with a move action.
SNIPER POWERS
As a sniper you have access to powers. Some enable a Epic Feat: Instead of being dazed, targets are nearby
specific state which remain in effect until you hit, ena- targets are stunned.
ble another state, or commit an action dictated in the
power. Sniper powers don’t have level requirements.
Alternately, at 4th, 6th, and 10th level, you can elect
to gain an additional feat instead of selecting an addi-
tional power.
 DIRECT DAMAGE SHARPSHOOTER
Instead of inflicting a condition with marksman talent, Once per battle, if you hit, you can add +2 to the attack
you can inflict additional damage equal to half differ- roll for the purposes marksman talent.
ence between the final attack roll and the target’s AC
Adventurer Feat: Increase the bonus to +5.
(round down).
Adventurer Feat: Inflict the full difference in damage. Champion Feat: You gain a second use of sharp-
shooter per battle.
Champion Feat: One per battle, double your direct
damage value. Epic Feat: You gain a third use of sharpshooter per
battle.
Epic Feat: Once per battle, inflict damage and inflict
a condition with marksman talent.
TWITCH
You gain a +1 bonus on initiative. If you act first in a
FROM THE HIP battle, you gain a +2 bonus on your first attack roll.
You can now use sniper ranged attacks against nearby Adventurer Feat: Bonuses increase to +2 on initia-
targets but suffer a –4 penalty to attack rolls. tive and +3 on your first attack roll.
Adventurer Feat: The penalty decreases to –2.
Champion Feat: If you act first in an battle, set the
Champion Feat: The penalty decreases to 0. escalation die to +1 after you turn is finished.

NO EXIT WOUND POWERS

If you score a critical hit, the target suffers a lingering ACT OF GOD
wound. At the beginning of your next turn, the target “Sniping is poetry in slow motion until you pull the
suffers 1 die of weapon damage. This can only occur trigger”.
once. The damage increases to 2 weapon damage at 4th Daily
level, 3 weapon damage at 6th level, 5 weapon damage No action
at 8th level and 7 weapon damage at 10th level. Trigger: You hit with a sniper ranged attack.
Adventurer Feat: No exit wound occurs for two Effect: Make a second sniper ranged attack against an
consecutive turns. enemy near the first enemy—this uses no additional
ammunition.
Champion Feat: Increase damage inflicted by your Adventurer Feat: If you hit with the second attack,
alternative ability. make a third attack against another target.

Epic Feat: No exit wound occurs for four consecu- Champion Feat: If you miss the second attack, you
tive turns. regain this power.

CHECKING THE WIND

172 PERFECT AIM
You can use a move action to aim at a target. This tar-
You examine the leaves, the way the grass sways, and
compensate your next shot to follow the winds.
get becomes your focus. You can only have one focus at
Daily
a time. Your next attack roll against your focus gains a
Quick action
+2 bonus. Until you target another enemy, move, or
Requirement: You hit with a sniper ranged attack this
make an attack roll, you can continue to use perfect aim
turn.
and stack the attack bonuses (max +8). After you make
the attack roll, the bonus is lost.
Effect: Your gain a +2 bonus to marksman talent
with your hit.
Adventurer Feat: If you reach a +4 bonus, you can
reroll all natural 1s on the attack roll. Adventurer Feat: Use a recovery to reset this pow-
er.
Champion Feat: If you reach a +4 bonus, you in-
crease your level by 1 when calculating damage. Champion Feat: The bonus increases to +5.
COUP DE MAIN MARKERLIGHT
Your body responds before you do—a reflex response to You paint the target to allow allies a chance to concen-
an incoming threat. trate fire.
Daily At-Will
No action Standard action
Trigger: Your group is ambushed (surprise). Effect: Make a sniper ranged attack. You neither in-
Effect: Roll for initiative. If you beat any enemies act- flict damage nor impost any condition; instead, you
ing in the ambush, you can act before them. paint the target with a reticle allies can use to aid aim-
ing. Your allies gain a +2 bonus to attack until the
Adventurer Feat: If you have the highest initiative,
the ambush is nullified. beginning of your next turn or until you make another
sniper ranged attack.
Adventurer Feat: You can denote one ally to benefit
FAILURE NOT AN OPTION from the markerlight and improve the bonus to
You can't afford to miss this shot. +3.
Daily
No action Epic Feat: Allies gain a +1 bonus to their crit range
Trigger: You muss with a ranged sniper attack. against the markerlight target.
Effect: Re-roll the attack, using no additional ammuni-
tion. If you hit with the re-roll, you cannot use marks-
man talent. OSWALD MANEUVER
Adventurer Feat: You can employ marksman talent Multiple shots in quick succession with no decrease in
with the first re-rolled attack. accuracy...could be done.
Battle
Move action
Champion Feat: You gain a second re-roll.
Requirement: You hit with a sniper ranged attack this
turn.
Epic Feat: Continue re-rolling a miss until you hit or Effect: Make a second sniper ranged attack against the
roll a natural 1. same target. You suffer s –2 penalty to attack and
only inflict half damage if this attack hits.

FAKE ECHO Adventurer Feat: You no longer suffer the attack

The sound of your weapon’s discharge bounces off a penalty.
distant wall or the flash is marred by the sun. Enemies
have trouble finding where the shot came from. Champion Feat: You now can inflict full damage.
Daily
Quick action Epic Feat: This power is reduced to a quick action
Requirement: You make a sniper ranged attack from a and if the second attack hits, you can make a
hidden location this turn. third, though this one suffers a - 2 penalty to
Effect: Enemies cannot locate you with a skill a check. attack and inflicts half-damage.
They may know a shot rang out if you didn’t use a
suppressor , but cannot pinpoint your location.
PENETRABLE SHOT
HAND SIGNS You know instinctively where the enemy is hiding. He 173
With silent communication, you instruct an ally to move won’t be expecting this.
into an advantageous position or convey important in- Battle
formation. Quick action
At-Will Effect: Your next attack this turn can ignore any attack
Move action penalties by an object blocking line of sight between
Effect: Target an ally you can see that is distant or clos- you and the target (the hit may still inflict less dam-
er. The ally can move if not engaged. age determined by the GM).
Adventurer Feat: You can affect any ally you can
see.

Champion Feat: Use a standard action instead of a

move, and you can affect two allies.
 PERFECT CAMOUFLAGE TENDER SPOT
“Invisible soles leave gaping holes.” “Two lines you should never cross....horizontal and ver-
Daily tical.”
Quick action Battle
Effect: Gain a +5 bonus to skill checks to hide and Quick action
move silently until the end of your next turn. Requirement: You hit with a sniper ranged attack this
turn.
Adventurer Feat: You can sustain this power for
Effect: You are counted as one level higher when cal-
one additional turn.
culating damage.

Champion Feat: The bonus increases to +10. Adventurer Feat: Use a recovery and reset this
power.

SWIFT, SILENT, DEADLY Champion Feat: You are counted as two levels high-
From across the field of battle, your bullet finds its er when calculating damage.
mark.
Battle
Quick action THAT’S ONE, TWO, THREE
Effect: You gain a +2 bonus to all sniper ranged attack “God is not on the side of battalions, but on the side
rolls until the end of your next turn. that shoots best.”
Adventurer Feat: You can sustain this power with a Daily
quick action for one additional turn. Standard action
Effect: Make three sniper ranged attacks.
Epic Feat: You can sustain this power until you are
hit with an attack. ZERO YOUR WEAPON
You take a moment to configure the targeting scope to
compensate for the range to the target.
SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATORY Battle
Quick action
RESPONSE
Effect: Any range penalties with your next sniper
The bullet pierced a vital organ and the subject strug-
ranged attack suffers is reduced by 2.
gles to breathe.
Battle Adventurer Feat: If you miss with the attack, you
Quick action recover this power.
Requirement: You hit with a sniper ranged attack this
turn. Champion Feat: Until you move, this power does
Effect: You also inflict ongoing damage equal to your not expire.
alternate ability. This value doubles at 5th level and
triples at 8th level.
Adventurer Feat: If you hit the target while suffering
from this ongoing damage, the save increases to
hard (16+).
174
Champion Feat: If you hit the target while suffering
from this ongoing damage, the target fails its
next save for it.
VANGUARD Vanguard Armor and AC
Type Base AC
You are specialized in the application of a craft that None 10
some people consider primitive. Despite any ranged Light 13
combat skills you may have, you prefer to make things Heavy 14
personal. You have practiced day and night in the per- Shield +1
fection of the craft. There may be countless reasons
why you prefer close combat over firearms, but the pri- WEAPONS
mary one is usually self-empowerment. Your strengths Despite classed as a techan, the vanguard is often seen
rely on your lethality in every situation. You require no sporting medieval weapons. Though possibly forged
augmentation, no steel or explosives to articulate your from machines, their dated inspiration cannot be de-
skill. Your weapons cannot be removed. There is no nied. It is only later in life could you possibly wield
scanner or sensor to identify you as a threat. You often more advanced melee weapons. However, when re-
lead a group through the door. You can suppress oppo- quiring range, you still prefer civilized firearms.
nents without causing harm; remove a threat without Primitive weapons: There is nothing stopping you
making a sound. Firearms are a final, violent solution from wielding medieval ranged weapons in a pinch,
and most times a restrained hand is needed. especially if your normal weapons suffer disruption or
As a warrior, you've been trained from an early age run out of ammunition. However, because they are not
by choice or by inheritance to take the role of a combat- your specialty, you suffer attack penalties with such
ant. Your natural gifts were discovered and focused into weapons. This starts as low as –2 for crossbows but can
a lifelong dedication. This is not to assume you're a be as high as –4 for longbows and slings. They do not
warmonger, as such training comes early with the re- count as one-handed small arms.
sponsibility to know restraint. For many, having the
skills is a means for self-discovery. This can apply in Vanguard Melee Weapons
the application of hand-to-hand combat, the use of me- One-Handed Two Handed
lee weapons, or in the proficiency of small-arms. You Small
might have devoted your life to the implement of one 1d4 knife 1d6 club
craft or the broad use of many. Light or Simple
Play Style: The vanguard can fill a vital role in a 1d6 shortsword, tonfa 1d8 spear
techan party. Being a close combat defender means the
vanguard may be the only opposition from monsters Vanguard Ranged Weapons
wishing to close the distance to your ranged allies. One-Handed Firearm Two-Handed Firearm
Even if opponents attempt to move, you can keep with Light
them and prevent your allies from coming to harm. 1d4 pistol 1d6 bolt rifle
With martial feats, you can specialize in a variety of Medium
different regional variations of melee and unarmed 1d6 pistol 1d8 rifle
combat. This will radically alter how you apply the Heavy
powers of the class. You can be a direct fist and kick 1d8 hand cannon 1d10 rifle cannon
fighter or a wrestler. You can specialize in flips, locks,
or direct blunt force trauma. You also have stances
which are always in effect unless you activate another BASIC ATTACKS
stance. MELEE ATTACK
Ability Scores: You use Dexterity or Strength as a
vanguard (see class features). You gain a +2 bonus with
At-Will
Target: One enemy
175
one of your choice. Attack: Strength or Dexterity + Level vs. AC*
Hit: WEAPON + Strength or Dexterity damage*
GEAR Miss: Damage equal to your level
At 1st level, vanguards start with a melee weapon or two *: See Martial Discipline
along with one firearm. They also gain one armor set.
Additionally, a vanguard can start with either 25 UC or RANGED ATTACK
roll 1d6 x 10 UC. At-Will
Target: One enemy
ARMOR Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. AC
As a vanguard, you can technically wear any armor you Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity damage
want, though this may affect how your class operates. Miss: Damage equal to your level
You gain a bonus to AC depending on which ability you
select for your vanguard attack and damage rolls and
which armor you wear.
 VANGUARD LEVEL PROGRESSION
Sniper Total Hit Points Total Martial Martial Class Level-up Damage Bonus From
Level Feats Feats Stances Talents Ability Ability Score
Bonuses
1 (8+CON mod) x3 1 adventurer 1 1 3 ability modifier
2 (8+CON mod) x4 2 adventurer 2 2 3 ability modifier

3 (8+CON mod) x5 3 adventurer 3 2 3 ability modifier

4 (8+CON mod) x6 4 adventurer 4 2 3 +1 to 3 ability modifier

abilities
5 (8+CON mod) x8 4 adventurer 5 3 3 2x ability modifier
1 champion
6 (8+CON mod) x10 4 adventurer 6 3 4 2x ability modifier
2 champion
7 (8+CON mod) x12 4 adventurer 7 3 4 +1 to 3 2x ability modifier
3 champion abilities
8 (8+CON mod) x16 4 adventurer 8 4 4 2x ability modifier
3 champion
1 epic
9 (8+CON mod) x20 4 adventurer 9 4 4 2x ability modifier
3 champion
2 epic
10 (8+CON mod) x24 4 adventurer 10 4 4 +1 to 3 2x ability modifier
3 champion abilities
3 epic
VANGUARD STATS
Ability Bonus +2 Strength or Dexterity (different from racial bonus)
Initiative Dex mod + Level
Armor Class (heavy armor) 15 + middle mod of Con/Dex/Wis + Level
Armor Class (light armor) 14 + middle mod of Con/Dex/Wis + Level
Physical Defense 10 + middle mod of Str/Con/Dex + Level
Mental Defense 10 + middle mod of Int/Wis/Cha + Level
Hit Points (8 + Con mod) x Level modifier (see level progression)
Recoveries (probably) 8
Recovery Dice (1d10 x Level) + Con mod
Backgrounds 8 points, max 5 in any background

176 Icon Relationships 3 points

Talents 3 (see level progression chart)
Feats 1 per Level

The inclusion of the vanguard initially VANGUARD CLASS FEATURES

was to counter what I felt was an You have the following class features.
overtly magical monk class in other
fantasy books (so the addition of techan ARMOR SPECIALITY
weapons is entirely optional). That aside, I If you select Dexterityas your martial specialty (below),
kept it as a techan class because of its need in you gain a +1 bonus to AC when wearing light armor; if
games pushing for more melee combat. you select Strength, you gain a +1 bonus to AC when
wearing heavy armor.
Champion Feat: The bonus increases to +2.
DISTINCT ADVANTAGE your normal feats , and you can also choose them when
You gain the distinct advantage power. you normally gain a feat. You gain a number of martial
Battle feats equal to your level.
Free action
Trigger: You hit with an attack MARTIAL STANCES
Target: One creature you hit. At first level, you gain a martial stance. These a abili-
Effect: Increase WEAPON damage by 1 die. At 5th ties which remain in effect until you end or replace
level, increase this bonus to 2 dice , and at 8th level, them. Unless otherwise stated, you cannot have more
increase it to 3 dice. than one stance in effect at any time. You activate a
Special: If using this power with an unarmed attack, you stance with move action and can end it as a free action,
instead add your level to your damage roll. though you cannot begin a new one until the beginning
Adventurer Feat: You gain a second use per battle.
of your next turn. If you are confused, hampered, help- 177
less, or stunned, your stance automatically ends and you
cannot activate one until your recover from the condi-
Champion Feat: You gain a third use per battle.
tion.
You gain an additional stance at 2nd, 5th, and 8th
Epic Feat: You gain a fourth use per battle. levels.
Champion Feat: Although they must be activated
MARTIAL DISCIPLINE separately, you can use two martial stances sim-
Pick either Dexterity or Strength as your primary attrib- ultaneously.
ute. This decides if you use Dexterity or Strength with
basic melee attacks. Additionally, you do not suffer the Epic Feat: Although they must be activated separate-
usual -2 penalty to unarmed attacks. ly, you can use three martial stances simultane-
ously.
MARTIAL TRAINING FEATS
You gain access to a unique set of feats—the martial
training feats. These feats are selected over and above
 MARK FOR DEATH CLASS TALENTS
Once per battle, when you engage a target, you can You start with three talents; select an additional at 6th
elect to mark said target as a free action. As long as you level.
are engaged with it, a marked target suffers a -2 penalty
to any attack that does not include you as one of its tar- C-C-C-COMBO BREAKER
get. This remains in effect until you or the target dis- When an engaged enemy scores a critical hit on you,
engages. you gain a basic melee attack against that enemy as an
Adventurer Feat: The target remains marked even interrupt.
after it disengages but not if you disengage.
Adventurer Feat: You can elect to not roll to attack,
hit automatically, but only inflict 1/4 damage.
Champion Feat: You gain an additional use per bat-
tle and, you can mark two targets at once. Champion Feat: You now inflict half-damage if not
rolling to attack.
Epic Feat: You gain an additional use per battle and
you can mark three targets at once.
Epic Feat: If the target is marked, you roll to attack
and inflict half damage on a miss.
That’s right, marking rules are now in
13th Age, although mostly just for the HURTS WHEN I LAUGH
vanguard class. It does add a level of Your total hit points each level increase to 9.
strategy to a game attempting to avoid it,
but the vanguard is admittedly the least com- KUNG-FU GRIP
mon techan class in a party. You gain a +4 bonus to opportunity attacks.
Adventurer Feat: Enemies attempting to disengage
NATURAL WEAPON from you need a hard save (16+) to avoid an
Your hands and feet are natural weapons. Technologi- opportunity attack.
cal expansions (like power gloves and lightning gaunt-
lets) are still considered natural weapons. As such, you Champion Feat: Enemies cannot disengage from you
cannot be disarmed. Obviously, your weapons are one- without provoking an opportunity attack (they
handed. They have a base damage of 1d6. You can still can still pop free).
wield melee weapons and there are stances and feats
specializing in either natural weapons or melee weap-
ons. IN YOUR FACE
Champion Feat: The base damage of your natural Once a day point to a non-staggered target far away or
melee weapons increase by one step (1d6 to closer and mark it (suffering a –2 penalty to attack any
1d8 to 1d10 to 1d12). other target but you) as a quick action. The target re-
mains marked as long as you are in line of sight and are
Epic Feat: The base damage of your natural melee in range. The mark also ends when the creature is stag-
weapons increase by one step (1d6 to 1d8 to gered.

178 1d10 to 1d12). Adventurer Feat: Marked targets are vulnerable to

you.
In case it isn't obvious, this means
that you don't suffer the normal -2 Champion Feat: You gain a second use of this ability.
penalty to all unarmed attacks. You'd
think that for a medium largely influ- Epic Feat: Targets marked this way remain so until
enced by action movies, brawling would killed.
get more love in RPGs...
FEAR THE REAPER
You gain an additional use per battle of mark of death.

MAKE AN OPENING
You gain an additional use of distinct advantage per
battle.
MOBILE ONE DOMINATOR
If you are wearing light armor, you gain a +1 bonus to Until you end the stance, target an enemy’s PD instead
attack rolls against any targets you have marked. of AC but don’t add ability damage to the hit.
Adventurer Feat: If you are engaged with two or Adventurer Feat: Add the escalation die to damage.
more enemies, you can use a move action to
pop free of one of them. Champion Feat: You gain a +4 bonus to overcome
damage resistance.
Champion Feat: Your bonus increases to +2.

EPIC RISE
PROTECTIVE SHROUD Until you end the stance, you gain a bonus to MD and
When wearing heavy armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC PD equal to half the escalation die.
against any targets you have marked. Adventurer Feat: You can now ignore damage with
Adventurer Feat: Once per day, when you are stag- each hit you take equal to half the escalation die.
gered by your marked target, your next hit
against it is a critical. Champion Feat: You can now use a move action to
recover hit points equal to the escalation die.
Champion Feat: Your bonus increases to +2. At 8th level, this increases to the full die value.

STUMBLE STRIKE EXTERNAL STYLE

Once per round, if an enemy in reach rolls a natural 1 on Until you end the stance, you can add your Constitution
an attack roll against you, you gain a basic melee attack modifier to damage rolls with melee weapons. If you
against that enemy as a reaction. activate this stance, all hit point recovery is halved until
Champion Feat: If you miss the enemy with the the end of the battle.
above attack, spend a recovery—regaining no hit
Champion Feat: Spend a recovery as a free action
points—to turn it into a hit.
after a hit, recover no hit points, but add half
that value to your last hit this turn.
MARTIAL STANCES
Epic Feat: Targets staggered by your attack are
COUNTER POSE stunned until the beginning of your next turn.
Until you end the stance, if an enemy hits you, you gain
a +2 bonus to your next attack against that enemy.
Adventurer Feat: If you miss your attack roll with FOCUS SIGHTS
the bonus, decrease the bonus to +1 on your Once per battle, when you begin this stance, select a
next attack. This stacks if your enemy hits you target you can see, until you end the stance or the target
again. is killed, it is vulnerable to your attacks. This is your
focus. You suffer a –2 penalty to attack any other ene-
Champion Feat: The bonus increases to +3 the first mies until you end the stance.
attack and +2 on the second. Adventurer Feat: Add your ability modifier when
rolling a miss against your focus. 179
DEFENSIVE POSTURE Champion: If you roll a natural even hit on your
Until you end the stance, you gain a +1 bonus to AC focus, you gain a use of distinct advantage against
and a +2 bonus to attack rolls with any attacks made your focus and use it immediately.
outside of your turn.
Adventurer Feat: If and enemy scores a critical hit Epic Feat: If you inflict the killing blow on your fo-
on you, make a basic melee attack as a reaction. cus, you can select a new focus.

Champion: If an enemy staggers you, make a basic

melee attack as a reaction.

Epic Feat: You gain a basic melee attack as a reac-

tion if you are hit a second time before your
turn.
 FULL WUSHU MARTIAL TRAINING FEATS
Until you end the stance, you can use a move action to These feats represent expanded possibilities for un-
make a basic melee attack against a marked target you armed combat.
are engaged with. You can only make one attack per
enemy each turn. If you hit, do not add ability modifier CLEAR ADVANTAGE
to damage.
Champion Feat: When using distinct advantage, you
Champion: If free, you can move to and engage one can elect to not inflict additional damage; in-
nearby enemy and make a basic melee attack as stead, the target is dazed until the beginning of
a standard action. your next turn.

Epic Feat: Unless grabbed or stuck, you can pop free Epic Feat: If you hit a target suffering from Clear
at will as a move action. Advantage, you extend the daze another turn.

GRAPPLER
BALANCE AND DIRECTION
Until you end the stance, hitting marked targets while
You are trained in the advanced hand-to-hand skills of
wielding natural weapons can also grab them. You can
karate, muay Thai, taekwondo.
only grab one at a time. While a target is grabbed, you
suffer a –4 penalty to attack other targets. Adventurer Feat: While wielding natural weapons,
you gain a +1 bonus to AC and PD against me-
Adventurer Feat: You can spend a move action to
lee attacks.
render a grabbed target stuck until the beginning
of your next turn.
BOUNCING COMBO
Epic Feat: Double your ability modifier to damage
rolls against targets you are grabbing. Adventurer Feat: If you stagger or drop a non-mook
with an unarmed attack, you gain a move action
that must be used before the end of your turn.
INTERNAL STYLE
Until you end the stance, you gain a +2 bonuses to all
CAN KICK
saves and are immune to being confused. You cannot
be confused when you begin this stance. Adventurer Feat: Use a move action on the same
turn after you hit a target to inflict additional
Adventurer Feat: The bonus to saves increases to
damage equal to your 2 + level.
+4 and you are immune to fear.
Champion Feat: Increase the damage to 4 + your
Champion Feat: If you started this stance on your level.
first turn and maintain it until the end of the
battle, after the battle, all healing effects are
doubled. Epic Feat: Increase damage to 8 + your level.

Epic Feat: You pass any attempts to rally.

180 EVOLUTION OF PANKRATION
You are trained in the contact martial art of hapkido,
OPPONENT CONTROL jujutsu, or sambo.
Until you end the stance, the penalty for marked ene- Adventurer Feat: If you engage a single opponent
mies making attacks not including you as a target in- your size, your crit range is expanded by 2.
crease to –3.
Adventurer Feat: If you hit a marked target, one ally Champion Feat: If you engage a single marked oppo-
also engaged with that enemy can pop-free. nent your size and roll a natural even hit, the
target is stuck until the beginning of your next
turn.
Champion Feat: If a marked enemy you are engaged
with hits another ally it is engaged with, you gain
a basic melee attack as a reaction. Epic Feat: You can use your Evolution of Pankration
abilities on two engaged and targets at once.
Epic Feat: If you are staggered, the penalty for
marked enemies making attacks not including
you as a target increases to –4.
GAME OF STICKS NERVE CLUSTER
You are trained in kalo. jogo do pau, silambam, or any
Adventurer Feat: If you roll a natural even hit
stick-based martial art. against a marked target and use Distinct Ad-
Adventurer Feat: If you are wielding a staff weapon vantage, increase the weapon die by 1.
roll twice for opportunity attacks and take the
higher result. Champion Feat: If you add damage from Nerve
Cluster and the target becomes staggered, in-
Champion Feat: Once per battle, you can attack a crease the weapon damage by 1.
nearby target without engaging it. If you miss,
you regain this ability.
NON-LETHAL INTENT
Adventurer Feat: If you inflict damage with a melee
GUNKATA attack equal to half the enemy’s staggered hit
Adventurer Feat: One-handed small arms count as points, you can elect to inflict no damage and
melee weapons when attacking engaged targets. the target is stunned for five minutes or until hit
with an attack.
Champion Feat: If wielding two one-handed small
arms, gain a +1 shield bonus to AC against en- Champion Feat: When employing Non-Lethal Intent,
gaged enemies. add two weapon dice damage.

If you want more than enhanced SWORDS OF GRACE

pistolwhipping and point-blank at- You are trained in gatka, kendo, or various other defen-
sive weapon-based martial arts.
tacks, consider playing a gunslinger
instead. These feats are geared more Adventurer Feat: Once per round, when wielding
toward the protagonists of Hong Kong two melee weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to AC
until the beginning of your next turn if you miss
crime films. a marked target.

JUMPING KNEE Champion Feat: If you score a critical hit wielding a

Adventurer Feat: If you move and engage a single one-handed weapon on a marked target, the
target in the same turn, roll twice to attack, take bonus to AC increases to +4.
the higher result, and add 1 additional weapon
die of damage. This is an unarmed attack.
TAG TEAM
Champion Feat: If you use jumping knee against a Adventurer Feat: If an ally engaged with a marked
target adjacent to ab obstruction, they take tri- enemy you are engaged with and hits said ene-
ple your attribute damage. my, the ally inflict additional damage equal to
your Dexterity or Strength modifier.

KAYFABE MANEUVER
THE RITUAL OF DANCE
181
Adventurer Feat: If you roll a natural even hit
against a marked and engaged enemy currently AND DAMAGE
also engaged with an ally, said ally can pop free. Like many martial arts like capoeira and wushu, your
combat style has become flamboyant and entertaining.
Champion Feat: Said ally can also make an oppor- Champion Feat: While using only natural weapons,
tunity attack against the disengaging enemy. you can use a move action to engage nearby
targets without disengaging from existing targets
(GM discretion in case certain targets cannot be
MASTER DEGREE MARTIAL ARTIST reached).
Epic Feat: If you score a critical hit, increase weapon
damage die by 1. Epic: If you score a critical hit on a marked enemy
with a natural melee weapon, you can pop free
of any number of enemies you want.
 D
TOSSER avid Chen held a paper bag of various fruits,
purchased from Genai farms, grown under
Champion Feat: If you score a critical hit on an ene- sunlight with rain fallen from clouds. They
my your size, use a move action that same turn weren't genetically modified replicas designed
to throw the enemy, disengaging him from you to be cultivated in foreign environments. They weren't
and all other allies. It suffers additional damage grown in atmospheric controlled multi-leveled greenhous-
equal to a missed basic attack. es. The shop was still open, being tended by Chen's single
employee, a fifteen-year-old Asian girl with trimmed
straight black hair, oversized glasses, a long neck and a
TRUE ENLIGHTENMENT OF chest as flat as Ganymede--moon or myth. As Chen ap-
THE ART proached the open gate with his groceries, he heard Aid-
The core belief system of many martial arts. en's shout behind him.
"I don't want to be what they tell me!"
Adventurer Feat: As a quick action, spend a recover,
Aiden had gotten his attention. Chen turned around.
gain no hit points, but gain resist all damage 11+
"Pardon?" Chen asked.
until the end of your next turn. If you suffer not
"I don't want to be like them, like my brother!"
damage by the time the resist expires, you re-
"There are many things you can do to be different,
gain the recovery.
Aiden."
"I want to be what I want!" Every sentence got loud-
Champion Feat: The resist increases to 16+. er. "Why do I have to settle for what they say I can be? I
don't have to now! I don't want to be part of this! How
Epic Feat: The resist increases to 18+. You can can I go back, knowing what I know? I want magic! I want
spend a standard action once to sustain the re- dragons! I want everything they said I couldn't have!"
sist without spending a recovery. Chen stepped forward. Aiden had also gotten the
attention of Chen's employee, leaning in from her duties
to see the commotion. "It will take a long time," Chen
WAY OF THE TURN answered. "Not all the books were right. It'll be years
You specialize in aikido, judo, shuai jiao, or other mar- before you’re ready, and it doesn't always take."
tial arts specializing in redirecting an opponent’s mo- "The sooner I start..."
mentum. "Even knowing what you'll have to give up. Cars?"
Champion Feat: If you hit with a melee attack, you
"Don't drive."
can inflict half damage and the target is weak-
"Television?"
ened until the beginning of your next turn.
"Nothing good on."
"Computers?"
"I play games with magic." Aiden had an answer for
Epic Feat: If you score a critical hit, you can elect to everything, he though ahead.
do no damage and target is stunned until the "Refrigerators?" Except that one. "Central heating?"
beginning of your next turn. Chen paused and emphasized the next one. "Electricity?"
"Can’t I make my own?"
Chen smiled with nod. "Yes, you may actually." He
While options for more mystical nudged his chin in the direction of the door. "Enter then."
martial artists exist in other 13th Aiden approached the entrance and noticed the girl
Age supplements, if you want to use staring at him.
182 the vanguard as the basis for a fan- "Aiden," Chen said, "this is Min Xia Wen, my employ-
ee." The girl waved and Aiden, suddenly revolted by his
tasy martial artist (with or without the
school clothes, responded bashfully with a nod. Chen
Ancient Wuxia background), you can do so: motioned Aiden to a desk. "Have a seat."
names of the feats aside, the mechanics serve Aiden followed, dangling his legs over the uncomforta-
just as well for a narros monk as they do for a ble stool. A fifty pound book weighted with gold leaf and
MMA fighter from York. Just ignore the high- wooden toggles slammed onto the desk. Chen unlocked
tech weapon options and the restriction on it and flipped a few of the metallic pages. There was no
using low-tech ranged weapons, and change artwork and the phrases were complicated and convolut-
ed, containing numerous syllables with meanings beyond a
the names of your features and feats to some-
twelve-year old's comprehension.
thing a little bit more archaic-sounding. "What's this?" Aiden asked.
"The first of many," Chen answered as he walked
away. Aiden shared a look at Min, who shrugged back.
Aiden examined the intimidating hardback. "You're
only trapped if you can't find the door," Aiden repeated
his mother's passing comment.
Aiden leaned in and began to read.
 something a young girl could emit, though greatly ampli-
* * * fied. A throaty bellow shook the trees and scattered
birds. It was followed by something immense under the
Children assumed the truth until learning the virtue of canopy shuffling leaves, shifting branches, and snapping
doubt. They reached an age when they began to question undergrowth.
the world around them. They turned to parents for reas- A hawk with a span to cross an expressway lifted from
surance. The goblins were never under the bed. No one a lower perch, jostled by the unseen beast brazenly bully-
snuck down the chimney to take cookies or leave pre- ing its way through the forest. The bird vanished back
sents. The disappointment that followed discovering the into the thick.
truth never settled. Aiden had reached that point when Aiden assumed that a jutting rock larger than Chen’s
dreams rooted in reality replaced those impossible to store was the peak of small crag only a few kilometers
achieve. from the city. He then noticed it gradually turning. The
Every legend, myth, and tale his mother had narrated rock was not attached to the ground; it hung silently, dan-
was a fiction that Aiden had so badly wanted to be real. gling from an unseen string.
He realized that every one of them held some fragment of Aiden caught a faint whisper in the breeze, not as such
fact. Historical accounts of modern empires, works of carried by the wind but part of it. He leaned to the edge
whimsy from when mankind ruled the planet alone. She of the wall. The whisper was from no beast; it was com-
was preparing him for the inevitable day when he would forting, tempting, an aria of the air--feminine and beautiful.
discover it for himself. There was no set time when Aiden imagined everything that could be out there, all
someone was told. Like sex, it was just something picked the wonders denied by science. Everything he had read
up or stumbled through mostly be accident. The wrong about, hiding past those trees, as easy as crossing a street.
book was opened, the wrong program watched. The Aiden made a promise to himself at that moment while
child asked the proper questions at an improper time. standing at the edge of the wall. He would become what
Parents muddled their way through the answers. he had read about, what he was told he could not be. He
Aiden had a dragon. would pass from his world to one echoing the whims of
His mother had known the real world better than writers for thousands of years. He would have his fantasy.
most, better than her husband, better than Martin. She It would be real.
knew more than most people about what was out there. Aiden smiled.
With those books, she had told him everything.

* * *

Aiden looked up at the long flight of stairs, up the side

of the crown. To call the outer wall a crown implied to
Aiden that everyone behind it thought of themselves as
royalty, claiming supremacy over everything they saw.
He clambered clumsily upwards, glancing occasionally
to gauge the length of the climb. The steel railing didn’t
feel safe. The stairs were draped in darkness from the
sun setting behind the wall. A gust of cool wind struck
Aiden as he reached the summit.
Aiden walked to the edge of the fortification. He
stood between the jagged and uneven ramparts that
topped it. Aiden would only have a few minutes before
the next patrol. When standing on the peak of the
183
crown, the city appeared to expand forever, over the
horizon until heat radiating from concrete and iron moun-
tains blurred to the sky. Skyscrapers, farms, manufactur-
ing facilities and the last scraps of humanity’s past. Aiden
had seen such a view from his family's condo; anyone else
would be amazed by it. But Aiden only offered it a passing
glance, as much acknowledgement as traffic he wanted to
cross.
He discarded one view for another, across the wall to
a towering emerald forest of wild trees. They were alive
and growing as tall as the city wall, without pruning or any
arbortecture. Aiden had read that it was called Cyon, a
dense pack of woods that encircled most of the south and
east sides of the bastion. Aiden picked up noises from the
forest—calls and yells from massive lungs. None of them Early pagus sketch
sounded familiar. A high pitched screech resembled
A
methyst introduces the concept of legends—optional
branches characters can take as they become the greatest
heroes the world has ever seen. Legends can be chosen
upon reaching level 8 but do not replace the character’s
original class. Instead the player opts out of selecting normal level 8,
9, and 10 feats in exchange for the abilities listed in the legend. More
importantly, legends offer the character greater integration into the
setting. The majority of legends are not blank slates, and should not
be chosen unless the background is found appealing.
This is not to say a character is forced to take every ability, though
some later ones do require earlier ones to function. A player can elect
to pick the level 8 ability (thus not selecting a level 8 feat), and still
select feats and levels 9 and 10 (ignoring the abilities offered by the
legend at those levels). A character can even ignore all said abilities
and be accept the legend in title only.
As many legends are integral to the setting in some way, many do
carry prerequisites which should be met (exceptions can always be
made).

Admitted, legends are prestige classes / paragon

paths from earlier editions of Amethyst. I carried
them over because I just...like the idea of them. I
enjoy the backstory put down, and I hope players
will appreciate just that little additional option, which
they could totally ignore if they wish.

A lot of these options could also be used as back-

grounds, especially those representing organiza-
tions or common archetypes (such as the Academy
of Logos, the Crimson Leaves, the Guild of Ilm, or
the York gun dancer, for instance). You don't get any
additional mechanical benefit from it, but it allows you to
get involved with them at 1st level if you want.

ECHAN LEGENDS
ACADEMY OF LOGOS
Very few wizards are actually religious. Since the study is based
around a discipline that many have claimed as scientific, they usually
prefer to explain the methods of magic through what they see and
understand rather than depend on the unexplained. To wizards, the
universe is still knowable, even if it appears to make no sense.
During the reign of Vincent Savarice, an order of priests in
Abidan, with the support of their paladin king, began investigating
the position of the magical Pleroma language in various fae faiths.
They wanted to determine if Pleroma and its abilities might have any
spiritual connection with the Abrahamic religions still widespread
across the world. Some priests, clerics, and rabbis denounced the
practice as heresy, but as one noteworthy and respected cleric sup-
porting the practice put it, “God could wink out the sun and stop the
Earth from moving – throwing a lightning bolt from a wand pales in
comparison.” A similarly modest Jesuit complimented the remark by
adding, “Wizards are merely priests in denial.”
Eventually, this small community of faith-bound wizards deter-
mined that the Pleroma language was most likely written by God and
then given to the dragons. While some fundamentalist zealots have
classified dragons as the advocates of hell, many in Abidan, and espe-
 cially those in the order, believe them to be generals of publicly or privately. Part of this may be because of
God’s army, nothing short of angels that the mortals Salvabrooke’s laissez-faire view of law enforcement:
were taught to respect and fear. If so, then Pleroma is gimfen don’t consider something a crime unless it does
the divine language in which the words ‘let there be serious harm to someone, and the worst the largest com-
light’ were spoken. They called it the power of logos— munities complain about are pickpockets and the occa-
the ability of God to create something by speaking it, sional confidence scam, though both are practically an
given to His servants as a reward for piety and from infestation across the land. The fact that a criminal or-
thence bestowed upon man and fae for some unknowa- ganization has been tolerated for so long baffles those
ble purpose. who don’t know the full details.
Within a decade of the Abidan investigation, the The Crimson Leaf actually considers itself the final
Academy of Logos was formed—an elite order of Abra- word of law in Salvabrooke. They are a ruthless vigilan-
hamic holy men that study Pleroma not as a path to con- te force of trained gimfen whose sole purpose is to pro-
trolling the universe but as a path to becoming closer to tect the innocent of the land from the greater evils that
God. They exhibit unique powers known only to them, aim to exploit them. Every Malkut slaver that attempts
variations on common spells with abilities the casters to invade gimfen territory becomes their target and few
have professed as divine. Other wizards, especially Ko- of their caravans have survived the journey.
ana students, consider them too highly specialized to The Crimson Leaf claims a membership between
attain true enlightenment: Logians claim that other 100 to 250 which travel throughout Salvabrooke and
academies cannot be properly enlightened because they beyond, acting nonchalant and going about their lives
do not know what lofty peak they seek to reach. There until given a mission. This usually takes the form of a
is still respect between the two sides, and conflicts short, specific list of crimes, unique to each member,
don’t break out when they share a room. Like most which the assassin is expected to punish immediately
organizations born in Abidan, the Academy of Logos is upon becoming aware of them. A farmer may be mind-
one of the most humble, benevolent religious sects in ing his crops and observes a crime detailed on his or her
Canam, with fingers in humanitarian needs and mis- response list. He would leap into action and return to
sionary duties. his duties before anyone knew he was gone. A Crimson
Prerequisites: From Abidan; religious background Leaf may interfere to prevent in a crime not on his list if
suggested; spellcaster required. he actually witnesses it, but otherwise is expected to
leave it to another of the brethren to avoid compromis-
ACADEMY OF LOGOS FEATURES ing the order’s secrecy.
Act of God? (8th level): You gain the cleric’s heal As a member of this group, you possess your own list
spell. You have access to heal feats. of crimes to respond to. There is no jury, just an execu-
Grace of God? (9th level): You gain the Healing tioner. These crimes are not petty or trivial, but severe
domain (requires Act of God). transgressions: slavery, rape, robbery with violence, and
Finger of God (10th level): You can select a feat theft of sentimental treasures are common entries. De-
from either the heal spell or the Healing domain. spite what other purposes you have in life, regardless of
the mission you may be on or the job you have accept-
With the GM's permission, you could ed, your duties as a Crimson Leaf always take prece-
justify taking the cleric class if your dence. Nothing else matters, even if it leads to the fail-
ure of your job and the abandonment of your friends.
concept involves joining the Acade-
As a Leaf, you are not foolish, employing all your skills,
my. You'd still be a wizard canoni- whether direct or stealthy, to accomplish your goals.
186 cally (and choose a totem: book or staff
would be most appropriate), and you wouldn't
You’re patient, willing to hold until the target’s fate is
certain. When the course is set, nothing else matters.
take the 8th-level feature of this legend Prerequisite: Gimfen from Salvabrooke.
(although you'd be considered to meet the re-
quirement for the 9th-level one, assuming you CRIMSON LEAF FEATURES
don't take the Healing domain normally). Slippery Little Bugger (8th level): Once per battle,
you can replace your standard action with two move
actions. You can pop free as a free action this same
CRIMSON LEAF turn.
Not much is known about the Salvabrooke assassin’s Nemesis (9th level): Once per battle, if you hit a
guild, the Crimson Leaf. What marks them apart from target, it becomes your nemesis. It suffers a –2 penalty
other such guilds is that, despite being labeled a radical to any attack which does not include you. Your crit
order against the greater good by the nation’s ruling range against your nemesis increases by +1.
government, there is no bounty placed on their capture. Nothing Else Matters (10th level): As long as you
One Salvabrooke state official labeled them in private move on your turn and end your movement closer to
statement as being “a humorous irritation.” Despite your nemesis, you gain a +2 bonus to AC against all ene-
calls for their apprehension from Limshau, Kannos, and mies. Once engaged with your nemesis, the bonus ap-
Abidan, Salvabrooke has made no effort to rein them in, plies only against it.
JANOAHN WALL CAPTAIN stimuli. Many followers have reported encountering
As captain of the Janoahn wall, you have served selfless- visions that have either reaffirmed their faith or disillu-
ly for the protection of nothing short of the world. The sioned them. After this period of isolation, the disciple
Tethuss Bridge is the only route pagus take when at- is then encouraged to leave his home to contemplate on
tempting to cross from their lands into the south. They the experience, waiting for a moment of clarity. Those
hate water and despise the treacheries of mountain trav- that depart often return to question the morals and mo-
el. All that remains is the bridge and, as a wall captain, tives of their empire. On a few rare occasions, they do
you direct your phalanx to maintain their shields in firm not return, and either take to the open road, become
lock against whatever evil attempts to crash against it. hermits, or turn into kythix.
You effortlessly guide your line to repel armies ten As a Kinshoa master, you realized that enlighten-
times the size. As a team, your group could withstand ment comes from the discipline to control one’s body
the onslaught of dragons, giants, or a pagus invasion. and mind. You can perceive what cannot be seen. You
You don’t need religion to have a crusade and your can taste emotions on your lips and smell the impulses
belief is secure in the church of the shield wall. Your of your enemies. With such perceptions of the world,
devotion to this faith is unwavering and your piety in nothing comes as a surprise, and you never know fear.
this conviction ensures its walls will never crack against It is said you are aware of your own death moments be-
any assault to its tenets. As shields are locked and fore your final breath. You despise deception and have
weapons are brandished, you preach to your choir to left your people because the corrupted values of its gov-
defend the house of blades and plates against the hea- ernment made you ill.
thens desperate to break your line. But the walls of this Prerequisite: Tenenbri
church are held by the wills of men, not gods, and as
long as they have conviction in themselves and their KINSHOA MASTER FEATURES
captain, the house will never crumble. You are the pas- Wisdom Like an Ocean (8th Level): If you have a
tor of a devout order, your followers hanging on your higher initiative than all enemies in an encounter and
words – the sage of this church of war. are not surprised yourself, you ambush your opponent.
Prerequisite: Knight of the Wall. Iaodona (9th Level): You gain the following bonus-
es to all ambushed targets: +1 bonus to attack rolls; +4
JANOAHN WALL CAPTAIN bonus to damage rolls, and your crit range expands by 2.
This lasts until the enemy’s first turn.
FEATURES Awakening of Enlightenment (10th level): If an
Rooted Defense (8th level): You gain a +3 bonus to
adjacent enemy scores a critical hit on you, as a reaction
AC against enemies the turn they engage you.
you can spend a recovery, but regain no hit points; in-
Maintain the Line (9th level): If you and another stead, you gain a basic attack that must include the tar-
adjacent ally both wield shields, you and your ally’s
get. This attack automatically hits.
shield bonus to AC increases by +1. This is considered
a shield lock.
Lockdown (10th level): While in a shield lock, you KNIGHT OF ABRAHAM
may wield two-handed weapons with one hand. A member of the order of Abraham stands as the iconic
knight of legend, the quintessential guardian in shining
KINSHOA MASTER armor known previously only in story and myth. Across
many barriers of language and culture such valiant de-
“It will come to all of us. In time… Chaparrans will be-
fenders reveal themselves through determined purpose,
come plants and animals, narros will become rocks, dam-
ironclad beliefs, and unwavering integrity. You main-
askans will become memories, laudenians—clouds, gim-
fen—dreams…and us…we’ll become the darkness.” tain your moral fiber, especially when those morals are 187
Sharajaclypse the most inconvenient. You respect the laws of your
faith, not necessarily the laws of where you reside. You
believe in chivalry and honor, mercy and valor. You will
Most tenenbri are social creatures, but only among
never take the life of one who cannot defend himself.
themselves. Tenenbri understand well the distaste
You will always prefer to protect the innocent, the poor,
other races have for them, and to a certain extent, a
or the weak over the defeat of your enemies.
deep current of repressed self-loathing extends
Courage is important, but you must temper that
throughout the entire species. It appears a natural in-
courage with common sense – to know when to fight
stinct for tenenbri to seek contemplative isolation at
and when not to. You must maintain your faith in the
some point during their lives.
integrity and kindness of civilized people and/or to your
The tenenbri that pursue this path of isolation even-
God. Since a good and merciful God never asks a fol-
tually discover their attuned senses pick up far more
lower to die needlessly, you are not required to die for
than the normal world presents. The tenenbri’s wide-
your faith, your lord, or even for your own honor. You
spread faith in Oaken claims that the only way to truly
only willingly die to protect others or to defeat evil in
experience their god’s grace is to remove all other phys-
whatever forms it takes. You give to charity but will not
ical senses. Temples in Vanaka have prayer chambers
give away your last sovereign if it means you are unable
with stagnant pools that can be sealed from external
188
to be charitable on the morrow. You are courteous to KNIGHT OF ABRAHAM FEATURES
others, will forgive the sins of anyone if asked in sinceri- Of Legend (8th level): Your air of nobility strength-
ty, and act in humility of your own strengths and abili- ens those around. At the start of battle, every nearby
ties. As a member of the order, you must follow these ally receives a +2 bonus to every attack roll until they
simple edicts: benevolence, faith, humility, integrity, score a hit.
loyalty, mercy, and patience. You must adhere to these Strike Down the Infidel (9th level): You bring forth
and keep the standards you wish to uphold. Breaking all remaining might, saving nothing for your victory
any of these ideals brings upon you a personal shame march. If you score a natural even hit with a melee
even if no others witness the act. You never look for an weapon, apply your Wisdom bonus to damage.
excuse to bypass your morals. You must never slay an Devout Aura of Courage (10th level): You are im-
enemy unarmed or helpless, never turn against an ally mune to fear.
for selfish motives, and never ignore those in need.
Prerequisites: Squire of Abraham background,
Rousing Speech; you also must return to Janoah to re-
ceive the honor.
KOANA ACADEMIC Many chaparrans pursue this devotion through their
Upon finally graduating, the Koana apprentice is be- children, hoping they are gifted as one of these cousin
lieved to have a greater comprehension of the arcane races. They think of their species as a whole and don’t
arts than equivalent graduates do from other schools, preoccupy themselves with the lack of their own en-
endowed with the understanding that all power from lightenment. A few radicals have gone to burying
Attricana attempts to encourage life in every possible themselves in fertile soil for years at a time, never jos-
form, from the beautiful to the revolting. Koana teach- tling save for the donations of food from family and
ings encourage this ideal, which is why their spells have passers-by. Others refuse to leave their named-tree for
an unusual slant for being slightly whimsical. Instead of their entire lives and make its survival and development
mere balls of fire or lightning leaping from fingers, Ko- the only priority. Others decide to reach unity with
ana wizards create living, semi-intelligent beings that nature by the absolute discipline of their craft. This can
act apparently on their own in service of their master for come in the form of adept magic use or the perfection
the brief time they exist. They live for their creator and of melee and ranged combat, of which the latter is the
willingly die for them, happy that they were able to ful- most common. As one of these rare chaparrans, you
fill such a noble life in such a short time. The Koana begin to exhibit strange properties, mostly physical.
professors, or academics, play with their spells with an Your hair is the color of grass, leaves grow from the
especially creative whimsy. The spells run, dance, or strands, and when you curl your fingers around your
fly around while normal spells accomplish their task and totem or weapon, you become one. Whether a weapon
vanish. In the scope of the brilliance that is Attricana or a totem, your hand vanishes into the wood and you
magic, Koana wizards know how to add gusto to their feel every bend and twist of the item as if it was a com-
spellcraft. plete appendage. You may separate as easily but this is
Prerequisites: Intelligence 16, spellcaster with a only the first step … eventually, you may be able to
totem; either the Koana Student background or an hon- push yourself further, to take the next step in fae evolu-
orary degree from any Koana academy. tion.
Prerequisite: Chaparran
Although the Koana academies are
happy to study gneolistics and incar- KRYSALLIS FEATURES
Weapon/Implement Synergy (8th level): Choose
nates, there is very little incentive for
one ranged weapon or totem you wield, which must be
such people to enroll, since on a fun- made predominantly of wood. You and the object be-
damental level, those who have inborn come one, and you cannot be disarmed. When you hit,
magic and those who must study Pleroma to re-roll the two lowest damage dice results and take the
practice it are as different in their approaches higher values.
as chalk and cheese. Inner Reservoir (9th level): Once per battle, you
can turn any even hit into a critical hit.
Drawing from Temporary Paradise (10th level):
KOANA ACADEMIC FEATURES
The first time you rally in a battle, your next attack roll
Thinks for Itself (8th level): Once per battle, you
gains a +4 bonus to attack.
may re-roll one ranged spell.
Mastery of the Unknown (9th level): Any damaging
spell you cast increases its number of damage dice by MUTAHARRIK CAPTAIN
one. Leading the Kannos Kavaliers are the Mutaharrik Cap-

189
Spellcraft Mastery (10th level): You gain one addi- tains. You’ve probably spent more hours on your horse
tional 7th level spell. than others have on their own feet. Regardless if you
raised your steed from birth or bought it from a stable,
KRYSALLIS as an elite from Kannos, you can prepare any animal for
Chaparrans accept chaos in all its forms. Their commu- combat within a week. You do not afford yourself any
nities are often small. They act on instinct and allow luxuries over the men under your command. You wear
emotion and personal morality to maintain the funda- the same light armor, ride a horse with no barding, and
mental civility of their culture over the peskiness of charge alongside the line rather than behind it.
actual laws. They also embrace the idea of the overall You and your animal are now one combined spirit
fate of the fae to succumb to eventual anarchy. They and you no longer need to whistle for its attention or
believe nirvana and true heaven in the Eden promised whip it to speed, requiring only a few words or a nudge.
by Berufu awaits when the fae unreservedly accept It may even act on its own if needed. The elite officers
their fate—to merge with the world around, to vanish of Kannos forego all other pleasantries in favor of their
from reality altogether. Each further branch takes them bond. You don’t bother with wives or children. It has
one step closer to understanding the purpose of exist- even been said a Captain’s steed lives for the entire life
ence and the chaparrans hold a devout faith that their of its master, dying the second its Captain does.
descendant races like the nariisa and sylphids are one
step closer to paradise.
 Prerequisites: Kavalier or Halfmaster background; Master Warhorse (10th level): While you are mount-
you must have a horse, and return to Kannos for promo- ed, your mount can use a move action without costing
tion. you an action.

MUTAHARRIK CAPTAIN FEATURES ORDER OF THE CLOTH

Whisperer (8th level): While riding a horse, you can You are a member of Baruch Malkut’s inner circle—an
pop-free as a quick action. elite order that traces their line back to the loyal guards
High Ground (9th level): You gain a +1 bonus to of the king, when he traveled from Southam to stake his
attack enemies with a melee weapon if you are on your domain. The crusade consisted of him and a loyal reti-
mount. You also do not provoke opportunity attacks if nue of oath-brothers that were referred to only as “cut
you fire ranged weapons while on your mount. from the cloth,” forsaking even their individual names.
As he claimed his kingdom, Darius Konig kept his
guards close, and they wished for nothing else, neither

190
land nor titles. RAVNORRA
Since these humble beginnings, the order has grown Narros take pride in their vocation and seldom break
in number, but their reputation has never faltered. their disciplined lives for merriment or debauchery, lest
Newer members are not so enigmatic. Keeping their they bring dishonor to their names. Though many nar-
names and accepting claims of property and treasure, ros devote themselves to mining and the acquisition
they are still as devout in the faith as their founders. and creation of goods, some dedicate themselves to the
They are brought in from various military channels and noble path of defending their house and the innocent.
trained separately in isolation to be the greatest line of Narros soldiers all follow a strict code of honor, but a
assassins the land has ever known. few take their discipline to an amazing degree.
Each bears a golden death's-head ring with ruby All your life, you have lived alongside your blade.
eyes as their only badge of office, a magical device that The crest on your shield is father and mother. Your
projects the feared red robes and golden skull mask of house is an ideal you will defend to the end. You wake
the King's agents over their normal appearance, allow- to don your armor and seldom remove it save for sleep
ing them to disappear completely into a crowd once or death. You will know neither mate nor child: your
their deadly work is done. defense of the house and realm take precedence over
You are not one to play fair. To be of the order is to all other desires. To break these oaths not only brings
know every cheat, every dirty play you can exploit to dishonor to you, but to the house and family as well. If
eliminate your target. You might have been once a ban- such a code is broken, or if the house and/or lord is de-
dit or a slaver or a paid assassin. Now a loyal member of stroyed, you become an outcast, a ‘vorronar’ or ronin,
the cloth, you follow the edicts of their holy cause, to set adrift on the waves of fate to find a cause or to live
eliminate all who disagree with the commandments of by the sword. You may continue your code, or do your
King Darius. Any who fail to understand his wisdom best just to stay alive.
will meet the fate of all heathens, regardless if their ears Many humans have remarked upon the similarity
are pointed or not. between the narros noble warrior and the ancient samu-
If you venture from your homeland, you do so on a rai, and most ravnorra, ronin or not, adopt the term
mission for the betterment of the king’s power. Your when dealing with humans: to them, it is the proper
loyalty is to the king and the king only. Even other translation.
citizens of Baruch Malkut are not immune to your wrath Prerequisites: Doppelshido background.
if they don’t show total piety to the true authority.
Prerequisite: Human from Baruch Malkut.
RAVNORRA FEATURES
Hatamoto (8th level): Gain additional damage with
ORDER OF THE CLOTH FEATURES your doppelshido weapon equal to your level.
Death Grip (8th level): You can grab an enemy you Inner Spirit (9th level): The first time you rally, you
hit with a melee attack. The target remains grabbed gain a +2 to all attack rolls until the end of your next
until it disengages. While grabbing an enemy, any time turn.
you hit that enemy with an attack you deal extra dam- Weapon Mastery (10th level): Once per battle, as a
age equal to your Intelligence modifier. quick action, you can make your enemy vulnerable un-
Pull to the Ground (9th level): Once per battle, if a til the end of your turn.
target is grabbed for three turns, at the start of the
fourth, the target helpless until the end of your turn.
Cheat (10th level): If you roll a natural 1 on an at- SCHOLAR WARDEN
tack roll, spend a recovery surge as a free action, but The Guild of Ilm, formed in 365 A.E. by Fisher Cali-
bannis, took on the duties to administer and coordinate
191
regain no hit points; instead, that attack roll becomes a
natural 20. It is neither a critical hit nor an automatic the external operations of custodians on the periphery
hit. of Limshau and beyond. They operated from the
Limshau capital until Calibannis’s death at the ripe hu-
The Order of the Cloth underwent man age of 205, where he left his power and assets to
some metamorphosis during the writ- his bonded companion, Lannis Aerialiss. Lannis was
responsible for the aggressive push of custodians out-
ing of the Fate edition of Amethyst, side of the borders of Limshau. Before, the custodians
due to my efforts to make Baruch would defend the cities and the farms but never active-
Malkut character options a little more ly seek out knowledge beyond their borders. Librarians
interesting. The illusory red uniforms in par- would commit to such crusades all the time, though
ticular were my additions, inspired in equal their quests usually took them to private collections and
parts by the Red Death costume of 'Phantom other libraries to seek their prizes. The Guild of Ilm
of the Opera', the Imperial guard of 'Star was an elite order tasked with retrieving knowledge
from riskier locations, dungeons, and abandoned (or not
Wars,' and the iconic hooded robes of
so abandoned) castles. The guild carries considerable
'Assassin's Creed'. respect in this field and has never been seriously chal-
 lenged on the accuracy of their accounts. Librarians
take the lackluster assignments: the Guild of Ilm sends The scholar warden in my group en-
their custodians only where a librarian’s life would be in visions himself as a fantasy version
danger or if the situation itself requires a more aggres- of Indiana Jones.
sive hand. Of all the custodians in Limshau, those of
Ilm are truly warrior scholars, earning the nickname,
“Scholar Warden.”
You are an elite member of the guild. You returned In the setting background, any promi-
to the Guild’s office in Warraqeen and have taken on nent custodian or librarian can be a
the oath of the order. To be a member of the guild is to Warden of Ilm—we only declared high
be nearly fanatical in the perseverance of knowledge level characters eligible for the game.
and free thinking. Unlike other custodians, you are With that, a GM could easily have a low
expected to record your adventures and missions for level Scholar Warden and even allow a player
planned documentation and publication later. You do
to be one earlier on, though not benefitting
not quest for your own greed. You do not travel the
192 land seeking gold or glory. You are selfless in your path from the legend bonuses until reaching 8th
to free the world from those that would suppress the level.
truth. Words are gold; books are the real treasure, and
heaven is a world without fear. URMAGE
Prerequisite: Custodian
The question of who first acquired the arcane arts from
dragons may never be resolved, any more than the de-
SCHOLAR WARDEN FEATURES bate over whose physical form most resembles the an-
Instant Reflexes (8th level): Instead of readying a cient fae. Despite this uncertainty, laudenians have the
single action, you can defer your entire turn until a most credible claim and are still known as some of the
specified trigger occurs (this otherwise follows the nor- most powerful mages on the planet. Their upper eche-
mal rules for readying an action). lons of wizards are the urmages, the first masters of ar-
Lightning Strike (9th Level): Once per battle, you cane power. Their home tower of Elsius stands higher
can take a standard action in response to any event out- in the sky than any other constructed object (though
side of your turn, as if you had readied an action. This not actually the tallest building). They do have proof of
does not change your position in the initiative count. design for nearly two dozen spells, and a full quarter of
Balance of Power (10th level): You can pop-free as a the magic items that scatter the landscape are theirs.
quick action. Your position as an urmage represents the elite, the
envy of all wizards in Canam. Though not possessing URMAGE FEATURES
the absolute book knowledge and history of every spell Alter Power Type (8th level): You can switch the
like Koana mages, you possess a mastery of the Pleroma damage keywords of any of your spells freely between
language that nearly equals the dragons themselves. Cold, Fire, Force, Lightning, Radiant, or Thunder. You
You can play with magic, dance it around with your can reassign keywords again whenever you gain a new
whim, and even create new variations of spells no one level.
has seen before. You can even resist the magical might Element Synergy (9th level): Choose one of the
of your enemies. True, Limshau mages know more following damage types: Cold, Fire, Force, Lightning,
about the history of arcane, the who and the when, but Radiant, Thunder. You gain resist to that type.
you know the why and the how, and with that power Magic Recall (16th level): Once per battle, if a spell
you can control the very fabric of the universe. The
only faith you need is in your totem. You strive to reach
you cast misses, you immediately recover it but there is 193
no miss effect.
that moment when you are fully adept in Pleroma, as

TECHAN LEGENDS
fluent as any finite god. At this point, you may be able
to understand the cosmos itself and control your fate.
With the onslaught of Attricana, laudenians’ days are While intended for use with techan classes, these paths
few, with every fifth child born as one of the lesser fae are open to any character that meets the prerequisites
species. As once the ancient fae vanished to obscurity, (even echan characters).
so your people may one day soon. But the elder race
never fully understood the influence of Attricana. Per- ANGEL SNIPER
haps, with enough power, you can finally comprehend The Angel outer wall is one of the greatest works of
the ways of magic. Perhaps, you will stop being a slave construction in the known world. A monstrous barri-
to it and finally be its master. cade surrounds the city, accented by defense towers
Prerequisite: Laudenian, spellcaster with totem. able to see as far off as Antikari. Along with gatehouses,
flanking towers prevent even the largest armies from an
easy assault. The wall is not solid, being filled with an
intricate network of battlements and sniper holes. Most
 of the bogg raiders migrating towards the wall never see The War Pose (9th level): You can wield two-
their enemies. The Angel snipers take them out while handed small-arms as one-handed small arms. If you do
still deep in the forest. As an Angel soldier, you are so, any attack suffers a -1 penalty for each weapon. The
trained not only to deliver long range fire, but to do so weapon still counts as a two-handed small arm for pro-
to several targets. When boggs or puggs emerge to at- voking opportunity attacks and movement penalties.
tack, they do so in overwhelming numbers. There is no Onslaught (10th level): Your feet are planted and
time for aiming. You must take out as many of those you wait until the enemy forces are close enough to see
little bastards as you can before they get too close to your eyes. They expect you to run. You don’t. They
your city. realize too late your unshakable will. At the start of
Angel snipers surpass all others on Earth, even those your turn (before any actions), you can choose to be
from the xenophobic city of Mann, another bastion stuck until the start of your next turn. If you do so, all
boasting a defensive wall. Most Angel snipers carry out your basic attacks have their actions reduced from
their tours inside or on the walls of the bastion, but al- standard to move.
most every single mission outside the walls—whether
in a shuttle or in a scrambler—carries at least one sniper BROTHER OF BLOOD
with them. Rival bastions have copied their discipline On the battlefield, every ally is a brother. You are a
and training, but the results have never been exactly member of a team and you’ve all worked together long
duplicated. enough to understand each other’s patterns. You know
Prerequisite: Techan human from Angel. when one is hurt, regardless of where on the battlefield.
You would never take risks that will endanger another
ANGEL SNIPER FEATURES brother’s life. You would never step out of formation;
Automatic Reflexes (8th level): Once per battle, never leave a brother’s side. They must depend on you
you can make two basic sniper attacks as a single stand- as you depend on them. If one of your own falls, noth-
ard action. ing short of god’s finger on the battlefield will stop you
Waste of Skill (9th level): Once per round, if you from carrying your injured out of combat.
score a critical hit with a sniper weapon on a mook and Those in the fantasy world think nothing of team-
kill said mook, make one additional regular basic attack work. They’ve their own little places staked out in the
against a different target. combat theatre. Good for them. They probably met in
Second Shooter (10th level): If you kill a target with a tavern yesterday. As for you and your team, you are
a miss effect from a basic sniper attack, you gain a basic perfectly tuned machine that is far greater than the sum
sniper effect against an enemy near the first. It’s the of its parts.
same bullet. Prerequisite: At least one other party member also
selects this legend.
BANNER HEAD
You may not be the leader, but everyone across the bat-
tlefield thinks you are. You stand taller and bolder than
the rest. Your stare can lock upon an enemy from across
a field. Your foes know well and truly if you have them
in your crosshairs. You have no concept of subtlety and
are known to do foolish acts in the cause of intimida-
tion. Your allies may object but often times, these at-

194
tempts work. You can make even the most fearless
monsters flinch from your stare.
You are not a pretty individual. You are not one for
arts and crafts. You have no hobbies. You have one job.
You shoot people twice in the chest and once in the
head. You do it for no other reason than the objective
you have been asked to carry out. Your loyalty runs only
to the men and women next to you. To them, you’re
the champion hero. To your foes, you are the one target
they need to take down. You want them to think that.
What good is war if there is no one to shoot at?
Prerequisite: Member of a techan-style military or
paramilitary organization.

BANNER HEAD FEATURES

Point a Finger (8th level): Once per day, mark any
enemy you can see. The enemy suffers a –2 penalty to
attack any ally until it or you are dead.
BROTHER OF BLOOD FEATURES FIELD MACHINIST
More Like Family (8th level): If an allied brother of You have a niche. Without you, the others don’t amount
blood is staggered or falls to 0 hit points or below, make to much more than a bunch of poorly equipped primi-
a basic attack against the creature that attacked your tives with clubs. As a specialist in the field, you are the
ally as an interrupt. most experienced in echa when dealing with disruption.
Allied Support (9th level): If you pass a check to You are a devout follower of the technological suprema-
rally, all other brothers of blood pass their rally check as cy of man and are probably the most hardline defender
well. of the old ways.
Team Effort (10th level): All members of the team Prerequisites: Techan human or gimfen, mechanic
synchronize their actions to operate as one organ- operator class or any engineering background.
ism. Once per turn, you can spend a recovery as a move
action to give a brother of blood within line of sight an FIELD MACHINIST FEATURES
additional standard on her turn. Artisan of Gears (8th level): If your weapon disrup-
tions, it instantly recovers and you gain a basic ranged
Since you don't actually have to take attack.
all the features to belong to a legend, False Reading: (9th Level): You gain a +5 bonus to
this option is a lot less restrictive your engineer checks.
than it was as a paragon path. Alt- Precautionary Insulation (10th level): You and all
hough there are advantages to all partici- allies gain a +2 bonus to their disruption saves.
pants taking all three features, you can also
maximize your flexibility by only taking one or FIELD MEDIC
two, and relying on your comrades to fill in the You specialize in the treatment of the injured during
combat situations. You know when to keep your head
gaps. low, but more importantly, when to rise in defiance to
protect those under your care. You might have been a
ECHAN GENERALIST doctor back home and found a calling out in the wilder-
This whole concept of specializing is not wise when ness. If so, your allies probably wonder why you’ve
dealing with such a vast and varied landscape outside of chosen this path.
bastions. You prefer to be an expert in many fields. Prerequisites: Techan human, medic operator class
You know weapons to defend yourself, foreign tongues or any medical background.
to communicate, and the experience with unfamiliar
cultures to avoid violence. Of all the techans, you're At first it might seem odd for this to
clearly the most prepared for the outside world. You be human-only, but remember: not
studied every nation, their histories and heroes. Such a only is modern medicine hugely de-
commodity is valuable and you are wealthy in such pendent on technology, but fae have
stocks. Others may be skittish around you, the way you vastly different (and in some cases, totally
talk about the outside world. You may be a "blinder"—a
illogical) internal biology. Magical healing is
lover of echa. However, your allies know your
knowledge has gotten them out of situations that nor- preferred over traditional medicine among fae
mally would have ended poorly. because even closely related species like dam-
Prerequisites: Techan human. askans and tenenbri have completely different
plumbing, and none of them truly grasp the 195
ECHAN GENERALIST FEATURES idea that humans need to fit together properly
Direct Experience (8th level): The first creature in order to stay alive.
you hit in a battle is your focus for that battle. You gain
a bonus to damage rolls against that creature equal to FIELD MEDIC FEATURES
half your level until the end of the battle. A True Healer (8th level): Gain a +3 bonus to any
Book Smart (9th level): Gain a +2 bonus to any skill medical checks.
checks involving arcana, dungeoneering, history, nature, Physician, Heal Thy Self (9th level): You always
and religion. pass attempts to rally.
Weakness Recognition (10th level): You find a soft No Longer Civilized (10th level): If an ally in line
spot in the enemy. Add +2 dice of weapon damage to of sight is reduced to 0 or less hit points, you gain your
your first critical hit against your focus. 10x your Intelligence modifier as a bonus to damage
with your next hit.
 INFANTRY SUPPORT basic ranged attack as a free action. You can only use
one round of ammunition with the follow-up attack.
SPECIALIST
You are not placed on this world to lead. You support OVERSEER
those that have earned your loyalty. You are an infantry
You are not as combat effective as the others. The most
support specialist. You carry the largest weapons and
efficient application of your skill is to remain back and
know how to employ them effectively without endan-
coordinate the actions of your team members. You re-
gering the lives of your allies.
lay, through radio and the volume of your voice, instruc-
Your only weakness is your speed. Being the heavi-
tions to your partners. From your vantage, you have a
est hitter has also often made you the slowest. Your
unique perspective on the battle and can maximize the
abilities are based upon lying down heavy fire and to
arrangement of your allies for optimum firing potential.
prevent the approach of invading forces.
Although sometimes present alongside allies, your tal-
Prerequisite: Sniper class.
ents often place you in the safety of vehicles or behind
fortifications, which presents the greatest advantage for
INFANTRY SUPPORT managing the team’s assets. Some may accuse you of
SPECIALIST FEATURES being a coward, but oftentimes the team cannot work
Weapons Platform (8th level): If you use a move without you.
action to plant yourself and not move, you gain a +1 Prerequisite: Intelligence or Charisma 14+.
bonus to attack with all heavy auto weapons.
Selective Fire (9th level): You target 1 additional OVERSEER FEATURES
enemy when using powers which attack multiple tar- Superior Surveillance (8th level): Once per battle,
gets. as a standard action, two allies in line of sight can make
Amazing Control (10th level): Once a day, when a basic attack against a target of your choosing.
making multiple attacks with a single power, two at- Battle Sweep (9th level): If any ally rolls a natural 1
tacks automatically hit regardless of the attack roll. on an attack roll, choose another ally you can see to
make a ranged basic attack.
MAN-AT-ARMS Take the Opportunity (10th level): When the esca-
You are a professional soldier. You've been so since the lation die reaches 6, select two allies in the battle gain
moment you picked up a weapon. The only thing you basic attacks.
can depend on is your firearm. By the end of the day, it
is the most reliable friend you have. Having ventured RECON SNIPER
into this wasteland these outsiders call home, you dedi- You dig yourself in and become one with the terrain.
cate most of your time to ensuring your weapon does You ignore wind, rain, or even wandering monsters.
not break or jam. War is all you know, and you're good Nothing distracts you. An entire army could pass with-
at it. You track your line to the honored knights of a out noticing. Even your attack is as silent as a mosqui-
previous age, when they used swords and shield crests to bite, though far deadlier.
to display their honor: now you have chevrons of rank You approach your target and wait for the perfect
and a properly oiled firearm. Outside the bastion bor- moment. You adjust for every possible condition, from
der, the old ways have returned. You can also almost gravity to wind. When finally squeezing the trigger,
respect those embracing the old code. You could even only God could stop that round from finding its target.
see yourself riding a horse as a knight—a trusted and You never miss, as your purpose is to never give a foe
196 proven sword in your hand. But that wasn’t your path.
You were born in a bastion, so your sword is your gun,
the benefit of a reload. When you take out your target,
your single goal, you slither away to your next objective.
and those with blades are your enemy. Such is the way Your foes can dissect the terrain looking for you, but
of war. you were never where they thought. As they hunt you
Prerequisite: Proficient with two-handed small down, you aim for your next victim.
arms. Prerequisites: Sniper class

MAN-AT-ARMS FEATURES RECON SNIPER FEATURES

This Is My Rifle (8th level): Select one specific two I Didn’t Miss (8th level): Once per battle, if you roll
-handed small arm: you gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls a natural 1 on an attack roll with a sniper weapon, turn
with that weapon. that attack into a hit.
My Rifle Is My Best Friend (9th level): The first Yowie Specialization (9th level): If you use a gillie/
time you change a clip or a cell on your chosen weapon yowie suit in its proper environment and don't move,
in a battle, it requires a free action. you can use a move action to become invisible until the
Fire My Rifle True (10th level): You are not one to beginning of your next turn.
waste bullets or strain your rifle with unnecessary auto- Minute of Arc (10th level): Use a move action to
matic fire. If you drop a non-mook target using an auto gain a +1 bonus to your next ranged attack roll before
weapon firing one round of ammunition, you gain a the end of your next turn. If you take a standard action
to aim, your next ranged attack roll before the end of onds on the clock, others give up while you take it as
your next turn gains a +2 bonus. These two bonuses incentive.
are cumulative. Prerequisites: Techan human or gimfen.

RING FIGHTER SAPPER FEATURES

You have the belt. You've claimed the trophy. Few The Long Walk (8th level): Gain a +2 bonus to en-
others boast the record you have. You fought hard and gineer and demolitions checks. When detonating ex-
trained hard for the respect and it is well earned. In the plosives, roll twice for targets and take the higher value.
realm of physical training, there is no better. Render Safe Procedures (9th level): You gain a +2
Prerequisite: Strength or Constitution 14+. bonus to any defense when you are targeted by an at-
tack that targets multiple creatures. Additionally, once
RING FIGHTER FEATURES per battle, if hit by such an attack, you can turn that into
Guard Control (8th level): You gain a +2 bonus to all a miss.
saving throws. Controlled Demolition (10th level): All explosives
Tolerance Threshold (9th level): Each time an ene- do +1 die damage. You increase the number of targets
my hits you with a melee attack, you ignore as much of explosives you set by 1.
damage as your level.
Submission Attack (10th level): When the escala- SELKIRK BRAWLER
tion die is +6, your next melee attack stuns your enemy Isolated for hundreds of years, the miners of Selkirk
until the beginning of your next turn. have learned to make the most of what they have
around, the greatest asset being their brute strength and
SAPPER unfaltering will. This is seen most clearly in their na-
Combat engineers have a long and respected history. tional sport, which superficially resembles rugby in
You can be a bridge builder and a bridge destroyer. You much the same way that war superficially resembles
approach bombs while others turn and run. With sec- chess. Every guild maintains its own team, and the sea-
sons never technically end.

197
198
 There is no downtime and seldom a moment’s rest. unheard to jump in the midst of an enemy squad, take
Everyone plays; everyone wins; everyone loses; every- every one down at point blank range, and walk away
one gets plastered afterwards. The only time a Selkirk without a scratch. To do that, you must get close,
citizen is not on a team is when they are ‘traded’ to the study your targets, and make every shot count. You
military. Fairly quickly, the same approach warriors study a scene in seconds and know exactly where to
took on the game field was adapted to the battlefield. stand and in what position to offer the greatest level of
Considering that the bastion is located in the middle defense while making your weapons lethal with a single
of one of the highest concentrations of magic in Canam, shot.
little of the Selkirk technology could operate outside of Prerequisite: Techan human from Sierra Madre.
their mountain. This forced them to adopt melee tech-
niques as a standard military practice, a tendency SIERRA MADRE PISTOLERO
strengthened by their association with the narros. Alt- FEATURES
hough many from Selkirk still insist on carrying heavy Elegant Reload (8th level): While wielding two one
weapons and heavier armor, a few prefer to translate -handed small arms, you can reload both as a single
their game skills to combat. When the Selkirk miners move action.
first arrived in Fargon, the narros were impressed with Gun Maga (9th level): With a dazzling show of skill,
the great skill of the miners in unarmed fighting, de- you unleash a hail of ammunition against everyone
spite the apparent lack of discipline in the technique – a around you. Once per round, if you are wielding two
deceptive lack, for the brawler’s style in application is as one-handed small arms and score a critical hit, you gain
focused and precise as the wushu-like practices the nar- a basic attack with your off-hand weapon against anoth-
ros have always held dear. The Selkirks brought over er target.
another pastime—wrestling—that the narros quickly Mayhem Sonata (10th level): You perform a ballet
embraced, to the point that there is now an annual tour- of destruction. Once a round, while wielding two one-
nament in Thos Thalagos in which echans and techans handed small arms, you can double your ammunition
show off their skills on equitable terms. The Selkirk usage (split between your two weapons any way you
brawler has become a common sight on all caravans choose) and double your ability bonus to damage. You
from the bastion and every citizen knows how to be- can apply mayhem sonata after you hit. If you do not
have in a scrum. have enough ammunition, you cannot perform Mayhem
Prerequisites: Techan human from Selkirk (or with Sonata.
GM's permission, narros from Thos Thalagos), Strength
or Constitution 14+.
YORK GUN DANCER
SELKIRK BRAWLER FEATURES Residents of York cope with echan encroachment daily.
Born in the Mines (8th level): Select a 7th level or The natives watch, warily or willingly, as travelers walk
lower maneuver from the fighter class. along the main avenue from the west gates to the docks.
Big Gloves (9th level): If using natural weapons, While the income from the docks and immigrants force
you grab a target by hitting them. They remain that even the least open-minded citizens to tolerate this traf-
way until they or you disengage. Once per battle, as a fic, York continuously deals with racial violence be-
quick action, you can increase your grip one a target. tween the techan population and outsiders, be it di-
They are stuck and cannot disengage until the end of rected inward or outward. The military and police are
your next turn. taught early on that most of their weapons will break
Head Slam (10th level): You deliver the attack di- down or be ineffective against most forces attacking
rectly, noggin to noggin. Use a move action to inflict their city. With training from those skilled in echan
lore, the York military developed a system of analyzing
199
2d6 damage on a target you are grabbing. If you have
one grabbed creature in each hand, use a minor action enemies and determining the most sensitive place to
to inflict 2d6 damage on each target. You can only use strike with the most damage.
head slam once per round. ‘Gun dancer’ is a slang term attached to those indi-
viduals exhibiting remarkable skill in this martial art.
There is no formal academy or dojo where one acquires
SIERRA MADRE PISTOLERO the title: it is acquired through the school of hard
From the flamboyant culture of Sierra Madre comes the knocks, its warriors emerging with a prowess exceeding
natural successor to the ancient gunslingers of legend. the others – a natural grasp of the skills, as if never
You believe your abilities to be naturally canny skills needing to be taught.
developed over years of hard training and discipline. You have been given such a moniker. You are able
You possess the capacity to be in the right place at the to examine a target in an eyeblink and determine the
right time in close combat to place a perfect shot. perfect point at which to inflict the greatest harm. In
You prefer to present yourself in close quarters, pre- addition, you have developed a harmony with the area
venting enemies from striking from a distance. You around you, always analyzing your surroundings for the
maneuver to get close, maximizing your firing potential best cover and field of fire. This allows you to avoid
while reducing the capacity to be hit in return. It is not hits while still maintaining your concentration on the
200
target. You rarely remain still in combat, constantly not this close to a magical dead zone. The village of Genai
moving from cover to cover, always with a vital enemy was ignored because of a long forgotten arrangement
weakness firmly locked in your crosshairs. made centuries ago with the city's original builders.
Prerequisite: From York, proficient in one-handed Aiden's destination was hundreds of miles away. Deep
small arms. in an area his brother called a wasteland was a city popu-
lated by millions of fae, humans, and books. It had been
YORK GUN DANCER FEATURES described more as a library than a city. Aiden could fur-
ther his reading, having spent Chen's biblio nearly dry of
Precise Shot (8th level): Once per battle, you can
words. He couldn't deny his ulterior motive, a city of fae
add an additional 2 dice of weapon damage to your last
and humans. Every pointed eared female a princess in his
hit.
eyes.
Improved Reaction Time (9th level): You gain a +2
Aiden had imagined her with unblemished naked skin
bonus to initiative. If you act first before any enemies,
riding a unicorn through an unspoiled landscape. He, the
you can’t miss your first attack roll. noble knight or wizard watches through the bushes, smit-
Gun Waltz (10th level): Like a ballet, you sashay ten. He jumps out to save the virtue of the virgin against
and sidestep, firing at opponents and avoiding every a mob of hungry orcs, or boggs, whatever the story en-
counterattack. Every time you drop, stagger, or score a dorsed. She beds him against a tree in her gratitude. He
critical hit on an engaged non-mook target with a one- follows her into the woods, taken by the fae into their
handed small arm, you can pop-free (if needed) and flock to live for an eternity in enchanted bliss.
engage another nearby target as a free action. Despite aspirations of fancy, Aiden had proven himself
an academic with enough saved and invested for the best
universities. Out of high school, he could have been
scooped up quickly and molded into an efficient, ground-
ed, and functional member of society. He would do Mar-
tin, and his vision of their parents’ ideals, proud. Now
Aiden was nineteen and a hundred feet from all he had

T
ever seen. Ahead lay everything he had read about.
he outer gates of the southern wall groaned Some books were fiction, written by authors hundreds of
open for morning travelers. The rising spring years dead. They spoke of faeries and demons, dragons
sun brushed a graceful wave of heat across Aid- and kings. Following that, Aiden would find a book claim-
en's face. He looked back at Angel's wall, per- ing to be fact which told similar tales.
forated with sniper holes and artillery placements. He Dragons and unicorns had adorned crests and flags for
wasn't rethinking his decision, only taking in how unambig- centuries before being discovered as truth. It could not
uous the boundary between the two worlds was. be coincidence.
Aiden had hardly spent a day away from Chen's biblio. Aiden hated the prospect of booking passage on an
Reading about dragons were only the beginning. Anything Echan Terrain Vehicle, but there was little hope of him
science denied as true, Aiden desired to learn. He re- making it through the forest on his own, not with boggs
membered the story his mother had told him, of the sin- on the rise. On occasion, an armed caravan would arrive
gular focus of Willum Raenis. The character's aspirations at the wall and pick up passengers for a price bordering
were above his station, no higher than a princess, a target extortion. The passengers would be escorted to one of
that could never be struck. All Aiden needed to do was the safe primitive human havens on the other side, most
sacrifice his central heating, internet, and cable TV. Mar- of which were controlled by the free house of Antikari.
tin thought it was selfish, and that Aiden's decision was This was one of those occasions, and Aiden was un-
like a virus that would spread to others, somehow disa-
vowing thousands of years of progress, rejecting what
willing to wait for a medieval wagon. He planned his de-
parture weeks ahead; only those in the biblio knew of it.
201
mankind was most proud of--the very automation of his A note on a countertop was all he afforded Martin.
society.
As Aiden walked further past the gate, the level and Martin
planed pavement began to show cracks from shifting soil I’m not going to waste time explaining. I got my
and snaking roots. At the edge, it had turned to rubble. passcard and I’m leaving. I’m going to Limshau. I don’t
The dirt felt the same as those in parks and planters in the know how long I’m going to be, or where I might go from
city. The sun looked no different. Ahead was the forest. there. I know you don’t understand which is why I won’t
Against the barricade and under cover of shade sat hun- bother explaining.
dreds of shacks and shanties populated by thousands that Aiden
took pilgrimage to Angel in hopes of being blessed with
admittance. If born inside, your citizenship could not be
refuted. Trapped between the forest of Cyon and the city
of Angel, refugees scavenged the city's garbage along with
fragments leftover by more successful travelers. Some
eked out a simple existence selling horses or trinkets
from either side of the crown. There were no fae here,
DURABILITY
Following 13th Age Roleplaying Game philosophy, Amethyst endors-
es rules meant to increase player survivability. Despite not being in-
cluded in other editions, we support this inclusion in all versions of
this setting (and its adaption would be relatively simple).
The most important element of these rules is sacrifice—making
the player rather than the GM or the dice responsible for when a char-
acter's life ends. Additionally, there are rules meant to impose status
affects at several stages of injury.

Most of these rules are dependent on a simple pre-

sumptions—the utter lack of any <easy> resurrec-
tion in Amethyst. It is a staple of fantasy gaming
that I personally never cared for. In order to prevent
players from utterly crucifying GMs when that saving
throw versus death is failed, many games placated the masses
by making death…well…annoying. Dying means very little.
Don’t bother with tears or burial rights. Just make sure the
body is intact until you can FedEx it to Miracle Max, ensur-
ing the corpse is only mostly dead. Let’s get the obvious out of
the way; there is no society in any reality which can function
with commonplace resurrection. When mortality and econom-
ics combine, what you have left are legions of suffering peons
which would hold every cleric to the fire to bring their dead
wife or child back to life. Death should mean something more
than a slight financial burden.

These rules only apply to players and important NPCs, including piv-
otal characters and villains. GM’s shouldn’t go overboard—only one
villain in a campaign should benefit. As for allied NPCs, the GM
must be wary of supporting too many “Pet NPCs” and leave it to only
one or two characters.

STAGGERED
When staggered, you suffer a –3 penalty to all saves. This includes
ongoing damage. Additionally, when you suffer a hit which drops
your hit points to below staggered, you are also dazed until the end of
your next turn.
The penalty to saves persist until you are restored to full hit points
or until the end of the battle (not when your hit points are raised
above staggered). Special healing like the cleric’s mighty healing
spell, healing potions, or a nano injection if healing above your stag-
gered value will also remove the penalty.
Optional Variation: An alternative to the above rule—increase the
penalty to –5 and allow the players to modifier this penalty by their
Constitution modifier (with the maximum bonus of negating the pen-
alty completely). This could be especially cruel with those suffering a
penalty to Constitution.

WOUNDED (0 HP OR BELOW)
When reduced to 0 hit points or less, you neither fall unconscious nor
are you required to make death saves. You are considered
“wounded”.
You are still able to make full actions; however, while below 0 hit
points, you are also weakened and unable to rally. At the beginning
 of your turn, you suffers 1d4 points of damage which tually, one opponent will land a killing blow and end
cannot be reduced by resistance. Additionally, any at- your diversion.
tempts to recover hit points only recover half their val- Hit That Switch, No Matter the Cost: Sometimes
ue. The penalty to saves from being staggered persist. it’s not about killing an enemy or breaking up an army.
These penalties continue until you are healed above Perhaps it’s about just making it one more foot—even a
0 hit points or reduced to negative half your hit points, few extra inches—to reach something important. Hit
which is when you are finally killed. Additionally, you that button; throw that switch; live long enough to dis-
remain weakened until restored to full hit points or un- cover who the murderer was. It could even be more no-
til the end of the battle (not when your hit points are ble than that—holding the very life of an ally in your
raised above 0). Special healing like the cleric’s mighty hands, and you simply cannot let them slip from your
healing spell, healing potions, or a nano injection if fingers.
healing above 0 hit points will remove the weakened
condition but not the penalty to saves (that require ad- SACRIFICIAL BENEFITS
ditional healing above the character’s staggered value). When committing a sacrifice, you receive several bene-
Optional: There are many variations to this rule. fits. Several trigger the end of the sacrifice (most often
The GM can have players make death saves and fall un- equaling death, see aftermath) when finished. When
conscious when stabilized or they could voluntarily fall you commit to a sacrifice, select up to three benefits
unconscious in order to make death saves and perhaps you wish to receive.
recover. This also hopefully removes the player as a po- Attack Boost: When making an attack roll, you can
tential target from enemies. alter the natural result by 1 or 2. This can result in the
triggering of maneuvers or in the scoring of critical hits.
SACRIFICE Broad Skill Bonus: You gain a +10 bonus to all skill
Committing an act of sacrifice should not be taken checks you already have a bonus in.
lightly. Even if your survive the ordeal, it should leave Damage Immunity: If you make no attack roll on
a lasting impact on you (obviously), your allies, and the your turn, you are immune to all damage. If you make
entire campaign. an attack, a skill check, or succeed in your objective (if
You can voluntarily sacrifice only after being re- not an attack or skill check), the sacrifice ends.
duced to below 0 hit points. You immediately recover Damage Sponge: You gain resist (all damage) 16+.
from every condition you suffer from, including those Increased Defense: All your defenses increase by
from being staggered and below 0 hit points. You no +4.
longer suffer from hit point degradation from being be- Increased Speed: Instead of gaining a quick, move,
low 0 hit points. You also cannot recover hit points by and a standard action on your turn, you gain a move and
ANY means, including magical healing and rallying. two standard actions.
You can commit to sacrifice either as a free action on One Hit: One single attack against an enemy is not
your turn or as an interrupt. After the benefits of the only an automatic hit but also a critical hit. You inflict
sacrifice have passed, the character moves onto the af- additional damage equal to your level x 5. After the hit,
termath. the sacrifice ends.
The important aspect with sacrifice is creating an Specific Skill Bonus: You pass any skill check you
objective—what drives the character’s will to survive a already have a bonus in. Once you apply this bonus, it
few moments longer. This objective allows the player only applies to these checks and no other. Once you no
to properly select the benefits as well as creating the longer have to roll for the skill, the sacrifice ends.
trigger for the aftermath. Wall: You engage all nearby enemies and said ene-
204 mies are stuck. All allies engaged with nearby enemies
EXAMPLES OF SACRIFICE automatically pop free. All engaged enemies suffer a –3
One Final Attack: A primary villain or monstrous penalty to any attacks which don’t include you. Ene-
thug has critically wounded you and/or an ally. Your mies moving near you become engaged automatically.
wounds are severe but the survivability of others de-
mands this evil be taken down now and at any cost. AFTERMATH
Holding the Line: Your allies just need one more If the sacrifice has not ended by the time you reach
minute—just one more—to succeed. It’s all up to you negative half your hit points, the sacrifice ends. You
to hold back the masses. As allies escape and/or suc- move onto the aftermath. If an NPC is committing the
ceed at their task, you fall knowing your side has won. sacrifice, said NPC is dead. He has ceased to be. He’s
Take the Bullet: A colossal enemy, either in size or expired and gone to meet his maker. A stiff, bereft of
importance, is about to execute the killing blow on you, life, he rests in peace. However, players have one final
an ally, or an innocent bystander. You leap in and take chance to recover (assuming they have not found them-
the hit. selves in a situation which they in no way can find
Rush Into Legend: You dive into the thick of com- themselves out of. This is known as a reprieve save. If
bat, knowing full well that escape is not an option. You you pass a 16+ save, you are stabilized but unconscious.
break up enemy lines, throwing them into chaos. Even- You could still die (like, falling from space). If you fail
the save, if you still want to live, and there is the possi-
bility of doing so, you can recover but at the cost of 1
EXPLOSIVES
point of constitution and 10 hit points which are not re- Explosives come in two forms, thrown and planted.
coverable. Thrown explosives are most often grenades, but ulti-
If your fate is decided and your end if near, depend- mately, virtually any explosive can throw and any explo-
ing on the situation, you can still be afforded a final mo- sive can be primed in a location to explode when certain
ment. Do with it what you wish—yell the name of a conditions arise. Many techans are able to plant or
loved one, make a short heroic speech, perhaps include throw explosives.
a flashback or two, ponder the sudden appearance of
cherry blossoms. In the end, you die, and your allies THROWN
will remember you fondly afterwards (unless it’s not To throw a primed explosive (including grenades),
that sort of game). make the following ranged attack against each.
Target: 1d4 enemies nearby or far away (preferably
Yes, that’s a reference to 1995’s Mek- far away, see below) 205
ton Zeta. My early gaming was al- Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. PD
most exclusively sourced from R. Hit: WEAPON+ Dexterity damage
Miss: Damage equal to your level.
Talsorian Games.
Special: Any targets not hit, as well as those nearby,
suffer miss damage equal to your level. This means if
you throw an explosive near allies (this includes you),
The GM always has the option to save they will suffer miss damage as well.
you by fiat. Bear in mind that, if
your GM is anything like me, she PLANTED
will probably do this in order to sub- Placing an explosive for maximum effect against a struc-
ject you to a fate worse than death and ture calls for a check, as does disarming an explosive de-
thereby advance the plot: having you wake up vice. Only someone with a background associated with
naked in a dark hole with no memory of how demolitions should attempt planting explosives.
you got there is a classic routine. Don't rely on Action: If the explosive is already built to be plant-
this - you have no control over if, when, or ed, (like a mine or claymore), it only takes a standard
how it happens. action to set. If not, it takes 4 standard actions. These
 can done in with any number of allies contributing can be thrown or fired from a launcher without
(assuming they have similar skill). The detonation it- requiring a skill check. A grenade can still be used with
self is based on the detonator. another detonator, but this requires a separate detonator
Explosive Attack: Unlike thrown weapons, planted and the use of the demolitions check to plant it.
explosives require an Intelligence-based attack. Explosives: Explosives all require a separate
Target: 1d4 enemies nearby or far away (preferably detonator. Some explosives are not designed to be used
far away, see below). as an explosive and may be overly sensitive as well as
Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. PD cumbersome. Explosives can be triggered without a de-
Hit: WEAPON+ Intelligence damage molitions check, but one is required to plant a
Miss: Damage equal to your level. detonator.
Special: Any targets not hit, as well as those nearby,
suffer miss damage equal to your level. This means DISARMING EXPLOSIVES
detonate an explosive near allies (this includes you), Disarming an explosive that has been set by someone
they will suffer miss damage as well. else requires a check using the same skill. It requires a
standard action per attempt and the DC is either set by
Here’s a concept—certain actions re- the GM or by the skill check by the one that set the ex-
quire multiple actions to complete. plosive. Unless you fail by ten or more, the explosive
These can be accomplished in the requi- does not go off if you fail the check.
site number of turns, but if you are able
to use more than one standard action in a turn, DIRECT ATTACHMENT
or if an ally near you is able to help, you can If you attach a planted explosive directly to a creature or
structure, you roll for attack but automatically hit. If a
accomplish tasks quicker.
structure, it is automatically considered a critical hit.
Wiring Explosives: A DC15 skill check is required
to wire an additional explosive to the first one. This SYMPATHETIC DETONATION
does not increase damage—it only allows you to target 1 Explosives caught in an explosive blast have a chance to
additional target (1d4+1). Only one detonator is re- explode as well. For every nearby sympathetic explo-
quired unless the explosives are spread out. There is sive, make a 10+ save. On a fail, it explodes as well,
technically no limit on the number of additional explo- counting as an additional wired explosive (increasing
sives wired up, but when reaching +3 targets, the explo- the number of targets attacked)—meaning it target 1
sive instead targets an additional 1d4 targets (the in- additional enemy (the increase is as follows: 1d4, 1d4+1,
crease is as follows: 1d4, 1d4+1, 1d4+2, 2d4, 2d4+1, 1d4+2, 2d4, 2d4+1, 2d4+2, 3d4, etc.).
2d4+2, 3d4, etc.).
PROXY DETONATION
DETONATORS If a character who sets an explosive with a timed deto-
Timed Detonator: A DC15 skill check is required nator (or one that is not directly triggered) is killed, ren-
to plant a timed detonator. Timed explosives detonate dered unconscious or otherwise indisposed, the explo-
at a set time and cannot be prematurely detonated. sive still goes off per its conditions on the indicated
Detonation requires no action. turn. If an explosive is triggered by someone other than
Remote Detonator: A DC15 skill check is required the character who made the skill check, the one who set
to plant a remote detonator. Detonation requires a the explosive still makes the attack, but the one trigger-
206 quick action. Regardless of who takes the action to det- ing it uses the action.
onate, who sets the explosive makes the attack.
Triggered Explosives: A DC20 skill check is re- ENGINEERING
quired to plant a triggered detonator. These go off One of the aspects of technology is the using of ma-
when a target is nearby the explosive. Detonation is chines to add convenience to daily life and create solu-
considered a reaction attack. tion to problems previously believed unsolvable. Mag-
Failure: If you fail the skill check, the explosive ic, despite being a shortcut, is often considered too dif-
fails to detonate. Since the roll is usually known, you ficult a path to use, but for many, it is the only option
may attempt to reroll on a later turn. considering the plague of disruption sweeping the
Proper Placement: You can carefully set the explo- world.
sive in such a way to do maximum damage. If you beat You use engineering (if you have a background re-
the DC roll by 10 or more, you deal additional damage lated to it) to craft and repair mechanical objects, in-
with the explosive equal to your level + your Wisdom cluding electronics, general machines, techan armor,
modifier. exo-armor, techan weapons, and vehicles.
Grenades: These explosives come equipped with
either an impact detonator or a 1-round timer detonator
(exploding at the beginning or end of your next turn—
your choice), chosen when you use the grenade. They
REPAIRING BROKEN GEAR condition for the sabotage.
Most repair checks are made to fix complex electronic Detection and Removal: An engineering check is
or mechanical devices if they break either from an at- required to spot and remove sabotage (one check for
tack or from disruption. each). The DC is the same as the DC to perform the
Time: Repairing objects usually take one hour. sabotage.
The time can be reduced to 10 minutes by increasing
the DC by 5. VEHICLE OPERATION
DC: Base DC15 + 2/tech level. In previous editions of Amethyst, there were complicat-
Success: The item works again. ed rules for driving and vehicle operation. We have de-
Failure: The device is not repaired. GM’s discretion cided to remove the majority of them. If you have a
whether the repair can be attempted again. background near or in a bastion (or similarly techan-
orientated society), then you know how to drive or pilot
BUILDING TECHNOLOGY both ground vehicles and/or aircraft. Routine tasks such
If you have the time and the parts, but are nowhere as ordinary driving don't require a skill check. You only
near a bastion or a market that sells technology, you make a check when experiencing unusual circumstance
may try to build the item from scratch. (such as stormy weather or a slippery surface), perform-
You can only build items with a rated tech level (0- ing a stunt, or if trying to operate a vehicle while being
6). You must have the item’s cost in widgets (not just attacked or attacking.
the uc, the widgets) on hand. The item’s TL is the Speed: There are six stages of movement, very
time in days it takes to build the item. You need at slow, slow, normal, fast, very fast, and extremely fast. A
least 6 hours of work on the item for it to be considered vehicle can increase it’s movement by one step each
a day’s work. At the end of each day, you must make an time it moves, and each vehicle has a top speed. Speed
engineering check to beat the build DC. If you beat really only comes into play when ramming and when at-
the DC, you count the day in question towards the time tempting to move alongside another vehicle. We’ve left
required to build the item. TL0 items and items with- the rest up to you based on the situation.
out a listed level take one day to construct. Vehicles Vehicle Action: Operating a vehicle can be part of a
and exo-armor take twice as long. You cannot build de- move or standard action. If you simply control a vehi-
molitions, medical, or repair kits, or boosters or medical cle, it’s a move action. If you perform an attack with it,
injections. it’s a standard action. If you fail a skill check, you could
Failure: If you fail, the work time is wasted (1 day) lose control or crash the vehicle depending on the cir-
but the widgets are not. cumstances. There shouldn’t be one singular roll to de-
termine if a vehicle crashes or not. If you fail the skill
REVERSE ENGINEERING check, you should be allowed a saving throw to regain
control of the vehicle.
You can use engineering to convert found technology Crash: A crash is a catastrophic failure in vehicle
into widgets to be used in the creation of other technol- control. If you crash, you hit difficult terrain or an ob-
ogy, and to figure out how the item works in the case of struction. The vehicle and all occupants inside take
unfamiliar devices. damage according to the vehicle's original speed.
Time: 1 hour. Reverse engineering destroys the
Speed Damage
item.
Very Slow 1d8
DC: 15 + 2/tech level.
Slow 2d8
Success: You acquire half the item’s value in widg-
ets, and figure out how the thing works.
Normal
Fast
3d8
4d8 207
Failure: You acquire one-tenth of the item’s value
Very Fast 5d8
in widgets.
Extremely Fast 6d8

SABOTAGE Escape: If all appears hopeless during a crash, occu-

pants can try to escape. This involves a DC 15 Dex
You can use engineering to sabotage devices and vehi-
check (DC 20 for the driver, +5 if the creature is
cles. With this technique, you can inflict effects in-
strapped in). A driver who attempts to escape no longer
stantly or when certain conditions occur.
has any control over the vehicle. Any target failing the
Time: Standard action.
escape roll by 5 or less still escapes but takes damage
DC: The base DC is 15 with modifiers depending
equal to the vehicle's original speed.
on which effect you are attempting (GM’s discretion).
Conditions: Vehicles cannot be affected by a condi-
Opportunity Attacks: Sabotage attempts provoke
tion though drivers can.
opportunity attacks.
Destroying Vehicles: Reducing a vehicle to zero hit
Duration: Until the effect is repaired, unless stated
points renders it non-functional. A vehicle reduced to
otherwise.
its negative hit point value bursts into flame, immedi-
Activation: The effects of the sabotage occur in-
ately inflicting 3d6 damage to every nearby creature un-
stantly. You can increase the DC by 3 to set a triggering
til the end of the battle.
 RAM This can result in additional damage from a crash.
Action: Ramming requires a standard action. Miss: The target avoids you, and you continue mov-
Target: You can ram any nearby creature or object ing your speed.
you could target with a melee attack, assuming it’s pos- Colliding: If the target is a vehicle moving itself,
sible given the vehicle’s current speed and direction. the ramming damage may alter accordingly.
Attack: Dexterity or Intelligence vs. PD
Hit: WEAPON + Dexterity or Intelligence damage. ECHAN DISRUPTION FIELD
(E.D.F.)
A vehicle is counted as a WEAPON. Dice is deter-
mined by the size and speed of the target vehicle.
Normal Vehicles: Normal-sized vehicles inflict 1d6 Magic retards the progression of technology. It breaks
damage on a hit. down lubrications. It jams gears and shorts out
Large Vehicles: Large vehicles inflict 1d10 damage electronics. It overloads batteries. Everything more
on a hit. Additionally, if the vehicle is driving fast or complicated than basic clockwork is vulnerable, given
faster, increase damage dice by one step. enough exposure, but the more advanced the
Huge Vehicles: Huge vehicles inflict 1d12 damage technology, the more susceptible it is; in most places,
on a hit. Additionally, if the vehicle is driving Normal anything up to a simple combustion engine can manage
or faster, increase damage dice by two steps. with minimal difficulty, but even something as basic as
Huge+ Vehicles: Vehicles larger than huge inflict a bicycle will break down if caught in the backblast
2d8 damage on a hit. Additionally, if the vehicle is driv- from a dragon’s breath (of course, at that point, you
ing Normal or faster, increase damage dice by two steps. have bigger things to worry about). Because magic
Speed Adjustments: The damage dice of a vehicle grows as more people use it, bastions are relatively safe
can increase or decrease depending on how fast the ve- within the confines of their walls or city limits. The
hicle is going. The dice steps are as follows: 1d4 to 1d6 moment they leave their borders and brave the
to 1d8 to 1d10 to 1d12 to 2d8 to 3d6 to 2d10 to 3d8. outlands, their machinery and electronics begins to
Very Slow: Reduce damage by one step. degrade. As technology comes into contact with higher
Slow: No dice adjustment. concentrations of enchantment, it becomes prone to
Normal: Increase dice by one step. interference. This leads some machines to become less
Fast: Increase dice by two steps. efficient, cease working altogether, or – in some rare
Very Fast: Increase dice by three steps. cases – violently destroy themselves. Whenever
Extremely Fast: Increase dice by four steps. technology is outside of a bastion, there is little anyone
Price of Ramming: The ramming vehicle suffers can do to impede this disruption. At best, they can slow
half damage from the ram. A vehicle general reduces or delay the effects for a short time.
speed when it rams (often times
to a stop.

208
 Magical energies and creatures generate what is Yes, we’ve taken out the roll at the
called an Echan Disruption Field (or Enchanted end of the initiative order. As long as
Disruption Field), or EDF. Some bastions even rate an the players behave, I no longer believed
ED-I, or ED Index, which charts the hot spots in the they should be punished for embracing
world which users of technology need to avoid. The
low level EDF saturating the entire world interrupts
technology. They know the threat is there. I
radio waves and abrogates the ability of anything other stopped rolling years ago, reserving it for role
than gold wires to channel electricity, preventing playing events.
communication between the bastions and limiting the
lifespan of batteries. I firmly believe in making their gear fail
at dramatically appropriate but high-
STUNT OR CONDITION DC ACTION ly inconvenient moments. Some
Driver’s attack 15 Standard games, such as Fate, have a means of
Evasive driving compensating players when something
+1 to AC & PD (for one turn) 15 Standard goes wrong unexpectedly. Since 13th Age
+2 to AC & PD (for one turn) 20 Standard doesn't, I recommend allowing the character to
+3 to AC & PD (for one turn) 25 Standard re-do their action with something that works,
+4 to AC & PD (for one turn) 30 Standard as long as they do it with a suitable display of
+5 to AC & PD (for one turn) 35 Standard frustrated badassery.
Flight conditions
Strong wind +5 — The GM makes a single d20 roll to check if an item
Raging storm +10 — is disrupted and which tech level is affected.
Tornado / Hurricane +15 — Modified Disruption Result
Jump 15-30 Standard D20 Roll
Road conditions 0 or lower¹ All Tech Levels affected
Gravel +5 — 1 Tech Levels 1 and up affected
Rain / Snow +10 — 2 Tech Levels 2 and up affected
Easy Stunt 15 3 Tech Levels 3 and up affected
Hard stunt 20 4 Tech Levels 4 and up affected
Crazy stunt 25 5 Tech Levels 5 and up affected
Insane stunt 30 6 Tech Levels 6 affected
7-20 No disruption effects
Natural 20 Critical Collapse
DISRUPTION EVENTS
Disruption is a constant threat, but the rules applying to ¹Tech Level 0 items are only affected if the roll is modi-
it usually only occur when they are the most inconven- fied. The result indicates the highest tech level items
ient. Disruption events can occur under the following which are affected that round, if at all.
circumstances:
• The first time in an battle that someone attempts
to use the device;
• Whenever a creature that generates EDF touches
the device (echans attempting to use the de-
209
vice always results in disruption of TL1 and
higher devices, no roll required);
• Any time the device or its wielder is directly af-
fected by magic (any spell or supernatural ef-
fect; enchanting the weapon always disrupts it,
no roll required);
• Whenever the device or its wielder suffers a criti-
cal hit from a magical creature;
• If the device or its wielder is hit by an attack from
a pincher weapon.
Any time outside of a battle that the GM judg-
es appropriate (using technology in a highly
magical area, etc).
 The result of the disruption roll determines the mini- EDF Roll Modifiers: The GM is invited to increase
mum tech level that can be affected by a disruption the risk of EDF by adding penalties to the EDF roll.
event, with the highest TL items not currently suffer- Roll Penalty
ing disruption being affected first. -1 for every non-gimfen echan PC in the encounter
A targeted disruption always affects the item or char- (including echan humans).
acter targeted. Any number of targeted disruptions can The following penalties are not cumulative, but do
occur in a round. General disruption events usually on- stack with each other:
ly affect one device at a time. Outside of a battle, treat -2 if any aberrations creatures are in the encounter.
disruption events as targeted disruptions or choose the -1 if any magical or natural beasts are in the encoun-
affected character randomly. If a general disruption ter.
event occurs in combat, the character with the lowest -1 if any fey/fae creatures are in the encounter.
initiative is affected by the first event, the next lowest
by the second event, and so on. If the character has no EFFECTS OF DISRUPTION
devices of the affected level, no disruption event oc- A disrupted item no longer functions. Any special abili-
curs. Once all players have been rolled for, return to ties or properties the item has cannot be used. Ballistic
the bottom of the initiative order. Monsters using tech- weapons jam and energy weapons lose their charge.
210
nology have their own rules and are not affected by a Most exo-armor stops moving, rendering the user either
disruption roll. immobile or restrained. The effect remains until the
If the player has multiple items at the same tech lev- character makes a disruption saving throw. A character
el, equipment disrupts in the following order: Weapon with a background in engineering can replace the dis-
currently in hand, gear in use, armor being worn, and ruption save with the following check: DC15 + (2 x
any vehicle occupied. If the character does not have a Tech Level of item). The character makes one save or
device of the given type, move on to the next in se- skill check per round per affected item at the end of
quence. Equipment not actively in use disrupts in the their turn. If the roll succeeds, the device is immedi-
same order, if there are no active devices. If there are ately restored to normal functioning. If the roll fails, it
multiple items of the same type, only one is affected suffers one of the following additional effects
(chosen either randomly or by what would be most im- (determined by how many consecutive failed rolls have
mediately inconvenient for the character). been made for the device).
A player cannot be subject to another disruption 1st Failure: If the first saving throw fails, the item
event until every player has been subject to one this se- remains disrupted.
quence. Additionally, an item cannot be disrupted 2nd Failure: If the second saving throw fails, the
twice (even after it recovers) before every disruptable item remains disrupted.
item the character is carrying has been disrupted once
this sequence.
 3rd Failure: A third and final failed saving throw ren-
ders the item broken. It is non-functional. It must now
FEATS
be fixed. Amethyst characters may select any feats from The
13th Age Roleplaying Game for which they meet the
prerequisites.
ECHA-SAFE TECHNOLOGY
Various technological items are more resistant to disrup- ADEPT ENGINEER
tion: either the technology is so basic that there is noth-
ing for magic to latch onto, or it is so heavily shielded Adventurer Feat: You gain a +3 bonus to all skill
that the EDF cannot affect it. checks regarding engineering.
The following cannot be affected by a routine dis-
ruption event:
• Items with the immune property; AIRCRAFT SPECIALIZATION
• Any item created by the experteering engineer’s Adventurer Feat: Gain a +3 bonus with all checks
adaptation feature; involving aircraft.
• Any armor not requiring a battery cell
• Boosters and medical injections;
• All TL0 gear except TL0 weapons; BETTER THAN 20/20
This does not mean that the item can never be dis-
Adventurer Feat: Weapons without a sniper scope
rupted, but doing so requires a targeted disruption
gain the properties of one.
event. Magic can get at anything that depends on mov-
ing parts or variable energy states, even something as
simple as a windmill or waterwheel, so it’s best not to BURST FIRE
invite it in.
Adventurer Feat: When firing a weapon with an
auto setting, you can fire five rounds per attack
RANGE EXPANSION roll and add an additional +1 damage.
Amethyst introduces ranges beyond what is discussed
in The 13th Age Roleplaying Game. In addition to en-
gaged, nearby, and far away, Amethyst introduces dis- CROSSFIRE
tant and extreme.
Adventurer Feat: If you attack the same nearby ene-
my as another ally previously has this round with
DISTANT the Crossfire feat, you gain a +1 bonus to attack.
While nearby targets are one move away and far away
targets are two, distant targets are 3-5 moves away.
When the GM sets the stage of the battle, she factors in
environmental conditions as well as the size of the area DISCHARGE BURN
to classify distant range. Adventurer Feat: When firing a one-handed small
Weapons able to shoot targets far away can still do so arm at an engaged target, you inflict +1 damage.
against distant targets, but they suffer a –4 penalty to at-
tack rolls (this is in addition to the penalties already in-
curred for weapons like axes, javelins, and spears at far GROUND VEHICLE SPECIALIZATION
away targets).
Adventurer Feat: Gain a +3 bonus with all checks
involving ground vehicles.
211
EXTREME
Extreme range is beyond the limit of normal vision.
Targets this far out general take 6-10 moves to reach. GUN-SOMETHING-SOMETHING
Like distant range, when the GM sets the stage of the
battle, he factors in environmental conditions as well as Adventurer Feat: You treat one-handed small arms
the size of the area to classify extreme range. as melee weapons against engaged targets.
Generally, medieval weapons cannot reach targets
this far out, especially weapons like axes, crossbows and
slings; however, extremely strong creatures and charac- LIKE A WIDGET BAG
ters may be able to reach this range with spears, jave- Adventurer Feat: You gain the operator’s widget
lins, and longbows. All small arms, one-handed and two bag.
-handed, can reach targets at extreme range.
Regardless of the weapon used, it suffers a –8 penal-
ty to attack rolls against targets this far out (this is in ad-
dition to the penalties already incurred for weapons like
axes, javelins, and spears at far away targets).
 FEAT LISTS
GENERAL FEATS
FEAT NAME PRE-REQ TIER: WHY YOU’D WANT IT
Adept Engineer None A: Gain a +3 bonus to engineering skill checks.
Aircraft Specialization None A: Gain a +3 bonus to checks involving aircraft.
Better Than 20/20 None A: Weapons without a sniper scope gain the properties of one.
Burst Fire None A: Auto weapons add +1 damage.
Crossfire None A: You and ally with Crossfire gain +1 bonus to attack the same target.
Discharge Burn None A: One-handed small arms inflict +1 damage to engaged targets.
Ground Vehicle Specialization None A: Gain a +3 bonus to checks involving vehicle.
Gun-Something-Something None A: One-handed small arms are melee weapons to engaged targets.
Like A Widget Bag None A: Gain the operator’s widget bag.

BACKGROUND FEATS
BACKGROUND NAME PRE-REQ TIER: WHY YOU’D WANT IT
Ancient Wuxia Ancient Wuxia C: Spend a recovery and gain resistance 17+ for one turn.
Blood Royal Blood Royal C: Nearby allies gain a +1 attack bonus if you stagger or bloody or score a
critical hit on an enemy.
Bottled Beast Bottled Beast C: Regression improves to +3 to Str-based damage rolls.
Custodian Custodian A: +1 bonus to AC (+2 if escalation is +4) when using lotus blade.
C: Reroll attack rolls on natural 2-5 when escalation die is +6
E: Enemies require a hard save to disengage; you require an easy save to
disengage.
Dawnamoak Kitarri Kitarri C: x2 Str modifier with ranged weapons against nearby targets.
Death Hunter Death Hunter C: Gain a standard action after being staggered.
E: If escalation is +6 and you’re staggered, fear generating enemies are vul-
nerable to your attacks.
Doppelshido Doppelshido C: 1/ battle, counterattack if an opportunity attack hits you.
E: When making an opportunity attack, roll twice.
Halfmaster Halfmaster C: Use reach tricks 3 times per battle.
Juggernaut Juggernaut C: Gain a +2 bonus to damage if wielding a shield.
Kavalier Kavalier A: If using a saddle, gain +1 to PD while mounted and a +2 to acrobatic
checks while mounted.
C: When recovering HP, any amount can be given to your mount.
Kinetassana Kinetassana C: At the start of battle, if there is a nearby enemy, you gain a +4 to initia-
tive and start the battle engaged.
E: When you hit with a readied attack, add +1d8 damage.
Knight of the Wall Knight of the Wall C: If an enemy hits the shield wall, a nearby enemy makes a basic attack as
an interrupt.
Laudenian Magos Laudenian Magos C: 1/day, recharge One Word.
Librarian Librarian C: Increase subject to +10; Select another branch expertise
Redcap Redcap C: 1/battle, if you kill an engaged enemy, engage another enemy as a free
action without provoking opportunity attacks.
212 E: If you kill an engaged enemy, you gain a +2 bonus to damage until the end
of your next turn. If you drop another engaged enemy before then, the
duration extends until the end of the next turn and the damage increases
by another +2 (cumulative to a maximum of +6 damage).
Sworn Hand of Vengeance Sworn Hand of C: When the escalation die is +6, your next hit on a sworn enemy is a criti-
Vengeance cal hit.

RACIAL FEATS
POWER AFFECTED PRE-REQ TIER: WHY YOU’D WANT IT
Weald Walk Chaparrans C: You gain three uses per battle of Weald Walk.
Gravity Focus Damaskans C: Your bonuses to AC and PD increase to +3. Walk on walls, ignoring opportunity at-
tacks and engagement. You must still come down at the end of your movement. Gain
one additional use of gravity focus (2 total) per battle.
E: Your bonuses to AC and PD increase to +4. You can now walk on ceilings. You also
gain one additional use of gravity focus (3 total) per battle.
Jump Charge Gimfen C: If you score a critical hit with jump charge, increase the escalation dice by +1. Once
per battle, when the escalation dice reaches +6, you recover the use of jump charge.
C: Once per battle, if you kill a target with jump charge, you can immediately use it again
as a free action.
RACIAL FEATS (Continued)
POWER AFFECTED PRE-REQ TIER: WHY YOU’D WANT IT
Slide Waltz Laudenians C: The bonus to AC and PD with slide waltz increases to +3.
E: If the escalation die is +6, slide waltz is always in effect (though as an interrupt, it can
only affect one hit per round.
Iron Roots Narros C: You gain a bonus to damage rolls equal the escalation die bonus.
Stubborn Resolve Narros C: 1/battle, a free action + recovery regained the use of stubborn resolve
Focused Aggression Pagus C: Gain a damage bonus to your focus equal to your level until the focus is staggered.
E: If your focus makes a critical hit on you, your critical range against your focus increases
by +2 (total +3) until you score a critical (then it reverts back to +1 until it scores a
critical again.
Piezo Scream Tenenbri C: Recovering from piezo scream is now a hard save ends, 16+. Targets also suffer dam-
age (1st level—2d4, 3rd level—2d8, 5th level—4d6, 7th level—6d6, 9th level—10d6.
C: You can increase the range of piezo scream, affecting up to three additional nearby
targets of your choosing.
Blood Surge Tilen A: You can reverse your power, inflicting damage upon yourself to heal the target. You
can control the amount of damage dealt: even though you are willing, hit point recovery
is 1:1 rather than 2:1.
C: Instead of healing damage, hit points you gain through blood surge can be temporary
hit points. You choose which when you use the power.
E: You gain a second use of blood surge per battle.
Natural Weapons Kodiak C: Your claw have their damage dice scaled up: 1d6>1d8>1d10>1d12. They also gain
+1 bonus to attack (cumulative to a max +3).
E: Your claw have their damage dice scaled up: 1d6>1d8>1d10>1d12. They also gain
+1 bonus to attack (cumulative to a max +3). Their critical threat range is also in-
creased by +1.

WIZARD FEATS
POWER AFFECTED PRE-REQ TIER: WHY YOU’D WANT IT
Weapon of Confrontation Wizard A: Your penalty for wielding a heavy or martial one– or two-handed weapon
is reduced to 0.

FRONT GROUNDER FEATS

POWER AFFECTED PRE-REQ TIER: WHY YOU’D WANT IT
Defense Perimeter Talent A: Once per battle, if an enemy scores a hit on you or your ally benefitting from defen-
sive perimeter, the damage is halved.
C: If an enemy scores a critical hit on either you or your ally benefitting from defensive
perimeter, the damage can be inflicted on either you or your ally.
From the Knee Talent A: When you use your move action with from the knee, you crit range also increases by
+1 on your next attack roll.
C: Once per battle, if you still miss after using from the knee, re-roll. If you still miss,
you recover the use of this ability.
Double Tap Talent A: If you hit and roll a natural even number with your highest attack roll with double tap,
double your attribute damage on the hit.
C: If you hit and roll a natural 18+ on both your attack rolls, you actually hit twice.
Front Line Assault Talent A: 1/battle, change the clip of a auto or heavy auto weapon as a quick action. 213
E: You can elect to not inflict extra damage with front line assault and instead make and
extra basic ranged attack against another enemy.
Front Line Precision Talent A: If you score a critical hit on a ranged attack roll using a weapon without the auto or
heavy auto property, you increase the weapon damage by one die.
C: Spend a quick action to gain a +1 bonus to your next attack roll with a weapon with-
out the auto or heavy auto property.
Full Suppression Talent A: Use full suppression against large enemies. You can elect to do only 1point of damage
(not halved) and gain a second basic attack on a different enemy. If you hit with this
attack, you must employ full suppression on that target as well.
C: You can use full suppression against huge enemies. If you kill a non-mook with full
suppression, you gain a basic attack.
Slow is Smooth Talent A: Your enemy meets the butt of your rifle as you pop free, taking your ability score
damage (x2 at 5th level; x3 at 8th level).
C: You gain a second use per battle. You can pop free from two enemies instead of just
one. You can still only inflict damage on one enemy each time.
 FRONT GROUNDER FEATS (Continued)
POWER AFFECTED PRE-REQ TIER: WHY YOU’D WANT IT
Action Shot Class Feature C: Use action shot against enemies which close in from far away to nearby
E: The target of action shot is vulnerable to your attack.
Brotherhood Class Feature A: If you hit the enemy while benefiting from the bonus, one ally engaged with the
enemy can pop free.
C: If you hit the enemy and the natural attack roll was even, the enemy suffers a –2 to
attack until the end of its turn.
Braced Shot Maneuver (1st) A: You gain a +2 bonus to attack on the re-roll.
E: Damage is no longer halved
Fire Support Maneuver (1st) C: If you score a critical hit on the target, it is dazed.
E: If you score a critical hit on the target, it is weakened as well as dazed.
Cauterize Maneuver (1st) A: The target also automatically passes the next save required before the beginning of
your next turn.
C: The target recovers full hit points instead of half.
Covering Fire Maneuver (1st) A: The target also automatically passes the next save required before the beginning of
your next turn.
C: The target recovers full hit points instead of half.
Crippling Wound Maneuver (1st) A: To recover hampered is now a normal save (11+).
C: To recover hampered is now a hard save (16+).
E: If you hit the target again while hampered, it automatically fails its next save.
Head Down Maneuver (1st) C: Your penalty to attack rolls is reduced to –1.
Magic Bullet Maneuver (1st) A: If the second attack rolls a natural 20, you can use magic bullet again.
C: You gain a +2 bonus to any subsequent attacks rolls with magic bullet.
E: Magic bullet activates if you kill a non-mook target with any natural even hit.
Member of a Team Maneuver (1st) A: One ally next to you can also rally as part of your turn.
C: After using member of a team, allies gain a +5 bonus to their next rally.
E: Every conscious ally in the battle can choose to rally the same time as you.
Quick Reload Maneuver (1st) A: Quick reload works on any natural hit as well.
C: Quick reload can be used twice per encounter.
Stupid Maneuver Maneuver (1st) A: It’s really pissed; the target can suffer a –4 penalty instead of a –2 but then it will
have a +2 bonus to attack you.
E: You can use stupid maneuver on a hit with a natural 16+ as well.
Strafe Maneuver (1st) A: If the 3rd ranged attack is a hit with a natural 14+, make a fourth attack against an-
other enemy that is near or next to the previous one. This inflicts half damage.
C: You can decide to inflict full damage on the second or third hit; by doing so, you
recover the use of strafe and the chain ends.
Weapon Specialty Maneuver (1st) A: Increase the bonus damage by your final attack roll –20.
C: Weapon specialty now triggers any natural roll 14+.
First Person Shooter Maneuver (3rd) C: First Person shooter now triggers on a 2, 3, or 4.
Focused Fire Maneuver (3rd) C: If you kill a non-mook enemy with focused fire, make an additional attack on anoth-
er nearby enemy. If you hit, you inflict the remaining damage leftover from the first
enemy.
Glowing Weak Spot Maneuver (3rd) C: Glowing weak spot now triggers on a natural roll 19+.
E: Glowing weak spot now triggers on a natural roll 18+.
214 Aggravate the Wound Maneuver (5th) C: Increase bonus damage by Intelligence or Wisdom modifier (it cannot be the same
as your attack attribute).
E: While in effect, one ally increases their critical threat by +2.
Tracking Fire Maneuver (5th) C: If you score a critical hit, all allies also gain a +1 bonus to their critical threat.
E: You gain the benefits from tracking fire when it comes around to your turn.
Trailing Blood Maneuver (5th) C: Quadruple (instead of double) either your level bonus or attribute bonus to the
ongoing damage.
E: It is now a hard save (16+) to recover from the ongoing damage.
All In Maneuver (7th) C: Increase the added damage to your full recovery but you suffer half your recovery
damage.
E: A hard save 16+ to not suffer 1/2 damage from inflicting full recovery damage.
Bloody Mess Maneuver (7th) C: Weapon damage increased by 2.
E: Weapon damage increases by 2 (4 total) and multiplier of your damage bonus your
from ability score by 1 (2 total)
Support Role Maneuver (7th) C: Two allies now benefit.
E: If you score a critical hit with support role, one ally automatically recovers.
Meticulous Aim Maneuver (9th) E: Once per battle regardless of your next roll, it is a hit.
Nerve Shot Maneuver (9th) E: Once per battle a target is stunned instead of dazed.
One Liner Maneuver (9th) E: Increase weapon damage by 1 die.
HEAVY GROUNDER FEATS
POWER AFFECTED PRE-REQ TIER: WHY YOU’D WANT IT
Area Denial Class Feature A: Area denial now only takes a move action to use.
C: Roll 1d3 twice and take the highest value when determining possible targets.
E: Affect 1d4 enemies (roll twice and take the highest value).
Backup Weapon Power (1st) A: Your interrupted ranged attack gains a +2 bonus to attack.
C: Your enemy is vulnerable to your interrupted ranged attack.
E: Roll twice for your interrupted ranged attack and take the highest result.
Chain Attack Power (1st) A: You can chain up to four enemies.
C: You can chain up to five enemies.
E: You can chain attacks back to enemies previously attacked.
Creeping Barrage Power (1st) A: Roll twice for the number of targets and take the higher value.
C: Increase the number of targets by +1.
For The Common Honor Power A: You can use this power twice per battle and you only suffer half damage.
C: After suffering damage from this power, you can then make a free basic ranged
attack. If this attack misses, you recover the use of this power.
From Out Of Nowhere Power A: This becomes an at-will power.
Fully Automatic Control Power A: You can re-roll twice if the second is also a miss.
C: Inflict full damage with the first re-roll but not the second.
Jump In Front Power A: You suffer half damage from hits other than the one originally directed on you.
Micro Burst Power (1st) A: If you kill a non-mook enemy, leftover damage can be added to another hit made
from micro burst this turn.
C: You can add your Dexterity bonus to damage.
E: Roll twice for the number of targets and take the higher value.
Rapid Fire Power (1st) A: Target 3 enemies next to each other.
C: For every 1 less target you attack, roll another attack roll with rapid fire and take
the higher result. You can elect to attack one target and roll three times.
E: Add your Dexterity bonus to damage.
Riddle the Target Power (1st) A: You can increase your weapon die by 2 at the cost of two bursts of ammunition.
C: You can increase miss damage the same as hit damage by adding bursts; for every
additional burst, increase miss damage by your level (max +2).
E: Add +3 damage at the cost of three burst of ammunition. Includes miss damage
as well.
Shoot And Scoot Power (1st) A: Use shoot and scoot against engaged enemies— you gain a +5 bonus to all disen-
gage attempts with this power.
Standing Barrage Power (1st) A: Roll twice for the number of targets and take the higher value (including reckless).
C: Increase the number of targets (including reckless) by +1.
E: Only allies engaged with enemies suffer reckless damage.
Wildfire Power (1st) A: Enemies suffer a –2 penalty to opportunity attacks during wildfire.
C: Elect not to roll for targets and instead attack all enemies engaged with you.
Wind Knocked Out Power (1st) A: You ignore damage completely.
Greater Area Denial Power (3rd) C: Roll 1d4+1 twice and take the highest value when determining possible targets.
E: You can affect 1d6 enemies (roll twice and take the highest value).
Mindless Mayhem Power (3rd) C: Allies hit suffer half damage.
E: You can ignore one nearby target and target one further target.
Take Out The Knees Power (3rd) C: Use an auto weapon and increase the damage by your Dexterity modifier.
E: The target is also hampered while prone.
215
Blitz Power (5th) C: Double the ammunition usage for each attack to remove the attack penalty.
E: Increase the number of targets by +1. Allies no longer suffer damage.
Short Controlled Burst Power (5th) C: Target up to three enemies.
E: Instead of targeting three enemies, you make three attack rolls, breaking the at-
tacks up against any combination of enemies.
Cloud of Hellfire Power (7th) C: Allies gain a +2 bonus to attack hit targets until the beginning of your next turn.
E: Enemies hit are vulnerable until the beginning of your next turn.
Machine of Destruction Power (7th) C: While stuck from this power, you gain a +2 bonus to PD and AC.
E: If stuck from an outside source, as long as your are not helpless or hampered, you
can activate machine of destruction, even if you already activated it this battle.
Fall of Heaven Power (9th) E: You can target all enemies you can see.
Measured Response Power (9th) E: Increase you weapon damage by 1 die, and increase your attribute modifier to x3.
 GUNSLINGER FEATS
POWER AFFECTED PRE-REQ TIER: WHY YOU’D WANT IT
Bullet Ballet Talent A: The crit range increases by +2.
C: Your first ranged attack against an undamaged enemy has its crit range expanded to +5.
E: If you kill a non-mook with a critical attack using a ranged weapon, you can immediately
make an additional basic attack.
Converging Fire Talent A: If you miss with an attack roll with a one-handed small arm, increase your next hit by a
WEAPON die (max 1).
C: Your maximum increased WEAPON die increases to 2 (missing two attacks).
E: Your maximum increased WEAPON die increases to 3.
Cowboy Action Talent A: If you kill a non-mook, you can make a second attack using the same bullet against another
enemy near the first.
C: Increase your miss damage with ranged attacks by your Wisdom modifier.
E: Use a recovery (free action), regain no hit points; gain a +20 bonus to your last attack roll.
Defensive Fire Talent A: The penalty applies to all attacks.
C: The penalty increases to –3.
E: Your critical threat range against an enemy suffering from above penalty increases by +1.
Dual Wielding Talent A: If attacking different targets, do not reduce your damage die.
C: If you hit with the second attack, you can inflict half damage but gain a +2 bonus to AC
and PD until the beginning of your next turn.
E: If you hit with the first attack and attack the same target with the second, increase your
crit range with the second by 2.
Fast Switch Talent A: The first time you reload a one-handed small arm in a battle, you do so with quick action.
C: Reloading a one-handed small arm always takes only a quick action.
E: You can reload two one-handed small arms with a single quick action.
Gunplay Talent A: Use a move action to increase these bonuses by +2.
C: Your AC and PD bonus to ranged attacks increase to +2.
E: Your bonus to AC and PD now applies to all attacks.
Hydrostatic Shock Talent A: Increase the die from d4 to d6.
C: Increase the die from d6 to d8.
E: Increase the die from d8 to d10.
Quickdraw Talent A: Increase your initiative bonus by your Wisdom modifier.
C: If you act first in a battle, on your first turn, roll twice for all attacks and take the higher
result. Also, re-roll all damage dice where the result is 1.
E: If acting first in battle, on your 1st turn, attack rolls have their crit range expanded by +2.
Reflex Shot Talent A: You gain a +2 bonus to attack with opportunity attacks.
C: If you hit an enemy your size attempting to disengage, it cannot disengage.
E: If a creature is larger than you when you hit with an opportunity attack, you can pop free
from all other enemies and move with the enemy you hit.
Between The Eyes Kata (A) A: Gain a +1 to attack with this power.
C: Outthink your enemy, target the lowest of your enemy’s defenses.
Boundary Threshold Kata (A) A: You can pop free from any enemies you hit.
E: If you make three ranged attacks with this power, all attacks gain a +2 bonus to attack.
This bonus increases by 1 for every engaged with you.
Gun-Fu Kata (A) A: You regain the use of this power if all three attacks are even misses.
Hard Boiled Kata (A) A: Add your Wisdom modifier to a hit.
216 C: Double your Wisdom modifier on a hit.
E: You can inflict a critical hit.
Just One Bullet Kata (A) A: Use a recovery as a quick action and sustain this power for one additional turn.
Rapid Kill Kata (A) A: You can score a critical hit.
C: You inflict 1/2 damage to mooks.
Way Of The Gun Kata (A) A: If you attack at least four targets, you can apply damage to two hits.
C: You can move once between your attacks in order to engage more targets.
Blood In The Eyes Kata (C) C: You gain a +3 bonus to attack with the basic attack.
E: If staggered, anytime you take damage, you can use blood in the eyes. You can only use
this ability once per round.
Desperate Measures Kata (C) C: Target up to four enemies.
E: Target up to five enemies.
Gland Slam Kata (C) C: If you miss all three attacks, you recover this power.
E: You can re-roll one missed attack roll with this power.
Parting Shot Kata (C) C: This power is reduced to a move action.
E: You can target two enemies engaged with you.
Reaction Time Zero Kata (C) C: You gain a +4 bonus to attack with the basic attack.
E: If you hit the target, the staggered ally can make a basic attack or pop free.
Targeting Lock Kata (C) C: Your penalty to defense is reduced to –1.
E: Your crit range against the enemy increases by +2.
GUNSLINGER FEATS (Continued)
POWER AFFECTED PRE-REQ TIER: WHY YOU’D WANT IT
Direct Fire Kata (E) E: You recover the use of this power if you miss the first and second attack.
Fanning Fire Kata (E) E: You regain this power if you miss the first two consecutive times.
Sustained Fire Kata (E) E: The penalties are reduced to –1, -2, and –3 respectfully.
Vectored Volley Kata (E) E: You can attack three targets next to each other and regain the power if
you miss all three times.
Weak Spot Kata (E) E: If you inflict a critical hit, the weakened requires a normal save (11+).
Abnormally Fast Maneuver A: You gain your Wisdom bonus to any acrobatics or athletics checks you
need to make while moving with this power.
C: If you use all available move actions to move, you gain a +3 bonus to PD
and AC.
Classic Tumble Maneuver A: If you are staggered or the hit is a critical, you recover this power.
C: The power also triggers on ranged attacks.
E: You can decide to take half-damage and you recover this power.
Endorphin Response Maneuver C: You can combine two move actions and replace them with a standard
action.
Kinesics Maneuver C: Gain a +2 bonus to attack with this power.
Kinetic And Fluid Maneuver A: If you have an available standard action, you can take it between your
moves.
C: You gain a +4 bonus to AC and PD from ranged attacks.
Out Of The Fight Maneuver A: You also cannot be engaged until the beginning of your next turn.
C: You gain a +2 bonus to AC against opportunity attacks until no longer
staggered or killed.
Slippery Bugger Maneuver C: This power is reduced to a quick action.
Wetwork Maneuver A: You gain a +2 bonus to all defenses until you engage your target.
C: You gain your Wisdom bonus to all damage rolls until you engage your
target.
Equilibrium Maneuver A: Make two basic ranged attacks but only one against the triggering enemy.
You must miss twice to recover the power.
C: You use the triggering enemy as a shield; you gain a +4 bonus to AC.
The next enemy attack that misses hits the first enemy. If the attack still
hits, you recover this power.
Limber Up Maneuver C: Increase the bonus to +10 but this power cannot be used the rest of the
day.
Where They Don’t Expect You Maneuver A: Spend a recovery as a quick action to recover the use of this power.
C: Make a ranged basic attack as part of this power.

MARSHAL FEATS
POWER AFFECTED PRE-REQ TIER: WHY YOU’D WANT IT
Big Picture Class Feature A: Add both your Wisdom and Charisma modifier as a damage bonus. Both modifi-
ers double at 5th level and triple at 8th level.
C: Double your level damage to the hit.
E: Only lose your move action instead of your standard action on your next turn.
Encouraging Support Class Feature A: You affect up to two allies next to you or one nearby.
C: You can use encouraging support twice per battle.
E: You gain a +2 bonus when attempting subsequent rallies. Each time you fail, the
217
bonus increases by +1 until you pass.
Field Advice Class Feature A: If the ally still fails the save, they obviously weren’t listening, and you recover the
use of field advice.
C: Field advice now works on saves against death.
E: Once per day, field advice can make the affected ally automatically pass the save.
For The Good of The Team Class Feature C: When you sacrifice an action, the target ally gains the same type of action.
E: Once per battle, you can scale up a sacrificed a move action to a standard.
Boars Head Talent A: If you use a move action for any reason, you can still use boar’s head—you can
move allies without moving yourself.
C: Target one engaged ally and said ally pops free.
E: You affect up to two allies next to you.
Control The Battle Theater Talent A: During the ambush, all enemies are vulnerable to your and allies’ attacks.
C: Three allies with the highest initiative can ambush with you.
E: If in an ambush, you and all allies gain a +2 bonus to initiative. You and allies gain
a +2 bonus to attack until the first enemy’s turn.
Face Slap Talent A: Ally can spend a recovery and regain hit points.
C: You can spend a recovery with face slap and the ally recovers the hit points.
E: Spend an additional recovery and remove the dazed condition.
 MARSHAL FEATS (Continued)
POWER AFFECTED PRE-REQ TIER: WHY YOU’D WANT IT
Focus Target Talent A: Selected ally gains a +2 bonus to attack.
C: If the ally misses and you hit again on your turn, you can add half the damage from
your last turn and this turn.
E: Once per battle, your selected ally automatically hits, regardless of the roll.
Mark Of The Puppeteer Talent A: If you kill the target with your attack, said ally can pop free of all enemies.
C: Said ally gains a +2 bonus to PD and AC until the beginning of your next turn.
E: You can now affect two allies engaged with the targeted enemy.
Plan Of Attack Talent A: The bonus to critical threat increases to +3 instead of +2.
C: Once per day, instead of scoring a critical threat, the selected ally’s hit can be turned
into a critical hit.
E: If the escalation die is 5+, the ally can roll twice and take the higher result.
Reading Body Language Talent A: The bonus increases to +3.
C: Once per day, if you don’t like your skill check with this talent, re-roll.
E: You can skip rolling with this talent and just take a natural 10.
True Leader Talent A: You can reduce the escalation die twice with a single action and select two allies.
C: If the escalation die is +6, you can turn an ally’s hit into a critical hit as an interrupt;
the escalation die is reduced to +3.
E: 1/day, you can reduce the escalation die from +6 to 0, and all allies gain the benefits
of a quick rest.
Know a Guy Who Knows Talent C: Once per level, you can reroll your relationship dice.
a Guy E: Each time you roll relationship die, you can increase one die roll result by +1.
Pat On The Back Talent A: You gain two recoveries you can award (you can award two recoveries to one ally
or one recovery each to two allies).
C: Once per day, you gain three recoveries you can award.
Sacrificial Boost Talent A: Instead of gaining a recovery, the selected ally can gain an additional move action on
his turn.
C: Instead of gaining a recovery, the selected ally can use your recovery value as a dam-
age bonus on his next hit that turn.
E: Instead of gaining a recovery, the selected ally can use your recovery value as a dam-
age bonus on his next hit that turn.
Vivo! Talent A: The bonus to reprieve increases by +3.
C: The bonus to reprieve increases by +3.
E: The bonus to reprieve increases by +3; you can offer your bonus to an ally.
By Example Aura A: The bonus is to PD and MD.
C: The bonus increases to +2 for PD, MD, and AC.
E: After booster activates, the first critical hit on an ally is turned into a normal hit.
Stirring Speech Aura A: Targeted allies are immune to being confused.
C: When boosted, targeted allies are immune to being hampered.
E: When boosted, targeted allies are also immune to being vulnerable.
Follow My Lead Aura A: If no allies score a critical hit, you gain the threat bonus on your next turn.
C: You or any ally benefitting from the max +5 threat bonus can turn a hit into a critical
hit automatically.
E: The threat bonus begins at +2 and increases by +2 to a max of +6.
Powerful United Aura A: When boosted, the selected ally gains a full turn.
218 C: When an ally sacrifices an action, the target ally gains the same type of action.
E: Each can scale up a sacrificed move action to a standard once per battle.
Intimidating Mug Aura A: Affect nearby allies as well.
C: When boosted, each ally can pop free as a quick action once.
E: When boosted, select 1 enemy—it now takes two actions to engage you or any ally.
Mask of Authority Aura A: Damage bonus increases to +4; boosted damage increases by +2.
C: Damage bonus increases to +6; boosted damage increases by +3.
E: Damage bonus increases to +8; boosted damage increases by +4 (max +12).
Hearten The Squad Aura C: When boosted, nearby allies roll two die twice and take the higher results.
E: When boosted, nearby allies roll three die twice and take the higher results.
Subtle Encouragement Aura C: Increase bonus to saves to +3.
E: When boosted, allies pass normal saves.
Encouraging Fire Aura A: The encouragement pool is not used up when an ally using it misses.
C: If the pool reaches +6, the next hits using the pool is turned into a critical hit.
E: When an ally rolls a natural 1, the pool is increased by +2 (+3 when boosted).
Most Interesting Person In Aura C: The bonus increases to +2.
The World E: When boosted, allies can add the escalation die to their skill checks.
Self Absorbed Aura A: You can control the shunted damage (up to half damage inflicted to a nearby ally).
C: You can divert any amount of damage to a nearby ally (including all of it).
E: Divert critical hit damage as well. Additionally, two allies gain basic attacks.
MECHANIC OPERATOR FEATS
POWER AFFECTED PRE-REQ TIER: WHY YOU’D WANT IT
Midas Touch Class A: Increase midas touch by one step.
Feature C: Increase midas touch by one step.
E: Increase midas touch by one step.
Shiny Red Button Class A: You can push the button 2 additional times per day.
Feature C: You can push the jolly, candy like button 2 additional times per day.
E: Push the button 2 additional times per day.
A Laborious Task Talent A: You gain a +5 bonus to the reroll.
C: The bonus to the reroll increases to +10.
E: You can’t fail the reroll.
A Scientist, Not A Soldier Talent A: You now inflict full damage and can still pop free.
C: You can still pop free if you miss.
E: If you pop free, you can move to be near the target instead of next to it.
Button Savant Talent A: At the end of a battle, you gain a push of the shiny red button.
C: As a move action, spend a recovery, but recover no hit points; instead, you gain an
additional use of shiny red button you must use before the end of the battle.
E: Once per day, you can implement two effects when pushing the shiny red button.
Crippling Modification Talent A: Push shiny red button twice: target is dazed until the beginning of your next turn.
C: Push shiny red button thrice: target is stunned until the beginning of your next turn.
E: Push the shiny red button thrice and inflict ongoing damage equals to 5 times your
level. A normal save (11+) ends the damage. A critical hit doesn’t double this damage.
Disruptive Insurance Talent A: All allies next you benefit from your disruption bonus as well.
C: Any technology you wield automatically passes all disruption saves.
E: All allies next you automatically pass all disruptions saves.
Economic Plating Talent A: If you push the shiny red button to boost AC and PD and are still hit, you recover
that use of shiny red button.
C: Your bonus to AC increases to +4
E: When you push the shiny red button to boost AC and PD, gain a +4 instead of +2.
Firing Mechanism Tweak Talent A: Push the shiny red button before a ranged attack roll to roll the attack roll thrice and
take the higher result.
C: Once per turn, you can push the shiny red button after hitting a target to make a
second attack roll against the same target.
Increase Firing Potential Talent A: Push the shiny red button twice to increase the critical threat range by +2.
C: Push the shiny red button thrice to increase the critical threat range by +3.
Intelligent Design Talent A: You can add your intelligent design damage with a natural even hit as well.
C: Replace Dexterity with Intelligence when adding attribute bonus to ranged attacks.
E: Press the shiny red button to add your intelligent design damage to your hit if not a
critical or an even hit.
MacGuy Something Talent A: Add your Intelligence modifier to the save.
C: Use MacGuy something twice per day. If you fail a save, recover that use.
More Science Talent A: Your bonus increases to +6. You also gain a +1 bonus to MD.
C: If you roll a natural 2 through 9 with your skill check, you actually rolled a 10.
E: Your bonus to MD increases to +3. You can also add your Intelligence modifier to
your normal save employ more science.
Overdrive Talent A: You can use overdrive twice per day.
C: You can double your Intelligence modifier when rolling the overdrive skill check. 219
Tech Support Talent A: Take a quarter of the damage on a miss or inflict half damage on an ally next to you.
C: Allies next to you also benefit from tech support.
Weapon Guru Talent A: When you score a critical hit, midas touch increases by one step.
C: Push the shiny red button to increase midas touch by one step.
E: Push the shiny red button and increase midas touch by two steps but your weapon
cannot be used on your next turn.

MEDIC OPERATOR FEATS

POWER AFFECTED PRE-REQ TIER: WHY YOU’D WANT IT
Intelligent Resistance Class A: The save bonus increases to +2.
Feature C: Once a day, you can automatically pass one saving throw.
E: The save bonus increases to +4.
Risk An Aneurysm Class A: You use a quick action instead of a move.
Feature B: You use a free action instead of a move action.
C: You gain a move and a standard action.
Defilade Talent A: You can use defilade four times per battle.
C: All nearby and closer allies gain +1 bonus to attack any creature that misses you with a
ranged attack.
E: You can use defilade against melee attacks.
 MEDIC OPERATOR FEATS (Continued)
POWER AFFECTED PRE-REQ TIER: WHY YOU’D WANT IT
Diagnose and Cure Talent A: The ally makes the save immediately on your turn.
C: The bonus to save increases to +6; the ally automatically makes any normal saves.
E: You can use diagnose and cure twice per battle.
Evasive Overdrive Talent A: The bonus to all defenses increase to +3.
C: The bonus to all defenses increase to +4.
E: You can sustain two targets.
Life And Limb Talent A: You can use life and limb twice per battle.
C: You can use life and limb thrice per battle.
E: Life and limb can be used at will.
Medical Care Talent A: You can replace the +3 bonus with your Intelligence modifier.
C: You can target two allies.
E: All allies next you benefit from the bonus.
Medical Expertise Talent A: The damage bonus is equal to your Intelligence + Wisdom modifier.
C: Once per battle, you can double your damage bonus on an ally’s hit.
E: If escalation die is +4 or higher, medical expertise increases the threat range by +1.
Natural Healer Talent A: The target regains HP equal to your recovery value + 3x your Intelligence modifier.
C: You gain a third use per battle.
E: You gain a fourth use per battle.
Nod And Say Talent A: The bonuses increase to +4 and +6 respectively.
Interestingly C: You gain a +1 bonus to Intelligence.
E: You gain a +1 bonus to Intelligence.
Emergency Patch Power (1st) A: Target regains additional hit points equal to twice your Intelligence modifier.
C: If the target was killed in the previous round, you bring them to 1 hit point.
Delay Contamination Power (1st) A: Target passes all saves for that condition until the end of the battle.
C: This is reduced to a quick action.
Find The Vein Power (1st) A: The bonus increases to +10.
Move to Assist Power (1st) A: You can move next to a ally that’s far away.
C: If you score a critical hit, the ally can spend two recoveries.
Protect the Fallen Power (1st) A: Roll twice for your attack and take the higher result.
C: Two allies next to you can rally.
Sacrificial Recovery Power (1st) A: You no longer need to make a normal save to recover this power.
C: This power only requires a quick action to use.
E: When the target receives your recovery, they can make a normal save to gain two.
Support Role Power (1st) A: Allies gain a +4 bonus to the save.
C: Targeted allies automatically pass normal saves.
Amphetamine Injection Power (3rd) A: Target three allies.
C: When you first use this power, increase the escalation die by 1.
Catechomaline Injection Power (3rd) A: Target three allies.
C: When using this power, the first attack against an affected ally misses.
Exotic Concoction Power (3rd) A: Instead of a second free rally, targeted ally can turn a hit into a critical hit.
C: When you use this power, all allies can immediately spend a recovery.
Got No Gurney Power (3rd) A: You also make a ranged attack.
C: All enemies are vulnerable to your attacks during this power.
220 Therapeutic Nihilism Power (3rd)
E: Roll twice for all attacks and take the higher result.
A: Double your Intelligence modifier.
C: The save to recover from the damage increases to hard (16+).
E: If you use a recovery and reset this power, the enemy fails it’s first save.
Medical Master Power (5th) C: The bonus to MD is equal to your Intelligence modifier.
E: The target can spend two recoveries.
Slippery Like A Human Power (5th) C: You pop free of all enemies with a quick action.
E: You can still make attacks but suffer a –4 penalty to attack rolls.
Unhealthy Dose of Power (5th) C: If you spend a recovery and use this power a second time in the same battle, the
Methylxanthines escalation die increases by 1.
E: Target also gains a +3 bonus to all saving throws while having temporary hit points as
well as a +1 bonus to attack.
Minor Medical Miracle Power (7th) C: The target is dazed instead of unconscious for the rest of the battle.
E: The target can recover from the daze by making a normal save (11+).
Pattern Recognition Power (7th) C: Stop your damage bonus (free action); increase the escalation die by 1.
E: Stop your damage bonus (free action); your next hit becomes a critical hit.
Pound The Chest Power (7th) C: If the target has no recoveries, use one of your own.
E: The save to wake up is now normal (11+).
MEDIC OPERATOR FEATS (Continued)
POWER AFFECTED PRE-REQ TIER: WHY YOU’D WANT IT
The Doctor Is Out...Of His Power (7th) C: Make five ranged attacks.
Mind E: Make six ranged attacks and you can score two critical hits.
Crippling Round Power (9th) C: The effect now requires a normal save (11+).
E: The effect now requires a hard save (16+).
Major Medical Miracle Power (9th) E: A target can be revived if killed in the past twenty minutes.

SNIPER FEATS
POWER AFFECTED PRE-REQ TIER: WHY YOU’D WANT IT
Marksman Talent Class Feature A: After hitting a target with a sniper ranged attack, increase the attack roll by +1.
C: After hitting a target with a sniper ranged attack, increase the attack roll by +2 total.
E: After hitting a target using a sniper ranged attack, increase your attack roll by +3 total.
Range Adjustment Class Feature A: Reduce range penalties by half.
C: You suffer no range penalties to distant targets.
E: The penalty to extreme targets is reduced to –2.
Sniper Ranged Attack Class Feature A: Increase your miss damage by your alternate attribute.
C: Increase your hit damage by your alternate attribute.
E: If you score a critical hit, triple your alternate attribute bonus to damage.
Bloody Or Piercing Talent A: Increase the bonus to marksman talent to +7.
C: If you hit the target’s PD, you still inflict damage as if you missed.
E: Increase the bonus to marksman talent to +9.
Boom! Head Shot Talent A: All nearby non-mooks suffer damage equivalent to a miss with a sniper ranged attack.
C: If you kill a mook with a sniper ranged attack, you cane make another sniper ranged
attack with a move action.
E: Instead of being dazed, targets are nearby targets are stunned.
Direct Damage Talent A: Inflict the full difference in damage.
C: One per battle, double your direct damage value.
E: Once per battle, inflict damage and inflict a condition with marksman talent.
From The Hip Talent A: The penalty decreases to –2.
C: The penalty decreases to 0
No Exit Wound Talent A: No exit wound occurs for two consecutive turns.
C: Increase damage inflicted by your alternative ability.
E: No exit wound occurs for four consecutive turns.
Perfect Aim Talent A: If you reach a +4 bonus, you can reroll all natural 1s on the attack roll.
C: If you reach a +4 bonus, you increase your level by 1 when calculating damage.
Sharpshooter Talent A: Increase the bonus to +5.
C: You gain a second use of sharpshooter per battle.
E: You gain a third use of sharpshooter per battle.
Twitch Talent A: Bonuses increase to +2 on initiative and +3 on your first attack roll.
C: If you act first in an battle, set the escalation die to +1 after you turn is finished.
Act Of God Power A: If you hit with the second attack, make a third attack against another target.
C: If you miss the second attack, you regain this power.
Checking The Wind Power A: Use a recovery to reset this power.
C: The bonus increases to +5.
Coup De Main
Failure Not An Option
Power
Power
A: If you have the highest initiative, the ambush is nullified.
A: You can employ marksman talent with the first re-rolled attack.
221
C: You gain a second re-roll.
E: Continue re-rolling a miss until you hit or roll a natural 1.
Hand Signs Power A: You can affect any ally you can see.
C: Use a standard action instead of a move, and you can affect two allies.
Markerlight Power A: Denote one ally to benefit from the markerlight and improve the bonus to +3.
E: Allies gain a +1 bonus to their crit range against the markerlight target.
Oswald Maneuver Power A: You no longer suffer the attack penalty.
C: You now can inflict full damage.
E: This power is reduced to a quick action and if the second attack hits, you can make a
third, though this one suffers a - 2 penalty to attack and inflicts half-damage.
Perfect Camouflage Power A: You can sustain this power for one additional turn.
C: The bonus increases to +10.
Swift, Silent, Deadly Power A: You can sustain this power with a quick action for one additional turn.
E: You can sustain this power until you are hit with an attack.
Systemic Inflammatory Power A: If you hit while suffering from ongoing damage, increases save to hard (16+).
Response C: If you hit the target suffering from ongoing damage, the target fails its next save for it.
 SNIPER FEATS (Continued)
POWER AFFECTED PRE-REQ TIER: WHY YOU’D WANT IT
Tender Spot Power A: Use a recovery and reset this power.
C: You are counted as two levels higher when calculating damage.
Zero Your Weapon Power A: If you miss with the attack, you recover this power.
C: Until you move, this power does not expire.

VANGUARD FEATS
POWER AFFECTED PRE-REQ TIER: WHY YOU’D WANT IT
Armor Specialty Class Feature C: The bonus increases to +2.
Distinct Advantage Class Feature A: You gain a second use per battle.
C:You gain a third use per battle.
E: You gain a fourth use per battle.
Martial Stances Class Feature C: Although activated separately, you can use two martial stances simultaneously.
E: Although activated separately, you can use three martial stances simultaneously.
Mark For Death Class Feature A: The target remains marked even after it disengages but not if you disengage.
C: You gain an additional use per battle and, you can mark two targets at once.
E: You gain an additional use per battle and you can mark three targets at once.
Natural Weapon Class Feature C: Base damage of natural melee weapons increase by one (1d6 > 1d8 > 1d10 > 1d12).
E: Base damage of natural melee weapons increase by one step (1d8 > 1d10 > 1d12).
C-C-C-Combo Breaker Talent A: You can elect to not roll to attack, hit automatically, but only inflict 1/4 damage.
C: You now inflict half-damage if not rolling to attack.
E: If the target is marked, you roll to attack and inflict half damage on a miss.
Kung-Fu Grip Talent A: Enemies attempting to disengage from you need a hard save (16+) to avoid an op-
portunity attack.
C: Enemies cannot disengage from you without provoking an opportunity attack (they
can still pop free).
In your Face Talent A: Marked targets are vulnerable to you.
C: You gain a second use of this ability.
E: Targets marked this way remain so until killed.
Mobile One Talent A: If you are engaged with two or more enemies, you can use a move action to pop
free of one of them.
C: Your bonus increases to +2.
Protective Shroud Talent A: Once per day, when you are staggered, your next hit is a critical.
C: Your bonus increases to +2.
Stumble Strike Talent C: If you miss the enemy with the above attack, spend a recovery—regaining no hit
points—to turn it into a hit.
Counter Pose Stance A: If you miss your attack roll with the bonus, decrease the bonus to +1 on your next
attack. This stacks if your enemy hits you again.
C: The bonus increases to +3 the first attack and +2 on the second.
Defensive Posture Stance A: If and enemy scores a critical hit on you, make a basic melee attack as a reaction.
C: If an enemy staggers you, make a basic melee attack as a reaction.
E: Gain a basic melee attack as a reaction if you are hit a second time before your turn.
Dominator Stance A: Add the escalation die to damage.
C: You gain a +4 bonus to overcome damage resistance.
222 Epic Rise Stance A: You can now ignore damage with each hit you take equal to half the escalation die.
C: You can now use a move action to recover hit points equal to the escalation die. At
8th level, this increases to the full die value.
External Style Stance C: Spend a recovery as a free action after a hit, recover no hit points, but add half that
value to your last hit this turn.
E: Targets staggered by your attack are stunned until the beginning of your next turn.
Focus Sights Stance A: Add your ability modifier when rolling a miss against your focus.
C: If you roll a natural even hit on your focus, you gain a use of distinct advantage
against your focus and use it immediately.
E: If you inflict the killing blow on your focus, you can select a new focus.
Full Wushu Stance C: If free, you can move to and engage one nearby enemy and make a basic melee at-
tack as a standard action.
E: Unless grabbed or stuck, you can pop free at will as a move action.
Grappler Stance A: You can spend a move action to render a grabbed target stuck until the beginning of
your next turn.
E: Double your ability modifier to damage rolls against targets you are grabbing.
VANGUARD FEATS (Continued)
POWER AFFECTED PRE-REQ TIER: WHY YOU’D WANT IT
Internal Style Stance A: The bonus to saves increases to +4 and you are immune to fear.
C: If you started this stance on your first turn and maintain it until the end of the bat-
tle, after the battle, all healing effects are doubled.
E: You pass any attempts to rally.
Opponent Control Stance A: If you hit a marked target, one ally also engaged with that enemy can pop-free.
C: If a marked enemy you are engaged with hits another ally it is engaged with, you
gain a basic melee attack as a reaction.
E: If you are staggered, the penalty for marked enemies making attacks not including
you as a target increases to –4.
Clear Advantage Martial C: When using distinct advantage, you can elect to not inflict additional damage; in-
stead, the target is dazed until the beginning of your next turn.
E: If you hit a target suffering from Clear Advantage, extend the daze another turn.
Balance And Direction Martial A: While wielding natural weapons, gain a +1 to AC and PD against melee attacks.
Bouncing Combo Martial A: If you stagger or drop a non-mook with an unarmed attack, you gain a move action
that must be used before the end of your turn.
Can Kick Martial A: Use a move action on the same turn after you hit a target to inflict additional dam-
age equal to your 2 + level.
C: Increase the damage to 4 + your level.
E: Increase damage to 8 + your level.
Evolution Of Pankration Martial A: If you engage a single opponent your size, your crit range is expanded by 2.
C: If engaging a single marked opponent your size and roll a natural even hit, the tar-
get is stuck until the beginning of your next turn.
E: Use your Evolution of Pankration abilities on two engaged and targets at once.
Game of Sticks Martial A: If wielding a staff weapon roll twice for opportunity attacks and take the higher
result.
C: Once per battle, you can attack a nearby target without engaging it. If you miss,
you regain this ability.
Gunkata Martial A: One-handed small arms are melee weapons when attacking engaged targets.
C: If wielding 2 1-handed small arms, +1 shield bonus to AC against engaged enemies.
Jumping Knee Martial A: If you move and engage a single target in the same turn, roll twice to attack, take
the higher result, and add 1 additional weapon die of damage (unarmed attack).
C: If you use jumping knee against a target adjacent to ab obstruction, they take triple
your attribute damage.
Kayfabe Maneuver Martial A: If you roll a natural even hit against a marked and engaged enemy currently also
engaged with an ally, said ally can pop free
C: Said ally can also make an opportunity attack against the disengaging enemy.
Master Degree Martial Artist Martial E: If you score a critical hit, increase weapon damage die by 1.
Nerve Cluster Martial A: If you roll a natural even hit against a marked target and use distinct advantage,
increase the weapon die by 1.
C: If you add damage from nerve cluster and the target becomes staggered, increase
the weapon damage by 1.
Non-Lethal Intent Martial A: If you inflict damage with a melee attack equal to half the enemy’s staggered hit
points, you can elect to inflict no damage and the target is stunned for five minutes
or until the target is hit with an attack.
C: When employing non-lethal intent, add two weapon dice damage. 223
Swords Of Grace Martial A: Once per round, when wielding two melee weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to AC
until the beginning of your next turn if you miss a marked target.
C: If you score a critical hit wielding a one-handed weapon on a marked target, the
bonus to AC increases to +4.
Tag Team Martial A: If an ally engaged with a marked enemy you are engaged with and hits said enemy,
the ally inflict additional damage equal to your Dexterity or Strength modifier.
The Ritual Of Dance And Martial C: While using only natural weapons, use a move action to engage nearby targets
Damage without disengaging from existing targets.
E: If you score a critical hit on a marked enemy with a natural melee weapon, you can
pop free of any number of enemies you want.
Tosser Martial C: If you score a critical hit on an enemy your size, use a move action that same turn
to throw the enemy, disengaging him from you and all other allies. It suffers addi-
tional damage equal to a missed basic attack.
 VANGUARD FEATS (Continued)
POWER AFFECTED PRE-REQ TIER: WHY YOU’D WANT IT
True Enlightenment Of Martial A: As a quick action, spend a recover, gain no hit points, but gain resist all damage 11+ until
The Art the end of your next turn. If you suffer not damage by the time the resist expires, you
regain the recovery.
C: The resist increases to 16+.
E: The resist increases to 18+. You can spend a standard action once to sustain the resist
without spending a recovery.
Way of The Turn Martial A: If you hit with a melee attack, you can inflict half damage and the target is weakened until
the beginning of your next turn.
E: If you score a critical hit, you can elect to do no damage and target is stunned until the
beginning of your next turn.

224
T
he ETV was due to arrive in a few hours, as- it as it danced around the tome, happy and delighted at
suming it survived the trip through Cyon. It having been called, for its life was meaningless if it had
wasn't just the boggs but the radiant magic per- nothing to shine upon.
meating the forest that people feared. Aiden The child was taken back. She recoiled from Aiden,
leaned against the warm concrete wall of the bastion her bottom lip quivering. "Y-You’re magic?"
crown, overhearing pilgrims making cases in hopes of ad- Aiden shrugged. "Not really. It’s a gift from my teach-
mittance. They tried to barter their passage by claiming er." This did not alleviate the child. She stepped back,
possession of some vital knowledge to better mankind. turned, and fled to her mother. The catkin fluttered be-
Aiden was reading a book, as he often did. This one side Aiden, as confused as he was. If a parent wanted to
was fiction; he had checked. A sharp page corner nicked train her child to seek life in a bastion, it began early and
a small divot of skin from the base of his index finger, not fear was an easy implement to wield. "I guess that’s nec-
enough to bleed. He caressed the redness, his finger essary," Aiden whispered. He held up the open book to
skimming over the old scar on his palm from when he the spark. It blinked and hid between the pages. Aiden
grabbed the broken window during Zmey's attack. Aiden slipped his spellbook back into his satchel. It was a con-
still thought of the creature as Zmey, though its real name venient term for it, spellbook. Wizards referred to them
was Goetion is Lifeless. Dragon names were like that, as totems, requiring to always be in contact when at-
part name, part phrase. Aiden's finger followed the scar tempting magic. It didn't matter what Aiden called it; he
as it bisected every line in his palm, from life to mercury. had yet to cast any spells. He wasn't, what some people
His left had fared better with only a leathery patch at the called, a radiant. Yet. All fae were born that way. For
wrist to mark the event. humans, it was a choice, one which Aiden was required to
Aiden’s black button shirt and grey trousers were make if he wanted to cast any spells. He very much want-
from Angel but a gifted Asian girl in Genai with no tech- ed it, but for some reason it had yet to take.
nology to assist her handcrafted the brown wool sweater. The laudenian totems were of ivory, bone, or steel.
His longcoat was also purchased off the benches of the Chaparrans were always wood. Narros took to using
Genai market. Aiden hadn't changed his style of glasses weapons, swords and axes mostly, a few shields. The idea
since acquiring his first set. Technology had fashioned his of wands came mostly from the whims of writers. Few
thermal underwear and orthopedic hiking shoes, extrava- casters ever needed them. They were the training wheels
gances he allowed himself. The only visible mark connect- of sorcerers. Children used them in areas where magic
ing him to Angel was the broken watch still wrapped was taught young. Aiden was never given such a crutch to
around his wrist. depend on. No competent caster ever employed a wand.
"Going out or coming in?" a child asked. She was may- Hands were needed open to fiddle the fingers properly in
be twelve, tall for her age but narrow enough to fall controlling the spells cast. With one hand taken by the
through a rabbit hole. She looked surprisingly fashionable, totem, putting a wand in the other was a colossal waste of
no doubt in an attempt by her family to prove they were- digits.
n't indigent. Aiden was unsure why she singled him out. All that was important were the words, to say the
She spoke his English, not one of the various patois Aiden right one, the right way, and to understand its meaning.
had been warned to expect. To speak the name and create it from nothing. There
"Going out,” Aiden answered. were other ways to harness magic, but Pleroma—the lan-
"Why?" she asked. guage of magic—was the most powerful and the path cho-
"Why not?" Aiden closed the book. "What about sen by wizards. The spark that Chen had given Aiden was
you?" a living light drawn from nowhere, created with intelli-
"Going in.” She nudged to her mother, the woman gence, and aware its life only lasted until dismissed. It
layered in linen with a talc-covered face discussing creden- knew this and didn’t care, lovingly loyal to its creator or
tials with the outer guard. “Mom grows spiky fruit. Ap-
parently that's hard."
controller until discharged.
No matter how many laws of the universe the white
225
Aiden nodded. "I'm sure she'll get in then." gate modified, none of them were altered in ways that de-
"Why are you leaving?" she asked. She wanted to stroyed life. They allowed greater variations without
know; it wasn't idle banter. She had never been inside a voiding existing ones. Aiden remembered what Chen had
bastion in her life. She was looking forward to frozen din- said, that anything Aiden could think of thought for itself.
ners. Humans not employing magic created dead zones
"Because there are things you can't do in there." where the disruption of technology was moderated, but
"Like what?" never fully suppressed. The city of Angel was one of the
Aiden placed the novel between his legs and removed few bastions left.
a larger book from his pack. This one was crafted by am-
ateur hands with a badly sewn cover wrapped in leather.
The pages were rough and frayed and had a dappled tex-
ture. The words were written with the flaws and imper-
fections of a clumsy human hand. Aiden held the book up
edge on. He brought his lips to the spine and whistled.
A glowing ball of catkin lifted from the center of the
book. A tail of glitter, its only appendage, dangled behind
A
lthough Earth now resembles the ancient landscapes of
fantasy, medieval it is not. The push for survival did not
retard progress, and those building the first cities after
gate-fall, even if outside the first fledging bastions, still
possessed enough talent to build insulated housing and double-paned
glass. Most basic technology still works the majority of the time,
despite the occasional hiccup. Most of all, the knowledge from
thousands of years of trial and error remained. The armor of today is
lighter, stronger, and more maneuverable than the armor of legend.
Swords are sharper and more balanced. Purely mechanical devices
below a certain complexity, especially agricultural machinery, are
retooled to accept animal or human power. Additionally, the func-
tional limits of technology vary from place to place according to the
density of the EDF. Prevented from developing complicated
machines, many survivors delved into new areas, pioneers in
alternative paths of development previously considered obsolete
given the onset of the industrial revolution.
Simultaneously, bastions have employed their advanced expertise
to weaving better clothes and forging better armor. Originally
intended only for their own populations, some have learned the value
of these goods outside their walls. Though their high tech weapons
and devices are useless on the outside, bastions could still sell mass-
produced, durable creature comforts, and even advanced versions of
low-tech technologies, replacing tempered steel with carbon
nanotubes, wood with advanced plastics, wool and cotton with
synthetic fibers. This resulted in a torrent of new exports, boosting
the economy of growing nations. The process to create these items in
bulk necessitates the use of bastion knowledge and machinery,
methods only replicated where the EDF is low or virtually
nonexistent; thus markets usually sell these items for outrageous
markups. Bastions like Angel and especially York turned this into a
substantial windfall as the money turned in (gold, silver, and
platinum) could be converted into raw materials. Disruption-immune
bastion exports have found their way across the echan countryside,
employed by almost every manner of individual, though often only
held by human hands. Many of the more old-fashioned fae,
especially laudenians and chaparrans, despise these items.
It is clear, therefore, that the chief obstacle faced in open echa to a
lifestyle not entirely unlike that of, say, the mid-20th century pre-
Hammer is not lack of knowledge and development, but the lack of
the dedicated infrastructure required to take advantage of it. The
rare echans granted a peek inside the bastions (and allowed to come
out again) often wax rhapsodical about two things: electric lighting
and flush toilets. In fact, indoor plumbing is far from an impossibility
in echan communities, powered as it is entirely by simple mechanical
processes – what most of echa lacks is the extensive sewage and water
table management facilities necessary to maintain such conveniences
(even so, many present-day castles are equipped with running water
and modern lavatorial facilities). Electricity is more problematic;
though the processes for generating it work normally, even simple
batteries lose their charge two to ten times faster than in techan
communities, and even the most conductive wiring is incapable of
carrying a current more than a few hundred feet. Thus, electric
power is an extreme rarity in echa.
The greatest distinction between technology and magic is
progress. Technology improves as a civilization endeavors to better
itself. The desire to advance from a primitive design encourages the
development of better materials, better processes, and better
machines. There has never been a point where a society was content
 with what it had achieved. Based in the most basic of energy resources, the only mineral wealth they can
evolutionary drive, a species must expand both in usually claim is plentiful quantities of silicon. Only
knowledge and in scope in order to remain competitive Selkirk sits on or near a mine. This left most available
against rivals. These rivals include other nations as well resources in the hands of echan cultures. The narros, of
as other species. This compulsory habit in humans is course, are the best miners and control the most valua-
almost totally absent in non-evolved species like the ble pits, but human settlements frequently grew around
fae, and even magically uplifted species like the ko- the narros mines to aid in exporting the excess mineral
diaks are slow to embrace this biological obligation to wealth.
subsume or subjugate underdeveloped people, building The remaining resources are the common elements
upon a ruined foundation of past accomplishments. most took for granted years ago: copper, silver, gold,
Magic does not improve; when it changes, it does so platinum, iron, coal, etc. In the new age, new riches
on its own, and in random and unpredictable ways. like angelite and coruthil have also emerged. The
Creatures of magic are the same the world over, except bastions need such resources badly and some have
when they devolve, and even then the mutation usually secretly established trade agreements with outside
takes the same form whenever it occurs from the same sources.
stock. The spells of yesteryear are the same cast today.
Arcane knowledge and the ways of Pleroma passed
down from the dragons in the previous age are finite.
CURRENCY
Though occasionally new spells are uncovered, they Without an extensive system of banking and trade
have not improved the knowledge of the language or exchanges, each kingdom issues its own currency.
how it is able to alter the world when uttered. No Since the concept of paper money in any great quantity
matter how powerful magic is, it does have limits, and relies on a trust that market economies are simply
only the most powerful dragons seem capable of unable to match, nearly all of these currencies are
transcending those limits. Additionally, the only issued in coin. Thankfully, the fae nations, long before
creatures gifted with such enlightenment about man’s arrival, already decided that – despite what stamp
Pleroma are creatures without the biological compulsion was cast into the coin – the best way to ensure fair
to better their species. Therefore there has never been commerce was to make the value of the coin equal to
an attempt by the fae to improve upon it, and a human that of the metal it is made from. It is not unheard of
lifetime is too severely limited to understand all the for travelers to pay their way in coins of equal value, but
chaotic variables associated with magic. from a dozen different kingdoms. Because magic has
With this impediment, many echalogians on both difficulty forging valuable metals without the aid of a
sides of the magical/technological axis have predicted philosopher’s stone (the holy grail of alchemy and still
that eventually, science will inevitably discover how to only legend), the fae restricted their coins to a small
overcome their sensitivity to magical effects; theories of branch of metals, namely gold, silver, and copper. This
quantum mechanics already posit machines capable of was standardized amongst the gimfen, damaskans, and
making minute adjustments to their own inner narros (the latter being believed to have pioneered the
workings to compensate for the vagaries of the EDF. practice); chaparrans and laudenians preferred barter to
Additionally, bastions like Porto and Mann have put money in their own communities (and still do). Narros
forward proposals for creating a field that simulates a eventually added two more to the range, a dull silver
negative energy signature not unlike the energy from coin made from palladium and platinum, and an ultra-
Ixindar. This would result in an “anti-magic field” that rare angelite mint. In the modern world, the fae
would render all magic within it inert. If successful, the continued this practice and have endorsed a set of rules

228 retaking of the Earth by men and machines would be when dealing with currency.
inevitable. Rather than deal with the complexities of money-
changing in a culture where trade is sporadic at best,
most human nations have simply adopted the fae
RESOURCES tradition wholesale. Coins trade at the fair market
Before man fell from his seat of power, he managed to value of their constituent metals. They are all properly
strip Earth of almost all non-renewable resources. He stamped for authenticity and are distributed in near
extinguished nearly all fossil fuels, forcing bastions to identical weight to other coins of equal value. Though
develop alternate sources. Oil and gasoline are scarce each nation issues its own currency with its own unique
after the Hammer, and with a lack of industrial-scale signature, a coin from Abidan and a coin from Torquil
cultivation, vegetable-based fuels are not easily manu- are of more or less equal purity and value. As the most
factured on the scale required by a techan population. prolific mines in Canam are operated by the narros and
The biggest hurdle for any formed authority was loca- nearly all nations must deal with them for the raw
tion. Many centers of techa positioned themselves on metals necessary to make the coins in the first place,
the coast for obvious reasons. Some utilize the sinful they alone have the economic clout to ensure the
energy of the atom while others embraced cleaner re- system remains equitable across the continent.
sources like geothermal, tidal, or solar power. However, Baruch Malkut is the only nation that still employs a
while coastal locations are generally rich in these kinds standardized banknote system for higher
denominations, issuing paper with no face value to over it, making its aesthetic worth far higher than the
represent stored riches. Baruch shopkeepers, though pearl’s value itself. It is often used when flamboyant
encouraged to report those passing unfamiliar money, purchases are made, especially in front of prospective
often take foreign gold, as the coins can be melted and mates. It is commonly considered a sign of arrogance if
re-stamped. Despite a continued push to eliminate the used for mediocre acquisitions. The laudenian mark is
exchange of this money within their borders, it still merely a glossy disk of brass but is enchanted with a
occurs. The Malkut slavers, for example, freely accept permanent magical endowment. The coin has no ap-
foreign coins. parent weight and can float in midair. It cannot be bro-
ken, or bent, nor can it be picked from its owner’s
ECHAN CURRENCY purse. The coins reappear in the owner’s possession
For simplicity, all echan coins trade equally with each until willingly handed to another. Though the magic
other. Many kingdoms take foreign gold, melt it, and re can be pulled off it and used in a constructive way, only
-stamp it with their mark. Because of this practice, the the laudenian elder casters know how to accomplish
Limshau chryso is the most widely circulated currency this.
in Canam, followed distantly by the narros golden foot. The narros opus does not have enough angelite to
Here are some examples of Canam currency: forge an item but enough coins gathered could be
employed in such a way; however, the coins are worth
Copper/Brass/Bronze Coins (=1 cp) more in their issue than they are in their content and
Abidan/Limshau/Gimfen penny (plural: pennies) the cost of extracting the usable angelite from the coin
Baruch Malkut copper would increase the cost of forging the item by upwards
Kannos kuedo of 10%.
Narros copper tooth Quinox has a unique currency used in the high court
Orchis casten and in prestigious markets. It is a small monocrystal
Torquil penny (plural: pence) three inches across. The unbroken crystal is completely
Silver Coins (=1 sp) pure with no grain boundaries—a perfect crystal lattice.
Abidan dagot The ingot boules issued by the state are identical with
Kannos kroenan no markings for their authenticity. None is required, as
Baruch Malkut silver no single person within and without the House of
Gimfen pebble Quinox knows how the treasury creates such perfection.
Limshau carmot Chaparrans and laudenians prefer a barter system, but
Orchis noman when forced to use money they employ their neigh-
Narros silver finger bors' (in this case, Limshau).
Torquil sterling Games need not employ this system of currency;
Gold Coins (=1 gp) just assume the gold they acquire is universal. As an
Abidan sovereign optional rule, GMs are welcomed to include the
Kannos kannon currency titles above purely as flavor to a scene, or they
Baruch Malkut dollar may impose a rule system upon them, forcing players to
Gimfen gold stone track what kinds of money they have and its local value.
Limshau chryso If so, a few guidelines should be followed:
Narros golden foot Unique currency is only accepted by the race in
Torquil crown question and they are often unwilling to trade it
Platinum/Palladium Coins (=1 pp) over to more acceptable legal tender.
Limshau tollar
Narros pallis spirit
No one outside of Baruch Malkut accepts their
money and no legitimate vendor in the “blessed
229
Unique Currency (Various) kingdom” converts their coins or bills to foreign
Narros angelite opus (=500 gp) money.
Laudenian enchanted mark (=10,000 gp)
Banknotes are legal tender, but are usually issued
Gimfen pearl (=50 gp)
in the form of custom letters of credit and have an
Quinox crystal (=5 gp)
accepted range from their bank. Usually, this range
is within 100 miles. Outside of this, the notes are
Houses Antikari, Ogium, Plicato, and Solum all use refused. Several shops in large cities refuse to deal
various other nations’ currencies. When Torquil was in with large monies (over 500 gp) and will only accept
its prime, it instigated a massive run of its coins, which
banknotes from local banks. Banknotes are seldom
was the dominant tender for nearly a century until the
exchanged back to coins unless given as loose
kingdom’s collapse. Even after, it continued circulation
change in a purchase.
for many decades and is still found today, though
Gems and jewelry are not legal tender and must be
overwhelmed by the distribution of Limshau coins.
traded for currency or banknotes.
Unique currency is often not accepted outside of the
region of issue, except by collectors. The gimfen pearl
is an actual pearl but with nearly pin-thin etch-work all
 UNIVERSAL CREDITS (UC) In the end, very little is more satisfying than returning
It would be great to think that one could pass into the to a bastion with your holds overflowing with gold.
walls of a city of industry with a bag of gold and buy a
laser gun. Alas, it is not that simple. Because of TECH LEVELS
bastions’ desperate need for resources, currency is Tech levels indicate the differences between the basti-
printed on the cheapest of materials. They all ons. Some of these city-states reached pinnacles of ad-
commonly feature a half-plastic/half paper medium vancement before others. Some struggled to survive
impossible to copy with more than 300 counterfeit while others flourished. With the EDF making long-
measures including holographic imagery and computer range communication impossible, the bastions grew and
encoding. Each has special imprinting from its home developed separately from their brethren. After 500
bastion. No bastion currency can be exchanged with years, they are not about to start sharing. Bastions
any other bastion currency. For the sake of clarity, would not only fight for technology but for the people
these moneys are given the term Universal Credits (uc), possessing the knowledge to build it. Tech levels indi-
for they represent the legal tender of all bastion cate the possible origin of a weapon as well as its dam-
currency. age potential. Anyone finding and using high tech gear
Various Bastion Currencies: Angel dollar, Mann is skittish about flaunting it in a lower-TL bastion for
credit, Sierra Madre bar, Selkirk shilling, and York fear it will be confiscated, dismantled, and reverse engi-
dollar. neered.
Although you cannot trade one bastion currency for Seven tech levels exist. These are broad categoriza-
another bastion currency, they are all considered equal tions reflecting both how advanced a device is and how
in value in regards to echan currency. Bastions are easily disrupted it is by EDF. There are often excep-
always happy to convert echan currency into their own tions when a bastion develops a device higher than their
denominations, because echan currency is worth the stated tech level. Higher tech level bastions gain access
value of its metal, and bastions are always in the need to all levels below them. ‘Tech Level’ is not a term
for echan currency. Converting money the other way that is used in-universe, but most bastions are broadly
generally involves finding a black-marketeer, who will aware of the tiers of distinction between one another
exchange uc for gold at a ruinous markup; most people and have their own methods of classifying those differ-
leaving a bastion find it easier and more economical to ences.
convert their money into exportable trade goods and Tech Level 0: This level covers all technological
sell them at the first large market town outside. development from the early industrial level to the start
Every bastion except Mann will accept echan of the microchip revolution. Most, but not all TL0
currency regardless of its national stamp. For this technology is relatively safe from disruption, although
purpose 1 uc = 1 gp. There are no fractions or change this depends on the strength of the local EDF, and as
and exchange banks will not accept lower value always, the less advanced the machine, the safer.
currencies unless they add up to a single uc. Banks will Vehicles: Wheeled or tracked ground vehicles and
also not give out or return echan currency as they are propeller-driven aircraft running on simple chemical
smelted and put to applicable use; gold in particular is fuels instead of electricity (alcohol-based fuel is more
essential, as most modern electrical wiring is made from accessible and stable in EDF than petroleum or bio-
it due to its near total impermeability to most magic. diesel, but limits the output of the engine significantly)
No bastions accept unique echan currency. or human- or animal-power. Military craft flaunt armor
The Treasure Conundrum: Alas, unlike echans, and tank treads. Fly by wire.
techan characters will seldom (if ever) find their
230
Weapons: Bolt action and flechette rounds fire from
technology in the lair of a dragon (or any other creature most guns. More primitive black-powder firearms are
for that matter). This means techans must return to a in use in some areas, but advanced versions of bows and
bastion or techan merchant to re-arm and upgrade their crossbows are more generally favored.
technology or depend on a trained engineer to build Medical: Natural healing only. Surgery can cure
arms or armor over a long period of time. Nothing they most wounds, but recovery can last a while.
find in field will be applicable to them (except as Tech Level 1: This is the most basic level required
widgets). to be considered ‘high-tech’. Almost all technological
If characters gain a level in a dungeon, they won’t advances from this point on are dependent upon elec-
conveniently find a higher level weapon after they slay tricity.
the next big monster. In long, protracted adventures, Vehicles: Aircraft utilize aero-forms with jet engines
this may create problems. Vehicles are a wise base of or propellers. Vehicles roll on wheels but possess trac-
operations as they may hold many times over the tion control and anti-lock brakes. Armored vehicles
ammunition capacity of a single techan character. This become lighter and radar-resistant.
may solve the problematic issue of ammunition but not Weapons: Electronically stacked projectiles and
about the eventual need to upgrade technology. Alas, caseless ammunition. Basic energy weapons are limited
the echan wilderness is not called a wasteland by the to short range electric shocks.
techans for nothing. The GM has options to offset this.
 Medical: Natural healing mostly, assisted by EKGs Medical: Rapid healing injections, designer drugs,
and X-Ray machines. Surgical recovery times are im- gene therapy, and beneficial viruses. Healing time cut
proved by synthetic skin and anti-rejection drugs. in half with medical attention.
Tech Level 2: At this level, almost every form of Tech Level 4: Refinements in the manipulation of
technology has integrated electronics and advanced magnetic fields and energy levels characterize this
computer control. stage.
Vehicles: Ground vehicles now sport computer navi- Vehicles: Magnetic vehicles reduce in size and now
gation, climate control, and electronic stability. Aircraft replace wheels in common transport. Fanjets shrink and
can now fly themselves if need be. Advanced aerospace become more efficient.
has given way to vectored thrust and vertical-take-off Weapons: The beginning of basic laser weaponry.
aircraft. Advanced magnetics. Prototype exo-armor appears.
Weapons: Computer tracking and targeting. Infra- Medical: Most known diseases are curable. Healing
red and thermal imaging is available, but not standard. time cut to one-third with medical attention. Nanotech
Firearms haven’t changed but have grown more compli- healing is in its infancy.
cated with advanced reloading and higher firing rates. Tech Level 5: At this level, energy is almost as
Advances in construction make them lighter with larger freely manipulable as matter and nanotechnology is
calibers. ubiquitous.
Medical: Computer diagnostic beds, MRIs, and ro- Vehicles: Robots appear beyond the role of “dumb
botic assisted surgery. tool.” Exo-armor is mass produced. Wheeled traffic 231
Tech Level 3: This is a liminal stage. Old technolo- virtually nonexistent or, if it exists, can traverse any ter-
gies are simultaneously being advanced and refined at rain. Ramjets shrink and provide massive thrust in small
the same time as their inevitable (but still somewhat packages, revolutionizing transportation outside the
primitive) replacements are entering circulation. This magnetic-traffic.
is the last tech level that an observer from the 21 st cen- Weapons: Laser weapons “tunable.” Plasma wea-
tury pre-Hammer might still find familiar. ponry. Bolt weapons are outdated.
Vehicles: Vertical take-off fan craft and wingless jets Medical: Nanotechnology can heal any wounds and
keep aircraft aloft, are much more stable, and can fly even regenerate limbs.
rings around more primitive craft. Aircraft designs are Tech Level 6: Any sufficiently advanced technology
no longer dominated by their massive aero-forms. would be indistinguishable from magic, if magic didn’t
Ground vehicles still use wheels but now mass transit break sufficiently advanced technology.
magnetic vehicles appear as an alternative. Vehicles: Antigravity replaces all previous transpor-
Weapons: Bolt weapons remain the choice for most tation.
but the way they fire improves. Railcannons and self- Weapons: Disruptors, vapor rifles, disintegrator wea-
propelled projectiles exist, but are not common. ponry.
Medical: Complete body reconstruction.
 APPLICATION OF TECH LEVELS Carbon Crossbow: This super light crossbow was
The tech level determines how easily the item is affect- exported from York originally, but replicas have been
ed by disruption rolls (see below) and affects the diffi- found across Canam. The weapon is a sleek, smooth,
culty and cost of repairs and modifications to the item. multi-piece item of black and silver, constructed not of
Tech levels can also be used as a guide to determine steel, but of plastics and carbon fiber. This makes the
when certain items should be made available to charac- weapon less clumsy than ancient designs. It is not a
ters. High tech levels also generally pair up with bonus- weapon starting characters can own.
es (attack and damage for weapons, AC for armor, etc.) Property: The carbon crossbow comes with a range-
TECH LEVEL TIER BONUS finding scope.
Compound Longbow: Compound bows are
TL0 Adventurer 0
fashioned of steel or aluminum – a few rare models are
TL1 Adventurer 0
constructed from magnarros or angelite. They are
TL2 Adventurer +1 bolted and adjusted by computer. Their power comes
TL3 Champion +2 from a series of pulleys, cams, and levers. They do not
TL4 Champion +2 warp and can be adjusted for a variety of conditions. It
TL5 Epic +3 is not a weapon starting characters can own.
TL6 Epic +3
LIMSHAU WEAPONS
ECHAN WEAPONS Modern Limshau weapons were adapted from
knowledge acquired from refugees leaving Angel when
Most fae races remain steadfast in their traditions and Ravenar visited the walls hundreds of years ago, and the
techniques. A laudenian bow looks the same now as it designs and names of these weapons were taken from
always did. Only the damaskans continue to evolve the traditions of old Asia from which most of these
with knowledge collected from their human allies, and displaced peoples descended. All Limshau weapons
weapons from Limshau revel in a newfound look plain and featureless, sporting neither jewels in
understanding of the forge and hammer. their pommels nor intricate weavings on their handles,
but the swords are extremely sharp and feature holes
BASTION EXPORTS along the blade to lighten the weapon without
Some manufacturers in bastions employ advanced tech- sacrificing tensile strength by a significant margin. Ad-
nology to create melee weapons of amazing quality. ditionally, modern Limshau weapons benefit from ad-
The materials melt at exacting points and are chemical- vanced forging techniques and significantly better qual-
ly combined to a perfect ratio, their edges shaved to ity steel than their original namesakes, making them
almost an atom’s sharpness. Bows are no longer strung much less brittle and given them significantly more
animal hides around bent wood but cables wound longevity than an equivalent from the old world.
around a mechanism of levers. All bastion export weap- Special: Characters with Limshau backgrounds are
ons are finely calibrated, lighter and sturdier than their able to select these weapons at creation.
echan equivalents. However, bastion exports look plain Property: Wielding a Limshau melee weapon be-
and somewhat ordinary; maker symbols offer some stows a +1 bonus to AC until the beginning of your next
style, usually engraved in the steel itself, but are rarely turn if you hit an enemy with a melee attack.
ostentatious. Often enough, they are built for effective- Limshau Repeating Crossbow: This unique weapon
ness, not glory, so seldom do they strike fear in oppo- has found popularity recently with custodians in the
nents when raised in anger. They won’t rouse the mass- outer cities, and has since spread into wider circulation.
232 es when pulled from their scabbard. Because of the This single-hand crossbow carries a strap around the
niche market for such items, echan weapons made and user’s arm, allowing the weapon to be reloaded with a
exported from techa fetch steep prices and rarely can single hand, making it the only full-size crossbow that
buyers justify the expense. A prospective buyer can can be loaded and fired repeatedly with a single hand.
usually spot one of these rare weapons by their extrava- Property: Reloading takes a free action, but after six
gant cost. They are still counted as echan weapons and shots, you must take a standard action to reload it.
are not affected by disruption. Most fae (except gimfen
and damaskans) disdain bastion exports, but anyone
else who can get them wields them as proudly as if
pulled from a narros fire pit, a result of technological
know-how, not magical aptitude.
Property: Generally, bastion exports inflict slightly
more damage than traditional weapons (1d6 to 1d8 to
1d10 to 1d12), see table.
Brass Knuckles: A no fuss weapon, brass knuckles
are a simple melee weapon.
 capable of adapting themselves to any chaparran (or
ECHAN WEAPONS other worthy spirit) wielding them. Black bows do not
WEAPON Recommended Price bond permanently to a user but they have been known
Damage to “play favorites”. Being a non-chaparran and gaining
One-Handed the benefits of a black bow is rare, but has been known
Makana 1d6 15 gp to happen.
Property: You can use Strength instead of Dexterity
Bastion bastard sword 1d10 350 gp/uc
with ranged attacks while using a Kitarri Black Bow
Bastion short 1d6 310 gp/uc
(and it is one of the few bows able to inflict 1d10 dam-
Limshau katana 1d10 400 gp
age).
Limshau nagamaki 1d8 230 gp
Limshau tanto 1d4 250 gp
Limshau wakazashi 1d6 350 gp TECHAN WEAPONS
Narros krollish 1d10 50 gp Techan weapons are listed by broad examples: if every
Two-Handed
variation from every bastion were to be detailed, the list
would take up half the book. However, some unique
Compound longbow 1d10 350 gp/uc
weapons are included.
Carbon crossbow 1d8 330 gp/uc
Standard Equipment: At character creation, a player
Bastion greatsword 1d12 330 gp/uc
can select any TL0 weapon fitting for their class except
Bastion longsword 1d10 315 gp/uc for super heavy weapons and specialty weapons.
Kitarri black bow 1d10 — gp
Limshau crossbow 1d8 300 gp
Limshau odachi 1d10 400 gp
WEAPON RULES
Limshau naginata 1d10 400 gp
The following rules apply to all weapons included here:
Reloading Weapons: All weapons are manual or clip
Limshau yari 1d10 380 gp
-loading. Though these clips may be energy cells, they
OTHER ECHAN WEAPONS all necessitate the same time to reload. Reloading one
Makana: Chaparrans do not like using metal weap- techan weapon of any type requires a move action. Cer-
ons if they can avoid it. While they will use swords if tain powers.
they have to, most prefer the makana – a thin, sharp- Switching Weapons: Although drawing a weapon is
edged club made of very dense wood, studded with a quick action, switching weapons without dropping one
stone, bone, or occasionally steel studs at regular inter- requires two quick actions (one to return—or sheath a
vals along opposite sides of its length. The makana weapon – the other to draw the second). Although this
handles similarly to a sword under normal usage, but would never be an issue with fantasy players, techan
can also be wielded like a club without requiring the players may often switch weapons several times during
user to shift their grip. an encounter. Some abilities and feats may alter this
Narros Krollish: The narros krollish was considered rule.
the standard weapon of choice for most narros serving in Basic Chemical Projectiles: The vast majority of
the military. This practice has waned in the centuries techan weapons in echa rely on basic chemical propul-
since the narros’ return, only keeping the tradition with- sion. The earliest firearms used chemical explosives to
in Fargon. Narros born or raised elsewhere run the risk propel its deadly shell toward its victim. Although the
of never picking up one. The krollish is a multi- chemicals evolved as knowledge did, the result re-
mained the same. Requiring no energy cell, standard
233
function weapon featuring no less than three different
ways to inflict damage on a target. Its business end ballistic firearms seldom broke down. As time contin-
sports both an axe and a hammer, formed from a single ued, the chemicals became easier to locate. Even in the
block of steel. That head is topped on a long staff tow- largest, most advanced bastions, chemical firearms are
ering over most narros wielding it. still popular among those leaving the safety of their
Kitarri Black Bow: Legend claims that the wood walls. Assault rifles, autoloaders, bolt sniper rifles, all
inside of a kitarri black bow is partly infused with the caseless weapons, light machine guns, machine pistols,
spirit of dead chaparran. It is commonly known that all shotguns, pocket pistols, sniper cannons, and subma-
when a chaparran dies, it is placed without coffin in the chine guns utilize chemical projectiles. There are also
dirt along with a single acorn. The tree which grows two subsets of BCP weaponry:
requires neither light nor water. Chaparrans are able to Caseless Ammunition: Caseless weapons use unique
command wood to naturally grow objects for them to clipless, caseless ammunition. A square-shaped round is
use, including weapons. It was at some point where the entire firing mechanism. The shell is encased inside
these two traditions merged, and these trees enchanted a solid propellant coffin, connected to others, and fed as
with the spirit of passed fae were used/asked to create a clip. Each bullet, when fired, incinerates its case,
great structures and items for the elite of chaparran soci- ejecting the remnants with the bullet. Caseless weap-
ety. The temples of Jibaro are thought to be such ex- ons possess massive clip capacities.
amples. Kitarri black bows are believed to be another, Electronic Stacked Projectiles (ESP): No longer are
bullets loaded from an external clip and launched via a
 A. Plasma Rifle J. Rotary Cannon
(Collapsed/Deployed) K. Thumper Laser Can-
B. Caseless Pistol non
C. Pocket Pistol L. Vapor Rifle
D. Pulse Carbine M. Gauss Repeater
E. Plasma Grenade (Medium & Large User
F. Submachine Gun Configuration)
G. SPP Rifle N. Caseless Rifle
H. Rail Pistol O. Pulse Capacitor Rifle
I. Ion Rifle

firing pin. Now they are loaded directly into the barrel,
separated only by the propellant. The concept dates
back to traditional fireworks except the stacked projec-
tile weapon does not need to fire its entire payload
when ignited. Electrical pulses launch the bullets in the
proper order. Misfires are pushed out by the next
round, preventing backfire. This removes the need for a
clip, a firing pin, or for that matter, any moving parts at
all. The greatest advantage of this technology is a phe-
nomenal firing rate, capable of discharging rounds liter-
ally as a stream of bullets.

WEAPON GROUPS
The weapons covered here are grouped into the follow-
ing categories based on their general utility. They do
not fall into the normal categories of simple, military, or
superior weapons.
Heavy Weapons: These are large weapon systems
that require a tripod, a base, a platform, or any other
stable point from which to fire.
Properties: Because of their cumbersome nature, if
you move or are moved any distance you suffer a -4
penalty to attack rolls with heavy weapons until the
start of your next turn (you can shoot first and then
move to avoid the penalty on your turn). You also suffer
the penalty when using a heavy weapon against targets
engaged with you.
Small Arms, One-Handed: These are single-handed
firearms which are renowned for their ease of use and
compact style, making them an easy choice for those

234 preferring stealth. These weapons include basic pistols

and small machine guns.
Properties: Firing a one-handed small arm does not
provoke opportunity attacks. These weapons include
basic pistols and small machine guns. They cannot be
wielded by larger creatures (i.e.: exo-armor or vehicles).
Small Arms, Two-Handed: These are larger, slight-
ly clumsier weapons usually preferred for their long
range, high stopping power, and larger clip capacities.
These include machine guns, most sniper rifles, and
assault rifles.
Properties: Because of their cumbersome nature, if
you move more or are moved, you suffer a -2 penalty to
attack rolls with two-handed small arms until the begin-
ning of your next turn (you can shoot first and then
move to avoid the penalty on your turn). You also suffer
the penalty when using a two-handed small arm against
targets engaged with you.
ONE-HANDED SMALL ARMS
WEAPON PRICE CLIP/CELL TL BONUS PROPERTIES
Autoloader 25 15 0 0 BCP
Machine pistol 40 30 0 0 Auto, BCP
Revolver 20 6 0 0 BCP, immune
Pocket pistol 20 6 0 0 BCP, immune
Dragoon 15 2 0 0 Immune
Break-action shot pistol 30 2 0 0 Immune, shotgun
Caseless pistol 2,250 40 1 0 BCP
Light machine pistol 2,350 30 1 0 Auto, BCP
ESP pistol 8,800 40 2 +1 Auto, BCP
ESP swarm 9,600 40 2 +1 Auto/heavy auto•••
SPP pistol 8,800 10 2 +1 SPP
Coil pistol 34,000 10 3 +2 Gauss
Solid laser pistol 58,000 20 4 +2 Laser
Rail pistol 60,000 10 4 +2 Gauss, high crit
Plasma pistol 98,000 15 5 +3 Plasma
Thumper laser pistol 98,000 30 5 +3 Auto, high crit, laser
Capacitor plasma pistol 128,000 30 6 +3 Auto, plasma

TWO-HANDED SMALL ARMS

WEAPON PRICE CLIP/CELL TL BONUS PROPERTIES
Assault rifle 50 50 0 0 Auto, BCP
Shotgun 50 6 0 0 BCP, shotgun
Bolt rifle 35 5 0 0 Immune
Bolt sniper rifle 45 6 0 0 BCP, sniper
Machine shotgun 2,500 30 1 0 Auto, BCP, shotgun, under
Submachine gun 3,000 60 1 0 Auto, BCP
Sniper cannon 4,000 6 1 0 BCP, sniper
Caseless rifle 4,000 100 1 0 Auto, BCP
ESP rifle 5,000 10 2 +1 Auto, BCP
ESP Legion 5,000 100 2 +1 Auto/heavy auto•••
SPP rifle 18,000 20 2 +1 SPP
SPP Vortex 35,000 70 2 +1 Auto, SPP
Coilgun 34,000 16 3 +2 Gauss
SPP sensor gun 34,000 10 3 +2 SPP, sniper
Ion rifle 25,000 20 3 +2 Pincher
Cyclotron rifle 38,000 20 3 +2 Nuclear
Kinetic flash rifle 36,000 50 3 +2 Auto, gauss
Nuclear pulse rifle 42,000 80 3 +2 Auto, nuclear
Solid laser rifle 72,000 20 4 +2 Laser
Ultimate sniper rifle 80,000 10 4 +2 Gauss, High crit, sniper
Gauss repeater 85,000 40 4 +2 Auto, gauss, high crit 235
Plasma rifle 128,000 15 5 +3 Plasma
Thumper laser rifle 135,000 60 5 +3 Auto, high crit, laser
Pulse capacitor rifle 145,000 80 6 +3 Auto, plasma
•••Weapons with both the auto and heavy auto properties allow you to declare which property you are using at the
time you activate a power.

Specialty Weapons: These are weapons with a Note: Specialty weapons are often rare and ammo is
unique function that require specific training. These generally scarce and limited. Unlike normal weapons,
include sonic weapons, pulse weaponry, and rocket players need to track ammunition for these weapons
launchers. Specialty weapons also count as one- or two- and understand that it can and will eventually run out.
handed small arms, heavy weapons or super heavy Super Heavy Weapons: These are weapons with
weapons for all purposes except proficiency. the potential of incredible damage but with a cumber-
Properties: Specialty weapons can only be used some design. All super heavy weapons come equipped
with a no-frills basic ranged attack (no maneuvers or with either a vehicle mount or a tripod. These large
triggered special abilities) or its own special attack. weapon systems require a tripod, a base, a platform, or
any other stable point from which to fire. Examples
 HEAVY WEAPONS
WEAPON PRICE CLIP/CELL TL BONUS PROPERTIES
Machine light cannon 65 120 0 0 heavy auto
Rotary cannon 2,300 300 1 0 heavy auto
ESP maelstrom 10,000 400 2 +1 heavy auto
“God’s Eye” sniper gun 14,000 10 2 +1 high crit, sniper
Ion cannon 22,000 40 3 +2 Pincher
Coil light gun 42,000 40 3 +2 Gauss
Nuclear particle lance 43,000 30 3 +2 High-crit, nuclear
Linear collider 45,000 60 3 +2 heavy auto, nuclear
Sonic devastator 28,000 40 3 +2 Sonic
Railcannon 75,000 120 4 +2 Gauss, heavy auto, high crit
Solid laser cannon 80,000 30 4 +2 Laser
Thumper laser cannon 134,000 100 5 +3 Heavy auto, high crit, laser
Pulse mini-gun 144,000 100 6 +3 Heavy auto, plasma
Capacitor apocalypse 162,000 100 6 +3 Heavy auto, plasma

SUPER HEAVY WEAPONS

WEAPON PRICE CLIP/CELL TL BONUS PROPERTIES
Mortar•• 1,200 1 1 0 Grenade
Volley gun ESP 3,400 600 2 +1 heavy auto
Autocannon 3,400 200 2 +1 Auto
Super-Kill Sniper 105,000 5 4 +2 Gauss, sniper
Mass driver 325,000 10 5 +2 Gauss
Particle beam gun 25,000 20 3 +2 Nuclear
Dense Plasma Focus Cannon 625,000 200 5 +3 Heavy auto, high-crit, plasma

SPECIALTY WEAPONS (Can only be used with a “no-frills” ranged basic action)
WEAPON PRICE CLIP/CELL TL BONUS PROPERTIES
Capsicum spray 20 3 0 0 1-handed
Grenade launcher 60 1 0 0 1-handed, grenade
Grenade light weapon 300 6 0 0 2-handed, grenade
Electroshock gun 2,000 1 1 0 1-handed
Glue gun 2,000 1 1 0 Exp, heavy weapon
Net gun 1,000 1 1 0 2-handed
Rocket launcher 500 1 1 0 Heavy weapon, exp
Grenade launcher, mark II 2,000 4 3 +1 1-handed, grenade
Laser guided rocket launcher 3,500 1 2 +1 2-handed, exp, guided
Tank heavy gun 3,400 1 2 +1 2-handed, exp
Grenade launcher, mark III 19,200 6 5 +3 1-handed, grenade
Sonic stunner 18,000 10 3 +2 2-handed
236 Restrainment field
Smart guided rocket launcher
45,000
5,500
1
1
4
4
+2
+2
1-handed
2-handed, exp, guided
Plasma thrower 34,000 10 5 +3 2-handed, plasma
Plasma artillery 98,000 4 6 +3 Plasma, exp, super heavy weapon
Vapor rifle 200,000 6 6 +3 2-handed

TECHAN MELEE WEAPONS

WEAPON PRICE TL BONUS PROPERTIES
Brass Knuckles 5 0 0 1-handed, augment, immune
Buzz Baton 32,000 3 +1 1-handed, pincher
Piton-Gauntlet 2,500 1 0 1-handed, augment
Power-Hooks 48,000 4 +2 1-handed, augment
Tesla glove 62,000 5 +3 1-handed, augment, pincher

••Mortars cannot target creatures nearby or closer.

include heavy guns and artillery weapons. ural speed, or being able to ambush opponents from a
Properties: Unless the weapon is mounted on a ve- concealed and inaccessible location. Add to that the
hicle, exo-armor, or another fixed weapon mount, you cramped quarters of most dungeons along with the ca-
must use a standard action to plant it in the ground be- pacity of monsters to sustain significant punishment
fore firing. Once planted it cannot be moved unless before dying, and the necessity of creating advanced
you use a standard action to uproot it. If you fire a su- melee weapons became an urgency.
per heavy weapon without planting it, the attack auto- The issue with employing active technology with
matically misses and you are dazed until the beginning close-combat weapons in a fantasy world is that, by their
of your next turn. You cannot target creatures engaged very nature, the weapon has to physically touch a crea-
with you with a super heavy weapon. ture that generates a disruption field in order to do any
Additionally, all super heavy weapons inflict +2 damage. As a result, these melee weapons have to be
damage per die. especially insulated against magical influence; hence 237
Techan Melee Weapons: Close combat training is the absence of the aforementioned energy swords, even
hardly obsolete since the development of chemical pro- in the bastions whose technology is only limited by the
pulsion and large-clip firearms, but it is not the focus of human imagination.
the modern high-tech military. Though a knife will Disruption: Melee weapons are still effective as
always be standard equipment, it is more often used as weapons even when disrupted. A disrupted melee
a utility item rather than a weapon, at least until the weapon loses any bonus, properties, and powers: it re-
pistol ran out of bullets. As expected, the concepts of tains damage unless indicated otherwise in the weapon
laser swords and mono-molecular whips are constructs description.
of pure science fiction, and are considered neither pos- Size: Like firearms, techan melee weapons can be
sible nor practical for a modern military. enlarged for Large users (exo-armor). If purchased this
While a gun will almost always be the best choice way, they no longer can be used by Medium users. If
for taking down a ravening monster, free companies and used by exo-armor, use the TL of the melee weapon
other technological-based organizations actively en- when determining enhancement bonuses to attacks and
gaged with outside forces have often found themselves damage.
squaring off against foes able to reduce the effective-
ness of ranged weapons, including invisibility, supernat-
 RESIZING WEAPONS TL2 is about the limit of what you can
Weapons can be held or mounted, wielded by ground see in regular use, even from more
troops or by massive armored robots. Weapons do not advanced bastions - because the more
scale in damage if adapted for a vehicle or by a larger complex something is, the more likely
user. However, since weapons are listed as three differ- it is to disrupt, even techans used to
ent classifications, larger ones can be treated as smaller more advanced machinery tend to use simpler
ones if wielded by a larger user or mounted on a vehi-
weapons in the field. You tend see more plas-
cle. Usually, a weapon must be specially engineered (or
re-engineered) to fit a larger wielder, at which point it
ma rifles in use by gimfen than you do by hu-
cannot be used by wielders of its original size. mans.
One-Handed Small Arms: These weapons cannot
be resized, though they can be mounted.
Two-Handed Small Arm: A Large user treats
WEAPON PROPERTIES
Where magical weapons have enhancements, techan
resized two-handed small arms as one-handed small
weapons have properties.
arms for purposes of attack penalties due to movement,
Augment: An augment weapon uses your unarmed
and requires only one hand to wield them. If you
attack to determine damage dice. An unarmed attack
mount a two-handed small arm to a vehicle, it becomes
can only benefit from one augment weapon at a time.
a detachable weapon and does not inflict attack penal-
Auto: A weapon with the auto property can fire 1
ties through movement while mounted, through it still
round of ammunition per attack roll with any power
requires two hands to use.
without the auto keyword. You fire 5 rounds of ammu-
Heavy Weapons: A Large user treats resized heavy
nition per attack roll with powers with the auto key-
weapons as two-handed small arms for purposes of at-
word. Some powers have additional abilities when fir-
tack penalties due to movement. If you mount a heavy
ing weapons with the auto property.
weapon to a vehicle, it becomes a detachable weapon
Capacitor: Capacitor weapons resulted from plasma
and is treated as a two-handed small arm for purposes of
bottle research. It builds upon this by combining ele-
attack penalties due to movement, though it still occu-
ments from both plasma and laser technologies. For the
pies the turret as a heavy weapon.
capacitor weapons, the shooter can dial up the strength
Super Heavy Weapons: A Large user treats resized
of the energy burst. The weapon charges up by siphon-
super heavy weapons as heavy weapons for purposes of
ing energy from its cell. The weapon discharges plasma
attack penalties due to movement. If you mount a su-
energy but also uses plasma as its accelerator.
per heavy weapon to a vehicle, it is treated as a heavy
Property: Capacitors have three settings. Each ad-
weapon for purposes of attack penalties due to move-
ditional charge spent per attack roll increases its damage
ment, though it still occupies the turret as a super heavy
die by one step (1d4 > 1d6 > 1d8 > 1d10 > 1d12 > 2d6 >
weapon.
2d8 > 2d10), to a maximum of 3 steps with 4 charges.
Weapon Mounts/Turrets: Several vehicles and exo-
Special: All capacitor weapons also have the plasma
armor feature weapon mounts or turrets. Each entry
property.
will list what kind of weapon can be mounted. When a
Exp: Explosives are area effects. When using a
maximum size of the weapon is indicated, this is the
weapon with an Exp effect, roll 1d4 for the number of
unmodified weapon’s size, not a resized weapon. You
targets the weapon can affect. There has to be that
can always mount smaller weapons than indicated, but
number of targets in a reasonably close area.
never larger. You cannot combine smaller weapons
Gauss: These weapons are the most popular weap-
mounts into one larger mount unless a vehicle allows it.
238 on for techan soldiers in the echan wilderness after the
standard firearm. Magnetic fields are not affected by
A point about the table. Advanced
disruption, a welcome blessing to those living under
techan weapons should be treated the Earth’s blanket of protection. The specific process of
same as magic items are treated in 13th accelerating metal shells using magnetism is complicat-
Age. The more advanced ones are ex- ed, and coil-based and rail-based technology fire their
tremely rare in open echa. 13th Age discour- shells using different means. All magnetic accelerated
ages monetary gains and costs for magic items, weapons feature long ranges and high critical ratings.
but we are listing them because it’s a logical They also require changing both a clip and a cell. These
byproduct of a technological society. weapons deliver astounding kinetic potential.
Property: For every maximum result on any of your
damage dice on a hit (including on critical hits), all oth-
er damage dice on that same hit (including extra dice)
gain a +1 bonus to damage.
Barrel Shot (recharge 11+): When you drop a crea-
ture with a rail weapon attack; you can make a single
ranged basic attack on one creature in direct line of ef-
fect in the weapon’s range.
 Guided: These weapons assist in aiming after being densed radiation and plasma inflicts severe heat, weap-
fired and can even make a secondary attack if the first ons with the nuclear property inflict damage via a high-
one misses. energy beam of atoms. Upon impact, they disrupt the
Seeker Shot (recharge 11+). Reroll if the attack molecular structure of the target. Tissue damage from
misses (you must take the second result). radiation is a frequent side effect. This technology has
Heavy Auto: These weapons function the same as been dubbed a "dirty solution", as it emerges frequently
auto weapons, but have no single shot option. They before the advancement of high-powered lasers and
always fire at least 10 rounds of ammunition per attack plasma weapons.
roll, regardless of the power being used. Some attack Property: If you hit with a nuclear weapon, every
powers have additional abilities when firing weapons subsequent consecutive hit on the same target gains a
with the heavy auto property. +1 power bonus to damage (cumulative up to +3).
Immune: These weapons cannot be disrupted by Radiation (recharge 11+): The target is weakened
ambient EDF because of their archaic construction. (normal save ends 11+).
They will still suffer disruption if enchanted or subject- Pincher: These weapons deliver an electromagnetic
ed to direct magical attack. pulse that disrupts any item that requires a battery or an
Laser: Any condensed, well-defined beam of light electric current to operate.
can be considered a laser. In history, the initial weapons Property: All battery-powered technology on the
concentrated radiation to a focal point, burning the tar-
get with intense heat: such beams were usually invisi-
target suffers a disruption roll at -2. If the target takes
any damage from your weapon, you can use the follow-
239
ble, which is useful for stealth but less so for accuracy. ing power against it:
Later developments increased the size, damage poten- Lightning Pulse (recharge 11+): The target is
tial, and visibility of these beams. Often, lasers are con- stunned until the beginning of your next turn.
fused with pulse plasma weapons. The largest differ- Plasma: Any weapon employing ionized gas is con-
ence is that lasers cut while plasma splashes. Laser sidered a plasma weapon. This involves either using the
weapons give away their firer’s position but deliver dev- magnetically conductive matter as a delivery device or
astating damage few can resist. They can also track tar- as a weapon itself. Magnetism is one of the few scien-
gets easier with subsequent damage. There are laser tific constants not broken by the EDF: a plasma weapon
pistols, rifles, and thumper cannons. fires a toroid of superheated gas inside a magnetohydro-
Property: If you hit with a laser, you gain a +1 bonus dynamic bubble that is then accelerated from the barrel
to attack that same target until the end of your next in the same way a railgun fires its iron-core shell. The
turn. bubble remains solid for a significant time, or until it
Slice (recharge 11+): If you score a critical hit, make strikes its target, at which point the bubble is dispersed
a second attack against the same target. and delivers its energetic payload as a cloud of intense
Nuclear: These are directed energy weapons similar heat. There are plasma pistols, rifles, and capacitor can-
to plasma and laser guns. Where a laser inflicts con- nons.
 Property: On a hit, you may deal extra fire damage Property: On a hit, the target suffers no damage;
equal to your miss damage to one creature near the tar- instead, it is dazed and hampered until the start of your
get. next turn. One a miss, the target is only hampered.
Ignition (recharge 11+): The target takes 20 extra Electroshock Gun: This wand-shaped device fires
ongoing fire damage. air-compressed barbed darts attached to coils towards a
Self Propelled Projectile (SPP): SPP weapons start- target. Upon impact, the coils conduct a massive elec-
ed emerging from Angel R&D and eventually found trical current, disrupting superficial muscle functions.
use across the world due to parallel development or sto- The darts can penetrate enough to attach to anything,
len designs. They are small rockets fired from pistols or and are also magnetic. The electrical pulse does not
rifles that continue to accelerate after an initial air com- need to penetrate skin to be effective.
pression push fires them from the shell. Although more Firing Rate: Tension springs recoil the darts back to
expensive than traditional firearms, SPPs proved useful the gun as a free action, making it available to fire again.
for engagements when range mattered. The ammuni- However, it cannot fire again for 10 rounds as its capaci-
tion for SPP weapons are sabot rounds, as the shell tor needs to charge.
ejected breaks apart, and the contained self-propelled Range: Because of the length of coil, you can only
projectile ignites, breaking from its seal. All SPP weap- attack nearby or engaged targets.
ons can fire underwater, though their range is halved. Property: On a hit, the target suffers no damage;
They are not common but have definitive advantages, instead, the target is weakened (normal save ends 11+).
such as explosive warheads and guidance systems. Flamethrower: This weapon has shrunk in size over
Property: SPP weapons also have the guided prop- the years. Though still two-handed, it no longer re-
erty. quires an unsafe nozzle to an even more hazardous
Shotgun: Shotguns impact with tremendous force at backpack. Modern flamethrowers keep their tank
close range, but this stopping power diminishes rapidly mounted under the weapon stock. The tank is com-
further out. They are fairly distinct and few models are prised of a relatively safe solid fuel. When combined
on the market. with air, it reacts into expanding foam. A small battery
Property: Shotguns inflict +1 damage per die if fired compresses air in a separate chamber. The foam enters
at nearby targets. At far away, they deal half damage. the final chamber and, when allowed to decompress,
Sniper: These weapons contain advanced targeting sprays out in liquid form. A magnesium igniter at its
systems for long-range fire. They are available in barrel sends the superheated stream of flame to its tar-
chemical, laser, and magnetic variations. get. Despite rumors and urban legends, neither older
Targeting Scope: All sniper rifles are equipped with nor modern flamethrower tanks explode easily if rup-
a sniper scope by default. tured or if a spark flicks nearby. If the weapon tank is
Sonic: The first sonic weapon was no more than a ruptured, the foam would break and spray but not auto-
simple high-powered oscillating pain siren generating matically ignite. Even older models would only burst
175 decibel (dB) acoustic waves in all directions. Newer like aerosol cans and not violently explode. Advanced
sonic weapons utilize high frequency ultrasound to car- versions release superheated plasma.
ry the painful audio waves in a straight, focused path. Property: An attack with a flamethrower uses the
This technology offers increased range with no adverse following basic attack.
side effects for the user. Target: 1d4 engaged or nearby enemies.
Deafened (recharge 11+): A hit target is hampered Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. PD
(normal save ends 11+). Hit: WEAPON+ Dexterity damage
Special: A sonic weapon may be downgraded to Miss: Damage equal to your level.
240 transmit a normal voice to any target you can see with-
out fear of anyone else overhearing unless they are in
Literally on Fire (recharge 11+): The target suffers
ongoing damage equal to twice your level (normal save
line of effect. ends 11+).
Glue Gun: This large weapon, resembling a rocket
WEAPON DESCRIPTIONS launcher with an oversized ammo drum, utilizes a mag-
netic accelerator to launch metallic spheres which break
Capsicum Spray: This item employs a chemical apart upon impact, releasing expanding foam that solidi-
irritant like capsaicin (common in some fruits, plants, fies soon after. This traps the target and anything else
and most chilies), also known as a lachrymatory agent. unfortunate enough to step upon or roll over it.
When a target is struck, a sticky, waxy, colorless and Property: An attack with a glue gun uses the follow-
odorless liquid adheres to the skin. The spray contains ing basic attack.
almost pure capsaicin, with a Scoville rating of more Target: 1d4 enemies up to far away.
than 10,000,000 – double the intensity of ancient pep- Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. PD
per spray, the better to inflict pain on the new magical Hit: The target is stuck (hard save ends 16+).
beasts roaming the world. The exact formula changes Miss: Target is stuck until the beginning of your
with each bastion. Most are built with a compressed next turn.
canister while others eject a breakable projectile. “God’s Eye” Sniper: The “God’s Eye” uses a pro-
Range: The spray can only target nearby targets. prietary digital scope that analyzes intended targets and
determines weak points for improved stopping power. Target: 1 enemy up to distant range.
It is able to find holes in cover, faults in armor plating, Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. PD
and spots on a target to cause the most damage (axles, Hit: The target is stuck and hampered (hard save
hearts, etc). However, the weapon was deemed too ends 16+).
costly and now is only sold to private security agencies Miss: Target is stuck and hampered until the begin-
and mercenary groups. ning of your next turn.
Property: This weapon adds a +1 bonus to all attack Sonic Stunner: Very similar to a normal sonic
rolls for the purposes of marksman talent. weapon, the sonic stunner is designed only to be non-
Netgun: Similar to the glue gun, the net gun is de- lethal. Some variations of other sonic weapons incorpo-
signed only for personal use and is less messy. rate this configuration as an adjustable switch (though
Property: An attack with a netgun uses the follow- they are commensurately more expensive).
ing basic attack. Property: An attack with a sonic stunner uses the
Target: 1 enemy up to far away. following basic attack.
Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. PD Target: 1 nearby or engaged enemy.
Hit: The target is stuck (hard save ends 16+). Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. PD
Miss: Target is stuck until the beginning of your Hit: The is vulnerable and confused (normal save
next turn. ends 11+).
Piton-Gauntlet: These devices are not strictly Miss: Target is vulnerable until the beginning of
speaking gauntlets, as your fingers are free to hold other your next turn.
objects. The gauntlet mounts to your forearm. This Tesla-Glove: This unique item is equipped with
weapon is effectively a captive bolt pistol. When acti- more than a half-dozen resonant transformers that con-
vated, it propels a titanium rod three inches from your duct severe electrical shocks to a target.
fist (or as much as a foot for larger models). Spring ac- Property: If you don't hit any target on your turn, at
tion recoil returns the rod to its housing an instant later. the start of your next turn, increase the damage of your
The ejection system utilizes compressed air supplied by next hit with this weapon by +2. This is cumulative up
an internal power cell. to +10 damage. After you hit, the bonus resets to 0.
Property: If you score a critical hit, you inflict 1 ad- When an encounter begins, unless you are surprised,
ditional die of weapon damage. the glove is assumed to be primed to +10 damage.
Driver (recharge 11+): After a hit, increase WEAP- Overdrive (recharge 16+): After a hit, you inflict 40
ON damage by one level. extra damage but the tesla-glove’s property no longer
Plasma Thrower: Plasma throwers are weapons that works until overdrive recharges.
eject superheated compressed gas without the magnetic Vapor Rifle: No one is entirely sure who created
bubble. They operate like flamethrowers. this weapon: an import first appeared in Angel several
Property: An attack with a plasma thrower uses the years ago, and examples still pop up occasionally, but all
following basic attack. bastions but Mann have banned it. Porto refused to ac-
Target: 1d4 engaged or nearby enemies. cept responsibility of the design, claiming a rival bastion
Attack: Dexterity + Level vs. PD known as Motego developed it in reprisal to Porto and
Hit: WEAPON+ Dexterity damage to strike fear into a subservient population currently
Miss: Damage equal to your level. under their control. It fires a plasma bottle similar to
Literally on Fire (recharge 11+): The target suffers other pulse weapons, but the gas inside is of a particular
ongoing damage equal to twice your level (normal save volatile mix. When struck, the victim is literally torn
ends 11+). apart by the massive heat and chemical reaction some
Power-Hooks: These impressive devices are over-
sized augmented manipulators attached to synthetic
compare only to fluoroantimonic acid, as molecules are
torn apart upon contact. The pulse appears to simply
241
muscles and hydraulic pumps. The entire assembly vaporize a section of the victim, sometimes the entire
wraps around the arm and most of the shoulder. Pur- body itself, leaving nothing but vapor and a clean cau-
chasing two links the two assemblies around the back. terized cavity.
Property: Power-hooks increase the damage die of Property: The vapor rifle is like any other two-
unarmed attacks by one step (1d4 > 1d6 > 1d8 > 1d10 > handed small arm. It inflicts 1d8 damage, but if a dam-
1d12 > 2d6 > 2d8 > 2d10). You also gain a +2 item bo- age die inflicts less than 4 points of damage, it inflicts 8.
nus to Strength checks (but not Strength attacks). Your Frightening Effect (recharge 16+): A hit becomes a
hands are not free and you can wield no other weapons critical hit.
if using power-hooks.
Restrainment Field: This pistol-shaped weapon
from Mann launches a balloon-like force field, capturing
a target by warping its containment matrix around its
victim and then compressing the field to restrain the
target from moving.
Property: An attack with a glue gun uses the follow-
ing basic attack.
 WEAPON DMG TYPE COST TL SYMP BONUS DETONATOR
GRENADES
Concussion 1d6 Physical 20 1 No 0 Detonator
EMP None None 300 3 No +2 Detonator
Flashbang 1d6 Special 100 1 No 0 Detonator
Fragmentation 1d8 Physical 50 1 No 0 Detonator
Nerve toxin 1d8 Poison 1,000 4 No +2 Detonator
Plasma 1d10 Fire 5,000 5 No +3 Detonator
Riot None Poison 125 1 No 0 Detonator
Smoke-signal None None 5 0 No 0 Detonator
Smoke-screening None None 15 0 No 0 Detonator
White phosphorus 1d8 Fire 150 1 No 0 Detonator
EXPLOSIVES
Auto fuel 1d6 Fire 5 0 Yes 0 Ignition
Exposed gunpowder 1d6 Physical 8 0 Yes 0 Ignition
Fertilizer / ANFO 1d6 Physical 10 0 No 0 Explosive
Jet Fuel 1d8 Fire 10 0 Yes 0 Explosive
Composition 1d8 Physical 50 2 No +1 Detonator
Nitroglycerin 1d10 Physical 50 0 Yes 0 Explosive
TNT 1d8 Physical 20 0 Yes 0 Explosive

AMMUNITION GRENADES AND

Supplies for adventurers are often extremely limited,
and are a major factor in the elevation of magic over
EXPLOSIVES
gunpowder. This is reflected in the cost of ammunition. Cost: This is the price to acquire the explosive.
As stated earlier, players don’t need to track normal Type: The explosive type—not terribly useful un-
weapons. Specialty weapons are a different matter, less it’s poison or fire.
however. TL: The tech level of the explosive. This is used to
factor disruption.
AMMUNITION TYPE COST
Detonator: Indicates the type of detonator required
Flame tank 50
to trigger the explosive:
Net cartridge 4
Ignition—requires an ignition source (a flame or
Rocket 360
another explosive).
Rocket, guided 1,500 Explosive—requires another explosive
Capsicum cartridge 10 Detonator—requires an actual detonator.
Electroshock cartridge 250 Note: Grenades are automatically equipped with
Glue cartridge 250 impact detonators.
Sonic cell 2,000 Symp (Sympathetic): A sympathetic explosive will
Plasma cell (thrower or artillery) 5,000 be detonated if caught in the radius of another explo-
Vapor cell 10,000 sion.
Tank shell 20
EXPLOSIVE AND
242 In other editions there are rules for GRENADE TYPES
specialized ammunition - armor- Composition Explosive: This soft, malleable explo-
piercing rounds, silver or fae-iron sive is also commonly referred to as ‘plastic explosive,’
bullets, and so forth. While ultimate- and is the standard explosive for breaching demolitions
ly this proved to be more complexity than because of its ability to be formed into shaped charges.
It can be cut, formed, wrapped, and combined with oth-
we wanted to deal with in 13th Age, you ers of its type. Composition explosive is more expensive
could still use them as narrative conceits: for than standard explosive but effective in its capacity. It
example, to explain a particularly lethal crit, is also extremely stable.
or to explain how you're able to hit an other- Special: A composition explosive can affect intended
wise resistant target. No need to track this targets without affecting nearby unwanted targets
'special' ammunition - just assume that you did Concussion: This light explosive uses air pressure
your homework at loadout time and came pre- as well as the shrapnel from its casing to disrupt enemy
lines. They are often employed in mines to break up
pared with what you'd need in the field, or use
dense collections of personnel.
one of your relationship dice with your home Special: Hit targets are also dazed until the start of
bastion to retroactively have remembered to your next turn.
bring the silver bullets 'just in case'. EMP: EMPs don't inflict any damage, but instead
discharge an electromagnetic burst that disrupts elec- be used as a signal grenade. Screening grenades either
tronics. expel a hexachloroethane/zinc (HC) mixture that is also
Special: All the target’s TL1 and greater technology an irritant or a terephthalic acid mixture (TA), which is
that employs a cell suffers a targeted disruption effect. harmless. Signal grenades use potassium chlorate, lac-
Vehicles suffer a -5 penalty to all driving checks for five tose, and a colored dye to work. Signal grenades are
minutes. available in several colors, including white, red, yellow,
Flashbang: Also simply referred to as a stun gre- green, and purple. The white phosphorus grenade is a
nade, a flash bang reduces the combat effectiveness of smoke grenade with an explosive burst. Rather than
opponents by confusing and disorientating them with a burning to make smoke, the phosphorus ignites in the
sudden blinding magnesium flash and a deafening air after spreading. The brilliant yellow flame produces
blast. The grenade body doesn't actually fragment so no phosphorus pentoxide, the smoke, as a by-product. The
shrapnel is dispersed. intense heat allows the grenade to double as an antiper-
Special: The target is weakened until the start of sonnel weapon. The heat is devastating in close quar-
your next turn. ters.
Fragmentation: Frags are designed purely as an an- White Phosphorus: Ongoing 4 fire damage.
tipersonnel explosive by discharging dozens of plastic or Screening: The smoke grants a +2 bonus to PD and
steel flechettes blowing out along with fragments of the AC to targets within or behind the area.
explosive's own shell. This deadly shrapnel shreds any- TNT (Trinitrotoluene): TNT is the standard
thing it touches. The fragmentation device is the explosive to which all others are compared. Although
standard grenade configuration. not employed in modern industry or military
Fuel, Auto/Jet: Despite what movies will have you applications, it is still common in black market circles
believe, it's not easy to set jet fuel ablaze. Standard and in civilian use (e.g.: mining). Unlike moldable
automotive fuel doesn’t burn in liquid form, but fumes explosive, TNT can accidentally detonate if caught in
do, and the heat of a flame is more than enough to start the blast of another explosion.
the surface of a liquid slick evaporating.
Special: The area is on fire until the end of the bat-
tle (or 15 minutes). Any target moving through or start-
ARMOR
ing in the fire on its turn takes additional WEAPON fire EXO-ARMOR RULES
damage. Powered armor, or exo-armor, is a powered mechanized
Nerve Toxin: A deadly and illegal weapon, this gre- unit controlled by a pilot inside. While several are not
nade expels a potent gaseous mixture blending a batra- much bigger than their controllers, others weigh several
chotoxin and taipoxin and several other agents produces tons and can tower over fifteen feet. Even though these
a deadly gas that causes complete paralysis of all mus- are machines rather than creatures, Large suits can still
cles by stopping the release of acetylcholine. By block- squeeze like any other creature.
ing nerve pulses to the muscles, the subject dies from Hit Points & Threshold: Despite having hit points,
asphyxiation or heart failure. exo-armor also possesses a threshold, which is the
Special: The target suffers 5 ongoing poison dam- maximum value of damage you can remove with each
age. hit from the suit's hit points. If exo-armor is reduced to
Nitroglycerine: One of the oldest explosives, nitro is 0 hit points, it can no longer absorb damage, but is still
no longer actively used due to its instability. functional.
Special: Nitroglycerine will always detonate if
caught nearby another explosive, if dropped from a READING THE ARMOR TABLES
height of more than 5 feet, or if ignited.
Riot Grenade: Riot grenades are used usually to
Tech Level (TL): The tech level of the item is ap- 243
plied as an enhancement bonus to AC. Unlike other
disperse crowds and disorientate attackers. The grenade equipment, armor continues to apply its TL to defenses
doesn't explode but rather opens valves, releasing com- when disrupted.
pressed tear gas. In addition to creating an obscuring Hit Points (HP): Exo-armors are machines with
field of smoke, the gas causes skin and eye irritation on their own hit point value. When reduced to 0 hit
contact, throat and nose irritation if inhaled. points, it is still functional as armor (but usually can’t
Special: These grenades expand to conceal all near- move anymore).
by targets. Targets that start a turn in the affected area Threshold (TH): The maximum number of hit
of pass through it are weakened until the end of their points per attack you can soak using a powered armor’s
next turn. hit points.
Smoke Grenade: There are three types of smoke
grenades: screening grenades, signal grenades, and
white phosphorous grenades. Most smoke grenades are
employed as signaling devices, though they can also be
used to screen unit movements, conceal advancement
and hinder enemy fire. Signal smoke grenades cannot
be used for screening, though screening grenades can
 LIGHT ARMOR Blinder Mail: This resembles a lightened version of
ARMOR BONUS PRICE TL the heavier titanium carbide armor. What it offers in
Synthetic weave 0 25 0 addition is a holographic camouflage net that can alter
Ballistics armor 0 35 0 the physical properties of the suit to resemble nearly
Limshau kawabari 0 50 0 any terrain it is using.
Force body vest 0 50 0 Stealth: Gain a +5 item bonus to stealth-related
Aramid combat suit +1 8,000 2 checks.
Aramid survival suit +2 17,000 3
Limshau Kawabari: Overlapping layers of leather
pieces sewn together to form fit the wearer, Limshau
Blinder-mail +2 31,000 4
kawabari looks as unique as it feels. A master
Spider-silk suit +2 25,000 4
leatherworker must individually fit each suit of
Nanotech combat armor +3 53,000 5
Limshau leather to its owner, making Limshau
kawabari distinctive against other leather armors. The
HEAVY ARMOR most obvious telltale signs are numerous belt latches
ARMOR BONUS PRICE TL over the whole body. It is only available in white or
Flack longcoat 0 45 0 black.
Carbide armor 0 55 0 Nanotech Combat Armor: This advanced suit
Class 1 yowie Suit 0 750 0 emerged with refugees from Mann, but even they
admit to not developing it. They claim it was taken
Tactical body armor +1 9,750 2
from a Porto craft, confiscated while on a diplomatic
Advanced wasteland +1 24,600 3
mission to Mann. It is an extremely rare item and ac-
Class 2 yowie Suit +2 21,750 4 cording to rumor, less than a dozen can be found in
Full combat warrior +2 35,000 4 Canam. The suit uses molecule-sized machines to alter
Tech-mail +3 40,750 5 the composition of the suit at the instant of impact.
Usually, the combat suit remains elastic and
EXO-ARMOR comfortable. Anytime any impact occurs the
ARMOR BONUS PRICE TL HP TH
micromachines react with a response time of less than
LIGHT ARMOR 0.035 seconds. The impact point becomes immediately
Gladiator +2 45,000 3 20 1 inflexible and solid, deflecting the attack.
Skinplate +3 78,000 5 25 5
Defense Boost: The first critical hit suffered in a
Covenant +3 95,000 5 10 1
battle is nullified—you only suffer normal damage
HEAVY ARMOR Hard Shell (recharge 16+): After taking a normal hit,
Amarok +2 50,000 3 50 50
you suffer no damage.
Vulture system +2 65,000 4 10 1
Spider Silk Suit: Selkirk sold this technology to
Combat exoskeleton +2 96,500 4 25 5
Angel, which was later stolen by Mann (thus being
Mobile motor armor +2 99,500 4 25 5
about the only time in history when any other bastion
Apostle motor slave +3 141,000 6 50 10
had something Mann wanted). Computer-controlled
Rack power suit +2 110,000 4 25 5
looms weave super thin synthetic silk into an extremely
Tanker +2 110,000 4 40 5 flexible nylon. When struck with any attack, the spider
Mobile motor armor +3 125,000 5 25 5 silk resists as hard as steel but will still flex more than
Mann Testament +3 175,000 5 40 40
soft rubber. It employs several thicker pads of carbon
fiber in key areas. The spider suit allows for extreme
244 ARMOR DESCRIPTIONS maneuverability.
Defense Bonus: You gain the enhancement bonus to
(LIGHT) PD as well as AC.
Aramid Combat Suit: Over the regular survival suit, Resistance: You gain resist lightning 11+.
the combat suit employs and blends harder materials, Agility: You gain a +2 bonus to all skill checks when
rigid plates and flexible aramids. Additional layers of balancing or jumping.
nylon separate staggered sheets of thin polymer plastic.
Resistance: Resist fire 11+
Aramid Survival Suit: This suit initially appeared in ARMOR DESCRIPTIONS
York. It employs a combination of flexible aramid (HEAVY)
fabrics and rigid ceramic and metal plates. The suit Advanced Wasteland Armor: An evolved form of the
covers the wearer completely, sealing her from the full combat warrior, the wasteland suit was designed to
outside environment. combat more severe threats to techa, based off of old
Resistances: Resist fire and cold 11+ designs used in space travel. Cooling systems maintain
Ballistics Armor: This is a light, but still somewhat internal temperature in the harshest environments. A
clumsy, collection of ceramic and polymer plates placed sealed helmet processes external gases.
strategically to withstand impacts without hampering Resistance: You gain resist cold, fire, and poison 11+.
maneuverability significantly.
 Carbide Armor: Super-strong plates of tungsten vision goggles. All systems run off the main power cell.
carbide are strapped inside a flexible nylon suit to offer Resistance: You gain resist fire 16+.
remarkable stopping power. However, these plates are Stealth: You gain a +2 item bonus to stealth-related
heavy and significantly reduce the user’s flexibility. checks.
Flak Longcoat: This clumsy but stylish piece of Targeting System (recharge 16+): Gain up to a +3
subtle outerwear contains a thick inner layer of flexible bonus to your last natural die roll (max natural 20)
aramid patches able to resist cutting and piercing. It Tactical Body Armor: This is a slightly detuned
comes available in brown or black. It leaves the head version of the full combat warrior armor. It offers
vulnerable, even with the collar up. Most importantly, similar protection in a lighter package. It sacrifices
it flaps dramatically in the wind. several of its carbide plates to make the suit less
Full Combat Warrior: The full combat suit is a expensive for those on a budget, and does not have a
mixture of aramid padding and titanium plates in water- computer system built in.
resistant layers of nylon and metallic fibers covered by Resistance: You gain resist fire 11+.
patterned camouflage. It offers an insulated backpack- Stealth: You gain a +2 item bonus to stealth-related
mounted computer system that controls various systems checks.
on the suit.
Equipment: Short-range
communicator and night-

245
 Tech-Mail: The most advanced non-powered armor mounts. Because the amarok is Large, you can install
available from the bastions appeared from various super heavy weapons as heavy weapons. Likewise you
sources nearly at the same time. Based on medieval can install heavy weapons or two-handed small arms in
scale mail, tech-mail utilizes overlapping discs no bigger these mounts as two-handed small arms and one-
than gold coins interlaced together to form a durable handed small arms, respectively. You suffer a -3 penal-
but flexible covering. The discs, comprised of silicon, ty to attack rolls against medium or smaller targets en-
ceramic, and titanium, spread out impacts across the gaged with you.
entire body, allowing for greater protection. The Auto-Reload: You have a mechanism to reload your
exacting pattern of the scales is proportioned perfectly weapons (since you have no arms). You can reload
to maximize protection where needed most. Of course, three clips/cells before needing external loading (you
to most of its users, the fact that it has no complex com- either have to exit the suit to reload or have an ally do it
ponents to disrupt is what makes it of superior value. for you). Reloading still takes a move action using this
Resistance: You gain a +3 item bonus to saving system. External reloading requires a standard, a move,
throws against any ongoing damage. and a quick action.
Removal (recharge 16+): As a free action, instantly Nightvision: You can see in complete darkness.
recover from a condition you suffer from. Mecha: The amarok motive system allows you to
Yowie Suit: Not designed for actual combat, this
clumsy but effective piece of camouflage offers some
rudimentary protection. It is not terribly heavy but its
overlapping layers of fake foliage renders fast
movement nearly impossible. Pouches and straps
conceal various other camouflage patterns which can
unfold or release to alter the appearance of the suit.
Stage 1 Stealth: In any earth or forest terrain you
gain the benefits from the suit. You gain a +2 bonus to
stealth-related checks, a +5 if you move.
Stage 2 Stealth: As a move action, you gain invis-
ibility until you move or make an attack. After five
uses, this ability requires a day to charge.

EXO-ARMOR
DESCRIPTIONS
Amarok: Angel developed its first pow-
ered armor after recovering a disabled
Mann design some years ago. By a mira-
cle of engineering skill, the Angel sci-
entists successfully circumvented
Mann’s failsafes: before the armor
destroyed itself, a basic under-
standing of compact robotic
design had been gleaned. The
246 amarok is the direct descend-
ant of that knowledge. Angel
being far less insular than
any other bastion other than
York, the amarok has since
become the most common
exo design seen outside
bastion walls.
Large Armor: The
amarok is a Large armor.
Weapon Limbs: You
have neither limbs nor
manipulators to hold onto
external weapons. You
have no threatening reach
and cannot make opportuni-
ty attacks. You are equipped
with three heavy weapon
pop free from any enemies smaller than you as a move bonus strength checks (but not Strength-based attacks).
action. Disruption: All functions cannot be used except AC
EDF Recovery (recharge 16+): Quick action. If bonus and EDF recovery power. You are also stuck
disrupted, the machine comes back online. until you take a standard action, a move action, and a
Disruption: All functions cannot be used except AC quick action to manually release yourself from the ar-
bonus and EDF recovery power. You are also stuck mor.
until you take a standard action, a move action, and a EDF Recovery (recharge 16+): Quick action. If
quick action to manually release yourself from the ar- disrupted, the machine comes back online.
mor. Gauntlets: Gauntlets inflict 1d8 damage. The en-
Apostle Motor Slave: The main front line defender hancement bonus of the armor is also the bonus for the
of Mann, this intimidating armor requires its user to slip gauntlets.
into a form-fitting suit that mounts tightly in the control Large Armor: The apostle is a Large armor.
area. The pilot’s head fits only partially into the Motive System: If you are unengaged, you can trav-
machine’s helmet with most of the user sitting in the erse two move positions as one move action.
trunk of the armor. The pilot's arms extend to the Regeneration: Apostle regenerates its own hit
elbows and the legs only to the knees. The apostle is points at 1 per turn.
banned technology outside of Mann: the secretive bas- Resistances: Resist fire, acid, cold, and poison 11+.
tion has threatened dire retribution on any foreign gov- Weapon Mount: Gain a shoulder or arm mounted
ernment caught using them and considers their use assembly, which frees up a hand. This mount acts as a
outside of Mann’s walls blasphemy, claiming the hand or a brace for holding or mounting weapons.
knowledge was bestowed upon them from God. Combat Exoskeleton: The combat exoskeleton
Although this prevents their deployment in other initially appeared in Selkirk, reverse engineered from
bastions, mercenary units have no such loyalties to the stolen Mann technology. The suit resembles an
fanatical city. The security systems of earlier models oversized piece of medieval plate, reinforced by limbs
are also less advanced than later Mann developments, of titanium and amplified by synthetic muscle fibers
as nearly all powered armor technology in Canam is re- running through the entire assembly. Though not very
verse-engineered from this design. pretty, the Com-Exo has proved its usefulness in
Amplified Strength: combat.
The apostle gains a +2 Amplified Strength: The CE gains a +5 bonus
strength checks (but not Strength-based attacks).
Disruption: All functions cannot be
used except AC bonus and EDF
recovery power. You are also
stuck until you take a standard
action, a move action, and a
quick action to manually
release yourself from

247
 the armor. the machine comes back online.
EDF Recovery (recharge 16+): Quick action. If Firearm Stabilization: Even though you are medium
disrupted, the machine comes back online. -sized, you can wield heavy weapons as if they are two-
Gauntlets: Gauntlets inflict 1d6 damage. The en- handed small arms and super heavy weapons as if they
hancement bonus of the armor is also the bonus for the are heavy weapons.
gauntlets. Gauntlets: Gauntlets inflict 1d8 damage. If you
Large Armor: The exoskeleton is a Large armor. already inflict 1d8 or more damage with un-
Resistances: Resist cold and fire 11+. armed attacks, increase the
Special: Donning and powering the combat exo- damage dice by one step
skeleton requires at least 5 minutes. (1d8 > 1d10 > 1d12 >
Covenant: The most advanced armor currently 2d6 > d28 > 2d10).
available in open echa, the covenant tracks its ori- The enhancement
gins to a secret caste of the same name within bonus of the armor
Mann society. This organization is charged with is also the bonus for
recovering and/or eliminating dissident factions the gauntlets.
from their own civilization. They are one of the few
permitted to leave Mann with the sole objective to
eradicating any possibility of their technology falling
in enemy hands. Unfortunately, despite numerous
failsafes in Mann hardware, a few of these armors
have found themselves in the hands of those
very same adversaries.
Disruption: All functions cannot be used
except AC and EDF recovery power. You
are also stuck until you take a move and a
quick action to manually release yourself
from the armor.
EDF Recovery (recharge 16+):
Quick action. If disrupted, the machine
comes back online.
Gravity Anchors: You can climb
without a skill check.
Gravity Drive: You suffer no
damage from a fall.
Jump Jets (recharge 16+): As a
move action, pop free from all ene-
mies and move up to two catego-
ries.
Maneuverability: You gain a +2
bonus to all acrobatic skill checks.
Gladiator: Originally built as a
heavy lift assistant for use in the
Selkirk mines, the gladiator found
248 popularity later as a muscle aug-
menter for weapon applications by
the defense division. Eventually a
new suit, the tanker, was purpose-
built for the role, but the gladiator's
smaller size kept it in regular use, and
it remains the more popular model.
Depending on its loadout, it can serve
as both a ranged weapons platform and a
close-combat vehicle.
Disruption: All functions cannot be
used except AC and EDF recovery power.
You are also stuck until you take a move
action and a quick action to manually
release yourself from the armor.
EDF Recovery (recharge
16+): Quick action. If disrupted,
 Weapon Mount: You have a shoulder or arm mount- gauntlets .
ed assembly, which frees up a hand. This mount acts as Jump Jets (recharge 16+): As a move action, pop
a hand or a brace for holding or mounting weapons. free from all enemies and move up to two categories.
Mobile Motor Armor: In the wasteland of open echa, Large Armor: The Rack is a Large armor.
not all treasures are enchanted. In the mad dash to Special: Donning and powering the Rack requires at
traverse this dangerous environment, occasional least 5 minutes.
travelers fail, leaving their bodies clutching on to the Skinplate: This is a small powered armor, every suit
lingering threads of their failed technology, to be found of which is adjusted specifically to the user and con-
by others. There are rumors of some mercenary forms tightly to the contours of the body. It employs a
companies that refuse allegiance to any bastion and combination of lightweight polymers and aramids
flaunt technology that rivals anything behind the walls reinforced with carbon fullerene rings. Solid limbs are
by reverse engineering found relics, lost between made from silicon carbide ceramic which slide perfectly
bastion states, fallen from orbit, or survived from the to allow movement via a magnetorheological fluid. The
previous age. Other than the named exo-armor suit covers the entire body, with an attached helmet
flaunted by bastions, mercenary companies have that seals it completely.
produced prototypes of their own design, even selling Defense Bonus: Gain +5 item bonus to Reflex de-
them to other mercenary companies (though reserving fense and +5 item bonus to Fortitude defense.
the more advanced models for themselves). These Disruption: All functions cannot be used except AC
unique designs are simply called mobile motor armors. EDF recovery power. You are also stuck until you take
No two look alike, but they all share similar properties. a move and a quick action to manually release yourself
Disruption: All functions cannot be used except AC from the armor.
and EDF recovery power. You are also stuck until you EDF Recovery (recharge 16+): Quick action. If
take a standard action, a move action, and a quick action disrupted, the machine comes back online.
to manually release yourself from the armor. Jump Jets (recharge 11+): As a move action, pop
EDF Recovery (recharge 16+): Quick action. If free from all enemies and move up to two categories.
disrupted, the machine comes back online. Resistances: Resist fire, lightning, acid, and poison
Gauntlets: Gauntlets inflict 1d6 damage. The en- 11+.
hancement bonus of the armor is also the bonus for the Special: Donning the skinplate requires at least 5
gauntlets. minutes.
Large or Agile: The armor can either be medium Tanker: The successor of the smaller gladiator, the
and agile or large and intimidating. If medium, the ar- impressive tanker has unfortunately not found as much
mor gains a +2 item bonus to all acrobatic skill checks. recognition. The military division has critiqued the size
If large, you can wield two-handed weapons as one- of the machine and the logistics division has criticized
handed weapons. its cost in comparison to its lighter and cheaper cousin.
Resistances: Gain resist cold and fire 11+. Despite this, the tanker is still the preferred model for
Special: Donning and powering the mobile motor Selkirk military in long duration trade missions with the
armor requires at least 5 minutes. narros and as an intimidating adjunct to diplomatic Oro-
‘Rack’ Power Suit: Following the trend of virtually bas and Train Guard escorts, though it is seldom seen
all other exo armors, the Rack resulted from Sierra outside of these roles. In truth, its reputation as a weak-
Madre reverse engineering an apostle motor slave with er system is undeserving, as the tanker is considered
the intent of creating an anti-echan armor specialized in one of the most powerful weapon platforms on the con-
close combat. Adding their own sense of flamboyance, tinent.
the end result is smaller and more agile, though still not Disruption: All functions cannot be used except AC
to the extent of the Skinplate design. The suit is large and EDF recovery power. You are also stuck until you 249
but thinner in areas to reduce weight. The catchy nick- take a standard action, a move action, and a quick action
name comes from the positioning of the pilot within the to manually release yourself from the armor.
frame, which to an outside observer looks profoundly EDF Recovery (recharge 16+): Quick action. If
uncomfortable (though it feels just as well-fitted as the disrupted, the machine comes back online.
Skinplate). Firearm Stabilization: You can wield heavy weapons
Amplified Strength: Gain a +2 item bonus to athlet- as if they are one-handed small arms and super heavy
ic skill checks and Strength ability checks (but not weapons as if they are two-handed small arms.
Strength attacks). Gauntlets: Gauntlets inflict 1d8 damage. The en-
Disruption: All functions cannot be used except AC hancement bonus of the armor is also the bonus for the
(+TL), Fortitude bonus, and EDF recovery power. You gauntlets. If you already inflict 1d8 or more damage
are also stuck until you take a move action and a quick with unarmed attacks, then increase the damage dice by
action to manually release yourself from the armor. one step (1d8 > 1d10 > 1d12 > 2d6 > d28 > 2d10).
EDF Recovery (recharge 16+): Quick action. If Weapon Mount: You have a shoulder or arm mount-
disrupted, the machine comes back online. ed assembly, which frees up a hand. This mount acts as
Gauntlets: Gauntlets inflict 1d8 damage. The en- a hand or a brace for holding or mounting weapons.
hancement bonus of the armor is also the bonus for the Testament: The most dominant and imposing suit
 SHIELDS SHIELDS DESCRIPTIONS
SHIELD TL HP TH PRICE Active Dissuasion System: The successor of the
Active dissuasion system 5 — — 27,500 energy envelope, the ADS contains a more powerful
Energy envelope 5 20 20 50,000 capacitor to respond to outside attack. The resulting
system does not actually offer superior protection; if
Janoahn master shield 0 — 40
anything, it is slightly worse, but is kept in production
Limshau buckler 0 50 due to an unintended side-effect. The ADS capacitor
Repulsor engine 4 — — 20,000 prevents breakdown of its energy shield by temporarily
overcharging the repulsor field a microsecond before
in the known world, the testament appeared only re- impact. This maintains shield integrity, but also dis-
cently as Mann started to take a more vested interest in charges a significant electric shock which can disable or
external affairs. Often flanked by a lance of Mann mili- kill nearby soft targets. The ADS takes two battery
tary hardware, the testament isn’t subtle: it is designed cells: one for its shield and one for its force feedback
to take on the largest of targets or engage entire enemy system.
squads by itself. There has not been a report of a testa- Force Feedback: Enemies that inflict a melee attack
ment being operated by anyone not in service of the on you take damage equal to a melee miss.
fanatical bastion. If this were to occur, Mann would Energy Envelope: The most advanced active de-
stop at nothing to ensure its retrieval or elimination. fense system available, the energy shield covers its user
Disruption: All functions cannot be used except AC only a centimeter from his skin, and thus is capable of
and EDF recovery power. You are also stuck until you protecting against all incoming attacks. Its only draw-
take a standard action, a move action, and a quick action back is its tendency to temporarily neutralize when its
to manually release yourself from the armor. user makes a melee physical attack.
Gauntlets: Gauntlets inflict 1d8 damage. The en- Backpack Mount: The energy envelope does not
hancement bonus of the armor is also the bonus for the use up a hand.
gauntlets. Hit Points: The envelope has its own hit points, the
Gravity Drive: You suffer no damage from a fall. same as exo-armor. These hit points cannot be re-
Large Armor: The testament is a Large armor. paired. The energy envelope regains all lost hit points
Nightvision: You can see in the dark. after a full heal up.
Phase (recharge 16+): As a move action, teleport to Limitation: You lose your shield bonus to AC until
any position up to distant away from your current loca- the start of your next turn if you hit with a melee attack.
tion.. Janoahn Master Shield: Though many from the
Regeneration: Testament regenerates its own hit Bulwark employ the standard fare from the armories in
points at 1 per turn. the kingdom, the front line, and most knights and
Resistances: Resist fire, lightning, acid, and poison paladins sworn to the Wall, guard with a more advanced
11+. shield exclusive to Abidan. The master shield is lens-
Sensor Net: You gain a +3 bonus to checks to notice shaped giving it increased rigidity. It is also wrapped
movement. with hide leather and additional steel belts for
Repair Drone (recharge 11+): As a move action, the reinforcement. Most shields destined for the Wall are
armor recovers 5 hit points. also spiked.
Vulture-System: This basic powered suit enables Limshau Buckler: The Limshau buckler is not a
flight via a set of turbines, control surfaces, and common sight but it has found popularity with some
vectored thrusters, but offers only rudimentary custodians. The buckler occupies a hand and is
250 protection for its pilot. It also suffers from a limited
range for each flight.
designed for offense as well as defense.
Property: Along with its bonus to AC, the buckler
Boosters: You gain a +5 item bonus to athletic skill counts as a club for purposes of two weapon feats and
checks when jumping. You take no damage from a fall powers.
and always land on your feet. Repulsor Engine: This device is less a method of
Disruption: The booster system and jump jets can- resisting damage and more of a way of discouraging at-
not be used. tack. It resonates an acoustic, magnetic, and gravita-
EDF Recovery (recharge 16+): Quick action. If tional pulse from its user, preventing or dissuading tar-
disrupted, the machine comes back online. gets from delivering melee attacks.
Hyperjets (recharge 16+): As a free action, you gain Property: Gain a +4 bonus to AC against opportuni-
flight. This ends until you stop using it or until the end ty attacks.
of the battle. Induce Pressure Wave (recharge 16+): As a quick
Special: Donning and powering the Vulture-System action, you pop-free from all engaged creatures affected
requires at least 5 minutes. targets are stunned until the beginning of your next
turn.
TECHAN GEAR UNIQUE ITEMS
ITEM COST TL
COMBAT ACCESSORIES Anti-echan network 3,000 3
ITEM COST TL Anti-gravity generator 16,000 5
Laser sight 1,000 2 Big ear 3,000 3
Suppressor 50 0 Boosters Special 1-6
Scope, digital 1,000 3 Camera ball 1,400 3
Scope, targeting 680 0 EDF muffler bag 250 2
Bayonet plug 20 0 Disruption muffler crate 500 3
Disruption patch 20 1
DETONATORS
Electro optical sensor 10,000 4
ITEM COST TL
Flash goggles 2,600 2
Friend/ foe trigger 300 3
Gravity lens 9,000 6
Impact trigger 5 0
Grip gloves 1,800 3
Magnetic trigger 150 2
Holographic generator 25,000 5
Motion trigger 150 2
Infrared goggles 12,000 3
Pressure trigger 50 1
Lie detector 2,500 3
Radio remote 75 2
Light bender 20,000 6
Timer 20 0
Metal detector 1,500 3
Trip trigger 10 0
Nano-healer 100 5
Wired remote 25 0
Rover robot 3,000 3
SKILL SYNERGIES Ultrasound goggles 25,000 5
ITEM COST TL
Demolitions kit 360 1 subject to a significant markup by canny merchants well
Medical kit 360 1 aware of the demand for such machined goods.
Repair kit 360 1

UTILITIES READING TECHAN GEAR

ITEM COST TL Price: All costs are listed in uc.
Battery flare 2 1 Tech Level (TL): The tech level where the item
Binoculars 50 0 can be found. This affects its availability, its sensitivity
Chemical light sticks (5) 1 0 to EDF and its final price.
Compass 1 0
Digital audio recorder 10 2 TECHAN GEAR DESCRIPTIONS
Digital camera 20 2 Anti-Echan Network (AEN): This York-designed
Digital video camera 25 2 device exhibits a level of ingenuity many other bastions
Electric torch 15 2 don’t attest to the lower-tech city. It has found
Fire extinguisher 20 0 circulation across the world by mercenaries and military
Gas mask 50 0
groups. While battery-powered, it utilizes the EDF to
Handcuffs 5 0
its advantage. The AEN consists of metal poles driven
ESR pack (1 week) 4 0
into the ground or supported by tripods: each pole
Lighter 1 0
cannot be more than 50 feet (ten squares) apart from
Sleeping bag 5 0
another. They generate an electrical field which
Standard techan adventurers kit 15 0
Tent (2-6 person) 10 0
transmits a signal back to the base system at camp. If
any creature that generates EDF passes through the
251
Two-way radio (1) 20 2
Watch, automatic 10 2 field or interferes with one of the poles, the localized
disruption is detected and an alert message is sent back
TECHAN GEAR to the transmitter. If the receiver shorts out, it breaks a
connection to a backup mechanical siren, which goes
As many seeking adventure migrate closer to bastions, off. Their only weakness is subterranean infiltration,
the saturation of bastion exports increase. More and assuming approaching echans notice the network. The
more goods constructed by the simply skilled find receiver can locate where a break occurs. The AEN
themselves replaced by the refined exports of poles receive power from the transmitter so only one
sophisticated manufacture. Most conventional trade battery is required. Each charge used maintains four
goods and adventuring gear are available in both their poles for one day. Each additional charge per hour
traditional forms and as bastion exports. In addition to allows the addition of four more poles.
being considered status symbols due to their Effect: A DC25 stealth check is required for an
comparative rarity, such goods are often (but not echan creature to cross the net without it going off.
always) more durable and better able to weather the Anti-Gravity Generator (Personal): The subject
hazards of dungeoneering. The base cost of such items using this belt device is able to fly.
is the same as their echan equivalent, but is usually
 Effect: You can fly. After ten rounds of flight, you sive) towards it, detonating on impact. If there is any
are grounded until a full heal up. form of cover or impedance, the detonator stops at the
Battery Flare: A battery-powered bright candle, the blocked square and detonates.
charge only lasts for four hours but illuminates to a 50- Motion Trigger: This detonator detects movement
foot radius. in its burst area and detonates regardless of the target.
Big Ear: This tiny device wraps around one’s ear and Pressure Trigger: These trigger the moment a
amplifies incoming acoustic data. weight is pressed upon the detonator. Large and larger
Property: Gain a +3 for skill checks when listening. targets automatically trigger pressure detonators upon
Binoculars: Ranging in size from small and entering a square containing one. Medium and smaller
concealable to large and clumsy, binoculars bring targets make a saving throw to avoid the sensor on en-
distant objects into close focus. They are sturdy, tering the square unless the person placing the explo-
waterproof, and survive falls up to 50 feet. If broken, sive succeeded on a demolitions roll for proper place-
they cannot be repaired. ment. The sensor can be manually adjusted to only det-
Bayonet Plug: This is not a weapon but an adapter onate for Large or larger targets.
to add a melee weapon to any small arm. Only one- and Radio Remote: The EDF suppresses radio waves,
two-handed small arms can be equipped with a melee making remote detonators less reliable, but that doesn’t
weapon. One-handed small arms can be equipped with prevent them from being useful within those limita-
a dagger only. Two-handed small arms can be tions. The range limit of a radio remote is 500 feet,
equipped with any light blade. The melee weapon which cannot be boosted in any way. Both the transmit-
cannot be enchanted. You cannot equip a specialty ter and receiver require batteries.
weapon with a bayonet. Timer: Timers utilize a mechanical clock to count-
Property: You can attack with either the mounted down compared to a digital timer (unpopular in echa
weapon or your firearm. due to disruption). Although one may purchase a RDR
Camera Ball: This three inch rubber ball with a (red digital readout) for the same price, this makes the
weighted flat bottom can be thrown or fired from a detonator a TL2 item. The actual trigger is usually
grenade launcher. Once it lands, it transmits audio and chemical or mechanical.
video input from a full 360 degree arc up to 500 ft. (100 Trip Trigger: This detonator is a simple mechanical
squares) to a receiving monitor. The TL5 version con- or chemical trigger attached to an explosive with a trip
tains a small antigravity unit, enabling it to hover for 1 wire: a creature passing through the wire pulls the pin
minute per charge used. and detonates the device. You can run up to 5 squares
Compass: Thankfully, magnetic fields are unaltered of wire but the detonation only occurs in the square
in magical saturation. Magnetic north remains strong where the explosives are placed. Because the wire
and true. Modern compasses diligently point to it needs to be raised to be triggered, it can be detected.
loyally. Rumors indicate that Ixindar emanates a large Wired Remote: This simple form runs an electrical
magnetic field, but this power source cannot be pulse that triggers the mechanical, chemical, or electri-
detected from Canam. cal detonator. Because EDF increases the resistance of
Demolitions Kit: Needed for any decent work with electrical wires, the maximum range of any wired deto-
explosives, the Demolitions kit includes wires, plugs, nator is 30 squares.
and various tools. It does not include detonators or Disruption Muffler Bag/Crate: Though designers
explosives. It includes a small battery that powers a succeeded in creating a small container rendering its
circuit tester that uses a charge every time it is contents immune to disruption, larger attempts resulted
employed, though that is only required for disarming in failure. The amount of insulation required increases
252 explosives.
Property: Grants a +3 bonus to all demolition skill
proportionately to the size of the container, resulting in
only slightly larger capacity for much large containers.
rolls. Property: Items in the container are protected
Detonator: Planted explosives require a detonator to against disruption.
explode. Disruption Patch: A small square plastic tab the size
Friend/Foe Trigger: This detonator can be pro- of a bottle cap, the disruption patch is often hung from
grammed to detonate the moment a specific monster necks or from wrists. Each bastion developed their own
enters its blast radius. It can also be programmed to unique approach to the patch though a common
detonate for everything but specific people. There is practice is a colored dye (red being the obvious choice)
no limit on its parameters. that breaches into the top layer of the patch when an
Impact Trigger: After the safety is pulled, impact extremely sensitive microwave thermionic diode is
triggers detonate upon impact with any rigid surface. disrupted via enchantment. The patch detects
This detonator is rarely used except with grenades. increased disruption from localized increases in magic
Magnetic Trigger: These unique detonators only though one must be careful to keep the vacuum seal
function on explosive payloads of 2 lbs. or less. When each patch is sold in enclosed as a patch will often
armed, the detonator detects any sizeable metallic ob- naturally disrupt after a day in the open.
ject (such as a vehicle, exo-armor, or suit of plate) pass- Power (Consumable): No action. The patch acti-
ing within 30 feet and is pulled (together with its explo- vates whenever it is placed against a creature or item
that generates EDF, whenever it is subjected to a tar-
geted disruption effect, or whenever a general penalty
various sauces, beef stew, and jambalaya. Six days of
rations for one person weighs one pound. Each package
253
to disruption rolls is in effect. requires little preparation and can be eaten on the go.
Echan Survival Rations (ESR): Modern techans Beverages can be ingested right from the pouch. Each
count their blessings every time they eat in the ration has a shelf life of five years with a peak
wilderness. They rarely need to fish or hunt. They are temperature range of 60° C. Each day’s worth of ration
not required to stalk prey, gut and clean the kill, and supplies, on average, 3000 calories. For reasons unclear,
cook them for hours over an open flame risking a the narros adore ESRs and part of Selkirk’s trade
number of contaminations when finally consumed involves converting the imported narros food supplies
(unless, of course, they want to). They simply tear into ESRs, which are then sold back to them for a profit.
open a ready-made meal and eat. These military ra- On the other side, laudenian and chaparran elves
tions, also called techan rations or bastion rations, began despise the stuff to the point that just the scent of the
in Selkirk (which pioneered the modern product) as “human food” nauseates them.
ESRs or Echan Survival Rations. They are no longer Electric Torch: The most common device on a
limited to freeze-dried meat and crackers, but offer a techan adventurer is the flashlight or electric torch.
full range of cuisine including chicken and beef fajitas, Modern torches do not employ fragile bulbs but instead
hamburgers, meatloaf, beefsteak, and pastas with use electronically regulated light-emitting diodes that
 make the end product more efficient, brighter, and sphere on a pintle rises from the top. The device can
more durable for the wilderness adventurer. It employs make a 50-foot circle look and sound like some other
a miniature electrical generator and capacitor. By either sort of natural terrain and can hide structures,
shaking the light or winding a crank, the capacitor equipment, and creatures within the area: multiple
charges, allowing the unit to power its LED transmitter. generators can be set up to conceal larger areas. All
Electro Optical Sensor (EOS): The EOS is equipped sounds within the dome are muffled from the outside.
with a 360 degree motion sensor meant to detect both The effect is not solid, so interacting with the hologram
ground and aerial targets within 250 feet. It sends all reveals its illusory nature. This device cannot be
information to a source monitor that cannot be more moved when activated.
than 100 feet away. Property: Targets inside the field are concealed
Property: Targets must make a DC30 stealth check from outside detection, assuming they don’t make
or be detected. It sends all information to a source much noise. Targets inside are effectively invisible
monitor that cannot be more than 100 feet away. The unless they attack from the field or exit from it.
sensor detects only movement and cannot detect incor- Infrared Goggles: These non-telescoping goggles
poreal targets. One charge is used up every hour. still provide stereoscopic vision and allow the wearer to
Fire Extinguisher: Centuries of development see in total darkness.
resulted in a new multipurpose chemical which Property: You can see in the dark.
smothers the flame and cools the target. The result is a Laser Sight: Laser sights may be used in
compressed container capable of putting out almost any conjunction with scopes. They paint targets with
kind of fire from combustible metals to burning oils. precision where the weapon’s fire will strike. This also
Power (Consumable 10): Standard action. Remove doubles as a psychological attack, as most individuals
ongoing fire damage on a target or douse a small area of find a green target on their chest to be a great incentive
fire. to negotiation. A sniper may, if they wish, swap it for an
Flash Goggles: This simple eyewear protects the infrared diode, which is invisible to everything except
wearer from any blinding effects from bright light, for night vision (darkvision). The standard sight uses a
whether natural, technological, or magical. Flash gog- green diode solid-state laser which is effective for the
gles respond to incoming illumination and darken with- maximum range of any weapon.
in 0.0005 seconds. Property: Gain +1 bonus to your attack roll for pur-
Property: Flash goggles respond to incoming illumi- poses of marksman talent.
nation and darken within 0.0005 seconds, nullifying any Lie Detector: No paper, needles, or wire; this device
blindness effects. is a simple palm-shaped item that is placed gently on
Gas Mask: This flexible and compact unit, when the subject’s body.
donned, attempts to filter all outside gasses and will Property: Gain a +4 bonus to detecting deception.
protect the wearer from many airborne poisons. It will Light Bender: Thought once to be the realm of
not protect the user if the environment has no proper magic, the bender moves light around it, effectively
earth atmosphere at all. making itself and its wearer invisible. The device,
Property: +2 to PD and MD against gas-based at- usually a backpack stored with a remote bracelet to
tacks. operate, creates a magnetic field, removing the target
Gravity Lens: An ingenious invention Mann stole from sight, even from darkvision and infrared. As bend-
from Porto and Motego, the lens resembles a 10x13 ing all light would necessarily prevent the user from
photo frame with a handle on one side when unfolded seeing out of it, light of very specific wavelengths is
from its compact package. When attached to a wall, it allowed through the field, creating a ‘shimmer’ effect
254 allows to the user to peer through it as if looking
through a window. It detects secret doors,
when the field moves (to the wearer, the world merely
looks constantly twilit): sudden movements or attacks
compartments, caches and so forth as well as snares and disrupt the field entirely.
pits. Power (recharge 16+): Standard action. You become
Property: Gain a +4 bonus to skill rolls related to invisible until the end of the battle or until you are hit
opening locks, disarming explosives, or searching for by a melee or ranged attack.
hidden compartments or traps. Light Sticks: Scientists battled for years to uncover a
Grip Gloves: This Selkirk prototype allows the user new chemical combination that provided the light of
to climb walls with ease. glowsticks without the danger of disruption (despite
Property: You gain a climb speed equal to half your being very low-tech, the traditional mixture mysterious-
base speed. A DC of 30 is required to forcefully remove ly became inert after five minutes of exposure to EDF).
you from the wall. When activated, the chemicals mix with a fluorescent
Handcuffs: These high tensile steel restraints dye. They usually glow red, green, or blue. Light
require a DC25 Strength check or a pick locks check to sticks are popular in echa and often impress many
break. where flamboyant spellwork fails.
Holographic Generator: This backpack-carried Effect: Illuminates a nearby area for an hour.
device deploys its own legs when activated. The fabric Medical Kit: The formidable medical kit holds
of the pack conceals most of the gear. Only a reflective bandages, pills, trauma shears, ointments, and basic
stitching implements for basic injuries. Larger kits Scope, Targeting: This is a standard long-range
have eye pads and cooling gel pads for burns. Along targeting scope which can be fitted to any two-handed
with wound irrigation, syringes supply help with small arm or heavy weapon without an auto, blast,
delivering various medications. Other implements heavy auto, or sonic property. It cannot be used with
include splints, alcohol pads, an epinephrine injector, specialty weapons. Attaching the targeting scope
hemostatic pads, and various scalpels and scissors for enables the weapon to become a sniper weapon.
emergency surgical procedures. Trained medical Sleeping Bag: Sleeping bags now enclose one (or
professionals can pull off miracles with a medical kit. two snugly) occupant in a synthetic bag capable of
More advanced models feature scanning gear with protecting the occupant(s) from temperatures as cold as
ultrasound and x-ray emitters. Diagnostic tools assist -50 degrees C. It resists wind and combustion (thought
with a prognosis. Advanced kits also feature robotic is still susceptible to magical fire). It is externally
probes capable of injecting short-lived nano-machines waterproof.
to repair internal injuries. Property: While inside, gain a +5 to endurance skill
Property: You gain a +3 bonus to all heal checks. checks against cold weather. If the bag is not sealed,
Metal Detector: This small device extends a small the bonus is reduced to +2.
probe that scans for metal objects. Standard Techan Adventurers Kit: This kit includes
Property: You gain a +5 bonus to search for any the following: Two battery flares, five chemical light
metals. sticks, one compass, one sleeping bag, one lighter, one
Nano-Healer: Beyond just patching holes, these canteen (waterskin) and one week of ESR rations.
nanobots enter the body via an injection gun and repair Suppressor: These attachments muffle the flash and
it from within. Despite results verging on the sonic blast of explosively propelled firearms. By
miraculous, these are lower technology creations slowing the expanding gases exiting the barrel, the
compared to some of the prototypes Porto is testing. suppressor stems the acoustical signature, but does not
The bots quickly run out of power after a few minutes, silence it completely – reducing it to merely loud in-
and disrupt instantly on exposure to echan flesh, stead of deafening. Suppressors cannot be used on
making them impossible to use on any creature that shotguns, heavy weapons, or weapons rated higher than
generates EDF. TL3 (most of which don’t need it in any case). Affixing
Consumable: Same as healing potion—the target a suppressor takes a standard action.
recovers 3d8 + recovery hit points. Property: Reduces the checks to be detected when
Repair Kits: Electronic tool kits include diagnostic using a ranged weapon.
tools, a soldering gun, fine point insulated needle pliers, Synthetic Tent: Tents come in 2, 4, and 6 person
and wire cutters at TL1. Above that, it employs a capacities. Most tents utilize flexible poles and are
battery for a digital multi-meter measuring ohms, amps, available in dome, tunnel, single-hoop, and geodesic
and volts. It also comes equipped with a variety of styles. It takes 5 minutes to set up and take down
wires, clips, resistors, banana plugs and crocodile clips. properly.
Further advances include miniature diagnostic Property: While inside, gain a +2 to checks against
computers; advanced kits contain micromachines, cold weather.
which can reassemble entire motherboards. All diag- Two-way Radio: Civilian and military radios use
nostic tools in the kit use gold wiring and are shielded frequencies chosen specifically to avoid eavesdropping
by design, as it would be incredibly inconvenient to and interference with other machines or day-to-day
have to repair the kit before repairing another device. electronics. Military models can tune to any frequency:
Property: You gain a +3 bonus to all engineer skill civilian and emergency service radios are each restricted
checks.
Special: Regardless of its tech level, the repair kit is
to a certain range. With the expanse of the echan
landscape, keeping this communicator bottled in the
255
immune to disruption. low bands or with reduced power is no longer required.
Rover Robot: This tiny machine resembles a small, It has a clear range of 5 miles in open echa, 20 miles
flattened box with four large wheels. Regardless of how within a bastion. Even basic models can withstand
it lands or tumbles, it still can operate, as its wheels are some punishment and water pressure.
larger than its body. A camera adjusts automatically to Ultrasound Goggles: These goggles translate sonic
any change in orientation. It receives instructions from vibrations into visual stimuli. In the absence of
an operator that cannot be more than 100 squares away ambient sound, they transmit high frequency pulses
and sends back both visual and audio information. The and detect the ricochet off objects. Any loud noise over
machine rolls at a speed of 25 feet and can tread 120 decibels causes the goggles to white out.
through rough terrain or even over water. It has AC 20 Property: You can see in the dark.
and 20 hit points. It has a +15 bonus to stealth-related Blueshift (recharge 16+): Quick action. You can see
checks. It uses one charge per minute and both the invisible creatures as if they were visible until the end
machine and the controller require batteries. of the battle.
Scope, Digital: This replaces a regular targeting Watch, Automatic: Digital watches have fallen out of
scope. It enables someone using a sniper weapon to favor in the world of today. Modern watches employ a
reduce range penalties by 1. balance wheel that winds via the motion of the wearer’s
 arm. This allows the watch to keep perfect time new materials that defy traditional categorization: the
without requiring manual winding or any power source. existence of angelite and coruthil confounds scientists
The compact and complicated device is water resistant, to this day.
shock resistant, and cannot be over-wound with abuse. All magical items are made of one of these materials.
They are also completely silent.
ANGELITE
SPECIAL MATERIALS When the Second Hammer hit Ixindar, the virtually
Most techan humans adept in the knowledge of impenetrable stone shell that encased the gate was
chemistry were bewildered when magic refused to fractured. This mountain of rock blew apart and
follow certain rules of nature. Controlled laboratory scattered across the globe. Some refer to this stone as
experiments confirmed that in the presence of magic ‘absolute rock’. Techans believe this material to have
(which many claim prevents controlled laboratory once been rhodium, the most precious metal on Earth.
experiments), certain elemental properties change, This made the shell around Ixindar more valuable than
some in minor ways, a few in major ways. Heavier all the gold, platinum, and uranium on the globe
radioactive isotopes (like Uranium 235 and 238) stop combined. When infused with magic when both gates
degrading while others (like Radium 226) break down reopened, the silver-sheened stone became the hardest
more rapidly. This makes nuclear energy a hazardous substance on Earth. On cursory examination, rhodium
technological path for bastions seeking alternative and angelite exhibit similar properties (resistance to
energy sources. Chemical reactions also change—not corrosion, amazing durability): lacking the ability to
enough to impede the continued existence of life, but properly analyze it on the molecular level, techan
enough to change the rules of natural evolution, and scientists have squeezed angelite onto the periodic
even some basic chemical processes are altered in ways table between rhodium and ruthenium. Despite its
that are not obvious or straightforward. There are even amazing density (12.38 g/cm³) angelite feels extremely
numerous chemical compounds that, according to light, over five times lighter than its other precious
traditional science, simply cannot exist. Because of brothers. This has never been explained. Angelite is
these newfound rules, the ‘science’ of alchemy has seldom found in mines and the largest concentration
returned with vigor (and much to the chagrin of still sits in Kakodomania. Only the fragments found
techans, actually works). It is assumed that if magic around the world or in mines can be refined. Demons
were to suddenly vanish, the changeover back to the have tried to chip off and process pieces from the
traditional rules of science would be a deadly one to life original shell, but have never gotten the temperature
forms requiring these new rules to survive. Most high enough to melt. Usable fragments can be found as
scientists are unable to explain the new rules of small as splinters and as large as houses (although the
magically altered physics scientifically. Even more only known cases that large are the heads of Ramkava).
frustrating is the unpredictability of magic, which takes Application: Metal weapons and armor.
an almost intelligent delight in suspending any rules on Effects: The weapon can be used to cause targeted
a whim. EDF effects. Angelite radiates natural magic and can-
Bastions continue to find new and unconventional not be used in the construction of techan equipment.
applications to materials with altered capabilities. New Angelite cannot be degraded or destroyed by any at-
chemical elements, thought previously unstable, now tack.
can not only be synthesized for more than a few
fractions of a second, but can even be found in nature. CORUTHIL
Industry and architecture both echan and techan value
256 Coruthil simply did not exist until magic saturated the
these new substances; furthermore, in the world of Earth. Techan scientists believe that this influence
commerce, certain rare and expensive metals critical to created a new transitional metal between scandium and
the economy of particular civilizations become titanium. When magic flowed through the mineral,
worthless or dangerous when magic is removed. coruthil emerged. Narros miners were overjoyed to
Silver and gold retain their traditional value, discover these riches were unmined after 65 million
although gold is particularly valuable to techans for years, not realizing until later that mankind never had
another reason: while magic may be able to touch it, it the opportunity to exploit it before. When worked like
cannot saturate it, rendering the metal invaluable for steel, it becomes a wonderful material from which to
use in bastion power grids. Techan industry and manu- create items. Despite its origins, coruthil is naturally
facturing has also made titanium a highly valuable com- magically inert, although it can be enchanted just like
modity. The common isotopes of uranium are no steel.
longer strongly radioactive, opening up a wide range of Application: Metal weapons and armor.
uses for the metal. Traditional fantasy would have Level: As original item.
miners searching for iron and gold, but now mines like Effect: Coruthil is immune to all corrosion, natural
the Finer Fire Pits and Thos Thalagos also search for or magical.
molybdenum, iridium, and rhodium, all of which can be
extracted safely with narros expertise. There are also
FAE IRON MAGNARROS
This ore sears the flesh of all fae. Almost every fae Already stubborn to ignite, magnesium becomes
culture has banned this ore except for Kakodomania, increasingly more difficult to combust in magical fields.
where it is wielded almost exclusively by shemjaza, This caused many echan blacksmiths to try to forge
despite their own reaction to it (or, given their swords in magnesium for a time until they discovered
disposition, because of), though some pagus brandish this property had a knack of suddenly reversing without
these weapons insulated at the hilt (these are always warning, making the weapon burst in a fiery white
rebels, as the shemjaza do not allow such potent weap- flame in a clash. It certainly was impressive and
ons against themselves to be wielded by their peons). intimidating, but ultimately costly and dangerous to all,
It was first discovered – accidentally – by the tenenbri, especially the wielder. A narros forge in Thos
which has often led to the narros claiming it as evidence Thalagos, run by elder Magnalus Eneg, claimed to have
of the tenenbri’s sins against Oaken. When the pagus perfected an alloy that prevents this dangerous
migration occurred, corrupted tenenbri took the combustion. He kept the process as a family secret
invention to their new masters. until his death, forging weapons only for narros and
In modern times, techans analyzed samples and never allowing the fruits of the technique to pass
determined fae iron (or “leaded iron” or “cold iron” as outside the species. Since his passing 50 years ago,
it's sometimes referred, though not terribly accurate) is more non-narros weapons have been appearing from
comprised of iron with extremely low trace amounts of forges. Other narros have learned the secret of its
carbon and lead (less than 3%). These ratios are construction, although the method is still guarded from
extremely specific, as are the procedures for converting outsiders. It is a point of respect and awe for a narros
the material into a malleable substance for weapons. A adventurer to wield a magnarros blade. Magnarros is a
simple deviation of half a percent of carbon or lead in very rare silvery, glistening metal that is lighter than
either direction, and the metal is merely impure iron. iron but just as hard.
No study has ever explained why this specific substance Application: Metal weapons and armor.
harms fae as it does. Some humans, especially those Effect: Armor—Heavy armor looses attack penal-
from xenophobic cultures like Baruch Malkut, began ties.
trying to crack this ratio to arm their forces in mass with Weapons—Lose attack penalties is there is any.
fae-iron weapons, but those who wield their obvious
speciesism openly will find every hand of civilized echa
turned against them. Narros will not forge it: even
TECHAN VEHICLES
modern tenenbri refuse to have anything to do with the Though the overwhelming majority of travelers in the
metal and consider its discovery the greatest sin of their echan wilderness (or wasteland, depending on who you
past. It will never be found in any community with a ask) still prefer beasts of burden for their transportation,
fae population or in any city with good relations with a few still favor progressive methods. Vehicles
fae. Even boggs and skeggs don’t use fae iron purely designed to operate outside of bastions look different
because of the risk of personal injury. than those traveling effortlessly inside them. They are
Effects: Fae/fey creatures have an adverse reaction more rugged, with armored shells designed to withstand
to fae iron (see Universal Fae Traits). punishment both physical and magical. Though some
vehicles in cities may employ internal combustion or
short-life batteries, vehicles outside mostly utilize
GOLD battery power, either from disposable cells or from
Apart from its aesthetic value, the benefit of gold as rechargeable ones, generating electricity from solar
257
currency is that magic cannot touch it. Any other mate- power. Operating vehicles are rare in the echan
rial transmuted into gold will bleed off the magic used landscape and many wandering travelers have come
to transform it and revert to its natural form within a across ravaged and gutted techan vehicles, gears seized
few hours, making it impossible to counterfeit in this from disruption, their crew long dead with no way to
way. Furthermore, it can be added to any other magical return home. Along the Continental Cross it is not
item, even one that gains its powers from an alchemical uncommon to see these vehicles towed along by horses
alloy, to dampen or direct the effects without impacting like wagons when out of power or when conserving
the properties of the final item. Most magical items energy. All vehicles use batteries as they are far more
have at least a bit of gold about them to ensure that efficient, clean, and supply rechargeable power where
their negative properties are not transferred to the internal combustion requires a fuel source not easily
wielder. Gold wires are able to conduct electricity with- accessible since most bastions don’t sit on stockpiles of
out any chance of being affected by EDF (even over fossil fuels.
very large distances in open echa, although the chance
of theft is an obstacle to regular use), and gold is an in-
tegral component in most forms of anti-EDF shielding.
VEHICLE RULES
Application: Metal armor or shields. For the most part, vehicles should not be featured in
Effects: Gain a +1 bonus to all defenses against combat, as the logistics of handling two separate scales
spells and arcane powers. are too complex for general purposes. When they are
 GROUND VEHICLES
STANDARD GROUND VEHICLES
NAME CAP CARGO MAN. SPEED AC RESIST. HP SIZE COST TL
4-wheel ATV 1+1 100 -1 Fast 10 — 20 Medium 900 1
Armored truck 1+6 3000 -2 Fast 15 8+ 60 Large 2,500 1
Tracked APC 1+8 1000 -2 Fast 20 11+ 75 Large 8,500 1
Tank 1+3 500 -2 Normal 22 11+ 100 Large 10,500 2
Wheeled bike 1+1 20 0 Very fast 10 — 15 Medium 420 1
Wheeled buggy 1+1 50 0 Very fast 15 — 30 Medium 1,700 2
Wheeled truck 1+4 1500 -2 Fast 13 6+ 30 Large 8,500 1

ETV-ECHAN TERRAIN VEHICLES

NAME CAP CARGO MAN. SPEED AC RESIST. HP SIZE COST TL
Behemoth 1+50 30000 -5 Very slow 20 11+ 400 Huge+ 212,000 3
Land shark 1+20 5000 -5 Sloq 20 16+ 200 Huge 162,000 2
Nomad 1+10 2000 -2 Slow 20 16+ 150 Huge 112,000 2
Nuke truck 1+10 3000 -2 Slow 18 11+ 100 Huge 162,000 3
Panther 1 50 +1 Very fast 15 — 30 Medium 10,500 2
Scrambler 1+5 1500 -1 Normal 20 11+ 100 Huge 32,500 2
Wanderer 1+1 150 -1 Slow 17 11+ 80 Huge 22,500 2

featured, they involve a departure from regular Size: The size of the vehicle. A huge+ is twice the
movement rules. size of a huge creature.
Cost: The purchase price to acquire the vehicle.
The easiest way to handle vehicle Tech Level (TL): Unlike other equipment, a vehi-
combat or fights between vehicles cle’s tech level does not grant enhancement bonuses,
and extra-large creatures is to treat only determines its susceptibility to disruption.
Weapon Mounts: Certain vehicles come equipped
them as only moving relative to each
with mounting hardware to attach weapons. When avail-
other rather than to the terrain. For in- able, the mount is able to house any class of weapon
stance, if a party in a scrambler happens to be listed (the vehicle’s size is not taken into account when
trying to escape from (just for the sake of argu- determining the class of weaponry, as is the case with
ment) a rampaging gigantic dire moose charg- exo-armor). Adding a weapon mount to a vehicle that
ing at them along a forest path, you can just doesn’t have one costs 1000 uc for a two-handed small
track the relative positions of the vehicle and arm and 5000 uc for a heavy weapon. A vehicle must
the moose and treat ruts or twists in the road have a hit point total greater than 60 to mount a heavy
weapon.
as special events that modify other actions
(making it harder to aim, etc).
ENERGY SUPPLY
Vehicles use rechargeable energy cells, not internal
VEHICLE STATISTICS combustion. In canon Amethyst, only ETVs have the
258 Capacity (CAP): The standard capacity or crew. capacity to either recharge themselves or run indefinite-
Only one person is needed to drive the vehicle; other ly from a bastion. Most of the time, this involves solar
crewmembers serve as gunners or co-pilots. Each un- replenishment; in the case of the nuke truck, it’s from
used passenger slot allows the vehicle to carry an addi- its namesake reactor. Other vehicles don’t have such
tional 300 pounds of cargo. luxury. Generally a GM has one of two options: ignore
Cargo Capacity (CARGO): The amount of cargo the fuel for all vehicles, or have non-ETVs run on one re-
vehicle is designed to carry in pounds. chargeable energy cell per day. Energy cells are re-
Maneuver (MAN): The modifier added to any vehi- chargeable and can be purchased for 50 UC spares.
cle skill checks. Cells can be recharged at any bastion, techan atoll, or in
Speed: The maximum speed of the vehicle a pinch, even larger ETVs. Vehicles like nuke trucks
AC: The vehicle’s base AC. Add the driver level to and behemoths can easily recharge energy cells, provid-
determine the final AC. Attempts to target creatures ing a mobile base of operations.
within vehicles use the vehicle's AC instead of the tar-
get's normal AC or PD.
Resistance (RESIST): The vehicle’s resistance to
various attacks. This number is to resist (all damage).
Enclose vehicles protects those inside.
Hit Points (HP): The vehicle’s hit points.
 Despite organizations and player ori- Tracked Armored Personnel Carrier (APC): Slow,
gins, I generally always give my awkward, but reliable, the tracked APC design dates
techan players transportation. In the back to ancient man. The modern model employs a
campaigns I run, only one group has had half-track configuration—easy for the common driver to
use as its controls match those of the common truck.
enough techan players to justify an ETV. In Primary propulsion is delivered through a caterpillar
another game, the players rode around atop a tread replacing the rear axle while a pair of massive tires
giant snail called “Pig”. controls the steering in the front. The enclosed cabin
It was an odd game. and cargo area provide sufficient protection through
heavy gauge steel. From the outside, the halftrack APC
STANDARD GROUND VEHICLES appears primitive, and it is certainly less prone to
disruption than more advanced vehicles, but the power
4-wheel All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV): All-terrain
requirements of the tracks remain steep, limiting its
vehicles are miniaturized motorized buggies that are
range. In York, where they first appeared, they found
seldom employed for long missions outside of a bastion,
use with the military patrolling around the city.
though York survivalists and thrill seekers occasionally
Weapon Mounts: Halftrack APCs come equipped
employ them on short excursions from the city. They
with two turret heavy weapon mounts.
don’t offer the protection their larger cousins have.
Enclosure: This vehicle protects those inside; they
When seen in deep echa, they operate as scouts from a
gain the benefits of the resist value.
larger convoy.
Tank: It is a fact of progress that weapons
Special: ATVs operate like mounts for the purposes
technology will always outstrip armor. The classic tank
of combat instead of vehicles.
was almost engineered into extinction as advances in
Armored Truck (AT): Armored trucks offer amazing
armor-piercing weaponry continually surpassed the
resistance to outside damage without the high costs of
ability of tank designers to compensate. However,
dedicated ETVs. Tires are run-flat, and the wheels are
when those same anti-tank guns have a better-than-
as protected as the rest of the truck. The enclosed
average chance of misfiring, many crews find several
cabin may have open gun-hole sliders while offering
inches of composite armor separating them from the
cover to those inside. Since most outside techan
outside to be a great comfort. Even most monsters have
expeditions from Angel employ ETVs, most armored
trouble combating the matrix of synthetic diamond tiles
trucks outside of bastions are used by York.
sandwiched between layers of steel. Add to that a
Weapon Mounts: ATs are equipped with a single
sealed, self-contained environment and soon, the
turret heavy weapon mount.
number of tank volunteers surged within large bastion
Enclosure: This vehicle protects those inside; they
expeditionary armies. Modern tanks offer the security
gain the benefits of the resist value.
and safety of solid weight. At more than 40 tons, the
Bike: Though motorbike variations number in the
modern tank (namely the York Mark V Partisan and the
hundreds, the ones employed in echa often rest
ugly Angel TDM-001 “Toad”) can still zip over the
mounted behind ETVs and larger trucks, used for
landscape despite the profusion of obstacles willing to
scouting and emergencies. These are durable basic
stand in its way.
machines with strong chassis and thick, large, run-flat
Weapon Mounts: Tanks contain three turret
tires with heavy treads. They don’t offer any protection
mounts for a heavy weapons.
to the rider. Some manufacturers refer to them as
Special: Tanks suffer no penalties for passing
enduros.
through rough terrain. Terrain behind a tank move-
Special: Bikes operate like mounts for the purposes
of combat instead of vehicles.
ment is no longer rough. They may even be totally
submerged in water, bringing in air from an outside
259
Buggy: Outside of echa, this title usually refers to
snorkel that rises up 10 feet from the hull.
semi-enclosed vehicles with a wide footprint upon the
Enclosure: This vehicle protects those inside; they
ground with tires spaced far to the corners. They are
gain the benefits of the resist value.
much larger than a standard car. The buggy encloses
Truck: This descriptor covers a wide range of vehi-
the crew in a steel and plastic frame that offers
cles, from the open flatbed to the all terrain 4x4. Not
protection from a crash but not from the outside
even remotely designed for the echan world, wheeled
environment. The body is formed in such a way that
trucks are still employed regardless: thankfully, their
shifting a tumbled vehicle back to its wheels is a
lack of complicated parts compared with other vehicles
relatively simple procedure. Thick steel roll bars
makes them easy to repair when they inevitably break
prevent damage to the frame or the people inside,
down. Smaller mercenary groups use them, and York
provided they are strapped in. These buggies, though
operates hundreds, shepherding people between the
designed for wild terrain, don’t possess the lifespan or
bastion and various military outposts surrounding the
durability for extended excursions within it. Like
city. Like most all-terrain wheeled vehicles (save
enduro bikes, they usually supplement convoys rather
ETVs), wheeled trucks seen outside of bastions are
than dominate them.
from York.
 Enclosure: This vehicle protects those inside; they They start from svelte and nimble bikes to gargantuan
gain the benefits of the resist value. dirt trains like the behemoth and sand shark.
Wheeled Vehicles: Almost all vehicles seen outside Behemoth: The behemoth matches its name
of bastions still use wheels. In case of critical perfectly. This goliath lumbers over the landscape,
disruption, they can still unlatch their drive train, hook delivering power equally to its 8x8 drivetrain. Massive
on some beasts of burden, and convert into wagons steel-reinforced rubber/carbon tires supply little
(some remain that way). Even the most advanced cushioning, relying on the beast’s floating platform
bastions still employ wheeled transportation for the suspension system to keep it smooth and stable. Its
majority of their population. The only real exception is eight wheels cover a footprint 40 feet wide and 60 feet
Selkirk, which has no roads. Despite Mann’s and Sierra long, and the three-level atrocity towers nearly twenty-
Madre’s magnetic technology or Angel’s hover vehicles, five feet tall. This monster usually heralds its approach
most of the population still lumbers over pavement. with the cracking of trees and snapping of bushes as it
260 The most advanced variations of these are the ETVs
listed later. Some expeditions can’t afford such luxuries
pushes and heaves through forest and grassland.
Though at home in the arid and rocky terrain around
and modify city vehicles to serve their purposes outside Selkirk where it was built, in the varied landscape of
of bastions. Because of dwindling fossil fuels, all the southern lands, the behemoth is somewhat overkill.
wheeled vehicles run off battery powered electric The brute clumsily bullies its way through whatever
turbines. stands in front. The fat and awkward TDM-001 Toad
prances gracefully in comparison. When spotted
ECHAN TERRAIN VEHICLES outside Dianaso, the behemoth serves a broader
Virtually all Wasteland All-Terrain Transports, or purpose, as either a mobile base of operations for
WATTs (usually referred to just as ETVs in standard mercenary groups or as a nomadic home for families.
parlance), come from Angel or Selkirk originally, alt- The behemoth was not designed to be a military vessel
hough organizations such as the Iron Sons that operate so lacks any weapon mounts, counting on its population
out of multiple bastions make use of the technology for defense.
wherever they go. These models are impractical for city Enclosure: This vehicle protects those inside; they
use, being generally too large and/or clumsy for narrow gain the benefits of the resist value.
city streets. They employ a modular design, shielded Sealed: The behemoth is waterproof. The crew is
electronics, massive wheels, and grunt horsepower. immune to all external inhaled diseases and poisons
until the vehicle is destroyed.
 Terrain: The behemoth suffers no penalties for popular outside of the Dianaso pass. The nomad uses
passing through difficult terrain. Terrain the behemoth wheels like the behemoth, though only having six. It
passes over is no longer difficult. It may even be totally features a center pivot so the vehicle can maneuver in
submerged in water, bringing in air from an outside tighter confines like the land shark. It is the smallest at
snorkel that rises up 10 feet from the hull. only 20 feet tall and 30 feet long. This model has found
EDF Recovery (Recovery 11+): Quick action. If use all over Canam and, along with the scrambler, is the
disrupted, the machine comes back online. most common ETV seen in open echa.
Land Shark: Also from Selkirk, this successor to the The nomad moves via four separate electric motors
behemoth is substantially smaller, and while its rede- contained in each of the axles. It receives power to all
signed motor system requires roughly as much power of them from its contained main drive in the rear of the
intake, it is much more efficient and can make do on a vehicle, snuggled next to its ample cargo hold. The
single battery instead of two. The 8x8 wheel system cabin occupies the entirety of the forward module.
was replaced by an even more durable 4x4 tri-drive Unlike the land shark and behemoth, the nomad only
sprocket caterpillar system. In the middle of the 40- has two levels but an efficient design makes it almost as
foot long vehicle is a pivot segment, allowing the
vehicle enhanced mobility in tighter areas. Despite its
roomy as the shark, with separated cabins and full air
and waste management system. The nomad is both
261
convoluted drive system, the land shark is faster than waterproof and self-sustaining. However, because of its
the behemoth but not as roomy. It gained more smaller size, a rechargeable power system was never
popularity as a mobile command post for mercenary offered standard.
groups and military, and armed variants lead most EDF Recovery (Recovery 11+): Quick action. If
Selkirk convoys into the Deep Pass. While the disrupted, the machine comes back online.
behemoth is wide and fat, the land shark is thin and tall. Enclosure: This vehicle protects those inside; they
Even though only 20 feet wide, it still stands 25 feet gain the benefits of the resist value.
high, as tall as its predecessor. Sealed: The nomad is waterproof. The crew is im-
Armament: The land shark carries a single heavy mune to all external inhaled diseases and poisons until
weapon turret mount. the vehicle is destroyed.
EDF Recovery (Recovery 11+): Quick action. If Terrain: The nomad suffers no penalties for passing
disrupted, the machine comes back online. through difficult terrain. Terrain the nomad passes over
Enclosure: This vehicle protects those inside; they is no longer difficult. It may even be totally submerged
gain the benefits of the resist value. in water, bringing in air from an outside snorkel that
Nomad: The final Selkirk land cruiser variant rises up 10 feet from the hull.
released is the smallest of the trio, and by far the most
 “Nuke Truck” (TDM-002 Maco): In order to suffers 10d10+100 points of fire damage. Everything up
combat EDF interference outside their walls, Angel to distant suffers a +20 attack vs. PD for 10d10 points of
R&D created a vehicle with its own shielded micro- damage (half damage on a miss).
nuclear fission power pack. The result is an extremely EDF Recovery (Recovery 11+): Quick action. If
expensive and risky long-range carrier, the TDM-002 disrupted, the machine comes back online.
maco, mostly referred to as the “the nuke truck.” The Enclosure: This vehicle protects those inside; they
reactor, though miniature, is enough to keep the vehicle gain the benefits of the resist value.
going and its systems fully powered for a full year Sealed: The nuke truck is waterproof. The crew is
before needing service. Because of the reduced immune to all external inhaled diseases and poisons
degradation of Uranium-235 in the EDF and its until the vehicle is destroyed.
increased resistance to shedding neutrons, scientists Special: To repair or even work on an engine of this
switched to Radium 226 and Thorium 232, which complexity imposes a -5 penalty to the engineer skill
accelerate their decay while in magic. Since these check.
materials cannot be found easily in nature, the only way Panther, Verkelen Alpha-1: Angel’s government-
to service and re-supply a nuke truck involves taking it funded arms maker dedicated to ETV and anti-echan
to one of only two breeder reactors in Canam: one in R&D, Verkelen, started drawing plans to compete in
York and the other in Angel. The breeder reactors the ETV market just under a century ago. The result,
expel more fissionable materials than they receive, but after millions of uc in development and testing, proved
the process is not cheap and a full service and re-supply brilliant. The panther features a completely enclosed
of a nuke truck takes a week and costs 10,000 uc. stretched ovoid body with two forks sticking forward
However, the advantages are plain to see. The and back where the spoke-less wheels are mounted.
extensive radiation shielding virtually removes any Huge computer-controlled gas shocks absorb impact by
chance of the reactor shorting out in the EDF, although predicting upcoming terrain and adjusting accordingly.
the rest of the vehicle’s onboard systems aren’t quite so The panther features a gyroscopic stabilization control
well protected. system (GSCS), preventing it from toppling over.
Critical Mass: If the nuke truck is destroyed, the Unless fully deactivated, the panther can never be
reactor melts. This causes everything up to far away unbalanced from any maneuver or attack. The

262
computer works with the driver, allowing the bike to shark, the scrambler is the preferred choice among
lean over when the vehicle intends to maneuver but smaller techan groups.
sensors detect if it will result in a fall. The GSCS even Enclosure: This vehicle protects those inside; they
allows the vehicle to adjust its angle of attack on gain the benefits of the resist value.
upcoming terrain. The panther’s wheels are Properties: The scrambler can illuminate a 100 foot
magnetically driven, capable of stopping and forcing its area. Despite its size, the scrambler suffers no penalties
wheels into a lock. Each wheel carries enough torque to to movement.
lift the entire body of the panther on one axle. The Sealed: The scrambler is waterproof. The crew is
GSCS can then maintain that angle. With this ability, immune to all external inhaled diseases and poisons
the panther could even climb a steep hill it has no hope until the vehicle is destroyed.
of scaling by simply walking up its side. EDF Recovery (Recovery 11+): Quick action. If
Properties: The Panther requires a DC25 Strength disrupted, the machine comes back online.
check to be pushed over or moved. It can fit another Wanderer, Verkelen Mark II: The wanderer began
medium sized creature, but all drive rolls in the its life as a next generation ground interceptor for the
cramped space suffers a -4 penalty. Angel military. As time passed before a successful
EDF Recovery (Recovery 11+): Quick action. If prototype could reach testing, advances in hover
disrupted, the machine comes back online. technology surpassed ground possibilities and the newly
Enclosure: This vehicle protects those inside; they formed Crimson Starlight soon captured the public
gain the benefits of the resist value. attention and the entirety of military funding. Verkelen
Sealed: The panther is waterproof. The crew is im- shelved the designs and mothballed the prototype for
mune to all external inhaled diseases and poisons until almost a hundred years until the increase in mercenary
the vehicle is destroyed. forces and the desire for echan expeditions encouraged
Scrambler, Verkelen Mark IV: Selkirk produces the a revisit to the old design. The wanderer measures
largest ETVs in the world but at one point Angel made thirty feet long but the main body only measures eight
a play for the prize. They released two models within
ten years, both large and somewhat clumsy, though in
feet across. A complex motor system involving four
large axles mounted on hydraulic powered limbs is
263
the end, nowhere near to the immensity of those from capable of raising the craft anywhere from five to fifteen
Selkirk. The most popular of all these was the feet off the ground and/or widening its wheel
scrambler ETV. This vehicle keeps the crew in a placement to as far as twenty feet across. Two wheels
tightly sealed environment, elevated twenty feet above are attached at each axle. The entire motor assembly
the ground. It rolls on six massive thick-treaded, steel- also sits under a large swivel joint, allowing the entire
sidewall supported run-flat tires eight feet across. The cabin to rotate on its center. When traveling at any
scrambler can lose up to two tires without being substantial speed or when committing any hazardous
disabled. The multi-level cabin can hold five people in maneuvers, the wanderer must widen its drivetrain or
relative comfort with many of the amenities the crew risk tumbling over.
enjoys at home, including full sewage recycling and EDF Recovery (Recovery 11+): Quick action. If
kitchen as well sleeping areas. It also sports one of the disrupted, the machine comes back online.
largest headlight assemblies of any vehicle, equipped Enclosure: This vehicle protects those inside; they
with twenty forward-mounted high intensity discharge gain the benefits of the resist value.
lights capable of illuminating a cone of terrain hundreds Motor System: The motive-limbs are neither fast
of feet long. Much smaller than the behemoth or land nor articulate, and require a move action to shift config-
uration. By default, the wheels are spaced twenty feet
 apart. The wanderer can squeeze by adjusting this con- engines. It operates as both a transport and as an attack
figuration. vehicle capable of parking over a location and securing
Sealed: The wanderer is waterproof. The crew is ground like a tank. It doesn't deliver the massive
immune to all external inhaled diseases and poisons punch of a focused attack helicopter but can nearly
until the vehicle is destroyed. equal one when accounting for maneuverability. It is
264 Turrets: The wanderer comes equipped with two
turret mounts for two-handed small arms.
equipped with a laser range finder, thermal imaging
night sights, and a digital ballistic computer. Both the
fuel and ammunition are compartmentalized to enhance
AIRCRAFT survivability.
Armament: Two heavy weapon turrets or three two-
Generally, most techans avoid air travel outside of basti- handed small-arm turrets.
ons, stemming from the susceptibility of avionics to Auto-Reload: You have a mechanism to reload your
disrupt. Techans are paranoid enough worrying about weapons. You can reload three clips/cells before need-
an ETV breaking down: add in the possibility of falling ing external loading. Reloading still takes a move ac-
to one's death and most people opt for ground travel. tion using this system. You must land for external re-
There are noteworthy exceptions, and these all come in loading.
the form of lighter-than-air vehicles. EDF Recovery (Recovery 11+): Quick action. If
disrupted, the machine comes back online.
AIRCRAFT DESCRIPTIONS Enclosure: This vehicle protects those inside; they
Angel Hammerhead: This military aircraft uses fan- gain the benefits of the resist value.
jets to keep itself airborne and is unable to stay aloft Pressurized: The crew is immune to all poisons and
otherwise: thankfully, the fanjets have a built-in redun- gas effects until the vehicle is destroyed.
dancy that can compensate if the craft loses one of its Sensors: You can see in the dark.
 Armored Zeppelin: Thankfully, along with magnet- is the only model employed by a bastion.
ic fields, lighter than air vehicles depend on a science Enclosure: This vehicle protects those inside; they
undisrupted by magic. Before they developed magnetic gain the benefits of the resist value.
technology, Selkirk employed low-tech rigid airships Lifting Bags: This aircraft is equipped with eight
filled with helium to transport themselves around the lifting bags. If deflated, you can use heated air in lieu 265
mountains. Because of its resistance to disruption, the of helium but the vessel suffers a -1 penalty to maneu-
zeppelin remains a popular choice for long journeys. verability for each bag filled this way.
Even if its fanjet nacelles short out, the craft will remain Movement: The zeppelin can hover. In addition,
airborne. Engineers later added retractable sails for the zeppelin has sails. In an emergency, you can use
emergency propulsion if the primary drive fails. Inter- them to substitute normal propulsion at very slow
nal cells separate the helium to prevent a catastrophic speed.
collapse in case of a puncture. The craft can lose pres- Pressurized: The crew is immune to all poisons at-
sure from more than half of its twelve segments and still tacks until the vehicle is destroyed.
not fall. Its ultralight polymer and metal envelope co- Repair Drone: A repair drone buzzes around inside
vers an internal aramid skin. The shell, wrapped the superstructure, patching breaches in the baffles be-
around an aluminum skeleton, maintains its shape even fore they hemorrhage their gas. Once per minute, a
when deflated, unlike standard balloons or blimps. repair drone can seal a single breach as a standard action
This allows a greater capacity of gas and cargo. The (taken by the pilot), using one charge in the process.
majority of the crew lives in a pressurized segment in- Special—Resupply Helium: If out of helium, all
side the superstructure. Though several echans and bastions and even some techan forts can resupply you.
techans use airships, the armored zeppelin from Selkirk
 AIRCRAFT
NAME CAP CARGO MAN. SPEED AC RESIST. HP SIZE COST TL
Angel Hammerhead 2+2 500 -2 Extremely Fast 15 11+ 60 Large 15,000 2
Armored zeppelin 1+15 2000 -3 Normal 15 11+ 80 Huge+ 63,500 2
Mann Pantokrator 1+6 1500 -1 Extremely Fast 15 16+ 100 Huge 162,500 4
266 Thermal blimp 1+4 300 -5 Normal 13 6+ 50 Huge 22,500 ,0
Thermal frame standard 1+15 1000 -6 Slow 15 6+ 100 Huge 42,500 0
Thermal frame, large 1+30 2000 -7 Slow 16 6+ 150 Huge+ 52,000 1
York Wasp 1 5 -2 Very Fast 15 11+ 40 Medium 5,000 3

The price varies depending on the location but the av- fully armed soldiers.
erage cost to fill a balloon is between 300-600 uc. Armament: Two two-handed weapon turrets and
Mann Pantokrator: The only known Mann aircraft one heavy weapon turret OR two heavy weapon turrets
seen outside of the bastion’s walls, the pantokrator was OR one super heavy weapon turret.
intentionally over-engineered to increase survivability Auto-Reload: You have a mechanism to reload your
in echa. Two pylon-mounted fanjets provide lateral weapons. You can reload three clips/cells before need-
movement and rudimentary lift if the vehicle’s primary ing external loading. Reloading still takes a move ac-
any-gravity module is damaged. The vessel also fea- tion using this system. You must land for external re-
tures visible weapon pods to increase intimidation. Its loading.
size and payload have dubbed it a "flying fortress". In- EDF Recovery (Recovery 11+): Quick action. If
creased armor makes it virtually impenetrable to ground disrupted, the machine comes back online.
small arms fire. The rear cargo area can hold up to six
 Enclosure: This vehicle protects those inside; they tives. With the exception of Selkirk, still employing a
gain the benefits of the resist value. model of gasbag craft when flying outside of its perime-
Movement: The pantokrator can hover. ter, all the other bastions abandoned airships in favor of
Pressurized: The crew is immune to all poisons and faster, more maneuverable vectored-thrust and rotor-lift
gas effects until the vehicle is destroyed. variations. This knowledge refused to fall into antiqui-
Regeneration: The pantokrator can regenerate its ty and a few stubborn engineers, relics proclaiming a
own hit points at 3 per round. lost art, sold or imparted this expertise to the outside
Sensors: You can see in the dark. world. Airships moved in their own direction. Though
York Wasp: The wasp is a one man aerial transport a few rare models employ solar or battery powered pro-
popular in the eastern bastion. It is used in law enforce- pulsion, the majority (including all those under control
ment, traffic control, and military divisions assigned to of echans) utilize reliable methods including wind,
urban warfare. The wasp is occasionally fitted with steam, and dependable manpower. The laudenians are
weapons but is mostly used for reconnaissance. It has believed to employ a variety of airship powered by mag-
no room for passengers, as the craft wraps around its ic to travel between their semi-mythical castles in the
user. air, but no non-laudenian has ever seen such a craft.
Armament: Wasps have a single weapon turret to
hold a two-handed small-arm.
Thermals (as they are often known) remain popular in
Canam and Lauropa more than in any other region in
267
Auto-Reload: You have a mechanism to reload your the world, though few attempt to cross the expanse be-
weapon. You can reload three clips/cells before needing tween these great lands. In Canam, they proved more
external loading. Reloading still takes a move action popular given the continent's girth and the influx of
using this system. You must land for external reloading. ground-based raiders. Almost every echan city, from
Enclosure: This vehicle protects those inside; they Janoah to Limshau to Victrix, sports mooring towers. In
gain the benefits of the resist value. Gnimfall, mooring cables hang from every grind tower.
Movement: The wasp can hover. York and Selkirk are the only bastions to allow the
Pressurized: The pilot is immune to all poisons and mooring of echan thermals. Pilots must tread carefully
gas effects until the vehicle is destroyed. when plotting a course: the northeast region of Canam
Sensors: You can see in the dark as well as invisible swarms with dragons, and airship skeletons are scattered
targets. across the Gloam to the south. The sky is still not safe
but is considerably healthier in comparison to ground
THERMAL AIRSHIPS travel.
Since helium or hydrogen are hard to come by in the Thermals are broken up into two subgroups: blimps
modern world, designers started brainstorming alterna- and frames. All variations gain their lift through differ-
entials in temperature between the outside air and the
 gasses contained within airbladders resting inside the residing inside the balloon assembly. Some models
structure. The choice of thermal lift over lighter gas come equipped with galleys and sleeping bays. Two
comes from access: refining helium (the safer choice) is sizes fly over most of Canam with the larger reserved for
costly and requires techan processes to produce. The mercenary units, public transportation, and charter
method of heating the air inside the balloon comes ei- flights. Manual propulsion keeps this vehicle incredibly
ther from a natural heat (a coal fire for example) or from slow, and most of those who can afford it and justify the
a magical one. All models are controlled by non- disruption risk opt to upgrade to an automatic system.
amplified mechanical flight control systems. This in- If using the manual system, the standard frame re-
volves a series of pulleys and cables that directly trans- quires 1 additional crewmember and the large model
mit instructions to the control surfaces – though ineffec- requires an additional 3. The large variant is by no
tive on faster aircraft, this method is perfect for slower- means the largest; it's just the largest public option.
moving airships. Even on the larger thermal frames, a Gnimfall flies the Ziggurat-Ex-Mundi between the vari-
slightly more advanced servo-tab system allows the ous grind towers around Canam. It can hold up to fifty
shifting of these massive fins with little force-feedback. gimfen in comfort (though humans find the accommo-
All thermals are equipped with a basic pedal-based mo- dations cramped). The ZEM's advanced steam drive
tor system requiring simple brute constitution for accel- makes it the fastest airship known. The largest frame
eration, making travel by flier just as exhausting as trav- of all comes from Limshau, the Abecedarian. Measur-
el by foot, at least for a portion of a group. Rumors per- ing a thousand feet long and weighing 150 tons, this 120
sist that it is possible to permanently enchant an airship. -passenger transport connects with all the smaller cities
Though a basic blimp or standard frame without any in the kingdom.
propulsion or control modifications could theoretically Enclosure: This vehicle protects those inside; they
be enchanted, the possibility of the enchantment dis- gain the benefits of the resist value.
rupting the control surfaces may be too high. Moreover, Lifting Bags: This aircraft is equipped with six lift-
the amount of spellwork required would be staggering. ing bags.
Not only would the entire craft need to be animated, Properties: The larger thermal frame uses a slightly
but so would its propulsion system and flame. Add to more complicated flight control system over the smaller
that the need to make the spells permanent and the frames and blimps, and thus, counts as a tech level 1
result is a procedure probably costing upwards of vehicle, though receiving a +5 bonus to all saving
3,000,000 gp not event taking into account the rarity of throws against disruption.
casters capable of accomplishing such a feat.
Lift: All thermals come with a torch to heat the air. OTHER LOW-TECH VEHICLES
It is either coal or propane. Usually a thermal has EDF is not kind to mechanical propulsion systems, es-
enough flame to keep it airborne for a week. This sim- pecially those that rely on regularity – although the
ple energy source can be resupplied at any village-sized chemistry and physics work the same as ever, the sys-
or larger settlement at a negligible cost (anywhere be- tematic processes required by a fuel injection system is
tween 5-10 gp). too easily interrupted. Interestingly, the chance of dis-
Movement Mode: All thermals can hover. ruption seems to rise according to the volatility of the
Properties: The maximum altitude of any thermal is fuel source: steam power (relying only on pressure) is
12,375 feet. Being a lighter-than-air vehicle, thermals almost totally safe, while high-octane gasoline, even if it
do not suffer from altitude loss if they begin to crash. were readily available, causes the vehicle’s engine to
Blimp: Blimps are hot-air ships with a non-rigid break down almost the instant it is turned on. Alcohol-
structure. Without pressure, they deflate. After cold air based carburetors are the most stable combustion en-
268 is pumped in and then heated, the baffles fill up and
the final shape takes form. Only the passenger car or
gines, functioning with minimal difficulty in low-EDF
areas and disrupting once or twice a day or so but easily
gondola has rigid construction. The difference between set to working order again, and even the occasional en-
blimps and simple hot-air balloons is the addition of tail gine burning refined vegetable oil can be made to run
fins and propulsion. as long as one has a capable mechanic on hand to repair
Enclosure: This vehicle protects those inside; they it a half-dozen times a day. This presumes that the de-
gain the benefits of the resist value. vice only sees low-grade use, and is kept out of combat
Lifting Bags: This aircraft is equipped with four – a crop harvester is far more reliable than a jalopy, and
lifting bags. not only are such low-powered engines totally unsuita-
Frame: This refers to a rigid airship—a dirigible ble for the stress of conflict, but the pressure of EDF
maintaining its shape from a framework instead of inter- that builds up in such circumstances would inevitably
nal pressure via a lifting gas. The rigid design offers the get to the unshielded mechanism. Low-tech vehicles
advantage of an increased lift capacity as the vessel can are all TL1, can move up to fast and have no tactical
feature more and larger lifting bags inside the super- properties – such vehicles disrupt immediately if com-
structure. bat breaks out.
Unlike blimps, where the crew sits in a gondola un-
derneath the main balloon, frames appear to only have a
small cockpit with the cargo and crew compartments
 VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS
MODIFICATION COST TL DESCRIPTION
EPCM I 500 1 +1 item bonus to AC
Parachute 500 -- Emergency escape method
Weapon mount (2-handed small-arm) 500 -- Mount a 2-handed small arm
Electronics flash reprogramming 900 -- Increase Speed by one category
Fly by wire•• 1,700 2 +3 maneuverability
Reinforced chassis I 900 -- +10 hit points
Suspension upgrade I• 900 -- Reduce maneuverability by 1
EPCM II 2,500 2 +2 item bonus to AC
Reinforced chassis II 2,500 -- +20 hit points (min 40 hit points)
Sails•• 2,500 -- Increase Speed by one category
Suspension upgrade II• 2,500 -- Reduce maneuverability by 1
Weapon turret (heavy weapon) 2,500 -- Mount a heavy weapon
Reinforced chassis III 6,500 -- +30 hit points (min 80 hit points)
Weapon turret (super heavy weapon) 6,500 -- Mount a super heavy weapon
Complete composite retrofit I 8,500 -- +2 item bonus to resistance
Repair drone•• 8,500 3 Repair holes in balloons
Suspension upgrade III• 8,500 2 Reduce maneuverability by 1
EPCM III 12,500 3 +3 item bonus to AC
Premiere performance suspension• 12,500 2 +1 item bonus to maneuverability
Steam drive•• 12,500 1 Increase Speed by two categories
Complete composite retrofit II 22,500 1 +4 item bonus to resistance
Reinforced chassis IV 32,500 1 +50 hit points (min 100)
EPCM IV 62,500 4 +4 item bonus to AC
Visual active camouflage 62,500 5 Total concealment / invisibility
•Ground vehicle only ••Thermal only

VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS AC.

Level II Property: +2 item bonus to the vehicle's
Each higher level is a substantial increase in product Level III Property: +3 item bonus to the vehicle's
quality. There is no limit on the number of modifica- AC.
tions you can place on a vehicle, but you can only have Level IV Property: +4 item bonus to the vehicle's
one of each type. AC.
Auto-Reloader: You have a mechanism to reload Electronics Flash Reprogramming: EFP involves
your weapons. You can reload three clips/cells before removing the vehicle's engine control system which
needing external loading. Reloading still takes a move limits the vehicle's power output by dictating throttle
action using this system. response injection timing. The unit is then replaced or
Complete Composite Retrofit: Ultra high molecular reprogrammed for higher and more efficient output.
-density polyethylene plates are bolted to the outer Property: Increase the speed of the vehicle by one
panels of the vehicle, removing any illusion of the
transport's purpose.
category.
Fly-by-Wire: This system completely replaces the
269
Level I Property: +1 bonus to the vehicle's re- primitive control system with a digital fly-by-wire sys-
sistance value (11+ becomes 12+ for example). tem common in all other techan aircraft. This turns the
Level II Property: +2 bonus to the vehicle's re- entire vessel into a TL2 craft.
sistance value. Property: +3 power bonus to maneuver rating.
Electronic/Physical Counter Measures (EPCM): Parachute: Parachutes attach to the main cabin or
This is not one modification but several accomplishing cockpit of an aircraft and deploy in case of freefall. A
similar ends. Reactive plating, adaptive camouflage, mechanical barometric switch triggers parachutes to
and regenerative countermeasures assist in making prevent a terminal crash. The vehicle must be at least
even an immobile vehicle harder to target with both 200 feet above the ground for the parachute to operate
close and ranged attacks. Reactive systems run off the safely.
vehicle’s power source and any gains by this system are Premiere Performance Suspension: This expensive
lost if the vehicle is disrupted. modification involves installing an intelligent active
Property: Any weapon with the Guided property suspension system which includes computer enhanced
that employs its daily power automatically misses. systems like TCS (Traction Control System), ASR (Anti
Level I Property: +1 item bonus to the vehicle's -Slip Regulation), and ESC (Electronically Stability
AC. Control).
 Property: +1 item bonus to maneuver rating. you become invisible until the end of the battle or five
Reinforced Chassis: By strengthening the chassis minutes. If you are hit by a melee or ranged attack, you
with strut and sway bars, adding run flat tires, and re- enter water, are hit with debris, or fire any weapons, you
placing key components with harder and lighter materi- become visible.
als like carbon fiber, the vehicle can endure more pun- Weapon Mount / Turret: A vehicle must have a
ishment. listed hit point total equal to or greater than 30 to
Level I Property: Vehicle gains +10 hit points. mount a two-handed weapon turret, equal to or greater
Level II Property: Vehicle gains +20 hit points. than 60 to mount a heavy weapon (unless stated other-
Vehicle must have at least 40 hit points for this modifi- wise), and equal to or greater than 100 to mount a super
cation. heavy weapon (unless stated otherwise). Most vehicles
Level III Property: Vehicle gains +30 hit points. can have only one weapon mount. Weapons use their
Vehicle must have at least 80 hit points for this modifi- original size when determining what can be fitted to a
cation. Maneuver rating decreases by 1. mount, even if they nominally count as a smaller weap-
Level IV Property: Vehicle gains +50 hit points. on for a larger user.
Vehicle must have at least 100 hit points for this modifi-
cation. Maneuver rating decreases by 1.
Special: Levels in reinforced chassis stack. The ve-
hicle cannot have more than two levels of this modifica-

A
tion.
Repair Drone: A repair drone buzzes around inside iden needed to change his money. Bastion
the superstructure, patching breaches in the baffles be- currency was worthless plastic and paper.
fore they hemorrhage their gas. The driver of the vehi- The bank was a wooden hut with a steel door
cle can use a standard action to make the repair drone guarded by three men wielding dull broad-
patch one breach. swords, archaic revolvers, and crater-ridden faces. The
A repair drone can seal a single breach once per mi- man inside sat on a plush chair and looked thin enough to
nute. pass through the iron bars separating him from Aiden. A
Sails: These pectoral and dorsal mounted sails pro- safe behind him had sunken into the dirt.
vide a small boost in speed and can provide movement "How much?" the cashier barked.
in an emergency if other means are neutralized. The Aiden passed his bills through the bars. "Five hun-
sails can be drawn in and unfurled in one minute. This dred."
modification can only be added onto frames, not blimps. "Looks like four--"
Property: Increase the speed by one category when "It's five," Aiden snapped. There was no way to ex-
deployed. change money in the bastion. Angel would accept echan
Steam Drive: This basic powerplant uses steam to
currency because of the raw materials involved, gold and
not only power the propellers but also heat the air bal-
silver, but they would never trade it back. The cashier
counted the bills twice.
loons as well. It replaces the basic standard torch with a
"Exchange rate isn't good this time of year."
much more powerful boiler, connected to a double-
"Exchange? There's no trade, how could there be--"
action steam engine. This requires a source of heat as
"It's not good this time of year," he interrupted. The
well as a supply of water. The average thermal can run
cashier opened the safe and rattled a few bags. "What do
for four days before requiring more water, a week be-
ya want?" he continued. "Kroenan? Carmots? Tence?
fore requiring more coal or propane. Being a basic en- Torquil tence does quite well. A lot of places take it."
gine, the steam drive counts as TL1 but gains a +5 bo- "Limshau currency please, carmots, chrysos--actually.
270 nus to any disruption saves.
Property: Increase the speed by two categories.
Yes, tence would be good. I don't know...fifty?" Aiden
had no idea.
Suspension Upgrade: This modification improves "Want gold?"
maneuverability with stiffer coils and springs. Various "Yes, lovely."
parts of the vehicle are replaced with lighter carbon fi- The man chuckled and tendered the coins in a bag.
ber and aluminum components. Aiden knew it was short but had no angle to argue.
Special: You can add multiple levels of this modifi-
cation to the same vehicle: its effects stack. * * *
Level I Property: Reduce maneuverability penalty
by 1 (maximum 0). The Echan Terrain Vehicle wasn’t a simple pantherbike
Level II Property: Reduce maneuverability penalty but scrambler, all thirty feet and forty tons of it. It rolled
by 2 (maximum 0). on six thick-treaded, steel-sidewall run-flat tires, each ten-
Level III Property: Reduce maneuverability penal- feet across. Twenty high-intensity discharge bulbs
ty by 3 (maximum 0). breathed a swath of light across the clearing. The vehicle
Visual Active Camouflage System: This is an active had a center pivot separating the engine cluster from the
cloaking system that can conceal a vehicle when not cabin, allowing it to navigate around tight spaces and keep
engaged in combat. its drive train insulated from magical disruption. Despite
Thermoptics (recharge 16+): As a standard action, the layers of padding, the vehicle still needed servicing
every thousand miles; magic always found a crack to work trees fell out of focus at this speed. Aiden couldn’t hear
itself through. This specific scrambler had a battery of anything; the vibrations in the suspension transmitted its
photovoltaic cells glued to the roof for additional range. noise through the frame of the vehicle.
Aiden followed the other passengers to the entrance, The grey wall of Angel faded behind, and Aiden felt an
the last to climb the steps, and the only one to notice the unexpected level of anxiety wash over him. Would the
black wooden arrow shaft embedded in the side of the dragon save his life again if he were in need? Its name was
vehicle. It had caved a crater in the panel twice the size of Genai, a title the city within the city took in tribute. Every
Aiden's head. Aiden motioned to the scrambler captain, a time Aiden approached the pagoda atop the pyramid
thin man with neither a nametag nor hair. "Uh...excuse where Genai was rumored to reside, he was shooed away
me?" Aiden called out. by the sentinel monks.
Hairless looked up and followed Aiden's eyes to the “If you walk from this city, from these walls, you will
arrow rooted in the plate. At first, Hairless was unsure always be a child. You will always live in your fantasy.”
what had drawn Aiden's attention. The arrow was obvi- Martin's words came back to him as Aiden closed his eyes
ously an annoyance that had paid him no mind when it and imagined what and whom he would find. No dream
occurred. He stepped up to Aiden's level and reached would do it justice. No fantasy could be too extreme.
out to grab the exposed shaft. Anything he could think of was real. Why would anyone
"Oh don't worry about that," Hairless said as he want anything else? Was the library city of Limshau encir-
strained against the arrow. "Picked it up on another run." cled by a pristine white wall? Was there a marsh that
Aiden nodded and placed a foot inside the cabin. He marked the corruption of a fallen human kingdom? Were
immediately noticed the still sharp and polished bodkin there faerie shapechangers that would marry a man if he
sticking an inch into the compartment. That made him stole their scarf?
uneasy. Aiden leaned out again. "Aren't these hulls ar- At first Aiden thought the quick thuds outside came
mored?" from loose stones on the road or tree branches scraping
"Six inches." across the scrambler. Aiden looked out the window and
"Who?" Aiden started. He glanced inside, following made out a squatty humanoid shape with a fat head losing
the shaft through the foot-thick sandwich of kevlar, steel, ground in its pursuit of the vehicle. Aiden couldn’t make
carbon, titanium and plastic. The arrowhead had kept its out much more than that given the vehicle’s speed. The
point unbroken through the armor. "I mean. That's clean creature hobbled clumsily, a bundle of rock-tipped spears
through." under its arm. Another creature appeared ahead, poking
Hairless moved in closer as he pulled hard against the up from behind a bush, launching similar projectiles inef-
wood. "Look..." He pulled hard and the shaft finally broke fectually against the reinforced hull of the vehicle. Unlike
free. "Don't worry yourself, and don't scare the others. the refined arrow Aiden had seen embedded in the
We're not going anywhere near them on this run. We'll scrambler previously, these had no possibility of penetrat-
be a minute covering this up. Gotta keep the chaos out." ing the ETV. Not even the run-flat tires could be pierced
Aiden nodded timidly and entered the cabin. by these weapons. Nevertheless, to quell passenger con-
The seats were of little comfort but a world apart cern and possibly just for the thrill, Aiden heard the high-
from a horse’s back. The crew sat on the deck above and pitched oscillating mechanical buzz of the techans’ retalia-
seldom came down. Aiden didn't introduce himself to the tory response.
other passengers, offering them only a nod and indirect A second later, a torrent of chemically propelled pro-
eye-contact. jectiles sheared a path across the horizon, cutting down
The older couple and their prepubescent child, all the fae and any other wildlife unfortunate enough to get
dressed in tatters, must have been stranded outside the caught in the crossfire. A half-dozen more shapes
wall for years before affording the tickets to return to a emerged from cover, unafraid of the gatling gun’s on-
world they tried to escape. The two adult men opposite
of the cabin were obviously brothers; one lost in music
slaught. The fae deflected their ineffective spears off the
tires and windows. The vehicle shuddered a moment and
271
from headphones, the other reading a tablet computer. the passengers all jumped from their seats as the scram-
Both looked naïve with polyester pants and rayon jackets, bler flattened an obstruction.
probably fated for Salvabrooke, the vehicle's penultimate "Holy shit!" The driver’s voice resonated from the top
destination. level. "Did you see that? Head came off from the jaw!"
Salvabrooke was an adulterated sampling of the out- The other passengers were terrified. Aiden was still glued
side world, watered down and sanitized for ignorant out- to the window. There were two more collisions as the
siders, a secluded enclave with few predators and legal fae were torn apart under the tires. One leapt up and
brothels, all run by welcoming fae. pounded its head across the door. Aiden jolted back
The scrambler produced a canine-like yap, followed by from the window as a bloodied hand thumped across it.
further woofs as the engine's various electric motors acti- Aiden still couldn’t catch the details though he was pretty
vated. The growling increased to a whine and the vehicle certain the creature had a smile that ran ear to ear.
launched with surge that tossed loose bags about the cab- The attack ended as quickly as it began.
in. The vehicle moved at the pace that technology found "Don't worry, folks," Hairless voiced over the inter-
comfortable. com. "Nothing we haven't dealt with a dozen times be-
It was a cumbersome machine, flattening unscarred fore." The scrambler continued without incident through
terrain, marking its path with uprooted vegetation. The the remainder of Cyon.
THE SOURCE
Magic focuses its power through three sources:
Pleroma: The root of all spellcraft is the power to create something
by speaking its name. This magic is imbued in the language of drag-
ons. All wizards access magic in this way. To the uneducated, this
language is simply called draconic. To everyone else, it is Pleroma.
Magical Materials: Not only are there new elements like angelite,
coruthil, and magnarros (born from previously rare minerals), there are
also thousands of materials and combinations of elements that pro-
duce different results in the presence of magic. The arts of alchemy
and magical crafting are born from these materials. Those with the
knowledge to forge items of enchantment are simply educated in the
exacting ratios of alloys and ingredients required. Miscalculate by
only 0.01 percent or 1 milligram, and the material becomes magically
inert.
Magical Beings: Just as some monsters are inherently magical crea-
tures, some people possess magical abilities on their own, whether
from birth or spontaneously manifested later in life: gneolistics, mys-
tics, vivicators and the like are some such, although all the forms such
‘blessings’ take are many and varied. These appear at random,
though some people claim that this gift must come from some divine
source. Both creatures wicked and wise have claimed such power.
They can offer mild magical enhancements or powerful spell-like
effects to almost rival wizards.

THE GATES
Many scientists dedicating their lives to the study of Attricana ascribe
to the theory that the white gate is a tear in the fabric of space con-
necting our universe to another. This other universe has rules of
chemistry and physics abnormal to our own. Radiating from this tear
is an unquantifiable aura where the clashing of two universes results
in the bizarre repudiation of scientific laws currently infecting the
globe. Authorities on the side of magic refute this, arguing that the
white gate does lead to another world, but not another universe: a
realm reserved for gods and/or those who pass on through at the ends
of their lives. Still another argument goes that the white gate leads to
outside our universe, to the flotsam our cosmos floats in, a literal in-
finity impossible to comprehend or even quantify in our reality.
Despite these arguments, physical laws change within the wake of
this white gate. These changes are not always constant and often
change with little to no warning. Because of this chaos, the principles
of natural selection and evolution are rendered ineffective, as they
cannot compensate fast enough for the changes in reality. Mutations
that do occur create huge deviations that are systemic through a spe-
cies, changing many suddenly but all in the same way. Interestingly,
magic tends to suppress harmful mutations in any body it affects;
while defects may still exist within a magical creature’s genome, the
influence of enchantment usually prevents such traits from becoming
manifest (as is the case with the tenenbri and cystic fibrosis).
In the Terros age, the fae (the only beings to achieve intelligence
after the dragons) never tried to define the rules of Attricana. Since
they had no concept of any previous world, there was no frame of ref-
erence to define the differences. Humanity on the other hand, was
able to differentiate which rules were unchanged and which were
altered. For one, no matter how many scientific laws the white gate
modifies, none are altered to such a degree as to prevent any existing
forms of life from continuing to live. Many of the laws concerning
biology and chemistry are amendments rather than wholesale altera-
 tions. These allow greater variations of life without ence of magic, but the human mind can seemingly tell
voiding existing ones. magic that it is not wanted here, and it appears to listen.
The laws of physics are more varied and incon- However, magic is constant and though it can be re-
sistent. Certain principles are fixed and have never duced, it can never be fully suppressed.
shown any signs of changing. Magnetism works the Most animals wandering the wild, despite being
same as ever, as does electricity, although the conduc- evolved creatures and theoretically resistant to magical
tivity of any material other than gold over long distances influence like man, eventually succumbed to its power.
is severely reduced in the presence of EDF. Other laws Though not every member of every species turned into
work mostly the same way, but with varying degrees of some kind of monster, every major genus (even plants
inconsistency depending on the strength of the local and bacteria) has produced at least one species begotten
magical field. Gravity is particularly susceptible to al- of magic. Some grew massive in size while others were
teration by magic, and it is suspected (though not con- able to channel great energy previously untapped. Giv-
firmed) that the range of the electromagnetic spectrum en time, a few of them developed rudimentary intelli-
has expanded (researchers take as proof of this the fact gence of their own (kodiaks being a prime example).
that creatures subjected to invisibility magic can still Unlike animals, in the 500 years mankind has been
see, when by all rights they should be rendered blind). exposed to magic, there has been virtually no major
Pressure and kinesis are problematic: while on a basic alteration to human physiology. There are reports of a
level they work the same as they did before the gate few minor aberrations occurring in northern Canam and
reopened, in closed systems above a certain complexity, across the world in Lauropa and Slav, but overall hu-
the laws of thermodynamics suddenly take a vacation as mans seem resistant to the whims of the wave. One
mechanical systems simply lose their built-up energy, popular theory states that, if a race is intelligent enough
causing pumps to void and gears to seize spontaneously to handle magic, they can prevent its total dominance.
with no indicator of where the lost energy has gone. Dumber animals become slaves while smarter ones be-
One group of intrepid scientists believed they found come masters. The fae, of course, are not an evolved
the secret to understanding the chaos from Attricana. species and thus not factored in to this theory.
They referred to it as the “Flow of Everything,” a mas- Almost all magic in the world is from Attricana and
sive cause-and-effect chart of millions of entries of data finding sources of Ixindar magic is difficult except in
that connect with other entries via 2 to 2000 different Kakodomania, the heart of its power. The black gate of
yes/no questions. These scientists became obsessed Ixindar corrupts rather than creates. Where Attricana is
with explaining all the altered rules and the conditions the embodiment of chaos and spontaneity, Ixindar codi-
causing one to go into effect in one moment and then fies order and structure, allowing it to mimic many of
do the opposite in the next. With the millions of differ- Attricana's spells, though without its spark of life. The
ent factors involved, all the original scientists died be- source of corruption has been hotly contested. Does
fore ever solving even 1% of the entire system, without Ixindar lead to hell or to a universe at the edge of
even discovering proof that it worked. Though subse- death? If Attricana is every possible permutation,
quent experts have picked up the torch, modern disci- would it be also every type of dimension, and if so
ples of flow theory accept that even if every single al- would Ixindar then be a doorway to nothing? If Attrica-
tered rule is explained and connected, it would not na is infinity, then Ixindar would be zero. Magic from
make the slightest bit of difference. One echalogian Ixindar radiates stasis, and therefore does not disrupt
dismissed the entire escapade as pointless, as the num- scientific laws. The creatures do not radiate EDF, nor
ber of factors actually needing to be observed was im- do their spells. Instead, Ixindar fills the minds of those
plausible. Some point out that this is exactly the same using its power with the conviction of perfect order:
274 approach that echan wizards take to the study of magic,
but such commentators are rarely given credibility.
with every use, the wielder becomes more and more
rigid in their thinking and set in their ways.
In locations saturated with magic via casters and
monsters, the overall influence of Attricana increases.
Observations have proved that more spawn creatures
PLEROMA
appear in regions populated by other magical beings or ‘Pleroma’ is a pre-Hammer philosophical concept, rep-
in populations where magic use is prevalent. Magic also resenting the entirety of divine power. It was adopted
appears to be drawn to life; in areas where life does not first by human wizards and thinkers and later by the fae
exist, magic does not follow. In light of this discovery, as the name for the draconic language, since the tongue
several techans have proposed moving to Antarctica, or itself has no internal name. Even spellcasters, re-
even to the moon (if some way of overcoming the ambi- nowned for their logical approach and cynical minds,
ent EDF long enough to get an orbital vehicle out of use the term despite its divine connotation. To many
the atmosphere could be found). of them, it may still be a light above our world, and to a
Inversely, humans – being natural beings graced greater extent, our universe, but there may be nothing
with intelligence and thus capable of observing the uni- divine or spiritual about it; even so, it does represent
verse in a quantum sense – can actively suppress the the ultimate power to change the universe with a word.
influence of magic if enough of them refuse to accept it Pleroma allows individuals to direct power normally
into themselves; it is not necessary to deny the exist- reserved for gods in myth.
 Pleroma is known to exist in at least three physical anyway moments later. From dancing lights to light-
dimensions. Though more are theorized, humans and ning leaping from fingers, every spell carries some indi-
fae are only capable of perceiving three, giving each cation that an intelligence other than the spellcaster is
letter three views: this occasionally makes different at work. Some wizards, particularly of the Koana
symbols look identical when viewed at the same angle. schools, nurture this intelligence, while others constant-
Most mages have no knowledge of the true nature of ly attempt to refine their spell in an attempt to mini-
Pleroma, as it is possible to cast any spell ever con- mize the apparent outside influence – with only limited
ceived by man or fae with a mere fifty-five letters, less success.
than twenty percent of the total characters of the lan-
guage. Some casters suspect even more powerful spells ENCHANTMENT
exist hidden in the script’s barely-glimpsed fourth phsi- As the famous quote passed among wizards goes,
cal dimension and point to foundation anchors as proof, “Anything you can think of thinks for itself.” Attricana
constructed as receptacles for these rare and powerful is about life in every possible combination, breaking
spells. This may explain why one cannot copy the spell rules that nature declares incontrovertible. A creature
from an anchor, as it is impossible for a three- or force derived from these broken rules emanates that
dimensional being to transcribe it properly even if they same chaos. Since technology is based on the principle
can (barely) conceive of it in mind. that a given procedure will produce the same result
Learning the true language of dragons and their every time, machines and magic cannot long
written word is extremely difficult and even the oldest commingle. This created a chain reaction 500 years
laudenians can only claim partial fluency. The original ago, forcing all remaining fragments of working
Bibles of Drasago were created in the original tongue, technology into the bastions. Although all fae are slaves
though thankfully, they can be converted to the flat to magic, humans have a choice, being born via the
variety with a simple wave of the hand: more poetic normal rules of biology. They can choose to accept the
passages lose much in the translation. The small num- world of magic or remain disciplines of science. There
ber of souls aware of Pleroma’s true complexities point is no good or evil in this conflict. There is only opinion,
to the impossibility of this language occurring naturally and there is no wrong answer. However, the choice is
as proof of their divine origin and the existence of God: often permanent. By wielding that magic sword or by
no species could ever evolve a language requiring so casting that spell, a human ties his soul to Attricana,
many dimensions to fully comprehend. Another theory becoming one with the world of magic, and disrupting
is that the language was not naturally evolved, but ra- technology just as an elf would.
ther constructed and tied to the universe in a way no
one has been able to explain. Yet another theory was
put forward by Kereptis Rifts, who postulated, “As SATURATION POINT
three-dimensional beings, we project our language onto Saturation Point: Human characters start at level 1
two dimensions. A naturally-evolved four-dimensional with a saturation point total of 0. You gain saturation
language would then logically only emerge from a spe- points under the following circumstances:
cies existing in five.” It is possible, however, that Rifts +1: You wield a magic weapon (per minute).
was not thinking big enough. +1: You wear magic armor (per hour).
+1: You benefit from magic items in your possession
Pleroma came about because I wanted (per hour).
a language the Decipher Language +1: You study the arcane arts (per day).
+1: A beneficial magical effect (including magical
spell couldn’t decipher.
healing) is placed upon you.
+1: You drink a potion.
275
ATTRICANA SPELLS +10: You are brought back from the dead via a spell
Most spells originate from Attricana. The white gate or spell-life effect.
does not force a particular morality upon its casters, but +20: You bond with a non-human.
the general disposition of magic supports life in all its +20: You select a supernatural trait.
forms, beneficent and harmful alike. Unique Attricana The moment you reach a saturation point of 20, you
spells are those blessed enchantments exclusive to the begin to generate EDF (but you do not stop accruing
white gate, including all spells with the Good descriptor saturation points). As long as you do not accrue any
as well as monster summoning spells. In the case of the additional points, you remove 1 from your saturation
latter, monsters are not actually summoned—they are point total every week (unless bonded or selecting a
created at that moment by will of the spellcaster, happy supernatural trait; if so, your total can never drop below
to return to the chaos of Attricana once that purpose is 20).
fulfilled.
All spells drawing upon Attricana appear alive when
cast; they exist with enough intelligence to accomplish
their task along with the drive to succeed at it. To fail
would be worse than death, even if that death occurs
 IXINDAR AND MENGUS SAEQAAR
It is a common misconception, fed by the religions of The deified language of Pleroma has a dark
many cultures, that Ixindar is the physical manifestation counterpart, brought to this world by Ixindar and
of Hell. Such proponents point to the demons that Mengus’ whisper. This tongue is both the metaphorical
emerged from it as proof. Yet Ixindar, for all its malice, and literal mirror of Pleroma, but draws its power from
is not a force for chaos but for order – absolute, unyield- the black gate instead of the white, further reinforcing
ing, incontrovertible structure. Its drive, more a natural the theory that Pleroma is not the language of dragons
law than a goal, is that all life must end or operate in at all. The symbols of this corrupted tongue resemble
service of order. When Ixindar corrupts, what it really that of Pleroma as seen through a mirror, and are able to
does is subvert any originality in a subject. Its form of replicate similar results, but it only imitates the might of
order results in degrading the real world to a constant Attricana without the energy of chaos behind it. Ixindar
level. This would not be the null background radiation does not spontaneously create anything; it must infect
the universe may be fated to reach but a collective con- and convert what it finds to its side. There was
sciousness possessing a power only described as abso- originally no accepted name for this language; as with
lute and divine. Another way to describe it would be Pleroma, the name of the thing is the thing itself. Later
that of a hive or overmind—to unify all thought and to it received its own sobriquet, saeqaar, a word with no
make that thought able to control the universe. A cos- meaning that can be rendered in any human tongue.
mos with one occupant would have neither emotions While Pleroma utterances can be colorful and dancing
nor a sense of individuality. Another concept follows with life, saeqaar words when spoken are sonorant and
the idea that Attricana may be infinity while Ixindar is uniform – those who have heard them and lived to tell
zero. One is everything while the other is nothing. the tale speak of them as sounding like the tolling of
Given this, a single consciousness in an infinite space funeral bells, with only their disturbing harmonics dis-
would be zero, while a single conscious in zero space tinguishing different words. Appropriate, then, that the
would be infinite. That would-be infinite being has a typhox dragons found in this language the tools for cre-
name, and it is Mengus. ating the most corrupt of the magical arts, necromancy.
For as long as anyone cared to remember, Mengus
has not been referred to by any other name; no mis- The concept of flipping the law/chaos
translation or even spelling error has ever marred the dynamic began from a conversation
name of the embodiment of perfect order. No creature with Conan Veitch regarding the pagus
has ever claimed to have seen Mengus and everyone and how they act. It was a simultaneous
accepts that it no longer possesses a physical body or revelation which unfortunately led to certain
lacks the capacity to form in the real world. A few drag-
elements of the prior 2008 3.5 OGL game being
ons suggested Amethyst and Mengus are two sides of a
single metaphorical coin – a balance the world requires. rendered non-canon (revealing how recent that
Perhaps they were one god-like creature split into two, change was). Conan, for example, loved the
and Amethyst retained the body. Even a common gen- chaos monsters—the grotesqueries—we creat-
der assignment given to Mengus is up to debate. In the ed, and has been trying to justify their re-
Gospel of Lazarus, page 956, paragraph 10 verse 5, Laz- inclusion ever since.
arus was quoted as saying, “I once allowed Mengus to
peer into my soul. I do believe she flinched. Not all
can be corrupted.” Lazarus never explained this pas- NIHILIMANCY
For those falling for this lure, the price far outweighs
276
sage, but whatever the case, the gender assignment
stuck in some circles. the gains. The damage is paid by both the user's mind
Because Mengus could only look outward from Ix- and by those around. This path to immortality, later
indar, when Amethyst buried the gate, her influence known as nihilimancy (pronounced either ny-li-mansy
was frozen and locked inside. Nevertheless, some or neel-li-mansy), is growing amongst humans. Those
echalogians have theorized that the great acts of barba- few powerful enough to take advantage of the total po-
rism that have marred human history were due to the tential of nihilimancy have risen to positions of authori-
whisper, and the continual fear of hell and demons ty, though none of them would admit it. Those op-
emerged from her playful manipulation of mankind’s posed to corruption have yet to see the disciples of ni-
nightmares. Even now, despite the great force of the hilimancy congregate. They don't send out newsletters
second hammer, Ixindar is still not completely free: or coordinate strategies. There's no need to. Since they
Mengus must strive towards her ambitions of godhead all share common motivations, they all strive to follow
through her proxies the shemjaza and typhox dragons, the whispers of their unseen, unheard, and unacknowl-
and through the subtle influence of the whisper spread- edged idol.
ing secretly across the world from Ixindar’s resting place The practice of nihilimancy will be dealt with at
in Kakodomania. more length in a future book. For now, there are a few
general rules:
 277

DISRUPTION hancement bonus actually replaces the enhancement

Corrupted magic has no flamboyance in its casting. from TL (as opposed to the higher bonus applying).
There is no life behind anything emanating from a cor- The item still has its original TL and is still affected by
rupted spell. However, the corruption of saeqaar does disruption effects originating from Attricana.
allow a spell to be bottled in, preventing the eruption of
magical disruption. Like all energy from Ixindar, CORRUPTION
saeqaar does not disrupt technology, and Ixindar-based There can never be a good spellcaster bound to Ixindar:
equipment and creatures do not generate EDF. It is eventually, the syntropic energy coursing through their
even technically possible to enchant a piece of technol- bodies stratifies their worldview, and they become con-
ogy using corrupted magic. Enhancement bonuses for vinced that no perspective other than their own can
magic and TL do not stack, and the enchanted en- even exist, let alone be valid. Those drawn too far
 down the path of corruption become perfect narcissists, IXINDAR SPELLS
convinced that the entire universe exists only for their Negative magic uses the corrupted inversion of pleroma
benefit, or even that it would not exist without them. to cast spells, known as saeqaar. It requires essentially
When you use magic tied to Ixindar, you will fall under the same practices and discipline as learning pleroma.
the influence of corruption. This works the same as Learning saeqaar is difficult, as there are no libraries in
echan saturation, but saturation and corruption points Canam that deal with the subject: the only known loca-
are recording separately. You gain corruption points tion in Canam confirmed to have these words is the
under the following circumstances: fortress of Kardia-Gothas in the Sana Marsh, and the
+2: During an encounter, you wield a magic weapon only other known means of learning the language is to
with the Ixindar keyword. be taught it by a shemjaza (which few spellcasters are
+2: During an encounter, you wear magic armor with willing to risk unless they are already corrupt). Ixindar
the Ixindar keyword. also has many exclusive spells. These are vile spells
+2: During an encounter, you benefit from magic with few redeeming qualities. All spells that deal ne-
items with the Ixindar keyword. crotic damage are unique to Ixindar and thus are not
+2: Every day you study the corrupted written form available to casters bound to Attricana. Otherwise, Ix-
of atar draco sigilia, required to cast negative spells. indar casters can use any spell except summoning spells
+2: You drink a potion with the Ixindar keyword. and those that deal radiant damage. Casting Ixindar
+5: Any time you use an arcane power using atar magic also locks the caster’s thinking into the ways of
draco sigilia. the black gate, corrupting them eventually into an agent
The moment you reach a corruption value of 20 or of absolute order.
more, you begin to fall under the influence of Ixindar.
You cease to generate EDF, if you originally did so:
magic items you carry, and any spells that use pleroma, MAGIC ITEMS
remain bound to Attricana, and thus generate EDF. If Almost any magical item can theoretically have a cor-
you continue to use normal magic, you are subject to rupted counterpart, excepting those that have effects
the normal rules of EDF saturation, but if you ever re- similar to the proscribed spells above. Such items func-
gain enough saturation points to become an echan, you tion identically to their Attricana mirrors, save that they
do not do so unless your corruption value first drops to do not generate EDF. Negative magic items are ex-
0. Recovering from corruption is a slow process, like tremely rare in the world, and they will never be found
recovering from exposure to magic: if you do return to legally in any city controlled by the fae: even Baruch
Attricana, or are otherwise separated from the influence Malkut rarely deals in such artifacts, although possibly
of corruption, you reduce your corruption point value by more due to the difficulty in obtaining them than any
1 every week. Currently, only time away from Ixindar's moral quandary. Negative magic items can only be lo-
corruption can expunge it from one’s soul. You cannot cated in areas already under the eyes of corrupted crea-
be tied to both Attricana and Ixindar. tures. These regions include the Sana Marsh, Tran-
Oh yeah, and you start to be evil. So act like it. quiss, and numerous hidden dungeons scattered across
the continent. If trying to acquire negative magic items
Specifically, you believe that only you on the black market, expect them to cost up to 10%-
know what's best for the world and 20% more than their normal disrupting alternative.
that if everyone would just shut up
and obey your orders, there would be ARTIFACTS
world peace. In the meantime, you will- THE BIBLE OF DRASAGO
278 ingly cooperate with more powerful corrupted AND THE ARCHON GOSPELS
beings until such time as you grow powerful When the dragons emerged from Attricana, Lazarus
enough to subjugate them. If your original (the oldest and most powerful of the survivors) went
allies are still 'good,' you don't need to kill about commissioning tomes of knowledge from the
them, or even particularly conceal your goals other dragons. He picked one representative from each
from them - unless they actually get in your lineage and exhorted them to write in their ancient
way, it's a waste of resources to destroy them, language a gospel of all that they believe in and imbue
it with the very power they possess. These books
and they could eventually be useful if brought
chronicle all their knowledge and tell about the history
to your side or even just aimed in the direction of Terros through their ageless eyes. To read a gospel
of a rival. While most d20-based games treat of Drasago is to peer into the very soul of a dragon.
'chaotic evil' as the ultimate darkness, in Ame- Those who read such a tome are never the same,
thyst this nadir is exemplified by 'lawful evil'. assuming they can find one in the first place. These
books are extremely rare: only three or four copies exist
of each gospel and the complete Bible of Drasago itself
is owned and protected by Lazarus. Excerpts from
these books have been found all over the globe. A
reprinting of some passages translated into damaskan that Kelto can still gaze through it as long as the injury
can be located in Limshau and Laudenia, but they lack remains unhealed. Not even the book goes into details
the magical impact of the originals; only fragments have on how Kelto lost his tail tip. Despite these injuries,
ever been translated into English, and these are often Kelto is still one of the more approachable dragons,
too cryptic to have any value even as proverbs. Dragons seldom taken to pomposity. The book, marked by a
often share these books with each other, though never bright orange/red smear of Kelto's own blood, details
gaining the abilities from them. If a non-dragon skilled the arrival of the guardian dragons and their crusade to
in Pleroma reads this book, which takes a total of 48 defeat the armies of darkness. Guardian dragons are
hours over a minimum of six days, he gains inherent warriors, champions, and knights of the oldest order,
bonuses dependant on the book. Once the book is and consequently the book details many battles. The
read, the knowledge will always be present to that accounts are exhaustive, graphic, and not for the
reader. A reader can only be affected by one book in squeamish, for Kelto and his guardians have seen the
their lifetime, no matter how many they read, and can very darkest creations of evil.
only be thus affected once no matter how many times After being read, the book imparts these abilities:
they read that book. Raiment of Battle: The enhancement bonuses of
The books are very large, embossed with real scales your armor and weapons (if they have them) are in-
sacrificed by the writer. They are laced with platinum creased by 1 (maximum +3).
and silver and gilded with gold. Surprisingly, they are Vision: You can see in the dark.
all quite light and will float upon water if dropped. The
books are locked with fragments of a dragon's talon and THE GOSPEL OF THE NOBLE
cannot be opened without their key, nor can they be Written by Lynissa of Essence
destroyed by any means other than a wish or the breath Lynissa's family and the responsibilities they have
of the dragons that authored them. taken on are far more interesting than the noble dragons
as a whole. As nobles are considered the intellectual
THE GOSPEL OF THE HOLY leaders of the dragons (the holy being the spiritual
Written by Aurannis of Dust and Greka of Babel leaders), one would expect the book to detail their
Leave it to holy dragons to write such a massive book, administration of dragon culture as well as their
by two members as they couldn't agree who would structure of authority. Thankfully, Lynissa intermixed
write what. Only Greka’s portion carries the gospel’s this with anecdotes about her family line and their
enchantment; Aurannis’ chronicle, while connection with the humans and elves of Akoya (in
complementary to it, exists as a semi-apocrypha and is Euras), which is far more interesting. Euras possesses
technically considered a separate book. Greka's book only one human line of blood royal, the Lamontaes of
requires 72 hours to read over 8 days compared to the Akoya. This endorsement came from Lynissa herself,
other books. It's a long, slow read, bouncing between passed down to the first Lamontae, Raymonde. The
subject matter and often diverting into seemingly silver hair of all the royals and their offspring regardless
boring and superfluous tangents. The holy book can be of the appearance of their consorts encourages rumors
identified by the mirror-polished feather affixed to the across the land that Lynissa of Essence dipped into the
cover. The book displays no artwork and the typeface royal line herself, siring a child while in human form
is small and harder to translate than normal. A full with the king at the time. Such a pairing is not
quarter of the book is dedicated to the flight dynamics technically forbidden, though extremely rare and
of holy dragons in comparison to other breeds. difficult to propagate (dragons must bond just like fae
After being read, the book imparts these abilities: in order to reproduce with humans, although the side-
Manifestation: You inflict +2 damage on a hit effects of bonding for the human are unpredictable and 279
against Ixindar and undead creatures, or +4 against often dangerous). If she endorsed the Lamontae line
death dragons. before or after the coupling is not known but Lynissa
Resistance: You gain resist fire 11+. and her dragon offspring from the Terros Age all live
Natural Vigor: You gain 25 hit points. within the kingdom, swearing to its protection. The
Holy Verve: You gain 1 additional recovery. diplomatic and noble landscape of Akoya is featured
heavily in her gospel. Alas, the majority of the book
THE GOSPEL OF THE GUARDIAN still details the history of the noble dragons, and their
Written by Kelto of the Guard arrogance and condescension about their intelligence
Kelto, a battle champion of a thousand engagements, does show through the words.
refused to die despite losing an eye, two claws, and the After being read, the book imparts these abilities:
end of his tail. His claws were severed by an unnamed Blessed Presence: You and all nearby allies gain a +1
and forgotten cursed blade which he later destroyed. bonus to attack rolls.
His eye was plucked and stolen as a prize when Goch Somewhat Arrogant: You gain a +2 bonus to MD.
and Kelto dueled over the skies of old Terros thousands True Leadership: You gain a +5 bonus to any skill
of years before the First Hammer. Goch keeps it still, checks regarding bluff and diplomacy.
hanging the undamaged orb from his neck, unknowing
 Hold the Door: Your minimum initiative count at the stretch of time between when Amethyst called the
the start of a battle is 1 point higher than your highest first dragons into being and the arrival of the fae.
ally's result. After being read, the book imparts these abilities:
Immunities: You are immune to attacks which target
THE GOSPEL OF LAZARUS MD. You are also immune to all disease.
Written by Lazarus himself, this tome does not go into Sanctified: Once a month, if you are killed, you are
any details about general dragons but more into subjected to the effects of a resurrection 1d4 hours
Lazarus's own life, as the most ancient living dragon. later.
He talks about his feelings about the world and the fall
of Amethyst. This book is extremely hard to find One of the few ways of coming back
outside of the realm of dragons. from the dead in this setting. Feel
280 Of all the books, the Lazarus volume is by far the free to indulge in any 'tunnel of light'
most cryptic. The words and speech meander from tropes you like, but ultimately, this
normal vernacular to poetry, with messages and way doesn't confirm the existence of an af-
meanings only revealing themselves after days, months,
terlife either.
or years of contemplation and meditation. It is not an
easy read to be sure. After appreciation of the words is
finally reached, his thoughts and feelings carry through THE CHRONICLE OF AURANNIS
in clarity. Those finally understanding the book and its The Chronicle of Aurannis is a single tome separated
meanings often feel melancholy afterward, sharing with from the rest of the Bible of Drasago. It holds the
the author the curse of knowing too much. Though knowledge of Amethyst, the shards of his crown, and
Lazarus does not impart many secrets, he does express the artifacts forged around them. It also details the
his dissatisfaction about knowing them. After reading history of echa, the fall of the great dragon and by what
the book, one truly begins to understand the mentality means. It mentions Gebermach and the other gospels
of dragons, the immense responsibilities they carry, and of Drasago. The book is quite well written in
the knife-edge they balance between wisdom and comparison to Greka's tome and is an easier read
corruption. Lazarus knew the world the longest, and despite the ancient tongue. Thankfully, unlike other
his book speaks of times known to no others, including books, there is a "Rosetta-stone" translation matrix on
the back cover, though some trickery in magic has
concealed it unless someone knows it’s there. The that remained was a great violet crystal that shattered
matrix lists the same first page in laudenian and in upon striking the rocks below. They scattered across
damaskan. With this knowledge, one can translate the the world, lost after the Hammer’s impact. Despite a
words but must still understand Pleroma to fully few shards surfacing throughout history, most of them
understand the content. Rumor has it that a complete remained quietly buried for millions of years. The
English translation of this work exists somewhere with- fragments were of all different sizes and shapes – with
in Genai, inside the bastion of Angel; regardless of some smaller than a pebble, others longer than a leg.
whether this is true or not, any translation would have Some were spherical while others held a razor’s edge.
none of the special powers of the original. One can imagine stumbling upon such a gem. It would
On its own, the chronicle has no particular effect not be fastened to rock and no amount of force and
other than the advancement of knowledge, but it does commitment could lay a scratch upon its surface.
glow brighter when an Amethyst relic is within 1 mile Despite their unusual properties, any that were found
in any direction. never received attention during the time of man before
the Second Hammer, being indistinguishable, apart
The Chronicle is one of the key books from their durability, from unremarkable quartz.
of the entire setting. I threw in a mag- Discarded and ignored, they stayed inconsequential for
ical effect, but it’s truly secondary. The centuries.
After the gate’s return, by some unexplained factor,
Chronicle was a launching point of my
the crystals all rose to the surface, regardless how deep
original campaign and there remains more in the earth they rested. Unlike before, their brilliance
truth in its pages than I have revealed here. and power were impossible to deny. Before anyone
knew of their potential, their fate, or their true origin,
STAFF OF KERIF they had been sold, traded, and killed over. Armies
Many of the rumors involving Kereptis Rifts are false, clashed for their control despite knowing nothing of
conflicting with other tales spoken at the same table their history.
about his greatness. Was he a savior or a scoundrel? Those with wealth and weight of authority felt their
Was he a philanthropist or a villain? Many agree he had power would be amplified if said crystals were imbued
a temper, but no one contested his power or the loyalty into ordinary items. Very soon, these items emerged
he gathered because of that power. He is credited with with their own local legends, wielded by warriors and
numerous discoveries and creations, some later proven kings both noble and wicked. After their existence
inaccurate. The one item everyone agrees came from reached erudite ears, but before anyone could act, they
his hand was the Staff of KeRif. vanished again. Some were stolen; some were taken as
When Kereptis reached Ramkava, their behavior trophies when their wielders were slain. When the
and triviality sickened him and he stormed away, virtuous and mighty discovered the fragments of
unfulfilled. As he left, he discovered a piece of one of Amethyst had returned, they scoured the planet to
their heads that had broken off in an engagement with a locate them. Like an unnamed curse, the original
death dragon. With this, he managed to gain their at- owners, all of those that had created the artifacts, had
tention an unprecedented second time. After this sec- lost them or died, often both at once. The relics fell
ond audience, Rifts took the shard back with him. He into obscurity, passing through further hands until the
constructed a normal oak quarterstaff and topped it with trails and clues had faded. All that remained was the
the grayish shard of rock. The KeRif staff looks boring hope they would emerge again.
and only reveals its power with the testing of magic. Paranoia and silence by the oldest races conspired to
Beyond empowering the holder to communicate with keep the knowledge of Amethyst and his shattered
crown secret. Factor in a small portion of arrogance and
281
Ramkava, the staff can do the following when held:
You always know the direction of true north. many of those who knew the truth never bothered to
You gain +2 bonus to all knowledge-based skill seek out these relics. Despite the calls for their
checks. retrieval, some individuals honestly thought they were
You gain the cleric invocation of knowledge/lore best kept buried, unaware of their vital significance in
domain ability. You also gain both the Adventurer future events.
and Champion feats. How Aurannis of Dust managed to write about them
in her Chronicle has never been revealed, but the elder
dragon disclosed specific details of the fragments, the
THE EIGHT items they were implanted into, and their potential
SHARDS OF AMETHYST power as a result. Though it does not give their
locations, the Chronicle of Aurannis is a vital read to
The eight are the most powerful relics on the planet.
anyone seeking the power of these relics.
Before Amethyst died, he cast a stream of white flame
Though there are known to be eight artifacts of
to heaven. It reflected back to drive Ixindar deep
Amethyst, only three can be found in Canam. All the
underground and solidify the Earth around it. His body
artifacts exhibit the same violet glow, growing intensely
turned to vapor soon after. Amethyst was gone and all
when other artifacts are brought closer. Their power
 increases as well, making them the few magic items pulling it from the sediment of a shallow river he was
that can grow along with the group questing for them. walking alongside. Believing the stone a sign, he
It is thought that when placed near each other, their continued upriver and discovered the outcropping rock
total power would almost equal that of the original that would later be the home of Torfin’s great library
dragon. If that were to happen, perhaps he could even and school of magic, Kirjath-Sepher. He never
be reborn. bothered to create a great device to channel the power
To increase in power, the gems must all be within of the crystal. Torfin forged a simple frame and hung it
100 feet. Out of that range, the bonus abilities are no from his neck, and those years found the halls blessed
longer applicable. The items do not have to be wielded with a newfound wisdom unseen in any human at that
or carried by the same person. An evil creature carrying time or since. Torfin continued his work for years, as a
any Amethyst artifact loses 4 corruption points each day nearby castle watched with fanatical and envious eyes.
and gains 2 saturation points each day. The fortress was Myre, a zealous order of knights
Because of the age and the history of the artifacts, committed to keeping magic from mortal hands. To
they often go by different names and many cultures them, magic was destined for a select few (themselves,
worship them without knowing what they truly are. of course, being among the few). Wilhelm Myre
Their stats are listed with their individual abilities and believed Kirjath-Sepher to be the greatest threat to the
whatever abilities are boosted with additional nearby world and had ordered his knights to raze it to ash if the
fragments. keep didn’t willingly hand over all magic. Torfin and
The gems CANNOT be destroyed by any means. his loyal disciples refused.
No spell or weapon cracks them, and even the strongest To prove his piousness and dedication, Myre
techan lasers and drills will blow up before they make a challenged Torfin to open combat, spell against sword,
mark, assuming they do not instantly disrupt. with no limits. Torfin agreed, and the Manora Vallis of
Lauropa became the site of the greatest magical duel in
THE AMULET, STORMCAGE, history. Hundreds watched as the landscape erupted.
Hours passed and the two were nearly exhausted, but
THE EYE OF GOD neither accepted defeat. In the end, a final heedless
The amulet of Amethyst fell originally to Torfin charge brought Myre close enough to impale his sword
Gendron, across the ocean. The mighty wizard into the heart of Gendron, but Torfin’s retaliation
stumbled upon the struck lightning and fire from the heavens. Though his
circular but jagged heart had stopped, the blade still skewered in his chest,
stone by accident, Gendron remained precariously standing. The amulet
slipped from around his neck and fell into his hand. He
lifted his palm to the sky, and an eagle promptly
swooped down to snatch the crystal.
The order of Myre
and the mages

282
of Sepher returned with their lords’ bodies, declaring no 7 Total Amethyst Relics: +3 enhancement bonus
further conflict would occur that day. The crystal 8 Total Amethyst Relics: +4 enhancement bonus
vanished from the minds of both armies, and passed Reserve (recharge 11+): Free action; reset one daily
from hand to hand until it was found among the spell.
treasure hoard of a group of boggs annihilated by a Power (recharge 11+): Free action; if the group pos-
patrol from Porto and taken back to the bastion for sesses all Amethyst Relics. Until the start of your next
study. The intellectual elite of Porto poked and turn, all spells require only a quick action to activate.
prodded the crystal but could not understand its
mysterious properties. This item, unlike other echan
artifacts, generated little disruption in comparison to its THE BRACERS / ARMS OF 283
power. In a final attempt to unlock its secrets, they TRUTH / THE PRESENCE OF
surreptitiously contacted an echan expert in another
bastion, David Chen from Genai. However, while it
RHINFORGE
was being transported there, a wandering dragon The great dwarven city of Thos Thalagos was actually
attacked the flyer, sending it plummeting to earth in built atop the ruins of a previous smaller narros mine
the midst of the forest of Crax and scattering the cargo called Rhinforge, though few remember this. The tiny
for miles. To the best of anyone’s knowledge, the village of Rhinforge was the wealthiest mine in the
amulet was never recovered. north. Storehouses had to be built to hold the treasures
they had unearthed. The mine's leader, Rarikon Baxs,
refused to share this treasure with neighboring camps,
THE AMULET/STORMCAGE/ with plans to use the money to hire an army of swords
THE EYE OF GOD to conquer all of the land that would eventually be
Property: The amulet grants an enhancement bonus called Fargon. It was during this time that Baxs
to PD and MD. discovered the amethyst shards, two long, wide and flat
On Its Own: +1 enhancement bonus pieces, just slightly shorter than a forearm.
3 Total Amethyst Relics: +2 enhancement bonus
 To his amazement, Baxs realized the shards could ever speak Baxs’ name again, excising this dark period
not be cracked by any weapon in his arsenal and from the narros’ history.
ordered them to be set within his cuirass, but this More than 200 years passed before the bracers
ended up not being feasible and he later had them resurfaced, having somehow traveled another 450 miles
placed within a set of forearm protectors in hopes they south to wind up under Mt. Selkirk, eventually
would improve his bowmanship. This they could not appearing intact from the back of a mining machine
accomplish, but he found that they did protect him operated by the techan humans of the new bastion.
284 from harm. Near invulnerable, Baxs took it as a sign to Finding the discovery unusual, the miners brought
crusade, to finally take the land as his own. them to their supervisor, who immediately ordered
To prevent the formation of a corrupted empire, all them locked in the company vault, where they remain
the surrounding camps banded together. They struck in hiding to this day.
Rhinforge before mercenary reinforcements could
arrive. The combined might broke the back of the THE BRACERS / ARMS OF TRUTH /
city’s lackluster militia and Baxs was forced to flee
south, his hands and pockets bursting with pilfered
THE PRESENCE OF RHINFORGE
gold. Considering him too dangerous to allow free, the Property: The bracers, on their own, grant a +1
commander and now ruler of the mine, Thalagos Gin, shield bonus to AC without requiring the use of a hand;
placed a hefty bounty upon Baxs' head. The despot therefore the user can attack with either or both hands
was finally located and chased up the face of Mt. without loosing the bonus.
Tirocinia, an active volcano. To deny the prize of his +5 Amethyst Relics: The shield bonus to AC in-
opponents, Baxs hurled himself to the flames and was creases to +2.
engulfed by the molten rock. Thalagos Gin had the Property: The bracers grant an enhancement bonus
mining town renamed and decreed that none should to PD and MD.
On Its Own: +1 enhancement bonus
3 Total Amethyst Relics: +2 enhancement bonus
 7 Total Amethyst Relics: +3 enhancement bonus through many owners over the intervening years,
8 Total Amethyst Relics: +4 enhancement bonus appearing at various times mounted as a bracelet, a belt
Resilience: You increase your maximum hit points buckle or a boot buckle by various dignitaries of the
by the total number Amethyst artifacts nearby multi- Blessed Kingdom.
plied by 4.
Force Shield (recharge 11+): Free action; if the THE BUCKLE / THE BELT, BOOTS, or
group possesses all Amethyst relics, until the end of BRACELET OF DRAGONKIND
your next turn, you gain a +6 bonus to AC. If you are Flash (recharge 11+): Minor action; you gain a
hit with attack during that time, you recover the use of standard action. For every additional Amethyst relic the
this power. group possesses, the recharge difficulty reduces by 1.
Good Boots (Boots): You gain a +1 bonus to balanc-
THE BUCKLE / THE BELT, ing or jumping. This bonus increases by 1 for every
BOOTS, or BRACELET OF additional Amethyst relic the group possesses.
5 Total Amethyst relics: Your weight is reduced to
DRAGONKIND nearly zero. You can both walk on water without sink-
The only group or individual more obsessed with ing and over pressure traps without setting them off.
locating powerful magic than the Order of Myre is Property (Belt): You gain 1 recovery.
Darius Konig, king of Baruch Malkut. The kingdom 3 Total Amethyst Relics: 2 recoveries
has always been magically underprivileged: therefore, 7 Total Amethyst Relics: 3 recoveries
the king ordered all items of any significant power 8 Total Amethyst Relics: 4 recoveries
belonged to the kingdom and required them to be 6 Total Amethyst relics: Once a day, as a move ac-
handed over to prolocutors trained to categorize and tion, you can release yourself from the bonds of gravity.
quantify their powers. Konig also demanded any texts This is not a fly speed as this provides no means of pro-
or records of such items be tendered for examination. pulsion; you simply have a weight of zero. Once you
The prized trophy he sought was the manifest of Myre, begin the effect, it remains until you end it with a move
the massive tome detailing all which lays within the action or you take a full heal up. Because you are
Castle Myre vaults, be they magical or remnants from weightless, you pass all required checks when jumping,
the old age of man. Darius coveted these artifacts and climbing, balancing and you cannot fall (thus, you can-
any others with the promise of power. not suffer falling damage). Your speed while airborne is
It was in their fervent pursuit that an Amethyst dependent on your capacity push away from objects.
crystal was found, worn as a belt buckle by the noble of You continue in a straight line unless you are able to
a small village called Eathar, who claimed the item was grab another object or able to push yourself in another
found on the corpse of a slain elvish princess. In truth, direction. If you end the effect while still in the air, you
he had stolen the buckle from its former owner, but fall.
upon its discovery Konig insisted such treasures Property (Bracelet): You can climb any surface al-
belonged to the kingdom and appropriated it for lowing a DC. Additionally, if you roll a natural 1 on any
himself. damage die, re-roll
The amethyst gem had a longer history than that, 2 Total Amethyst relics: You do not suffer any at-
having been forged into its present form by a mage from tack penalties when wielding weapons.
Laurama, Rhuunazodaeus. Rhuuna was not a powerful 4 Total Amethyst relics: If you roll a natural 1 or 2
caster but did have a reputation amongst the other on any damage die, re-roll.
chaparrans of the forest. She stumbled upon the 8 Total Amethyst relics: The enhancement bonus
amethyst crystal in the most fitting way for a chaparran, of any weapon you wield with the same hand as the 285
finding it within a tree. A lightning strike during an bracelet increases by +1 (max +4).
unusually intense storm cracked an old conifer from tip
to root. As Rhunna examined the char, she found the
violet crystal embedded in its bark. This specific tree
had predated the chaparrans’ arrival and was dubbed
the "Mending Tree" by their holy order for its ability to
repulse the Tranquiss plague. Realizing the purity of

S
the tree lay in this crystal, Rhuuna took it and fled back
to her village. The Mending Tree was dead, but the everal hours later, just outside the forest,
crystal took on its name initially, as the Mending Sap. Aiden heard the whining of a failed bearing.
Rhuuna, in hope of channeling the crystal's power, The vehicle surged then decelerated, bucking
affixed it to a buckle and tied it around her right wrist, the passengers inside. A small pop echoed
believing she could channel its energy into her from the cockpit above. Clear English curses followed
knowledge of Pleroma to cure the plague. She would and the vehicle stopped. Hairless jumped down from the
not have her chance, as she was taken by slavers shortly upper hatch and opened the lower door from the outside.
thereafter, her ultimate unfortunate fate a mystery. "What’s the problem?" Aiden asked. Hairless snapped
The buckle, its true powers unknown, was passed open a hand-sized plastic container and pulled out a disc-
 shaped piece of plastic. It was red around the edge and him carry one. It wasn’t more than a dagger; it was off
white in the center. He placed the disc close to one of balance, not very sharp, and not worth enough to be sto-
the passengers, but nothing changed, then to another with len. Aiden had desired one of the untarnished swords
the same result. When the innocuous plastic approached from Chen’s collection. Brandishing it confidently against
Aiden, the red expanded to fill the disc. Hairless brought an opponent was effective if it was held right. He never
the sensor down and seized Aiden’s collar roughly. really held it right.
After being tossed to the dirt, Aiden shouted, "What’s "Know how to use it?"
the matter with you?!" "Not really," Aiden mumbled.
“Son of a bitch,” Hairless snapped. He grabbed Aid- "Well…neither do they." Hairless went to close the
en’s bag and dropped it abruptly on the dry crimson soil. door.
"You book my ride and don’t bother telling me you're "Which way!" Aiden shouted.
magic?" Hairless poked his head out and pointed. "The road,
"I’m not!" Aiden glanced at the other passengers. eight hours. Make good progress, you’ll beat nightfall."
They stared back at him, confused, angry, and scared. Aiden's head followed the man’s point to a river of mis-
"That ident card even yours?" Hairless snapped as he matched rocks that wound under a skeletal canopy of
took a step to the fallen boy. leafless trees.
"You can’t forge those!" "That’s a road?"
"Where is it then? What you got on ya?" Aiden sat "You expecting golden bricks? Just stick close to the
there, unable or unwilling to answer. Hairless kicked Aid- path and pray it doesn't end." Hairless tapped his throttle
en’s shin. "Where is it?" Aiden fumbled in his pack and and the engine belched. "At least this way, we don’t have
drew out his spellbook. He might have yet to turn, but to detour. You were the only one going to Antikari."
the words and Chen's spark hidden inside were still en- "Glad I could help," Aiden muttered low enough to
chanted. "You got to be kidding. You want to be a wiz- not be heard. Hairless closed the hatch and the vehicle
ard?” lurched forward without giving its passengers time to pre-
“Yes,” Aiden muttered almost to a whisper. pare. The scrambler swiveled past Aiden, picking up
“From a bastion?" speed after it passed, leaving a small cloud of dust in its
"Yes," Aiden answered more resolute as he got back wake.
to his feet. "What’s wrong with that?”
"The hell’s your problem?” * * *
"I’m not a radiant. I haven’t turned."
"Regardless, you’re walking now. Back or forward, It wasn't much of a road, but someone once strewn
your choice. Forward’s safer." these rocks here with a purpose. The trees and bushes
Aiden looked to a barren gravel field, the bushes and were pulled aside creating a path wide enough to accom-
the scattering of short trees. "This isn’t Antikari." modate a wagon. It was not an often used road.
"We’re at the border. Safe out of Cyon." Aiden kept his walk brisk. He didn't pass any travelers
Aiden's eyes wandered around at the expanse. It was or found any evidence that there ever had been any for a
nearly a desert. Echa had a tendency to glorify extremes. hundred years. He couldn’t see Angel.
Woods to wasteland, plains to peaks, with hardly a bush Aiden wasn’t sure why he had noticed the rock. It
or hill to mark the transition. Aiden could see a dark was a small round stone not unlike a million others on the
patch of forest at the edge of the horizon. "There’s no- path. It was smooth and grey with specks of black. It
body here." would offer a couple skips if tossed skillfully across a lake.
"Don’t care," Hairless replied as he closed the lower It stood straight on a point against an ocean of flat broth-
door and began scaling up the ladder to the upper hatch. ers. Aiden reached down and picked it up. The bottom
286 "Soil my machine with what you got. Should've taken a
wagon."
wasn’t flat. He rolled his thumb across its surface and
wondered how it found itself standing and how it could
"I didn’t think it would break down. Honestly. I remain that way all this time. Was it chance or was it
thought these were insulated?" magic? Aiden placed the rock back. It immediately fell
"Only from the outside. You could blow the whole over. He tried again, but failed. Aiden finally kicked the
works with a spell if you were stupid enough." Hairless stone casually off the path before continuing down the
opened the hatch and sat in the copilot’s chair. He stuck road.
his head out. "No need to be too scared. Boggs rarely
migrate this far from cover. Just keep your eyes open for * * *
puggs."
"Puggs?" Rodents of the fae tree, a wingless locust Aiden was not on the Continental Cross--the moder-
swarm, a growing infestation that plagued the land. If ately traveled highway that bisected Canam which he had
found alone or in small numbers, puggs were no better read about. In order to save time, the scrambler crew
than rabid dogs, dogs with fingers to hold any weapons had gone northeast and made Aiden walk south. Aiden
they found. Aiden had read stories. wondered if it truly was eight hours or eight days at his
"Oh, don’t worry," Hairless replies. "A swift kick usu- pace.
ally kills one. You've a gun or a blade?" Night fell with no Antikari. Aiden hoped to find gas-
"Blade," Aiden answered. It wasn’t much. Minx made fed fires atop of posts and the revelry of rowdy humans
behind tavern walls. When he entered the forest the dietary needs without the pesky drawbacks of weight. It
road began to narrow. The light from Attricana beamed was supposed to be filling. It wasn’t.
down from a cloudless night. Aiden could almost read by Still savoring the last few bites, Aiden began pushing
it. It looked as any star. It warranted worship as he imag- through the fragments of debris around the crash. The
ined the constellations did when people could still make faintest violet glow concealed in a broken crate caught his
most of them out. Now this single brightness reigned eye. As Aiden approached, he fell under the shadow of
orphaned in the night. It was not like the other stars. the steel sentinel, leaving only the purple light upon his
This star required no cresting backbone over the dark- face.
ness to stay up. Aiden walked but every step was predi- His hand rolled through fluttering pieces of snow that
cated by the dread of breaking a twig and beckoning pred- felt neither cold nor wet and refused to melt in the
ators. The canopy above was thickening, dimming the warmth of his hand. Sprinkles of the white packing foam
light as Aiden braved deeper. fell onto the soil.
The lake Aiden approached was almost inviting. He The item dropped to his knees; the violet light grew
stared at its stillness, it's perfectly smooth skin. It un- beyond a glint. The spark considered it competition and
nerved him. He felt the wind but the water refused to flew down to illuminate the stone as best it could. Aiden
obey. Aiden's mouth crumpled and he swallowed. His noticed four pearl-colored claws clamped around the out-
canteen had been emptied by dusk. He approached the er edges of the unrefined jagged gem inset. The fingers of
beach slowly and unscrewed the top off the decanter. the lizard curled around back, not to form a hand, but to
The strap fell off his shoulder and dangled precarious merge with other fingers. Two golden loops could sup-
close to the mirrored surface. Aiden stopped before port a chain if Aiden were inclined to flaunt the jewel
breaking the surface. He carefully pulled the canteen from his neck. Such an item was jarring amongst the jag-
back. He was positive he'd read something about this, but ged metal and broken technology.
he couldn't recall the details. He would rather be thirsty. Aiden starred into the crystal.
Aiden backed from the beach and continued alongside, He felt it staring back.
following the fading path. It led him back into the dense
growth.
When Aiden began his journey, he had refused any
working technology. No flashlight. The perky and loyal
spark that hovered around him tried to settle his nerves
by shining as brightly as it could, but even that only
reached a few feet. The spark was only an aide in reading
and lighting candles. In a pinch, it might be able to light a
fire, but that could cost its life and Aiden wasn’t prepared
to cast it to oblivion just yet. He still had no capacity to
make one on his own. Aiden kept his pace slow but com-
mitted as Attricana became nearly completely obscured.
The vegetation started to clear, instilling some mo-
mentary hope in him that the road would return. Instead,
it opened into a small clearing dominated by a jarring and
unbefitting metal tree. Vines had begun winding their way
through the shell. A few charred segments of titanium sat
behind it. Aiden recognized it as only the tail end of some
great beast. Beast, Aiden had to get out his fantasy think-
ing. It was an aircraft, or was rather a portion of one larg-
er than he had ever seen back home.
287
Aiden's spark knew it was important and buzzed
around the silver hull, delighted that it was able to cast its
own reflection. The tail had opened a hole in the forest
canopy when it fell, breaking apart bushes and branches
on impact. Aiden could tell it wasn’t an Angel aircraft.
There was something too faultless about the hull, perfect-
ly smooth, without an exposed rivet or puckered seam
save where the rest of the hull was torn away. The skin
was a sword-thin carbon composite, a sandwich weave
beyond the likes seen in Angel. A jagged opening offered
Aiden cover from the elements.
He let his satchel fall aside and took a moment to eat.
He unfurled the foil of an Angel nutrient supplement--500
calories of everything one might need in the wilderness,
bound tightly in a pressed package of grains, nuts, and Rejected vanguard sketch
dried fruits. It was genetically engineered to maximize
T
he world of Amethyst may be one of fantasy, but it is nev-
ertheless built upon the common knowledge earned
throughout human history dealing with building construc-
tion, agriculture, medication, and sanitation. Even though
anyone with advanced knowledge to better a technological society
was allowed entry into bastions, many people outside still possessed
the general knowledge developed centuries before nuclear power,
computers, and antibiotics. In addition, many on the outside soon
progressed on their own, rediscovering advances their protected
brothers and sisters embraced years earlier. A few possessing this
knowledge used it as currency to earn themselves entry into bastions.
Others realized this knowledge, primitive by the standards of ad-
vanced cities, begot more power and influence on the outside.
Of course, any technical knowledge past about the point when
electricity comes into play is rendered more or less useless by sur-
rounding magic, preventing progress and forcing immigration for
those wishing to pursue this path. Still, every bastion and even the
free cities have sprawling villages outside their walls of people either
trying to get in or pandering to those entering or leaving. Outside, the
world of fantasy still shares some striking similarities with the world
of the past.

ALIEN SIMILARITY
One of the greatest examples of echalogical influence—the first after
the shock of how human-like fae appeared—occurred soon after the
first civilized meeting. It had been widely accepted that Angel was
the first city to have contact with the echan world, making sense giv-
en the age of the bastion. Despite the vagueness of history, there was
one known positive initial encounter between the elders of Genai and
Ravenar Limshau III when he and his loyal retinue came before the
fledgling walls. The human elders were modern and understanding,
not obtuse and arrogant about tradition. Ravenar’s group was open
and thoughtful, despite the language barrier that Ravenar was quick
to defeat with his astonishing skill. The Genai hosts opted for vege-
tarian food, believing it to be the most amicable, and not knowing the
damaskans’ traditions, presented an assorted selection of cutlery to
use. How shocking it must have been when Ravenar Limshau chose
the chopsticks without hesitation and handled them with a skill re-
served for his mirrors across the table. Many said later the relationship
that blossomed between humans and damaskans began in that room.
Was he reading their minds? Had he been taught beforehand? No: all
damaskans had always used them, as did chaparrans (though theirs
were always formed out of living wood), while narros and tenenbri
had always used utensils similar to those of the ancient Greeks. In
the same way, the narros culture had always borne a surprising resem-
blance to that of the human civilizations of old Asia, and the more
agrarian gimfen culture to the agricultural societies of the old British
Isles. Even the cleverest scholars were at a loss to explain such simi-
larity between peoples separated by millions of years.

ECHALOGICAL INFLUENCE &

CORPUS CONTINUITY
Neither the fae nor dragons questioned their origins or the purpose of
life. If Amethyst knew, as many believed he did, he never shared
such knowledge, lest he wish someone to share his withdrawn dispo-
sition. Even after Mengus arrived, the world and how it worked made
perfect sense. For better or worse, they knew enough of the universe
 to be complacent, something an evolved species like ing to see through sound and vibrations. Place them in
man would never settle with. water and they will grow gills and fins. Their language
The very appearance of man confused many fae up- and their attitudes alter, and soon they even refer to
on their return. They discovered that without magic, themselves as a new species within a generation. Man,
suppressed rules of nature resumed their original func- conversely, prefers to adapt the landscape to suit his
tion: species adapt to their environment and do so much needs. Place him in darkness, and he will make a light.
slower and less drastically then before. Not only that, Place him in water and he will build a boat. Humanity
but this intelligent new creature evolved from a primi- is hardly bothered by the breakdown of the processes of
tive form – a social animal with bestial ways. Fae could evolution, since human ingenuity has the power to
not understand how intelligence could arise through trump even natural selection. Furthermore, Man re-
evolution: their experience of the process was as a spon- mains Man despite creating a new culture. Language,
taneous degradation rather than a steady improvement. clothing, diet, architecture, cultural attitudes all may
Added to that, these creatures looked nearly identical to change, yet they are the same people. Two human na-
the fae on the outside, and layered throughout their tions a distance apart with no means of communication
history, this species had generated a vast literary canon will inevitably create completely different cultures. Yet
professing the existence of fabled creatures as such that despite differences in skin tone and minor variations in
roamed the world in a time when their own ancestors body structure, humans are still close to being clones,
had been nothing but tiny shrew-like creatures. Man- with less than 1% genetic variation between them.
kind encountered their own mystery, barely surviving With fae, cultural variation is the same as species
the holocaust of the Second Hammer only to discover a variation: identical fae produce identical societies. Gim-
sudden population appearing literally from nowhere. fen grind towers dot the world with no communication
Not only that, but they coincidently resembled crea- to share information on their construction, but they are
tures from fiction and legends dating back thousands of all nearly identical. The narroni language is the same in
years. Fargon as it is in the Finer Fire Pits, and the same as it
Both sides suddenly faced the prospect of reexamin- was spoken in ancient Terros – not so much as a differ-
ing their belief system. Echalogians appeared offering ent accent impedes communication. Even Limshau
answers and using ancient literature and modern obser- and Damaska, separated by five hundred years and an
vations as proof. Two new terms entered the lexicon in ocean and showing the most marked cultural division
an attempt to appease the masses looking for an expla- within a single fae species, have similar beliefs and atti-
nation: Corpus Continuity and Echalogical Influence. tudes. Conversely, the human nations of Kannos and
Corpus Continuity is an overtly religious perspective, Abidan are separated by only a few hundred miles but
based on the assumption that God created mankind in have entirely distinct accents and cultural practices.
his own image; therefore, it is reasonable to assume that The bastions of Angel and York both speak English, but
the fae were a previous creation in the same image. As with vastly different vocabularies drawn from different
this theological theory runs into a slight difficulty when outside influences, and neither of them much resem-
considering that dragons were the first intelligent life bles the language as spoken before the Second Ham-
form on Earth and look nothing like humanity, others mer.
prefer the theory of echalogical influence without re- As the speech changed, so did values and motiva-
course to an intelligent creator. This theory assumes tions. Abidan became a bright light of peaceful reli-
that the influence of the Terros age was encoded some- gious equality while Baruch Malkut focused its energy
how, magically or otherwise, in the genetic memory of in the exploitation and slavery of a species they consid-
the natural species existing at that time: humans being ered inferior in the name of the very same god as
290 the only evolved race to reach sentience were the only
ones to unlock that ancient potential. In essence, had
Abidan. As these new nations developed, most grew
tolerant of their neighbors and the various vices and
lizards or insects become the dominant species of Earth viewpoints of their citizens, considered taboo or inap-
instead of primate mammals, they would still have ulti- propriate in the past. Biases over ethnicity, gender, sex-
mately evolved to resemble fae and carried that ancient uality, and religion were subdued and silent. Contro-
legacy into their mythology. Echalogians often point to versial topics polarizing communities were no longer a
spawn races like the kodiaks developing hominid traits serious concern in comparison to the essential issues of
such as upright carriage and opposable thumbs as proof food and security. Given this, Baruch Malkut is consid-
of this theory. ered an anomaly, though a large and dangerous one.
Some fae and humans accuse mankind of only accept-
CULTURAL LANDSCAPE ing his differences in lieu of finding new people to hate.
The one attribute of man that fae find most surprising
involves his capacity of adaptation beyond simple evo- LANGUAGES
lution. Fae adapt their forms to their surroundings Many languages died following Attricana’s opening.
spontaneously, their children assuming a completely Others faded within a few generations while a few
new genotype according to the needs of their environ- merged to create new variations. Before the gates,
ment. Place them in darkness and they go blind, learn- hundreds of languages dotted the globe: now, only a
handful remain. Surviving vernacular soon divided into vowels. This often creates a smaller spectrum of letters
regional slangs and patois, eventually becoming but added complexity may occur with a complicated
recognized languages themselves with distinct lexicons, vocabulary.
syntaxes, and phonetic pronunciations. English Featural – This is a strictly phonetic-based writing
surfaced as the only surviving dominant language in system often employing syllabic blocks. This language
Canam, though divided into dozens of regional dialects, is not often seen but is easier to learn than most others.
coopting vocabulary from upward of a hundred different Logographic – Symbols represent words and
languages, from the old Latin languages to the tongues phonemes (though mostly the latter). These scripts can
of Asiatic immigrants fleeing the spread of be extremely complex as the symbols can be intricate.
Kakodomania, to the few surviving pockets of native Pictographic – Symbols represent specific titles,
tribal speech. vague concepts, or ideas. This is not considered a
While each fae species has its own distinctive accent if strong written language and is nearly impossible to
not entirely separate language, fae tongues sound translate without reference. These symbols have been
similar to one another, though different enough that a known to be very extravagant.
speaker could not fake one if fluent in another. Narros
and pagus tongues sound more jagged and sharp, while
Syllabic – Symbols represent syllables of words
rather than whole words or consonants. This system 291
other fae races sound more fluid and poetic. Even can be nearly as complicated as pictographic or
though sounding similar to their languages, humans logographic but can convey a spoken language better.
have found learning any fae tongue extremely difficult.
Language: This is the language name as translated We like linguistics. The information
into English. provided on languages in this chapter
Script Type: This is the system of writing the script is probably far more than will ever be
uses. There are six variations:
necessary in any game - and that's
Abjad – Very similar to Alphabetic, Abjad uses
symbols representing consonants with little to no vowel
AFTER a whole bunch of additional fluff
use. This system includes some of the oldest languages was removed. Use or ignore as you see fit,
still being spoken today. although to maintain flavor you should at
Abugida – This system is similar to Alphabetic and least make it harder for English-speakers from
Abjad in that it uses consonants, but it combines vowels the west coast to understand those from the
with its consonants rather than having separate vowels. east coast, and vice versa.
Alphabetic – The root for many languages, this uses
simple symbols representing individual consonants and
 LANGUAGE SCRIPT SCRIPT ECHAN Chaparra or Laudenian, though still presenting some
TYPE NAME complications, but is far easier to learn through
Argose Pictrographic Argose Yes exposure than any other fae tongue. The damaskan
Chaparra Pictrographic Faen Yes language is both compact and fusional, able to express
Damaskan Logographic Damaskan Yes quite complicated concepts in a short span of syllables,
English Alphabetic English No akin to old Finno-Ugaritic languages. Being a stress-
Englo-Lingo Alphabetic English No timed language, the vocalization sounds similar to Sinit-
Ferran Pictrographic Ferran Yes ic: those fluent with the Asian tongue often find picking
Guttoran None None Yes up Damaskan easier than English. Modern Damaskan
Ignotan Featural Kakkonin Yes has adapted in the last few centuries, amalgamating
Indic Abjad Shahmukhi No elements from Narroni and Sinitic into its syntax and
Laudenian Logographic Faen Yes vocabulary. Damaskan is very fluid language with soft
sounds and few hard stops.
Narroni Featural Narroni No
English: English is not really English, but a mixture
Old Fae Pictrographic Faen Special
of older English with fragments of French, German,
Onespeak Alphabetic Terran No Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and
Paggin Featural Kakkonin Yes Punjabi, with a smattering of Salishan, Pueblo, Cree, or
Pleroma Logographic Adonnic Special Algonquian thrown in (depending on the region). The
Romanic Alphabetic Romanic No Angel dialect of the language is the lingua franca of the
Saeqaar Logographic Adonnic Special continent, by dint of their early association with
Semitic Abjad Aramaic No Limshau, and is one of the most frequently learned
Sinitic Logographic Kanja No human languages by non-humans. This language is
Slavic Alphabetic Cyrillic No
more heavily influenced by Sinitic and Spanish, to the
point that nearly half the classical English vocabulary
Tenenbra Logographic Tenenbra Yes
has been replaced by Asian or Latin equivalents.
LANGUAGE DESCRIPTIONS An element in the original game from
Argose: Argose is the primitive language of the
kodiaks. Argose consists of growls and mumbles barely 2001 had Common as an amalgamation
distinguishable to the untrained ear from the random of several languages similar to Cyber-
noises of an unintelligent animal. The specific patterns punk’s Cityspeak—and not the English
are hidden deep in the inflections of those growls, a we would normally hear. This was hidden
system few outside of the attuned ears of the kodiaks from my group until I revealed a strange
could even pick up, and which no other species can “new” language which was actually “True
pronounce due to not having the right shape of vocal English”, dating back to before the time of
cords.
magic. This made no linguistic sense so I
It sounds like Chewbacca (literally - threw out the idea and changed Common to
those howls and growls were mostly English. I still imagine English deviating
sampled from a bear). somewhat from what we hear today.

Chaparra: The chaparrans refused to alter their Englo-Lingo: This bizarre patois popped up around

292 language from their roots and have been obtuse to adapt
given the exposure from other cultures. Chaparrans
the eastern bastion of York and is thought to have
emerged from the bastion of Mann, where it is the
believe their tongue is the closest to the original old national language. Englo-Lingo filters out most of the
language, Faena. Later chaparran branch species have Sinitic donations that found themselves in modern
an even more complicated version of this vernacular. English and added older French and German slang to
Chaparran written form, an elegant and beautiful style create a bizarre phonology that shifts through three
known as Faen, has never been adapted or altered. It is different Germanic languages every sentence. Dozens
also nearly impossible to translate unless one is of villages on the east coast insist upon it and York
chaparran. Chaparra is syllable-timed, making the accepts it as their second official language, being
speech sound like lasting poem of perfect rhythm different enough from common English to make the
though, unlike Laudenian, it is filled with hard alveolar bastion effectively bilingual.
and glottal sounds. The written form of chaparra and
laudenian are nearly identical. Despite the fact that I'm reasonably
Damaskan: The language used by the fae of fluent in German but only know cereal
Damaska and Limshau, as well as all gimfen, is the -box French, I always put a lot more
most widely known non-human tongue in the world. French into Englo-Lingo than either Ger-
More humans speak Damaskan than any other fae man or Dutch, because Quebec.
language. It is substantially easier to learn than
 Ferran: A simplistic version of Damaskan, Ferran is a Along with the holy language of dragons, Old Fae is
jagged, rough tongue used by the lower branches from impossible to learn by most mortals.
the damaskans like puggs, boggs, and skeggs. It differs Onespeak: Similar to Narroni, Onespeak is a
slightly with every village, making a proper translation partially manufactured language devised by Baruch
from any source difficult. Malkut and imposed on the population. Using a regu-
Guttoran: Even harder to learn is the sharp dialect of larized form of classical English as its structure, it bor-
the narros branch species (like chiggoths and oggraks). rows heavily from Spanish and Portuguese, and contains
Since they have no real culture and are extremely thousands of words with no known etymology. This
phobic of society, their language is chaotic and hard to language was devised to unite mankind but it ended up
define. Guttoran as a term is a misnomer since there further isolating the kingdom from the rest of the world.
has never been a consensus of the phonology to define It is the only official language of Baruch Malkut, and
it as a language. It is thought that every group has although the upper classes are usually perfectly conver-
personalized the language intentionally to prevent even sant in Englo-Lingo, use of any language other than
neighbors to relating to them easily. Onespeak by the general populace is discouraged.
Ignotan: The native language of all denizens of
Kakodomania and servants of Mengus, Ignotan is a Any bits of Onespeak in the flavor
simple sounding language easy to pick up but hard to text throughout the book are meant to
master. Its written form is perfection itself. be read in a thick (but very clipped
Completely phonetic, one could learn the basics of its and precise) Jamaican accent. It really
speech in a day. The language is complicated but every
phoneme makes intuitive sense. Like all creations of
should be closer to Brazilian, but more
syntropy, it is nearly mechanical in its application, and people in North America know what a Jamai-
thus makes for lousy poetry. All shemjaza, typhox can accent sounds like.
dragons, and most pagus speak Ignotan.
Indic: This is an amalgamation of old human Paggin: This language formed secretly among the
languages Hindi, Punjabi, and Urdu. It is not often pagus that lived out of control of the shemjaza. Pagus
spoken in Canam but still pops up from time to time. in Kakodomania speak Ignotan only. Those in
Laudenian: There is a seemingly never-ending Apocrypha and Ažhi Dahaka speak only Paggin unless a
debate between the chaparrans and laudenians about shemjaza strolls into their village: any pagus that speaks
which species is closer to the original fae. The paggin to a shemjaza is instantly executed (of course,
laudenian language is slightly more askew from its any pagus who speaks to a shemjaza unbidden runs the
roots, an evolution of the original that would progress risk anyway). Rebellious pagus consider paggin the first
into Damaskan later. Their written form, however, is mark of an independent pagus culture.
closer to the chaparran system. The language flows Pleroma: The language of the dragons, called
beautifully and is extremely poetic and fluid with a Adonnaisis in all fae languages but having no name in
strong base in syllable-stress. Only laudenians speak its own, is considered the very first language spoken by
laudenian; they are unwilling to teach it to anyone else, any intelligent creature on the planet. The language
and find the mispronunciations of the few self-taught and its written form are intrinsically linked with
speakers highly distasteful. Attricana and it is thought that the dragon god
Narroni: The narroni tongue is often confusing to Amethyst created the world of magic by speaking the
linguists (though surprisingly easy to learn), its grammar correct words. This is the language all spellcasters use
being superficially similar to certain old Asian languages when casting magic but even they cannot carry a
but with a sound system like a roughly equal mix of pre
-Hammer Gaelic, Russian, and Turkish, despite being
conversation with it. Only dragons are fluent. The
language itself cannot be pronounced by any creature
293
constructed out of wholecloth. The original narros’ that doesn’t have a prehensile tongue and an intrinsical-
speech was a local patois of Laudenian, but as time ly pandimensional understanding of reality, so the
went on, they found that the language was completely intensity of magic with mortals will always be limited.
impractical for their present needs. Modern Narroni Romanic: Another language seldom heard in Canam,
was constructed in committee and implemented this merging of French, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian,
instantly after it was cleared. As a constructed and Spanish is thought to be the lingua-franca of
language, it is efficient and elegant in its simplicity, and Lauropa and the dominant language of the bastion of
is neither hard to learn nor hard to master. It is the Porto.
simplest echan language to use and thus can be picked Semitic: A growing dialect in Canam, this language
up easily by even techans. underwent the fewest changes over the past few
Old Fae: Further chaparran branches continued to centuries. A descendant of Arabic, Aramaic, and
degrade the syntax of their parent tongue until finally, Hebrew, it is a common second language to those in
the lower species like faeries, sylphids, and dojenn Abidan and its outlining villages. It is often heard in
began speaking in a bizarre language of songs and locations of religious importance.
whispers even the chaparrans couldn’t understand. Saeqaar: The mirror of the dragon language, this
tongue has the same written form (albeit mirrored) and
 a similar pronunciation. It is spoken solely by typhox
dragons and shemjaza for the purposes of spellcasting.
RELIGION
Its actual name is not known (saeqaar being an Ignotan A common belief in many religions is that the Almighty,
word), and it is probable that like Pleroma, the name for whatever form it may take, wrote the rules of the
the language would have to encompass the entire universe everyone must follow. Some say the only way
language itself. There is no word for the tongue in any to hear the voice of the divine is beyond the grave.
fae language and they refuse to create one. Some also say the Almighty exists in the flotsam that
Sinitic: A fast growing language in Canam, Sinitic keeps the universe from flying apart. Others think it
came into being with the influx of various Asian lives within Attricana, and/or it may be the realm itself.
refugees that appeared on the continent’s west coast Some others say it is a "they", as hundreds if not
seeking an escape from the fallout of the Hammer and thousands of spirits or gods watch us from an identical
the growing power of Kakodomania. There, they world on the other side.
combined with the already large Asian-derived There is no right.
population gathering in the fledgling city of Angel, and Catastrophes are good for religion, and the wave of
out of necessity their cultures and languages began to enchantment sweeping away the old world was no
merge. Modern Sinitic uses the more regular grammar exception. Religion offers hope and order in a world
of old Korean and Japanese, with a roughly equal seemingly on the brink of destruction. It promises a
mixture of vocabulary from Mandarin and Cantonese, plan stemmed from intelligence – that everything
Japanese, Korean, Thai and Vietnamese. Most of the happens for a reason. As Earth falls more towards the
tonal features of the original languages have been realms of magic and enchantment, many have flocked
abandoned, though a few remain. Written Sinitic uses a to religion to answer their questions. In this age,
refinement of the old Japanese kanji and hiragana miracles occur daily, and worshippers find proof of god
scripts called kanja, but can be written equally clearly in everywhere. After more than 6 billion people died
English orthography. It is the common second language following the Second Hammer and subsequent fallout,
in Angel and a common tongue for hundreds of miles the religions that survived found little reason to fight
around, including Limshau, where it was a popular over conviction, and in any case the old holy lands were
choice among damaskans when first learning a human gone or made inaccessible, their idols and icons
language, and Fargon (due to the inexplicable cultural shattered into dust. Many smaller faiths died along
similarities between old Asia and the narros). with those who had once believed in them. When
Attricana opened, newer beliefs arrived with newer
I like to make jokes about how no- populations. A few humans embraced these faiths
while some fae embraced human ideology.
body can read katakana anymore Given their immense power, it is no surprise that
except the Limshau librarians re- dragons are the focus of many faiths, either as gods
sponsible for preserving and catalogu- themselves or as angels of a god. Those who still pro-
ing old doujinshi manga. fess belief in a less tangible supreme power, though,
still have no proofs one way or the other. God or gods
Slavic: An extremely rare language in Canam, Slavic remain as quiet and as elusive as before.
amalgamates Belorussian, Bulgarian, Czech, Polish, Atheism is surprisingly rare, even among bastion
Russian, Serbo-Croatia, Slovak, and Ukrainian. There populations (although bastions have a higher rate of
is no village in Canam that uses it exclusively. It is them). Agnosticism is far more common. Almost 60%
thought to emerge from several echan and techan of all humans in the world, and a clear majority of the

294 nations in the similarly named continent of Slav, bastion-born, don’t subscribe to any specific faith
including the bastion of Krebet. though almost all subscribe to some form of spirituality.
Tenenbra: The tenenbri (a lesser seen fae in
Canam) are the sole speakers of this tongue, which We have occasionally been accused of
stands clearly as the most bizarre of any fae language. allowing our skepticism to show too
Tenenbra is an agglutinative language that compounds much in our treatment of religion, or
flowing vowels, sibilants and fricatives with sudden and using the outsider's perspective of the
sometimes harsh dental and labial stops, interspersed
dogma to influence our depiction of it.
with whistles, clicks, and chirps. This strange phonetic
characteristic came from their voices’ capacity to double We've tried to keep this kind of intrusion to a
as echo-location devices. Most words are three or more minimum, but if we've slipped up somewhere
syllables long, but may encompass concepts that Eng- and accidentally caused offense, we apologize
lish would require four or five words to express. The in advance. It is merely important to us that
phonology also deals with the stress level of voice, im- there not be any clear proof of one faith over
plying different meaning depending on the volume of another, that the possibility of divinity re-
the words. Other than Old Fae, Tenenbra is the hard- mains ambiguous, and that religious tolerance
est for any outsider to learn.
is more common than violent anathematizing.
FAITH EVOLVED Every decade or so, a crusade begins with as few as five
Many religions of man survived, though none were or as many as five thousand to search the continent for
unchanged. Most offshoots of major religions either this fabled temple. With little to work on, no crusade
merged or vanished, leaving only a handful. The mod- has ever succeeded.
ern dogma of these faiths rarely resemble their The symbol of Amethyst is a chunk of Amethyst
forebears in many or even most particulars, even to rock. To pray to Amethyst, worshipers place the stone
adopting certain traditions and conventions of their to their forehead and repeat a non-magical Pleroma
erstwhile competitors. Although many people chant four times in different directions. Many fae races
embraced religion as an explanation of recent events, an worship Amethyst. Amethyst himself never wrote any
almost equal number abandoned their faith, claiming scripture or preached any gospel. He resented the dei-
the destruction of the world was proof of God’s fication of him or his power, though not of the dragons
nonexistence. This led several splinter religions to as a whole – a race he always tasked with shepherding
claim God created this cataclysm to punish Man, or all the other souls of the world. One record quoted
even (as with the faith endorsed by Baruch Malkut) to from Amethyst, “If there is a God, then he is truly infi-
cleanse the Earth of the undeserving and bring forth the nite, and I am as far from his eternal greatness as any
true Kingdom of Heaven for the survivors. Apocalyptic other.”
cults snapped up fanatical followers in the first few Attricana: Like Amethyst, followers of Attricana
years, believing Judgment Day had occurred. As the believe in creation and despise evil in all forms. Unlike
centuries passed, such zealotry dwindled, leaving only a other religions, faith in Attricana does not presume a
few begging for attention among the moral majority. divine intelligence. Believing in Attricana translates to
Even fundamentalist sects of major religions rarely believing in a creation beyond science but not
lasted long, with the sole exception being the bitterly necessarily with a conscious design. Attricana followers
intolerant Abrahamic offshoot endorsed by Baruch consider their faith more a study of creation, the closest
Malkut. thing to a science echans have. Other faiths accuse
The only locations where the faiths of old have followers of Attricana of being infidels, disbelievers
remained nearly unchanged are in bastions, which kept finding a shortcut around faith to explain the new
their faith as stable as possible (those that still followed world. Worshiping Attricana proves that faith in an
it, that is). They still adapted to their environment, intelligent divinity is not required to rationalize magic.
some in positive ways and some not so positive. Some right-wing religious groups have sworn to crucify
Outside, in the open enchanted, faiths adjusted quicker followers of Attricana for betraying God’s gifts. Across
and more severely. The Christian-based communities the ocean, an entire culture has developed with a
took the longest to accept the new world, as the population of Attricana-endorsing theists. When one
Christian doctrine had always held that Man was meant who follows Attricana gains wisdom or power, he or she
to rule over all other beings of Earth. Islam, with its believes it derives from an internal source and not from
emphasis on submission to the divine and its ready a divine creator. Worshipping would be an incorrect
acceptance of mala’ika and djinn as articles of faith, word to even describe it. The Attricana symbol is an
adapted much faster and more cultures rooted in that amulet of the white star itself. Followers do not exactly
faith adapted to the new age than any other. Nearly all pray, but stare at the gate in the morning, studying it,
secular, agnostic, atheistic, and spiritual (but not and gaining wisdom from internal meditation. Being of
religious) societies accepted the new world with few no intelligence, Attricana is simply neutral.
hurdles. Dragons: Many people worship dragons, the most
powerful creatures on the planet. They are immortal,

ECHAN FAITHS
predating all others by millions of years. Most dragons
refuse such responsibility, frowning on such beliefs.
295
Amethyst: Amethyst, the dragon god of the Terros Others accept and respect such faith but remain humble
age, fell to dust when the demon armor, Gebermach, to their mortal origins. A few embraced the belief and
plunged the Sword of Dogurasu into the dragon’s heart. maintain active roles in the lives of their worshippers.
Many believe his spirit lives in the Gate, waiting for the Evil dragons manipulate this belief to create hordes of
time to return. In many ways, faith in Amethyst or followers to do their bidding. All dragon symbols
Attricana is interchangeable, but subtle differences resemble the dragon specifically being worshipped.
appear in the symbols. Amethyst represents all things The appropriate method of worship varies from dragon
good. He believes in creation and life. He frowns on to dragon. Dragons are worshipped across the world.
destruction and those who wish to control others. In Berufu: Many elves still follow their original faith in
Canam sits an ancient temple as old as the Second the creator of all things, Berufu – the mother of all fae.
Hammer. Its exact location has been lost to all but a They believe Berufu lives in the shadow realm where
select few. Mentioned in the Gospel of Greka, the the universe was formed. Attricana to them is a source
temple stands atop a mountain, surrounded by a fortress of power, but not the home of God. According to
of stone. Only a few know of the significance of this legend, Berufu released the fae to hundreds of worlds
temple but refer to it as the Temple of Amethyst. across the universe through the gates. This view holds
Those following the faith hope to eventually locate it. that shemjaza are alien fae brought into the world from
 the black gate, and the Berufu legend explains that believe that most bastions fight against the word of
both tap into the same resource. Amethyst and Mengus Mecha and could solve all their problems with simple
are not gods to them and there is no dark opposite of belief in their almighty.
Berufu in the faith. The concept of hell is a purely Gimfen hold that Mecha was the firstborn of Berufu
human invention. and Oaken and became so powerful that it began
Another variation claims Berufu was willed into questioning the form of the universe. The parents
existence by the god of all matter, Oaken, to be his forbade their child from giving precious knowledge to
mate. Together, they would create a species bound of the fae, but it did so anyway. In response, Berufu took
both their strengths to populate the universe. The two away Mecha’s true name and Oaken robbed it of its
gods formed the original fae, seeding billions if not gender. Mecha would only be a half-god. Though
trillions of fae in Berufu’s womb, only letting a fraction some devout followers have become eunuchs as part of
upon the worlds they chose. This womb is a spiritual their devotion, this is not widely endorsed. Mecha’s
chamber in the ethereal realm known as Otsharus symbols are tools, any tools. Everything the mechanic
(which may be the echalogical root of the Hebrew word, uses is laid out in the morning and the devout thanks
Otzar). The number of fae souls released from the machine god for the tools and the knowledge,
Otsharus is fixed and when it is emptied, the species picking up every single item and expressing gratitude
will no longer expand into new worlds. Nothing is for its existence. For gimfen, known to have many
listed in the books on Berufu about mankind except tools, this sometimes takes half the morning before any
one controversial excerpt that claimed every human work is done. Churches in gimfen communities are
born steals a soul from Otsharus and the reason for the shops where followers can discuss their god and faith
fae de-evolution is due to the dwindling souls in the and pick up a few items at a divine discount.
chamber. Only fanatical laudenian and tenenbri priests Mengus: This spirit still exists beyond the black
hold this belief. Shemjaza also use fae souls, another gate. Like Amethyst and Attricana, Mengus and the
reason why their destruction is paramount with black gate of Ixindar are virtually interchangeable.
followers of Berufu. Worshippers of Mengus believe in an overall plan for
The sacred symbol of Berufu is a string of white the world: not merely to reduce the universe to an
pearls wrapped around one’s arm. Praying involves a unchanging state, but one ordered by a single infinite
wide variety of chants in one’s native tongue while intelligence. Those who worship hope to share in her
rubbing the pearls between open palms. This power, to combine with a greater intelligence and be
procedure takes as much as an hour every morning. one with a god. The Mengus symbol is a collection of
Every fae descendant culture makes her look like tentacles curling around each other. Mengus is the sole
themselves, but all depictions show Berufu graceful and deity of all shemjaza and typhox dragons as well as any
tall for the worshipper’s species. pagus under their control.
Ixindar: Opposite of Attricana, Ixindar promotes an Oaken: Narros elevate Oaken above all other
ordered, uniform existence, everything under complete deities, and though they acknowledge that Berufu has a
control. To believe in Ixindar means to encourage a place in their mythology, it is always a subordinate
state where the universe no longer changes. position. Oaken’s myth claimed he arrived into this
Worshippers obsess about control. They don’t preach galaxy by breaking off a monstrous intelligence billions
their faith; they enforce it. Their homes are perfectly of years ago. This intelligence had no name but
organized. Though they may not wish to create a world scattered to form all the planets of the universe magic
devoid of life, they do believe a perfect society involves would eventually appear on. The greatest segment
perfect order and absolute discipline without the pesky drifted into the loose particles around the Sun before
296 distractions of imagination, emotions, or independent
thought.
the planets were formed and the matter that drifted to
Oaken formed the Earth. In this regard, Oaken is not
Like Attricana, Ixindar possesses no intelligence, one god, but hundreds, thousands, or even millions
only an ideal. Worshipping Ixindar, like Attricana, may scattered across the cosmos. Some speculate Oaken is a
be incorrect wording. There is no deity, more the hive mind, a combined gestalt of all the fragments.
disciplined study of the phenomenon. Some of the Either one or all of them together created Berufu (a
most loyal followers of Ixindar are scientists, thinking singular entity no matter which version of the dogma)
Ixindar possesses a uniform, constant, and stable power and decided to spawn the populations of the universe.
source to help retake the planet for techa. Berufu however, wanted fae to dominate the worlds and
The symbol for Ixindar is a simple black pearl, Oaken wanted dragons. Eventually, Berufu and Oaken
featureless. Being of no intelligence, Ixindar is simply created the Otsharus and deposited the fae across the
evil. many worlds, while Oaken snuck dragons onto a few of
Mecha / Machine God: Only the gimfen worship them as a pet project. Oaken’s mythos does not include
Mecha or Machine God. Gimfen subscribe to the idea Mecha except for one or two stories, all written by
that the knowledge of technology is passed down by a Mecha disciples.
powerful deity beyond the gate and only to a precious Though technically part of the same religion, the
few. Only by worshipping the Machine God can dogma of the Oaken and Berufu faiths differ drastically
technology be safely used alongside magic. Gimfen and are full of inconsistencies. Both make huge
assumptions on other fae species outside of the Earth religions and belief systems. If you choose a real faith,
with no evidence of their existence. Oaken dogma you should research the details of the religion and make
includes Otsharus but claims the souls from this great sure you understand the demands put forth. Don’t
chamber exit via the black or white gates and thus both insult half the world by not doing your own research.
fae, pagus, and demons all use them. Man is innocent Chinese Folk Religion: Also known as Chinese
in this and receive their souls from another power Traditional Religion, this encompasses a vast amount of
altogether. practices including Taoism, Buddhism, and
Narros and tenenbri (the highest ratio of believers) Confucianism. It involves the worship of animals,
believe that Oaken tests the fae on his soil. If they deities, the sun, the moon, and the stars (although the
don’t prove worthy, they eventually devolve to dust. If latter has depressed somewhat in recent centuries).
all the fae eventually die, Oaken will verify to Berufu This also includes the worship of legends, ancestors,
that dragons were the correct choice (oddly enough, no gods, goddesses, and demigods. In all, there are
dragon professes faith or even curiosity in Oaken). The hundreds of different figures for followers to worship.
narros mythology contends that Oaken never agreed on These include the Jade Emperor, Cai Shen, Tu Di
the final form of the fae and since Berufu disliked Gong, Hu Yi and Zau Shen. The concept states that a
dragons, Oaken eventually created the narros as his mirror of Earth floats beyond Heaven with a social
favorite children. Because Oaken lives underground, hierarchy in which all these spirits, gods, and legends
he forbids digging too deep into his realm. Narros live in peace and war. In the past, they often clashed
believe the tenenbri dug too deep and were cursed; over control of what once was called China. Most mod-
some tenenbri actually agree with this judgment and ern worshippers believe this double Earth sits beyond
pray to Oaken for forgiveness, while others claim that Attricana. One must research a path before choosing
their defiance of divine law was another test that proved the right deity. Today, hundreds of temples dot the
their superiority. landscape, and the religion appears across the globe, but
Oaken loves picks and hammers and his symbol is the single largest concentration of followers is found in
each of them crossing against an unrefined rock. To Genai.
pray involves kissing the soil and chanting straight into Christianity: Once the most schismatic faith on
the ground, rising back up with dirt on one’s lips. Earth, the Second Hammer put an end to nearly all
Yok-Ani: Unlike most other dragons, yok-ani sectarianism in Christianity; without the bureaucratic
accepted and respect the faith granted them. They organizations that had supported it in the old world,
trust in nothing but balance. The majority believe in followers of the Cross reverted to a state similar to that
endorsing neither good nor evil; or rather, that the mere of the earliest days of the Church, with only their sacred
concepts of ‘good’ and ‘evil’ represent a fundamental writings to guide them instead of popes and patriarchs.
misunderstanding of the truth of the universe. Despite Which articles of faith survived the transition are un-
this belief, yok-ani are kind and benevolent. A few clear, but as a whole, Christians adhere far more to the
enforce pure neutrality as the only belief, but most notions of tolerance and mercy than in pre-Hammer
preach that their followers must be as a leaf on the river days. Christianity falls into two major camps on modern
of life, flowing where it takes them without fighting the Earth: Techan and echan Christians. Echans believe
current. Yok-ani also despise unnecessary violence and the Second Coming has already occurred and this new
believe drawing the sword to be the final solution. world of miracles stands as a result of a new design.
Most devotees seldom even see a yok-ani dragon. Most The existence of Ixindar places the image of Hell back
of them live across the planet in the mountains of into public acceptance, and many believe the purpose
Kuraukou; one, the dragon Genai, can be found in the of all life on the new Earth is to crusade against this
massive temple at the center of the town which bears
his name in the midst of the bastion of Angel. This
evil, to finally free the world of sin forever.
Some fanatics still exist. It is believed Baruch
297
enormous pagoda marks the focus of the faith for the Malkut began initially as a Christian kingdom, though
entire continent, but few can brave the bastion walls to its tenets of faith have deviated so far from the original
reach it, and fewer still ever receive an audience with scripture that the only thing it has in common with
the dragon himself. mainstream Christianity are some of the names.
Disciples must be able to speak Sinitic, considered Thankfully, this is the only real exception as most other
by the yok-ani to be the most poetic and philosophical Christian kingdoms are well respected with kind and
of human languages. The yok-ani symbol is the dragon fair rulers (like Abidan). The cross symbolizes
shape, snaking around a staff or sword hilt. Praying to everything and its placement dominates worshipper
yok-ani involves striking the sword or staff into the attire. Prayers have seldom changed, and morning mass
ground and singing, in Sinitic, a poem declaring one’s takes just under an hour with a strict progression of
faith. prayers and actions. Christianity is found the world
over.
HUMAN FAITHS Hinduism: One of the oldest religions of man,
It should be noted that the following pages are Hinduism maintains that the soul lives eternal,
extremely brief summaries of extremely complex undergoing a continuous circle of life, death, and
rebirth. The beliefs of Dharma, Samsara, Moksha,
 Jnana, Ishvara, and Karma remain unchanged. They direction to Mecca, many simply pray facing towards
hold Brahman as the eternal and all-powerful spirit to the east.
which everything stems and that Ishvara is the only way In modern days, some progressive Muslims have
mankind can interpret Brahman. Several suggested that God may one day bless the world with
denominations of Hinduism place Vishnu or Shiva as another prophet. Though Mohammed was the greatest
the seat of eternal and omnipotent power. No matter prophet of mankind, this new one would strive to unite
the course, the faith encourages virtue and acts of good, all species of Earth under a common shroud of wisdom
believing that will put a soul on the road to and guidance. This belief is not popular across the
enlightenment, and that evil acts lead to darkness. world and no one is sure how such a figure would be
A soul’s status at birth and their life is determined greeted.
by their karma. Karma is more than just the sum and Muslims are taught to reject idolatry, needing no
balance of your good and bad deeds: it is work or action symbol but their own articles of faith. Muslims are
and the results of that work or action. Karma is cause- everywhere but many live in Arkonnia and Canam. In
and-effect on a cosmic scale. It determines what Canam, the largest population outside of bastions can
lessons you have to learn in this and other lives and be found in the city of Taskin-Kada in Abidan.
what fortunes will befall you in this and future lives as a
result of actions in this and previous lives. Gods and I began Amethyst as a non-practicing
goddesses exist, but according to certain schools of Catholic and slowly turned to agnosti-
Hindu thought, they are just another form of life, higher cism and later atheism. I was a highly
than humans but ultimately mortal. They will skeptical individual even as a child, but
eventually die (some believe many have died in the
intervening millennia). Even after the fall of the
always was a bit of a dreamer, which is where
Second Hammer, Hinduism remains as much a complex the fantasy comes from. I realized as Ame-
religion as it ever was. Most believers of Hinduism live thyst developed, it became a representation of
around the outside of Western and Easter Slav, but like my own struggles with spirituality. But even
many faiths, it can be found in smaller numbers before that, while I was still a disciple, I in-
everywhere there are humans. sisted on removing divine proof from the set-
Unlike Islam, which frowns on idolatry, Hinduism ting. It’s such a staple of fantasy that gods
showcases several examples, the most common being
the Aum, a symbol found throughout the faith. Many
are ever present and engaging in the matters of
others embrace the mandala and even the manji mortals. They create the world, set the dogma,
(swastika), any last negative connotations of which were create the monsters, define the quests, and then
wiped away along with the old world. sit back while everything starts to fall apart.
Islam: Of all the human faiths, Islam has changed Amethyst repudiates the idea of deus ex machi-
the least. Muslims share six basic beliefs: in the god na (ironic, I know), divine involvement, and
Allah, in the books sent by Allah, in all the prophets and the concepts of fate, destiny, and prophecy.
messengers god sends, in predestination, in angels (or
mala’ika), and in the day of qiyama (Judgment Day).
Judaism: Related to Islam and Christianity, Judaism,
Sunni and the Shi’a branches (and many others), like
involves the worship of one, all-powerful, all-knowing,
Christian branches, amalgamated into modern Islam.
omnipotent, and everlasting god who created the
They believe in the Towers of Islam (obviously related
universe and continues to influence its development.
to the Five Pillars or Core beliefs of Islam), Shahadah
He created the Tora (or five books of Moses), which
298 (sole god worship), Salah (five daily prayers), Sawn
(fasting during Ramadan), Zakat (giving charity), and
dictates the laws and commandments (613 in total) of
the Jewish people. Following these rules and
finally Hajj (the pilgrimage to Mecca), the final one still
worshipping God earns merit, rewarding one in the
mandatory to all Muslims once during their lifetime.
afterlife. This afterlife exists in the Garden of Eden
When Attricana reshaped the Earth, much of the
that many believe sits behind Attricana. What this
eastern Mediterranean coastline sank below the waves,
afterlife looks like has never been defined.
submerging the ancient city of Jerusalem and putting an
Further, even though there are many rules and
end to the wars of faith for good. The city of Urtioch
principles of faith, no official creed or dogma is
(part of the kingdom of Trinitas) sits on the new
recognized as fully binding. The common points are
coastline. Founded by migrating Muslims, the city
that God exists, is all-powerful, has no physical form, is
stands as a shining beacon of religious equality. The
eternal, and is singular in presence. God gave humanity
trek to Mecca is no longer simple or safe: the Hajj now
purity at birth with a free will to choose his or her own
tests all. No longer safely nestled in city walls, by a
path. Mankind may atone for sins through sincere acts
miracle of godly proportions, the Kaaba exists atop a
of redemption.
mountain simply called Makkah. Dangerous peaks
Followers of Judaism must commit to prayer three
prevent a strong civilized foothold. Every year, tens of
times a day, although specifics differ with
thousands attempt the voyage. Since many modern
interpretation. They still recognize the Shabbat, the
Muslims in Canam no longer know the specific
weekly day of rest, as well as all other Jewish holidays.
Like all monotheisms, Judaism also operates temples in
MEDIEVAL TRAPPINGS
Trinitas across the ocean. In Canam, those of Jewish While every society is keen to claim its own system of
faith fight an unfortunate constant stigma. Since government as right and natural, it cannot be denied
Baruch Malkut uses a distorted Yiddish translation of that feudalism is one of the most enduring social sys-
the term “Blessed Kingdom,” some incorrectly accuse tems ever contrived. As Attricana opened, the entirety
the kingdom of the south as being Jewish, when in fact of the planet was unclaimed. Those few flaunting in-
they follow a hideously warped version of Christian fluence over land or people took this opportunity to
doctrine. Thankfully, the fae – the greatest sufferers declare what they found as theirs. Calling themselves
from Baruch Malkut’s dogmatic excesses – rarely judge lords was an obvious next step. Even most fae, even
humans on the basis of religion. the truly noble and chivalrous ones, would make such
Sikhism: Sikhs follow the teachings of the Ten declarations on lands they deemed acceptable to build a
Gurus, dating back centuries before the Second nation upon, even if those lands were already populat-
Hammer. Over one million worshippers still live today, ed. Generation passed onto generation, and a landown-
scattered across the planet. The followers adhere to the er would pass their holdings to an heir. Some claimed a
thousand page-plus scripture known as the Guru Granth lordship by simple right of wealth or military power,
Sahib. Thankfully, this tome, like the Qur’an and Holy while a few arrogantly declared their title bestowed by a
Bible, survived through the end of the last world. The higher power. Eventually, the old titles returned.
book preaches a simple approach to spirituality, a Some houses were led by lords, others by dukes, khans,
message directly revealed by God (Waheguru), who is counts, marquises, landgraves, or barons. A few humans
singular and all-powerful. All created by God stand even went as far to declare themselves monarchs of the
equal in all ways, regardless of race, sex, or religion. highest order, kings and queens of divine royalty, de-
After the gates opened, many Sikhs accepted the new fended by knights or royal guards.
races without question, being all created by God. A Several changes did occur with the new age, influ-
laudenian priest once spoke highly of the Sikhs and enced by the new landscape and people considering
their faith, claiming it made more sense than all other themselves “morally evolved.” The concept of desig-
human beliefs. All Sikhs defend life in all its forms, nating any gender or ethnicity as second-class citizens
especially those of fellow human beings and fae. They had been expunged by the years of travail, when every-
also believe in reincarnation. Followers wake before one banded together on equal terms for mere survival.
the sunrise and meditate on God’s name. They must Furthermore, the fledgling aristocracy was of necessity
live their life in peace, give to those in need, and open forced to knight local landowners and betroth their chil-
their doors to all. Sikhs are encouraged to form dren to lesser houses to increase their power. Added to
communities where everyone is equal, and are that the fact that anyone could simply claim nobility
prohibited from acquiring possessions based solely on upon the forming of a town, and the criteria for rul-
greed, acting illogically, or treating any intelligent ership became much more egalitarian. If the town be-
species less than they would treat themselves. came a city, the noble would become a ruler of grand
Shinto: The “Way of the Gods,” Shinto still survives stature.
across the world today, often practiced alongside faith in Those human nations not declaring racial hatred to
the yok-ani. A few have even combined the two. Once the fae would often embrace or even worship their
one of the official religions of Japan, Shinto professes neighbors as long-lived paragons of all things desirable.
reverence and respect for nature and veneration of im- Many fae took this idol worship to heart, never having
portant spiritual figures from the mythic past of the ad- encountered such reverence before. This caused an

299
herent’s nation. The religion lacks a specific dogma or increase in human-fae half-breeds as fae were often as
a fixed way to act. One does not even need to profess a romantic as the most quixotic humans. Powerful hu-
belief in Shintoism, as in many respects it exists purely man monarchs sought marriages with ruling members of
as a way to express humanity’s need for ceremony. fae nations, desiring their patronage, their allegiance,
Shinto believes in family and welcomes anyone. Its and – more importantly – their popularity in keeping
only simple commandment insists on a simple life uni- their own people loyal. When the positive side effects
fying one’s soul with nature. Spirits worshipped in of human-fae pairing were discovered, many human
Shinto are called kami. There are kami of various or- aristocrats went mad pursuing a noble marriage with a
ders of power in all things, be they physical, metaphysi- similar classed fae. Alas, fae never bond for reasons
cal, or conceptual, but the most powerful remains the other than love and these initial requests were always
sun-goddess Amaterasu. Some believers claimed they rejected.
found a connection between the dogma of fae and Shin- A few nobles would eventually mix their blood with
to. They allege the Otsharus is the realm of the kami, the fae lines, though this occurred more often by cir-
the spirits of the kami are these unbirthed fae refusing cumstance with lower class fae than by arrangement to
to enter our world, and modern fae are, in fact, kami forge an alliance. Human nobles having a fae spouse or
taking physical form in this world. The largest concen- being a half-fae themselves guaranteed respect and loy-
tration of Shinto worshippers in the world is found in alty from the people. The public considered their rul-
Genai. ers true royalty, for such long-lived sovereigns must
 contain stately blood. But to the fae, true royalty could to those with the charisma and benevolence to become
only be bestowed from a higher power, one that could great and wise leaders. Such titles are not given to beg-
destroy kingdoms with its bellowing breath of fire. gars or shopkeepers, but to those already exhibiting
In the history of all the fae and their descendant promise, already leading others in virtue and gallantry.
races, the highest rung of the social ladder was given to Many are already leading nations, but few ever declare
those blessed, metaphorically speaking, by a dragon’s themselves royalty. Assuming such a position guaran-
kiss. A benign dragon would declare the fae of noble tees no endorsement. Though most of these fae are
heritage, to be one apart from the rest, exhibiting ex- appointed by word from a dragon’s lips, some are
traordinary charisma and moral fortitude. By such thought to actually have dragon blood running through
blessing, the dragon would swear to channel wisdom to their veins, inherited from bonded love between
the members of the family name, even beyond the end crossed species generations ago. Such pairings are
of its own life. The royal’s family name would be syn- known to have occurred but are infrequent, only hap-
onymous with that of the dragon. This is not an act pening when a dragon takes mortal form and falls for its
done lightly or on impulse: only one or two families in emotions and urges while in that state.
each major species have been so exalted across the This knowledge was not known to humans and
300 world. The laudenians have Elrenar Alkanost; dam-
askans have Ellenthos Tellurian and Ravenar Limshau;
when the new world took shape, many materialistic and
selfish leaders with too much power and too many men
chaparrans have Valentiarankerr, while tenenbri have declared themselves royal only for the purposes of chris-
Sharajaclypse. Despite some claims to the contrary, no tening their land a kingdom. The most notable excep-
narros or gimfen have been so christened. tion was King Savarice of Abidan, the only human in
This has not stopped several fae from declaring Canam to have ever received such endorsement from a
themselves king or queen or the land they control a dragon’s hand. Savarice’s blessing by the holy dragon
monarchy, citing the righteousness of their conquests as Silver River guaranteed a stature other kingdoms could
proof of their royalty. No dragon needs to consecrate only dream of. The title did create controversy. Sever-
them as proof of their sovereignty. Furthermore, the al great fae leaders like Thalagos Gin of Thos Thalagos
blessing is by no means a guarantee of overlordship: and Karlis Kronas of Gnimfall expressed resentment for
even though Sharajaclypse is the only tenenbri gifted being overlooked and the laudenian archmagos Nacola
with a dragon on her crest, she is only a lord in Vanaka, Falconyr condemned the choice, declaring that the
ruled by Queen Karellanecrebet in the capital of Vakai. blessing of a human devalued the practice entirely.
A few nefarious gimfen and humans have fabricated This view was not felt by Alkanost himself, who imme-
such symbols upon their crest but dragons take forging diately accepted the king, further declaring Savarice
their blessing seriously. Only archon dragons ever be- and his noble line “the first true king of men and the
stow such titles on others, reserving their endorsements only leader fit to guide his species.” Ravenar Limshau
TABLE: TRAVEL COSTS
SERVICE COST OVERLAND SPEED PER DAY PER HOUR
Dragonflyer (routine) 2 sp per mile 125 (Flight) 300 miles 12.5 miles
Dragonflyer (charter) 4 sp per mile 125 (Flight) 300 miles 12.5 miles
Thermal (coach) 1 sp per mile 100 (Flight) 240 miles 10 miles
Thermal (luxury) 2 sp per mile 100 (Flight) 240 miles 10 miles
Wavecrasher 1 sp per mile 100 (Sea) 240 miles 10 miles
agreed with the godly sanction and hoped it would rally gle controller. They don’t travel anywhere near basti-
a greater influx of immigrants to Abidan and threaten ons, Apocrypha, Ažhi Dahaka, or Baruch Malkut and
the stability of Baruch Malkut. King Darius Konig, up- severe winds prevent travel to or through Alpinas.
on hearing of the legend and of Savarice’s title, snorted They seldom accept charters to unknown destinations.
at the notion, arrogantly alleging that God himself— In the century since the introduction of the dragonflyer,
outranking any such blessing from a primitive dragon— a network has formed in the skies over Canam, though
hallowed his noble blood. King Darius pronounced most of the traffic is still comprised of thermals.
Savarice’s title a blasphemy, punishable by death. If
the Savarice line is eliminated, it is unlikely mankind THERMAL SHIPS
will be fortunate to receive such an honor again for The most common aircraft by far in echa is the thermal,
many centuries. Thankfully, because of the necessity a slang term for all buoyant, lighter-than-air aircraft.
of expanding their control, royalty rarely if ever inter- The term refers to their common attribute of using
marry. Though some suspect other families of such heated air instead of helium or hydrogen to supply lift.
controversy, no dragon-blessed royal family ever mixed Before the Second Hammer, the progress of these air-
sibling blood. The commodity of their lineage was too craft was halted in favor of faster, mass-produced
valuable to squander on selfish ideals. winged vehicles, but even in areas of increased magical
disruption, hot air still rises in an atmosphere. Though
TRAVEL a helium dirigible would be more stable, the gas is hard
Most fantasy worlds in fiction present a world of ex- to come by in the modern day, and advances in thermal
panding beauty but short distances, or else mystical designs have offset the disadvantages of hot air. Their
means of traveling between far-flung locales. The real moderate flying altitude allows more people to see
world is no less fantastical but far less forgiving. Travel them in use and their presence in echan cities and even
time is a problem. Roads are few and far between, and some bastions is relatively common. The mooring tow-
overland travel between distant locations can take ers for thermal ships are easy to spot. Where there are
weeks or even months. Even on the Continental Cross, thermal towers, dragonflyers often sit nearby, though
the only highway and reasonably maintained road in flyers are more often employed for charter bookings,
Canam, it takes just under a month to reach Limshau leaving the thermals for regular city-to-city travel.
from Angel by horse, and another six weeks from there Thermals rarely travel to locations without a mooring
to reach York – assuming that travel is not marred by tower, although exceptions can sometimes be made for
bandits or wandering monster attacks or the more mun- the right price.
dane depredations of tollbooths and competing tax and
excise collectors from the various free houses along the WAVECRASHERS
road. Most travelers who must traverse long distances, As the Moon was pushed into a closer orbit by Attrica-
therefore, prefer to do it by air. na, the swells and waves in large bodies of water in-
creased in severity. This, along with Attricana’s encour- 301
DRAGONFLYERS agement of ocean storms, has thrown atmospheric sci-
The architects and engineers of the tower of Dromos ences out the window. Air currents constantly shift,
across the sea designed and mass-produced an enchant- making meteorology and climatology useless. Chaotic
ed flying craft for use in the southern lands of Arkonnia, pressure systems have generated the largest oceanic
but a lack of population and financially viable investors storms ever recorded, separating the continents behind
prevented wide distribution in their homeland. Howev- walls of weather. This maelstrom is continuous through
er, when they reached Canam, the Dromos enchanters every ocean and they dissipate only slightly when ap-
sold off all their stock and filled backlogs for two centu- proaching shore. Massive coastal docks like those at
ries. The dragonflyers resemble oversized ancient York and Angel have installed immense breakers to halt
Asian boats referred to as “junks” with large eagle the assault.
wings made from marble or limestone extending from Nations from both techa and echa tried for centuries
the sides. They don’t flap and appear to have no pur- for a safe route across the water. The only real option
pose other than cosmetic, but the boats cannot fly with- was to travel above the clouds; Porto’s Sail Galleons and
out them. Each one can hold between six and twelve Beluga carriers easily accomplished this task, but the
people though a few larger ones have been known to altitude required was unrealistic for thermals and drag-
hold up to a hundred. Most of them only require a sin- onflyers are not designed for such distances without the
 ability to restock supplies. For the longest time, there- The scream that sprung from Aiden’s throat was loud
fore, contact with bastions across the ocean was sparse from adult lungs but pitched high from childish fear. Aid-
at best, and communication with distant echan empires en swatted the creature to the ground and rolled to his
was practically nonexistent. This lasted until only re- feet, flailing arms and legs outrageously. He checked his
cently when the first wavecrasher appeared at the docks limbs and digits, shouting as he squirmed away from the
of York. calm arachnid as it tapped its two front legs again. Aiden
The sea is rife with monsters. Some grew from jolted his head around to check for an ambush. Surely,
evolved oceanic behemoths like sharks and whales the tapping was the cue for a face-lock from a falling pred-
while others were unique creations of Attricana, gro- ator Aiden would be too distracted to notice. There was
tesque or beautiful. Some were timid while others were nothing, just Aiden and the arachnid, both waiting at a
hostile, swallowing anything they could wrap their im- distance. The spark had taken the cue to rest with the
pressive maws around. These leviathans were initially rising sun. Aiden reached forward and quickly snatched
hunted for their meat or other resources. Short-range his bag. He pulled the blade from within it. The chunk of
boats braved the weather to harpoon the mammoths purple stone sat by the bag. Aiden stretched a hand and
and drag their hulks back to shore. took it as well, tucking it to the bottom of his pack.
Aiden walked backwards down the path. He took a
With the application of moderate magic and clever
moment to ensure he wasn't returning the way he en-
trapping, several of these goliaths were captured alive.
tered. Aiden finally remembered the entry from that long
Their wills were broken and they were trained to carry
forgotten manual and announced it as if the creature
a load. This weight eventually turned into an entire
could understand. "Book of Many Bugs. Page 346. Har-
vessel, built around the creature. Not a single
vestman." It tapped its legs. Aiden continued on the
wavecrasher looks the same, from monstrous sea turtles
road. The creature matched his pace. Aiden paused and
to whales larger than villages. The vessels dominate so did it, drumming its legs until starting up again to follow
the waves by rolling effortlessly over or diving under- him.
neath them. Even with these audacious designs, the "Get lost!" Aiden flailed his sword arm. It followed.
majority of wavecrashers seldom survive more than a "Get out of here!"
dozen journeys before finally destroying the creature or Aiden stopped, then it stopped and tapped its legs.
the boat built around them. Some of the beasts near Aiden shouted as loud as he could, stepped closer, and
retirement are demoted to following coastlines, where stomped a foot down. It jumped nearly to Aiden's face.
they become shorerunners. It is thought there are less Aiden squealed, bolting down the road like his hair was
than a dozen of these beasts of burden roaming the ablaze. The spider ran surprisingly fast and kept up with
oceans. Apart from the rare docking at York, they fre- him for five minutes before giving up. As Aiden ran out of
quent only echan ports and rarely appear on the west sight, the harvestman tapped its front legs again.
coast of Canam, running exclusively across the narrow
strip of Okeanos. * * *

Emerging from the forest, Aiden squinted from the

sun’s glare. The road resumed as empty as before to a
blurry horizon. Before the afternoon, he would eat three
more bars and still be hungry. The plains passed to a val-
ley. Dried grass turned to green fields. All Aiden could

I
do was walk, and did so until coming upon the wreck.
ts body was the size of Aiden's fist with eight pencil- Its steel axle had bent. The wooden spokes had splin-
302 thin legs longer than a forearm. Every step taken was
careful and quiet, slipping over branches and sidestep-
tered. Aiden circled the broken wagon with a wide berth.
The horses had been torn from their harnesses, leaving
ping leaves. It stalked up the wool and polyester coat bloodied bits and hair tuffs on the straps. The half eaten
Aiden was using as cover as he slept. A pair of black lid- hoof suggested a fast and messy meal by indiscriminate
less eyes floating on truncated stalks glanced over the predators. Aiden was unsettled. The blood had the gloss
sleeping man. Its legs inched closer to Aiden's neck. Two of lingering moisture. A caravan had gone astray, no
spidery limbs reached up and tapped each other in front doubt. No wagon would chance solitude on a barren
of Aiden’s face. Aiden, eyes still closed, turned a nose up path. Aiden knew he was close to Antikari. A sane cap-
and blew out a breath. The creature repeated the soft tain would take the extra day and follow the continental
drum but received no response. One leg from the arach- cross, the same detour the scrambler had made. The
nid stretched out and hung precariously over Aiden’s door was pinned closed by a rock-tipped spear half Aid-
nose. It tapped him gently. Aiden slept soundly. Then en's height, too large for dog-sized puggs. They had been
twice again. larger monsters.
Three firmer pats and Aiden cracked open an eye. He Aiden orbited and checked the opposite door, un-
failed to focus on the blurry mass in front of him. As he locked. He almost missed the cage, half in the grass and
adjusted, he stared at the vapid eyes and short jaws and overturned. The simple lock had broken with hammer
two long legs in front that tapped each other once more falls with most missing their mark. Teeth indents around
to gain his attention. bars, dried spit at every corner, a dozen animals inside
had molested each other for the shred of an inch of unpaved terrain. Red and black and flaking from rust, the
room. It hadn't been a detour. The slavers turned the one remaining door tapped in the wind on its last un-
moment their stocks were stuffed. seized hinge. A stainless exhaust refused to wither. Aid-
The door came loose off the hinges and fell. Aiden en noticed its license plate, a flake of blue on a number,
dropped his pack and swallowed as he leaned in. The another of red on the word above. From his vantage,
spear had struck between the stomach and liver of the Aiden couldn’t make out the number or the origin, not
man but caught more of the latter. The spear had that it mattered. It was a relic from a lost time, five cen-
jammed the body against the wagon. "Oh god," Aiden turies forgotten. He couldn't afford to slow and kept on.
mumbled. By late afternoon, the rain started and mixed with the
"Huh," the body burbled after lifting his head. Aiden dry clay into a viscous mud. The door built up a layer of
shrieked and fell back onto the door. He quickly com- sludge and Aiden's boots slithered across with little pro-
posed himself and reentered. gress. He grimaced through it, letting the water roll down
"Oh my god! Can you talk? Can you..." He said noth- his face. The muck had slipped over his boots and into his
ing. "Say anything?" socks. The water had pushed into his thermal ware. The
"Mi y'ada," he groaned. Aiden held up his palms. clouds were ash, a constant slate which mixed the horizon
"Hold that...don't move!" Frantic, Aiden paced around the to the mud.
wagon, unable to act, unable to freeze. He crawled back Aiden lost his footing nearing another summit. The
in. "I can't move you with the spear. Can't take it out body and the door slid back down the incline until Aiden
either." Aiden reached for his pack and the dull blade dug his cleats deep and cut his hand on the strap with
meant for threats. He squeezed himself behind the body. whatever lingering strength he had. He could hear his
He held the sword as high as he could in crammed quar- sword fall down the hill, but he had no energy to retrieve
ters. He had hoped one slash would do it, but it only it. He pushed back up the hill, dragging the door behind.
dented the spear, pushing the end further into the victim’s Each boot slammed deep to get root. Reaching the crest,
chest. The man had lost any reserve for a scream and Aiden pulled the door back up to his shoulders and he
only choked. Aiden squirmed and tried for a harder stood cold and damp, a thick layer of grey running down
strike, not that he had held anything back the first time. A his back.
second failed. A third cracked and the sword was wedged He sighted the wagons, horses, and people of Antikari
in the wood with a splinter holding the spear together. before dusk, emerging as a rising wave. The grass took a
Aiden snapped it the rest of the way. breeze and opened like a splitting river to guide him to
The man's head rolled flaccidly as Aiden pulled him town. A pair of aides by a wagon took notice and made
onto the fallen door. He used the bloodied leather straps for him. Aiden collapsed onto the ground. He stared at
from the horses' harness and bound the man to the wood. the passing clouds, coughing and wheezing as others ran
Aiden swatted the man’s lazy arm to finish the restraints. to help.
"How far is Antikari?" Aiden asked. "An hour...two?"
A cough was all that was afforded. "Just hold on." Aiden * * *
pulled another strap around the door and wrapped the
other end around his shoulders. The man wasn't scrawny "Did you knew him?" A monitor guard asked him. A
and the door was spruce. Aiden pulled a shoulder muscle strong accent and muddled words meant this wasn’t his
lifting it up. Stones barely shuffled as he struggled for an first language. He tried too hard to pronounce every
inch. "You've got to be kidding me." word.
"Esta finderlohn por mia lebon," he moaned. "No," Aiden answered.
"Yeah, you said it." Aiden began to walk, slowly at "We could not have saved him."
first. Within a few steps, the gravel gave and his shoes "Yeah…I know." He didn’t.
slipped, stumbling Aiden to the ground. He punched
earth, quietly cursed, and raised himself and the door
"He was already half-dead."
"Thought perhaps you’d have a healer."
303
again. "Come on! Come on!" "Doctor tended. Too far gone."
Aiden got momentum and dragged the door over a "Vivicator?"
trivial summit and to the base that followed. The next "Magic?" The guard shook his head. "One in a million,
climb bruised his pectorals and sprained an ankle. The fewer with men."
body slipped off at the second crest. Aiden was sure to "Nothing else?"
meet another night at this pace. "Not more than chicken bones and blind prayer, I'm
"Still with me?" Aiden called out. He wanted to keep afraid. Doctors leave for bastion when good enough."
talking but was loosing breath. Every lungful of air pulled The guard said nothing more, leaving Aiden by the road-
his battered diaphragm. He should have exercised more. side.
He couldn't stomach a meal and didn't bother offering Aiden's ward had been a notoriously ungrateful slaver
one. recognized for his stocks of broken puggs. He snatched
The saw a tree with branches twisted through a vehi- his chattel in Xixion and passed the cross every six
cle, lifting the wreck before the ground could swallow it. months to trade with caravans bound for Malkut. There
Only by pure chance had it survived. Boughs had peeled was neither a reward nor grateful praise for his recovery.
it apart, crucifying the car across the span of wood. The corpse was tossed to a collective grave, a layer of
Wheels were forged soft alloy with inadequate tread for lime the only consideration.
T
he world once went by the name Terros, dating from the
beginning of Amethyst’s emergence (or landfall, depending
on the legend) to the falling of the First Hammer, when the
planet fell back under control of nature. In geological
terms this span of time was only an epoch of the Cretaceous period,
lasting only a few million years and explaining the relatively normal
development of reptilian and mammalian life in fossil records
throughout ancient history. Further, since fae developed their culture
rather slowly, they never reached a point of creating materials capable
of surviving 65 million years of erosion and decay. Any other evi-
dence disappeared when magic dissipated. Even the bodies of these
new creatures fell to dust with the closing of the gates, another odd
feature of those birthed by magic. After only a few years, every rem-
nant of what magic created was gone. Everything else escaped to the
gate, into a deep slumber, hoping for a chance to return.
Man always knew a major bolide impact would be an extinction
level event, but he hoped it would not repeat until his technology
reached a level to detect and defend himself. The First Hammer, as
it was later known, struck what was then known as the Yucatán Pen-
insula at the moment of Amethyst’s death and created the Cretaceous
-Tertiary extinction event, wiping out many of the non-avian dino-
saurs and planktonic organisms on the planet. It was followed by a
massive environmental shift resulting in further losses over the next
few thousand years. The planet never fully recovered and the im-
pact, along with massive volcanic activity, shifted the entire ecosys-
tem. It allowed other lifeforms to prosper and permitted natural se-
lection to evolve to mankind. The collision, environmental afteref-
fects, and simply time itself, removed any surviving evidence of the
old world’s existence. Though some bizarre artifacts were encoun-
tered pointing to the possibility of a hidden history of the world, these
discoveries were dismissed as aberrations or hoaxes.
The second collision, now dubbed the Second Hammer, occurred
with apparently so little warning as to not warrant a single announce-
ment. The few surviving accounts never reported the discovery or
the anticipation of the impact. Modern views believe the resident
population knew nothing of the collision until it masked the sun and
shook the entire planet. The bolide struck a region of land once
called Eastern Siberia. By seemingly pure coincidence, this impact
occurred exactly at the location of the buried Ixindar gate. Though
the rock coffin sealing the tear inside could never be broken by man-
kind’s hand given his then-current level of technology, a two-mile
asteroid succeeded rather dramatically. Fragments of angelite scat-
tered across the globe and Ixindar’s wave of corruption flowed out
like a broken dam. Coupled with Attricana’s reopening, either shortly
before or shortly thereafter, the world would never be the same.
The return of Attricana caused severe changes in the physical
landscape of the Earth. Several large volcanic eruptions rocked the
planet. Physical landforms became more extreme: mountain ranges
rose higher, lakes grew deeper and vaster, disappearing glaciers re-
plenished themselves, rivers burst their banks and expanded to many
times their former size, while others dried to dust. Cliffs rose higher
while valleys sank deeper. Fossil fuel deposits shifted: some sank to
the crushing depths while others exploded upon the surface. Accord-
ing to The Final Word of Echan Influence on Geochronology, by
Marikarma, magic disturbed the calm status of the globe by increasing
the rate of seafloor spreading. For nearly a century, the amplified
geologic turmoil destroyed every last fragment of mankind’s pres-
ence. Harsh winds washed across skies. Earthquakes ripped the
ground apart. Although the volcanoes and earthquakes eventually
 subsided, they never reached a level of calm like man- York, a main road through the bastion allows echans to
kind was blessed with in the thousands of years prior to walk freely to the docks, mingling peacefully with
the Hammer’s fall. techans (though it is advised they don’t linger); in An-
The wave of magic sweeping the globe altered near- gel, an entire section of the city was partitioned for the
ly everything. When the enchantment saturated the residential echans that helped build the first walls of
world’s every molecule, the planet convulsed and shud- the bastion; but in other bastions like Selkirk, Sierra
dered. The first century saw great loss of life, especially Madre, and Mann, echans are strictly forbidden. For
with man, already weathered and battered from the pre- some, the prohibition is strictly to protect technology,
vious age. No one is sure how many humans survived but some communities have migrated towards bigotry
the pre-gate turmoil, but many more lost their lives to with an unfortunate scientific justification.
the ravaging Earth. More fell victim to monsters choos- Magic shrouds the Earth, blocking both low and
ing them as prey. Finally, after a century, the planet fell high frequency waves. This suppresses cosmic radia-
back asleep. The earthquakes stopped. The winds tion but also suppresses radio signals, preventing basti-
died down. Nature swallowed up nearly every machine ons from communicating. The rapid expansion of gas
and building. Even the scars left by industry were over- and plasma is slowed, preventing explosives from deto-
run by plants and moving dirt. nating or even combustion engines from running.
While theoretically possible to communicate by laser
BASTIONS with a satellite outside of the EDF’s influence, no indi-
vidual bastion has the resources to place such an object
After the massive birth pains of Attricana’s opening in orbit or the knowledge to locate any that might still
passed, the aura of enchantment finally subsided to a be in operation. Therefore, like human nations of an-
less chaotic level. Something passing for normality be- cient Earth, bastions progressed completely inde-
gan to reassert itself. With what was left of humanity pendently from each other, altering their beliefs, their
banding together, those still possessing technology also technological profile, and even their language. Even
possessed the influence that comes with it. However, after messengers finally revealed these bastions were
most of these initial communities could not expand that not alone in the world, regular communication was still
influence relying only on malfunctioning machines, and unfeasible. As long as Attricana remains open, there is
the majority eventually turned to magic, forgetting their no way for the techans' way of life to escape their cities.
heritage and the bulk of thousands of years of techno-
logical development. A few, however, grew fast and
large enough to maintain their technological footprint. Calculating the rate of destruction and the amount of alteration
These surviving cities discovered caches or ruins from to the climate and the geography of earth, I have come to an
Earth’s past intact enough to catapult the community to unforeseen conclusion. The increased tectonic activity occurs
prosperity. The bastion of Sierra Madre discovered a from altered gravity fields and reduced basal and slab friction
along the plates. The sudden torrent of enchantment that pro-
colossal cavern and easily accessible thermal power; claimed the opening of the gate was akin to a bursting dam,
with Mann, an entire city pre-built by unknown hands flooding the world in excess before reaching the level most swim
was the catalyst to develop. Of course, the positioning comfortably in now. This great deluge resulted in a massive
of some bastions defies explanation: nobody, not even schism, causing more loss of life across the globe.
its current residents, knows what possessed the found- Even this increase does not explain the washing of nearly all
ers of Selkirk to build their society inside a mountain evidence of the human footprint upon the planet. Not even
within one of the most magically active regions on 100 years of floods, winds, volcanoes, and earthquakes could
account the total erasure of virtually every building or every foot
Earth.
of road. Little survived with the most prized possessions being a
306
Like a weather map displaying topical zones and low handful of books found surrounded by computers long neutral-
and high pressure isobars, Earth displays regions of ized. My confusion deals with these said books along with a few
heavy and light magical saturation. Low disruption other artifacts that survived from the old time. These relics are
zones allow technology to function with virtually no few in number, never larger than a clothes hamper. They also
side effects, although the EDF is always present and all weathered badly. Is this all that remains of old man? I be-
certain problems never cease. The more a bastion ex- lieve mankind had already reduced his technological footprint
either by will or forced upon them by some great war or natural
pands, the larger these dead zones grow. Most bastions
disaster before the impact finished the job.
have placed their highest technology or R&D facilities There are other theories including a fault in my own experi-
as close to the center of their cities as possible, to keep ments or a dating error between the opening of Ixindar and the
the EDF’s effects on them to a minimum. If a bastion follow-up by Attricana. Evidence is hard to come by dealing with
was to collapse (which has been known to happen), the this era. This question may forever be unanswered.
background magical saturation would reassert itself very Page 235
shortly after; and if the collapse was due to an invading The Final Word of Echan Influence on Geochronology
enchanted force, the reversion could be instantaneous.
Even a single echan in a bastion can cause havoc, if
their inherent disruption field shorts out part of a power
grid or disrupts a communications line. Some bastions
are more concerned about this effect than others: in
BASTION TECHNOLOGY the taint of magic that some of them carried, and of-
Bastions all flaunt a technological supremacy over their fered them their own protected piece of land within the
neighbors. Though their machines and electronics can- walls in exchange for a labor force. With this influx of
not survive long away from their city’s borders without manpower, Angel expanded to three times its original
servicing, they still revel in such accomplishments as size and built a bastion wall worthy of the name.
light bulbs, flat-panel televisions, and fuzzy-logic rice Soon, the boggs found themselves incapable of
cookers. Still, not all bastions are on the same level of harming the massive castle-city, but the goblin-folk are
accomplishment. A bastion’s listed tech level is the not noted for their intelligence and they still frequently
degree of sophistication at which the majority of the launch assaults against the walls, though all they can
bastion sits, but prototypes and cutting-edge develop- hope to achieve now is to rustle a few head of cattle
ments will always provide exceptions; likewise, the ex- from the outlying villages; the city’s crack snipers and
istence of higher-tech variations rarely renders lower quick-response VTOLs make short work of any con-
developments entirely obsolete. certed attack. Angel’s population grows each year and
plans have been put in order to build a larger wall sever-
al miles out, doubling the effective size of what is al-
ANGEL ready believed to be the world’s largest bastion.
Kieran looked at his watch. He was going to be late for school The unique aspect of Angel is not the city itself so
again, even though he’d taken the early train. But Xiu-lin was- much as it is Genai, the settlement within. Built by its
n’t here yet, and he wasn’t going to leave without seeing her. own residents, Genai cares nothing of its isolation. Le-
He tapped his foot impatiently, looking idly across at the illumi- gally, Genai is a separate enclave within the city of An-
nated billboard on the other side of the highway. This close to gel: it has its own government, its own infrastructure,
Genai, the lower corner of the LED display always flickered in and its own laws and traditions, but shares certain civic
the wrong colors. The owners of the fireworks factory just responsibilities with the surrounding bastion. Citizens
across the way claimed that their work was entirely mun- of Genai are also citizens of Angel, and are issued gov-
dane… but Kieran was at a loss to explain the amazing ernment identification cards when dealing outside the
shapes that they formed in the sky when Xiu-lin took him to township, but many residents are born, live, and die
the festivals, trees and flowers and twisting, snakelike dragons having never stepped foot outside Genai. Their herit-
in the sky. age insists on recording their history as well as the
He sighed, remembering, when a soft voice behind him names of all of those who have died in the construction
spoke up. “I didn’t keep you waiting, did I, Kieran-kun?” He of the great wall. But the greatest legend of Genai is
turned, a little too abruptly, his face bright red. Say what they
the source of its name and the identity of its most illus-
would, the vision before him could not be considered anything
trious resident. It is said the pilgrims could not have
but magic.
survived the journey across the sea and made their way
_______________________________________________ safely to the land of techans without the protection of a
great dragon, almost as old and as wise as Amethyst
Angel is the largest bastion in Canam, is usually the himself: the yok-ani, Genai. Whether true or not, the
image outsiders picture when they think of the techan story holds that this beneficence resides inside the co-
cities. From a distance, it resembles an oversized for- lossal pagoda temple at the center of the district. Only
tress, hundreds of miles across. Angel’s development the good and righteous are allowed to enter in hopes the
was the most troubled of all the Canam bastions. Set- rumors are true and that the great dragon lives inside,
ting up on a shoreline rich in the necessities of life and out of sight from prying eyes.
devoid of neighboring contested territories, its popula- Angel is surrounded by major deposits of magic.
tion grew quickly, but it was unable to maintain a high
307
With enchanted forests on every side, Angel suffers
technological standard for that population. When Angel from radiant disruption and wandering monster attacks
erected its first buildings hundreds of years ago, bogg more than any bastion in Canam despite its massive
raiders emerged from the surrounding forests, and spo- wall.
radic attacks and supply raids kept Angel struggling for Layout: Angel’s central governing buildings stand in
more than fifty years, until the immigrants arrived from the center of Tower Park. The primary avenues spread
across the ocean. Arriving as if by miracle, in a make- out from this, intersected by thousands of circular
shift fleet ranging in size from rowboats to tankers, streets. Fragments of the older walls can still be seen,
came a legion of displaced humanity fleeing the no- circling the city like tree-rings. Genai resides in the
man’s-land that had overtaken the far east in the wake southern corner, against the seaward wall. Outside the
of Ixindar’s opening. They had fled from the mainland city are over a dozen satellite villages, home to hun-
to the large archipelago off the coast, and from thence dreds of merchants and shops allowing visitors to buy
across the perilous ocean, braving horrifying typhoons horses or black market goods from echa or techa.
and ravening sea monsters in the certain knowledge Unlike Angel, organized and methodically laid out,
that what they left behind was worse. When they ar- Genai is scattered, jumbled, and cluttered. Occupying
rived, they found another human population equally 500 square blocks of Angel, Genai’s roads split into
desperate for survival. Needing workers desperately, dead ends, major walkways loop around onto them-
the governing body of Angel made a decision, contro- selves and buildings rise and fall weekly. Most build-
versial to this day: they welcomed the settlers despite
 ings are constructed using traditional methods due to a world, forgoing the gates of Angel.
scarcity of supplies, with the result of Genai’s cityscape Population: 55 million (Angel); 2.5 million (Genai)
looking a thousand years out of date. Asian influences Tech Level: 1 and 2; Genai is mostly TL0, but some
are dominant – Genai is the last lingering shred of any- TL1 technology can be found within it.
thing anyone remembers from China, Japan and the Government: Democratic republic. The ruling
south Asian peninsula before the Hammer. Not a single council sits at the center building of Tower Park and
building stands more than four stories, dwarfed by the seats six people. Alan Miller holds the current Head
skyscrapers around, except for the Great Temple of Chair. He holds the power of veto but not the power to
Genai at the center, set atop an eighty-foot-tall stepped push legislation through on his own. Genai has no for-
pyramid. A traditional torii gate, painted a bright crim- mal government, but is represented by the most re-
son with two supports and two curving crossbars border- spected community elders, with local neighborhood
ing the realm of the mundane to the magical, greets organizations keeping order in most of the district.
those preparing to climb the massive flight of stairs. Military: Angel prides itself on how small its army is.
308 Atop the long climb is a five-storey iron and red brick
pagoda with eaves stretching out to shadow the base of
Its distance from other bastions and from any significant
echan community, combined with its great wall, make a
the pyramid. The pagoda itself is hollow, as a double- large standing army unnecessary. Angel’s military and
helix spiral staircase orbits around a massive shaft lead- police force are one in the same. The Crimson Starlight
ing one deep into the pyramid. Within the depths, it is tower in the western side of Angel houses the aerial
said, the yok-ani dragon slumbers, though few have division. The police force is comprised of volunteers
ever ventured into the pit to confirm this and none have and trained professionals, working by choice to defend
ever spoken of what they found there. the walls. 95% of the armed forces on Angel patrol the
Entering Angel from outside is not easy. Only techan outer perimeter. Internal crime in Angel is shockingly
humans can pass through the main door. Outsiders small for a community of its size and density, with few-
must prove they are free of enchantment and that they er than fifty violent crimes being reported each year,
have some useful skill. Echans are only granted provi- but as the punishment for any violent offense is banish-
sional entrance on a case-by-case basis due to extant ment, few are willing to risk repercussions. The Crim-
treaties with Genai, and even this depends largely on son Starlight Armed Forces (CSAF) operates mostly
knowing someone with clout on the inside. Such visi- fanjet powered assault shuttles. In Genai, a volunteer
tors are carefully shepherded from the gates to the police force using primitive weapons (and often, unusu-
echan enclave with all due expediency. Several secret ally fearsome martial arts) keeps the peace. Angel secu-
passageways are said to lead from Genai to the outside rity only crosses the threshold when a serious crime is
committed or when a public crime is seen from their Xavier Moran
positions at the edge of town. Genai Examples: David Obatala Chen, Ji-hu Kim
Religion: The majority of the population is not spir- (Jimu Qi-Hu), Hiroyuki Nogoe (Nuoguo Xiaoyou), Ma-
itual, but Christianity and Judaism are highly respected na Sieng (Xian Mana), Yeong-Sun Park (Pake Yun-
even by atheists. The people of Genai are, if not active- Sung), Xiaolung Li
ly religious, at least willing to give lip service to their
ancestral faiths (Buddhism, Shinto, Chinese Folk Reli- Before Amethyst was Amethyst, it was
gion, and yok-ani worship) and even those that profess a post-apocalyptic science fiction story
no religion are highly superstitious. Dozens of Shinto involving a walled city surrounded by a
temples provide for a myriad of festive events through- desert wasteland plagued by dragons. Am-
out the year, in which all residents of the district (even
those with no Japanese ancestry) partake.
ethyst wasn’t a deity, but the name of a dragon
Relations: Angel has virtually no regular contact residing in Genai. These weren’t mindless drag-
with other bastions, being isolated at the uttermost west ons but the true high-fantasy variation, with
of the continent. Communications to and from Selkirk intelligence and shape-changing. But that was
amount to little more than a page of script every year, it—no elves or spellcraft. Angel was the only
and though travelers to and from York are not uncom- city in the setting, and it remains virtually un-
mon, they rarely carry the weight of an official embas- changed, a relic from that original story from
sage. Unofficially, Angel maintains hundreds of spies
and isolated outposts as near to rival bastions as possi-
1996. I shelved it after the film ‘Reign of Fire’
ble, in the hopes of poaching some useful technological came out, and only dusted off the setting to
development from them. Angel often trades supplies make the Amethyst you now read when I was
via Porto Beluga Carriers which arrive once every five pressured to run a D&D campaign.
years. Genai has no formal relationship with any out-
side bastions, though the elders do exchange communi-
cations with Limshau as often as possible, but even
MANN
Adolphus should be here. I keep worrying I may to say the
their relationship with Angel itself seems distant at
wrong thing to these abominations. Adolphus knows how to
times; Genai prefers to remain as self-sufficient as possi-
talk to the filthy beasts without giving the game away. We
ble and does not trade with the bastion if they can avoid
have been out of the bastion for a month now, and he still has
it. Genai merchants accept gold but not (usually) uc. A
not told me what our true mission is. I wonder if he even
few will trade even though their exchange rates can be knows. I feel myself tainted by our contact with these crea-
atrocious. Almost any echan goods, including a few tures, so like humans and yet nothing like us. Yet it troubles
basic enchanted items, can be found in Genai’s markets me even more to think that all my family, my friends, my com-
(legitimate or not), but attempting to bring these goods rades must think me a traitor to my own species. Some days I
into Angel proper is usually stymied by tight customs wonder if I will ever see them again – whether my interaction
controls. with these inhuman things will forever mark me as an undesir-
Names: Angel’s variant of English is the closest able. Adolphus assures me that our work is for the greater
thing to a common tongue Canam has, as its wide- good, and I must trust in him. I feel my purpose more strongly
ranging influences (encompassing elements of at least when he is nearby. When he is gone, I begin to doubt.
four old European languages and six Asian ones) make Glory to the Covenant, I pray – Glory to the Covenant. Yet
it a very popular human language in Limshau. Angel’s some days, it does not seem as though I really mean it.
original population was drawn from every major pre- _______________________________________________
Hammer ethnicity and a few less prominent ones, so
there is a great variety and intermingling of ethnic Whenever anyone looks upon the City of Mann, they 309
names, but names of Gaelic, Spanish, Greek, and Japa- blink—like staring into a great void. No one is sure
nese extraction are most common. In Genai, where how old the city is, only that it predates its neighbor,
more than half the population is ethnically Chinese, York. The most popular story tells of humans arriving
even families descended from other Asian nationalities to the east coast and discovering an island fortress
tend to adopt a Chinese-sounding ‘social name’ despite standing empty, waiting for someone to claim it. Some-
everyone speaking the same Asiatic creole. Both Angel one built it. It was erected for Man.
and Genai habitually use the ‘given name – family The construction mimics old human techniques, but
name’ structure on a day-to-day basis and the reverse in to extremes. The buildings sport few windows and rise
formal circumstances and on legal documents. thousands of feet into the sky. A massive wall, taller
Despite ethnic Japanese representing less than 10% than any other bastion, surrounds the island. The city
of the overall population, residents of both Angel and includes a massive self-sustainable hydroelectric sys-
Genai use traditional Japanese honorifics (-san, -kun, tem. The first residents of Mann concluded that the
-chan, -sensei, etc.) in most formal situations, regardless city must have been built soon after the Hammer’s fall
of their own ethnic background. by the initial survivors, but these had died off, possibly
Angel Examples: Aiden Camus, Joachim Annikos, from a plague or echan army. This does not take into
Kimiko Ross, Martha Tsukigawa, Shelley Delacruz, account that the city was left behind with no bodies or
 records. Layout: Mann covers nearly every square inch of the
Regardless, the humans living in the city found island it rests on, enclosed by a massive wall bordering
themselves isolated both from the outside world and the edge of the water. Each building within stands at
from each other. As the centuries trudged on, the na- least a thousand feet, with the tallest towering almost a
tive population grew more xenophobic and paranoid of mile overhead. The blocks run uniform and everything
the world beyond the walls. Few have ever left – few fits to a perfect metric unit. The entire city represents a
have even expressed even the merest curiosity about mathematical perfection unseen anywhere else in the
what lies outside. The majority of the population of world. The buildings all stand at a height of prime
Mann believes everything outside to be blasphemous numbers to the tenth power. Leaving or entering Mann
and immoral. They abhor all magic in any shape and is difficult: there are no land approaches, no doors, no
the use or presence of magic within Mann carries a docks anywhere along the perimeter, and every square
death sentence, not only for the practitioner but for any- millimeter of the wall is defended by high-powered
body unfortunate enough to witness it lest they be lasers. Stories abound of infiltrators somehow pushing
310 tainted by the experience. No non-humans are allowed back the rapids and sneaking in through the hydro-
to enter for any reason; they receive broadcast warnings pipes, but these accounts are unlikely.
to stay away as they approach the shoreline, and pulse Population: 12 million (estimated)
lasers are put through their heads if they do not make a Tech Level: 5
move to depart within thirty seconds. Even the wall is Government: Theocratic oligarchy. Mann’s ruling
rumored to be covered in sheets of fae iron. body is known as “The Ghosts.” They dictate all laws
Mann sits upon an island and rises as a dark blemish but no one is sure how many there are or their identi-
on an otherwise colorful horizon. Unlike Angel, bris- ties. They walk among the population as normal people
tling with lights and life, Mann looks dead and desert- but meet every day at random locations to decide poli-
ed. The only time movement is ever evident upon its cy. Their numbers have been guessed at between eight
outer wall is when it fires on approaching targets. No and sixteen. When one Ghost dies, another is brought
one outside knows how the city was built, how it sus- it to replace him or her. No one knows how the selec-
tains itself with no external trade, or how the residents tion process works. Three Ghosts appear in a judicial
inside developed such a technological level surpassing court every day to pronounce judgment; while one
all others on the continent. Those who leave it never would expect that rulings would be handed down by
speak of such things, out of terror that someday the majority vote, all three always render the same verdict
city’s masters may track them down and silence them if in unison, without apparent consultation.
they reveal the bastion’s secrets. Military: The Kir protects Mann from anything that
appears hostile. Trained for defense rather than assault,
the Kir patrol the outer wall, tracking every moving ob-
SELKIRK
“C’mon! Call that a try? My old mother can make a better
ject above, below, or on the water. The Kir uniform is
score than that!” the foreman shouted from the sidelines.
black as the city they live in, and their duty is to kill any
“That’s not the only kind of score your old mother’s made!”
echan found in the city or anyone possessing magic
Jersey shot right back. “Why don’t you come out here and put
without hesitation. They have created technological your money where your mouth is? When’s the last time you
machines capable of detecting not only magical devices won a championship?”
but magical effects as well. Behind the wall, for emer- The foreman took off his cap and stamped on it. “Shut yer
gency reasons only, several large cannons have been gob! I took fifteen points against the stonebones not two years
built against York in case their neighbor falls too far into back!”
chaos. The majority of the weapons patrolling outside Jersey’s teammates laughed. “Yeah, and then they put you
the walls are automated machines. Rumors of a clan- on the ground for a forty-wink penalty when you tried to tackle
destine organization operating outside the bastion, ded- their mater around the chest!” they heckled their manager. It
icated to assassinating those who reveal any of Mann’s was all good-natured, but there’d probably be a fight in the
secrets to outsiders and destroying any technology that locker room later. Good – this team needed to work off some
falls into infidel hands, are unsubstantiated (and to en- steam before they went back into the mines. They’d lost two
sure that everybody within the walls knows about it, men in a cave-in just two weeks since, and tempers had been
discussing the rumors is high treason). flaring on the line ever since. A good match should get things
Religion: The entire bastion population follows a back to working order before they went back on military rota-
single state religion, though its details are known only tion. Even if they ribbed each other in here, they would need
by its residents. Based on Abrahamic roots, its central to be tighter than the foreman’s sphincter to survive the bag of
tenet is that the entire world of magic, without excep- foulness that was Outside without a canary.
tion, is the corruption of demons trying to bring the _______________________________________________
world into a dark age of damnation. The only solution
is the utter extermination of all magic, those who use No one remembers when or how Selkirk erected itself
magic, and those that associate themselves with magic on such an unstable precipice. The bastion is located in
users. the midst of the most magically active terrain in all of
Relations: Mann seeks no relations with any other Canam, carved into a towering mountain surrounded by
bastions. Only Sierra Madre is more isolated, but for equally impassible peaks. Although they have access to
Mann, isolation is by choice. They refuse contact with the pass of Dianaso, to reach it requires going through a
Angel and consider York and Selkirk anathema for jagged section of rock and would be virtually inaccessi-
maintaining friendly relations with outsiders and even ble but for the bastion’s magnetic tram lines – which
allowing echans to enter their borders. York prepares none can now remember being put in place. Selkirk’s
for an inevitable invasion that may never arrive. Even strength lies in its goal of continued expansion and
though a few Porto aircraft have been seen entering wealth. Their loyalty is to the almighty shilling. Hold-
Mann, no official relationship has been formed with the ing onto ancient ways, Selkirk represents a massive
utopia across the ocean. Though they share with Ba- mining consortium. Internally known as TERMINAM
ruch Malkut their hatred for non-humans, the southern – TERran MINing AMalgamated – the bastion’s entire
nation is just as sinful because of their endorsement of population works in service of the syndicate. Everyone
magic. The loathing is mutual. works. Everyone serves. Everyone has a share.
Those who leave Mann are not permitted to return Selkirk’s farms, bountiful as they were initially,
without a signed permit from a “Ghost”: otherwise, lacked the resources to supply the entire population
they are warned away like echans and shot if they do
not comply instantly. The longer the resident stays
when it grew past their initial estimates, so they opened
negotiations with the narros to the north in Fargon. 311
outside, the less chance he or she will be allowed to The Echan Trade Authority (ETA) was soon formed to
return. All citizens’ DNA imprints are encoded in the regulate trade between the narros of Thos Thalagos and
Mann supercomputer and are the only form of identifi- the miners of Selkirk. Surplus foodstuffs and exotic
cation used within the city. It may be possible to tem- mined goods travel down the pass in armed caravans or
porarily place a DNA recorder that confuses the sensors loaded aboard a steam-powered armored train that
to make a person register as someone else, but where makes a single run through the pass every month. The
someone with the knowledge to perform this can be supplies are offloaded in the village of Gateway at the
found inside or outside of the city remains a mystery. base of the pass: no echans, not even gimfen, are al-
Names: Pure Englo-Lingo is the only language spo- lowed to board the Mag-Trains to Selkirk. In return,
ken in Mann, and their names have a strongly Teutonic the narros gain access to the massive gold and coruthil
cast to them. deposits under the Range of Rock. The ETA maintains
Examples: Adolphus Rasmussen, Henrietta Schel- the trade agreement and shipments usually arrive every
ber, Mila Eisdottir, Niermann Kessler, Olga Vandeker, week. Since the early days, ancillary treaties have been
Theodor Hanssen. struck with the scattered echan settlements that grew
up in the Seliquam river valley, ensuring that Selkirk
will never lack for food and is defended against incur-
sions by the puggs and boggs of Xixion, though these
 attacks grow more and more savage year by year. The high in the mountains to the town of Gateway below.
agreements are beneficial to all sides and none has any Population: 8 million
reason to break this profitable exchange. Tech Level: 3
Selkirk is the smallest bastion in Canam, sports no Government: Socialist corporation. The entire
walls, and is not paranoid of its neighboring nations. mountain is governed by a single amalgamated corpo-
They don’t obsess over expansion or political domina- rate entity, but the workers banded together more than
tion like other techan nations. They only work to live two centuries ago into the four core unions: The South
and survive. East Moles, The South West Rakers, The North West
Layout: Selkirk sits half inside and half outside the Boilers, and the North East Strykers. Each one com-
mountain it was built upon. Large open areas sit under petes with the other and often takes out their frustra-
artificial lighting. Many of the mining levels supply tion on the field, playing a sports game reminiscent of
minimal illumination, relegating some members of the rugby. Shop stewards lead their unions with the under-
population to perpetual darkness for nearly their whole standing that no one strikes or prevents the flow of
312 lives. As one climbs higher, the construction appears
more thought out, brighter with larger spaces. Colors
goods: as everyone has a stake in the corporation, there
is rarely any need to do so in any case. The supervisors
blend in and the areas are more sanitary. The vibra- monitor the lower levels of administration. The high
tions of the air circulators rumble through the whole levels of administration are run by chief superinten-
mountain, the only real sounds until one dives into the dents, finally culminating in the main board of twelve
catacombs, thousands of miles of tunnels where auto- with the president of the colony, currently Tyler Nor-
mated machineries buzz. Workers follow behind and ton. The miners take up more than 95% of the popula-
dig up the treasures found by the mining machines. tion even though the majority of them don’t appear in
“Mags” are the primary method of transportation – ve- the top fifteen levels of the city.
hicles of varying size that travel along iron-core beams Military: Selkirk has no standing military force. The
that criss-cross through and outside the mountain. A miners volunteer for service lasting three months to a
massive lattice of rails covers the eastern face, the side year, allowing them to work on higher levels and even
most exposed. The magnetic vehicles don’t connect to outside the walls. Few of them ever see action, as no
the “roads” but float alongside, allowing many vehicles sizeable force can easily approach the bastion and the
to cross along a single rail. Some wealthy administrators raids that beset the lowlands and occasionally reach the
utilize sports-car style single person speeders while the Dianaso caravans are mostly driven off by the echans
majority of the population runs on the magtracks (multi- who live in the surrounding lands. The military oper-
segmented trains). One single bar travels miles from ates a variety of hidden turrets and hard points along
the outside walls. Most of the time, they perform escort
duty when carry-alls are required to travel north to Far-
SIERRA MADRE
“In my homeland, we have no poverty, no hunger, no preju-
gon.
dice,” Marco said smugly. “Everyone has everything they need
Selkirk does maintain a special forces unit known as
and is free to pursue their own self-perfection. I honestly can-
Orobas, whose members--despite holding other jobs as
not see why anyone would prefer starving, dirt roads, those
usual--can be recalled to active duty at any time to deal horrible furry things with the teeth, and throwing crap out of
with unusual problems, usually regarding the bastion's the windows over safety, cleanliness and plenty for all.”
relations with its echan allies. Roka snorted. “You can see the sky, for one thing,” she
Religion: The bastion is driven by the principles of replied.
an ancient economic philosophy which holds a distrust Marco grimaced. “I hardly call that a benefit,” he said. “It
of organized religion, believing it to be too easily is unnatural, living without a ceiling over your head.”
swayed into a tool of worker oppression. Consequently, The burly bodyguard raised an eyebrow, scratching the
there are no churches or temples in Selkirk, and any back of her head with her spiked club. “And yet, here you
spiritual beliefs a miner may hold are purely on their are,” she remarked.
own time. Most would say they are far too busy to wor- _______________________________________________
ry about such things.
Relations: If Selkirk were to vanish off the planet, it Sierra Madre could be the oldest bastion on the planet.
is possible no one far beyond the Dianaso pass would Some believe it could be older than the new age, sur-
hear of it for several years. Isolated, the city barely ap- viving the Hammer’s fall, though how that can be con-
pears on the radar of the other bastions. Selkirk’s isola- sidering the geological damage to the planet when the
tion works for and against it. It is the only bastion never gates opened is unknown. It is believed Sierra Madre
directly attacked by any outside force with a chance of was originally some ancient vault or military base from
overtaking it. A one-time conference resulted in a mod- Earth’s past. The massive cavern the bastion was built
est technology trade with Angel, a relationship that has inside may have formed later from magical influence, as
since dissolved from Selkirk’s lack of communication, it is simply too huge to form naturally and not collapse.
though according to that ancient treaty each bastion is The bastion made a point to reinforce their ceiling de-
bound to aid the other in dire need. Selkirk has a more spite showing no signs of weakening.
productive relationship with echan civilizations. The Sierra Madre enjoys its isolation but does not hate
continued trade with the narros of Fargon and the con- and fear the outside world as some do. Tapped into
federation of tiny nations in the Seliquam river valley massive geothermal energies, the population of Sierra
keeps Selkirk alive. Occasionally, gimfen from the Madre lives with unlimited power and limitless promis-
south are welcomed for their expertise and curiosity. es for the future. Unlike many bastions, gripped in fear
Selkirk wishes to be more in touch with their neighbors, of the outside world and the encroaching magic, the
but their location prevents it. Other than their paranoia people of Sierra sleep safe at night. Armies could walk
over disruption, Selkirk and TERMINAM do not hold over them, completely unaware of the city underneath.
the revulsion for echans many other techans exhibit. With the Gloam to the south, few people travel need-
Since Selkirk primarily deals with narros (which basical- lessly within the region, so there is little chance of acci-
ly look like short versions of Selkirk miners) and gimfen dental discovery. Sierra Madre, like Porto across the
(who do not disrupt technology), the population has no ocean, strives forward with reckless abandon to develop
reason to hate them. new techniques and new advancements. Clean power
Names: Selkirk’s isolation and focus has made its and virtually no crime gives the bastion a virgin mind-
population very homogenous and its language very utili- set. Those who leave are more unprepared than any
tarian. Most of the original population was ethnically of
313
other pilgrims into echa for the harshness outside. The
Scottish, Irish, and Welsh extraction, with the result majority don’t outlast a month, dying in the wastelands
that fully fifty percent of the population has the sur- between civilization or fleeing back to their homes.
name ‘Brown,’ ‘Jones,’ ‘Owen,’ ‘Smith,’ or ‘Walsh’. Being isolated from all external contact convinced the
Examples: Andrew Walsh, Maisie Nelson, Moira population they were the only survivors of the last age.
Owen, Patrick Kelso, Sean Smith, Tanith Westenra When they emerged from their vault, they found a wil-
derness populated by monsters with no other refuge in
Selkirk has always suffered in my sight save for the caverns behind them. A few expedi-
fluff because of its remote location. In tions only confirmed their fears. A frightening fog cov-
my campaign, players only visited it ered the south and nothing lived for nearly a hundred
once...and ended up starting a union riot. miles north that didn’t immediately attack upon seeing
As for the city’s legacy, I believe Selkirk would prey. It would be centuries before anyone from Sierra
be the last bastion standing if enchantment Madre even knew of other human survivors. When it
was finally confirmed, they expressed delight at the
were to take over the planet...not saying that’s prospect, and then promptly returned to their city.
the future of the setting, only one possible fu- They were self-sufficient and had no capacity for sus-
ture. tained trade over such long distances: the knowledge
that civilization was not utterly lost was enough for
 them. Underground and out of sight, they remain safe, Tech Level: 4
which no other bastion can boast. The city continues Government: Hereditary dictatorship. The Column
per the status quo, hoping their solitude will continue houses the single ruling family. They are not consid-
until it is no longer necessary. ered royalty, but the rulership is nevertheless passed on
Layout: The entire city is built throughout a single from parent to child. If no heir apparent is available, a
gigantic cavern. Unlike Selkirk, no conspicuous moun- new family takes control. The current family is the
tain marks the bastion’s location, and there is no sign Valterras who have ruled for more than 75 years. It is
whatsoever that a thriving civilization exists beneath uncertain how long this method of government has per-
the ground. There are few exits to the surface, most sisted. Sierra Madre has the fewest codified laws of any
being hidden service elevators. Without natural light bastion, and the rulers rarely abuse their power.
sources, the bastion glows with a constant light of civili- Military: Sierra Madre prides itself on having the
zation. Over a controlled geothermal vent and blessed best trained but smallest military, perfectly specialized
with an underground river, it continues to live off in operating underground. The standing force is less
boundless energy. The presidential palace doubles as than 1000, but with massive numbers of ceiling-
314 the power center and the focal point of the entire mili- mounted automated weaponry, to fight the Madrians on
tia, small that it is. Every major street expands from their home turf would be suicide. There are no surface
that center, winding through the cavern and its branch- patrols, as the bastion prefers invisibility to armament.
es. Sierra Madre’s cavity is the largest enclosed space Religion: While the bastion’s population has by and
on the planet, stretching for more than 50 miles from large abandoned faith, they have not turned aside from
one end to another with nearly a dozen sub-chambers spirituality. Most embrace the power of the individual,
radiating from that. The palace sits in a gigantic stone channeling one’s energy and maximizing their potential
column almost a mile across. This makes the layout in society. Many embark on meditation and personal
vulnerable, as the Column is also a major supporting quests in order to fulfill their spirit. This philosophy is
structure for most of the bastion. Its destruction would an incongruous mix of old-world Buddhism and Epicu-
not only cut the power of the bastion and send hazard- reanism, though neither term would be familiar to a
ous volcanic gas into the city; it would most likely crash Madrian. The updated expression they employ is
more than ten square miles of roof above. The death “Spherist.”
toll would be catastrophic. Luckily, nothing short of a Relations: Sierra Madre sits below the radar of most
nuclear blast has the capacity of inflicting enough dam- bastions. With no exports and no communication with
age to compromise the stability of the column. the outside, other bastions that know about Sierra Ma-
Population: 15 million dre don’t really care. However, with massive energy
deposits and hardened workers, Sierra Madre could their city, but where Angel coopted the hard labor of
make a useful ally if anyone could find them. human refugees, York turned to the technical services
Names: Much of the bastion’s original population of the gimfen. A self-repairing robotic force known as
was of Latin descent, and their propensity for large ex- zeros run all of York’s hard labor and defenses, a system
tended families has resulted in almost every Madrian designed and built in concert with the gimfen of Gnim-
having a surname derived from Spanish roots even if fall. In the earliest days of construction, York and
they originally came from other ethnic stock. Gnimfall signed an agreement whereby York would
Examples: Andre Semana, Cynthia Calabrea, Maria supply the gimfen with precious raw materials and
Jimenez, Sancho Milardes, Tomas Real, Zanetta Valter- knowledge of the advanced sciences which mankind
ras had acquired over the centuries, and the gimfen would
use their ingenuity to apply that knowledge to the prob-
Bastions emerged from scouring the lem at hand, advancing York and helping them build a
internet looking for ideas. I found power system based on tidal energy. This required the
many on the various online art galleries, construction of massive generators deep underground
which is also where I found the artists I that, according to rumor, still contain gimfen techni-
cians, living for hundreds of years without ever seeing
would later hire with the first book. If you’re the light of day. Many in York’s hierarchy refuse to
looking to create your own setting, online art acknowledge the gimfen’s connection, insisting human
galleries are a great source of inspiration. I expertise single-handedly built the city; Gnimfall does
recommend asking for permission from the art- not care whether they are given credit or not, since they
ist though. I did, and artists love being asked. have already been amply paid for their services.
They almost always say yes. I guess they as- With no walls to hem them in and no serious threats
sume someone will take without asking, so it from outside, York expanded quickly but could do little
to resist the constant magical influx into the city from
shows respect when you respect them. other races and magically endowed humans. With the
largest port on the east coast, York became the mouth of
YORK the vital corridor between Canam and Lauropa. As a
Blue light flickered across the nearby buildings as Gerard knelt result, the bastion’s progression became severely hin-
over the body. Damaskan female, dressed in a pilgrim’s dust- dered and could not advance as quickly or as consistent-
caked traveling cloak, but beneath which was hidden that dis- ly as other techan cities. The only notable exception to
tractingly tight leather armor those Limshau library ninjas wore. their technological footprint was the zeros, which being
No signs of violation, which was good – there had been a rash derived from gimfen designs remained somewhat re-
of echan rapes and murders some months back, but the creep sistant to disruption. The relatively low technological
who did it was locked up tight. Still, best keep this one quiet. level has allowed some mingling of magic and science,
The last thing the department needed was another moral although relations between the two groups have never
scare. Gerard looked more closely. Actually, there weren’t been smooth. York exhibits the widest variety of atti-
even any signs of struggle – the elf’s fingernails were undam- tudes toward echans, some decrying them as defilers of
aged, a short curved sword at her back hadn’t even been humanity’s destiny and others accepting them as signs
drawn, and the way she was laying suggested she had been of Earth’s progress, with the majority remaining guard-
walking along and then had suddenly fallen: the body didn’t ed but noncommittal.
appear to have been moved, even. He pulled out a flashlight – Layout: York resembles a city of Earth past. Old
dead fae don’t disrupt anything – and looked for a gunshot style construction sped development and allows for
wound. Sure enough, right between the shoulderblades – the
entry point of a high-powered rifle bullet, probably fired from
quick expansion. The only clear sign of advancement is
near the coastline, where the tallest and most advanced
315
the upper floor of one of the abandoned warehouses at the buildings stand. The coast also sports the largest dock
back of the alley. in Canam and the tallest techan structure, the tower of
“So the first question is,” the policeman murmured to him- Shinar (at 7,000 feet). Beyond that, the western half of
self, “what was an elf doing so far from the Broad Way?” the city is somewhat disjointed and unorganized. Most
_______________________________________________ tourists get lost in the jumble of roads and highways. A
single eight-lane freeway passes in a more or less
York relied on old technology and building techniques straight line through the city to the port, with a wide
to recover the lost glory of mankind. The second larg- verge separating it from buildings on either side. Those
est bastion after Angel, York never constructed a wall, travelers that generate the most EDF are gently encour-
despite the threat of the pagus and evil dragons of aged to restrict themselves to the innermost lanes and
Apocrypha and Ažhi Dahaka. Thankfully, with not to linger within the bastion.
Limshau, Gnimfall, and Abidan as their strongest echan Population: 35 million
neighbors, York has never had to worry about invasion Tech Level: 0-1
from a superior force, and can easily repel attacks from Government: Judiciary democracy. York does not
the pitiful local bogg tribes. separate its legislative, executive, and judicial process-
Like Angel, York relied on echan means to build es, the entire city being governed by a High Court,
 headed by an elected President who governs with no its this has placed on their technological development.
fixed term until recalled by a vote of no confidence. York maintains good relations with Gnimfall in spite of
Any citizen has the right to argue a case or propose a downplaying the echan nation’s role in the construction
motion before the High Court, and any citizen can be of the bastion, remains on reasonably good if somewhat
chosen to serve on it by appointment from the Presi- distant terms with Limshau, and while they have no
dent or by garnering enough signatures on a petition. official relationship to the other echan settlements near-
All motions are carried by a simple majority. Laws are by, they neither interfere with them nor prevent their
enacted by judicial precedent and can be overruled by entry for trade or transport. Unfortunately, racism and
the Court with sufficient justification. The ruling body crime often follows those non-humans who enter unless
battles constantly with the problem of crime in the city. protection is provided. A day pass for non-humans and
The current President’s priority is keeping the populace mages costs 40 uc; the cost for non-resident humans is
stable and on ways to minimize the city’s dependence 10 uc. Those found without a pass or resident identifi-
on its robot workforce. cation is politely escorted to the bastion’s borders and
Military: The York Self Defense Force (YSDF) is instructed to go through proper channels for entry.
tasked with defense of the city and is the largest stand- Names: York’s population has always been ethnical-
ing techan army in Canam: however, 85% of the law ly diverse, but with a large population that speaks Englo
316 enforcement in the city is robotic. Should the YSDF -Lingo as a first language (even though it is not the pri-
ever be called upon to operate extensively outside the mary language of the bastion), most names have a
bastion, they would find their manpower seriously re- strong French or Germanic influence.
duced as the zeros do not work reliably far beyond the Examples: Celeste Dupont, Clement Morel, Jeanne
periphery. Milokovic, Konrad Tombs, Marie Kandler, Theo
Religion: Various. York is the only bastion with ca- Vandersaar
thedrals dedicated to echan faiths. These churches are
permitted as long as no magic is performed within and York is the bastion whose design and
no illegal acts are witnessed. Beyond this, virtually any technology is closest to our present
human religion has a representative in York, with the world, and is one of the two assumed
various Abrahamic faiths dominant due to the bastion’s starting points for a first-time techan
proximity to Abidan.
Relations: Paranoia lingers between Mann and York,
party (the other being Angel). The Broad
and many fear armed conflict is inevitable. Besides Way serves the same purpose that Genai does
Mann, York’s other relations are strong, though many in Angel - a touch of alienness in the midst of
other bastions look down on them for their tolerance of familiar scenery, to stimulate the appetite for
echans within their borders and the commensurate lim- adventure.
THE WORLD BEYOND at any dock or village. He lived simply, not wishing to
impose and accepting only the barest fare he was of-
While bastions represent beacons of humanity’s ancient fered, always insisting on paying for even this largesse
legacy, they are not the dominant forces in Canam. with his own labor. He wore rough clothes, simple
The majority of what would commonly be considered boots, a rough, uninspiring metal shield at his back, a
civilized life on the continent falls under the dominion notched and pitted blade with a wrapped leather hilt his
of several major kingdoms, communes and confedera- only weapon, yet wherever he went his charisma shone
tions. Because of the great distances between them, out like the kings of legend. Wherever he walked, he
diplomatic and trade relationships between these na- spoke, and crowds gathered to listen. He spoke of no-
tions are sporadic at best, but by the same token open bility and truth. His tales told of bravery and kindness.
warfare between them is also rare. Most of the major In a land of slavery and spite, his words resonated with
nations are connected by tributary roads to the Conti- people praying for dignity and chivalry. Though a cross
nental Cross and thus are relatively easily reached by hung from his neck, Vincent never preached his faith
travelers, but a few are isolated by hostile wilderness, and contended that kindness from the heart surpassed
only safely traversed by thermal flyer. any grace from heaven. He spoke simply of kindness of
the soul and the capacity of civilized men to rise above
ABIDAN what the animals inside told them to do.
The bucket chain ran from the fountain at the center of the Followers followed, as followers do. Savarice re-
courtyard, up the steps leading to the crenellated wall – a line fused to call himself their prince or even their com-
of mostly townswomen, passing the water from hand to hand mander, but did not turn away any who came to him
to put out the balls of flaming pitch that flew over the Bulwark, with chivalry in their hearts. These few men and wom-
keeping their husbands, brothers, sisters and children on the en remained at his side as they made their way up the
wall safe from fire to focus on holding the line. coast. The King’s Caravan, as it came to be known lat-
Two days ago, the fountain had been abuzz with chatter er, was hardly any legendary ride: merely a dozen-odd
and laughter. Today, the chapel bells tolled the alarm, and warriors in mismatched armor on mismatched steeds,
every citizen of Janoah was either safe indoors or lending what leading a great refugee camp away from lands wracked
help they could to defend the city. God willing, in another two by slavery and intolerance. Among them were such
days only the burn marks would indicate that there had been a storied names as Nobah Kohein, a brave holy warrior
battle here – and there would not be many new crosses from another faith, and the Monster of Mauron, an
scratched into the wall’s unyielding stones as silent memorials enormous gladiator with a gentle soul, forced to fight
to the fallen. until Savarice freed him. The caravan clashed with
_______________________________________________ slavers and defeated monsters both mythical and mod-
ern. They freed the oppressed and championed virtue
Abidan, land of faith and chivalry, is located in north- and honor to those in fear. In one town, outside of
eastern Canam in the crux between the Grand Lakes York, Vincent would meet Devorah Miller, a steel-eyed
and a yawning gulf leading out to the sea. It guards the woman of fierce will and his future wife, though they
land bridge of Tethuss, the only safe route into the civi- would not marry for many years.
lized lands of southern Canam from the darklands of Throughout this journey, Savarice never accepted
Apocrypha. Its capital Janoah is a massive fortress any title from his followers, despite the legends that
stretched across the bridge’s entire breadth, whose have grown in the subsequent centuries. Besides, a
doughty knights man the Bulwark keeping the pagus king needed a kingdom and Savarice had only people,
armies at bay. not yet a nation. But as his caravan grew to the hun-
The nation was founded by the Christian Paladin
King, Vincent Savarice, who gathered fleeing refugees
dreds, Savarice felt a calling. He knew a destination
waited at the end of his unnamed crusade.
317
throughout the north and personally oversaw the guard When the caravan, after many years, at last came to
of the city until his death at the ripe age of 134. It is the lands surrounding the mouth of Tethuss, every fi-
said his longevity was due not to any magic, but to di- ber of Savarice’s soul told him this land was to be their
vine purpose – one of the few individuals in history to home. Here was a land empty of settlers, but showing
have this claim almost universally acknowledged. all signs of being rich in natural resources. A kingdom
Savarice’s true origins are lost to legend. According needs growing land, mineral wealth, stone and timber
to the tales, he washed ashore on the eastern seaboard, more than faith. It also needs allies, but these Sava-
battered and bruised from rapids and rocks, his armor rice’s caravan had earned in plenty with their good and
rusted, cracked, and falling off his body. He offered the selfless deeds. From Limshau and Finer, he hired car-
salvageable pieces of refined steel to a nearby forge in penters and engineers, miners and architects. The Bul-
exchange for nothing more than a loaf of bread and a wark on the southern side of the bridge was erected in
lump of cheese. The fragments contained pieces of a less than a year, though it would undergo extensive ren-
symbol, a great crest of a house of prominence from ovations over the next century. Behind the fortress
across the ocean. The man cast them aside easily and wall, the town (later the city) of Janoah grew just as
watched the seals melt in the fire. Then he traveled quickly. Though Savarice insisted the homes and agri-
north along the shore, never lingering more than a day cultural networks of the realm be built first, his closest
 friends and most loyal subjects put pencil to parchment itage he could recall, the holy dragon would adopt the
almost immediately to design a great keep for their new human as its child, making the name of Savarice a sym-
ruler, named after the wall. bol of power and faith. The dragon’s proclamation ech-
It was not until Savarice and his order of knights, the oed throughout the skies of Canam, and Savarice,
Line of Abraham, took it upon themselves to rescue a though ever humble, could no longer deny the title laid
Limshau caravan attacked by a superior force of boggs, upon him. The Kingdom of Abidan was born in truth.
however, that the king’s legend was spread throughout Within a few years, the kingdom expanded to en-
the continent. Though the Line suffered losses, the fae compass more towns and thousands more people. Im-
were freed and carried back to Janoah for tending. migrants to Janoah ballooned to such an extent that
When they returned to Limshau, they spoke of the even a few nearby communities with no prior connec-
courage and charisma of the knights and their Paladin tion to the blossoming nation raised Janoahn flags, vol-
King, the first time Savarice had been referred to by untarily annexing themselves to the new kingdom.
such a title. Several well-regarded librarians traveled to Savarice and his Line of Abraham were inundated with
318 the city to record the many tales of the knights’ bravery, requests for patronage and blessings. Though its
which they later edited into a hefty book that found founders variously followed the three Abrahamic faiths,
circulation across Canam, Accounts from the Caravan of and many of the immigrants also professed one of these
the King. The book became a prized possession of religions, the king insisted that no single faith be al-
many libraries and found distribution among thousands lowed to dominate: Abidan would be a haven for all
of shops and bibliotheca across Canam. A copy of this faiths and philosophies. All its ruler demanded of his
book eventually came to a powerful holy dragon, whose people was kindness. Savarice, a devout holy man, also
name was never revealed and would be further referred believed in logic and his teachings, although derived
to as Silver River, on account of his long mane of bur- from old Christian books, promoted more flexibility and
nished hair. acceptance of new ways and theories on life. That said,
Silver River arrived dramatically at the bulwark and other human and fae religions do not have a strong pres-
informed Savarice that, whether he wished the honor or ence within the kingdom. The advantage of the Abra-
not, his actions had earned him the grace of blood royal. hamic triad is that they are founded on the principle of
The dragon claimed to speak for Lazarus and placed a the Word of God, and their doctrine is revealed through
seal upon Savarice’s palm, which would forever render holy texts which have been reinterpreted and debated
the human immune to any disease, natural or magical. by scholars for millennia. Such religions naturally lend
Silver River then decreed since the paladin had no her- themselves more to the philosophical and scholastically-
minded people of Abidan than ritualistic animist faiths to any citizen, where the kingdom’s youths are taught
or contemplative spirituality. to read and learn at least the basics of mathematics, lit-
The king died as he had lived: not from old age, but erature, the arts and sciences. Though some nobles
defending his people on the Bulwark against the death hire private tutors for their children, all royal scions at-
dragon Laban of Miserere. Laban, critically wounded, tend the same schools as the children of burghers, mer-
his army wiped out, fled into the uttermost north and chants, and farmers, and so most of the nobility follows
was never seen again. To this day, the kingdom re- their example. Dozens of faith-based schools exist as
mains strong. Its current king, Claudas, prefers his well to educate their followers on the finer points of
knightly duties than his kingly ones, but his siblings their own, and neighboring, religions.
maintain the image of complete authority and wisdom. Other noteworthy towns in Abidan other than the
Abidan’s nearest neighbors are the human kingdom of capital of Janoah include Clarvus, Pilbara, Sclavia, and
Kannos, the gimfen of Gnimfall, damaskans and hu- Taskin-Kada, this last being home to the largest Islamic
mans of Limshau, and the narros from the Finer Fire and Jewish populations in Canam and the center of op-
Pits. Abidan has a strong relationship with all of them, eration of the Watchers, the closest thing Abidan has to
with oaths of brotherhood with Kannos and Limshau. a secret service.
Baruch Malkut, however, is anathema to all their tradi- Names: Englo-Lingo and Semitic are the dominant
tions; the so-called ‘Blessed Kingdom’ placed a price on languages in Abidan, albeit more archaic and formal
the head of the Paladin King during the march of the dialects that emphasize the classical French and Arabic
Caravan, and the rulers of Abidan have always consid- elements, and it is not uncommon, especially among the
ered the southern nation to be the greatest threat to nobility, to hear names that would not have sounded
peace in Canam, not the pagus and dragons of the out of place in the ancient crusader states. Given that
north. Kannos and Abidan have shared noble blood, the kingdom still sees a constant stream of immigrants
but in keeping with the fae traditions of the blood royal, from elsewhere in the continent, names of any ethnic
the kings and queens of Abidan have never matched for extraction (or combination thereof) are possible.
political purposes. Abidan is strong in farmland and Examples: Claude Guiscard, Elise Beauchamp, Fati-
livestock, but is nowhere close to Kannos. They have mah Mosoul, Mahan Vaaris Farcon, Roland Amuad,
rich mines but nothing compared to Gnimfall or Finer. Sarah Minaschent
Abidan is only extraordinary in the wills and dedication
of its people and the goodwill of its allies; should open Abidan is the setting's obligatory
war ever erupt in the south, Abidan’s knights will be 'Kingdom of Good.' In its original
there to defend the innocent. form, it was basically Gondor with the
On the surface, Abidan is much like any other echan serial numbers filed off, but after
kingdom, though it has a distinct old-world feel to it
reminiscent of the pre-Hammer classical romances – a
watching the CBC documentary 'Canada: A
characteristic, incidentally, also found in modern Lauro- People's History,' I started to inject a few cul-
pa. Some cynics have suggested that the only reason tural elements of late French Canada into the
the country sustains its ‘fairytale kingdom’ aesthetic is mix - medieval attitudes lingered a bit longer in
because of how clean it is, and such commentators Quebec than elsewhere in our history, and
would not be far off the mark. Abidan has a strong tra- shared the stage with early industrial advanc-
dition of civic service, and consequently is a great deal es, making it a good representation of Canam
cleaner and better tended than a truly medieval king-
dom would be. Streets in the towns are well-
in general and Abidan in particular.
maintained – some are even paved – and public parks
and gardens are plentiful. The old Abrahamic traditions In the next book, you’ll read how not 319
of constructing great edifices to the glory of God are everything is roses in Abidan, and how
very much in evidence throughout the nation. Every ideological differences and internal poli-
major city contains at least one great cathedral or cies have prevented ideal relations with
mosque, usually both (often situated on the same Abidan’s closest allies. In retrospect, I should
square and designed by the same architects); the city of have revealed a bit more, the fact their exist-
Taskin-Kada also bears an impressive Hebrew temple
ence was required due to their strategic posi-
modeled after the long-lost Temple of Solomon.
Because of its alliances with Limshau and Gnimfall,
tion in Canam, thus a greater tolerance is of-
Abidan is also a center of learning and progress. Its peo- fered them. The ultimate point being that
ple push the boundaries of what is possible in a world Abidan still rides the pristine reputation as a
saturated by EDF. The larger farms use horse-drawn noble and righteous kingdom...a reputation
combine harvesters to bring in their crops, and even that is become more a façade each generation.
smaller homesteads boast early industrial conveniences.
The cities even maintain a rudimentary sewer system
and coordinated public sanitation. Unlike many echan
nations, Abidan maintains a public school system, free
 BARUCH MALKUT monsters attempting to follow the shoreline by boat.
However, four hundred years ago, a small population
Caleb sneered. “You think be all siesta on ta verandah, sippin
reached the shores of southeastern Canam. Exhausted,
mint juleps, lookin out atta diabos toilin inta fields and zappin
unable to travel farther, they settled into the swampy
they wita lightnin wand when they get stroppy, no?” He spat.
lowlands and began the slow work of recreating a civili-
“You be watchin too many puppet shows. Be nothin like tha,
even for ta ricos. You plain never had sleep hip-deep in mud, zation.
hopin ta heat don kill you before ta mosquitos do, prayin your Then Darius Konig arrived.
toes don get chomped by thievin caimans, thata chaparrans Legend tells that Konig came from Southam or at
won come take your head off while you sleep, and thata succu- least near the border of the Gloam almost two centuries
bus won steal your caralho in your dreams. Tha what real life ago. He gained a few avid followers, captivated by his
be like. An our bastardo of a king has ta bolas to call it ta charisma and physical discipline. With life dangerous
‘Blessed Kingdom’—though he slept rougher in his time if you for humans, Konig and his people (the Cloth) immigrat-
believe ta legends.” Instinctively, he looked shiftily back over ed north through the Gloam. They passed through the
his shoulder. “Anta worst of it be,” he went on in an under- darkness, but only half survived the journey. Few re-
tone, “me own mãe’d probably turn me in jus for sayin all tha.” ports tell of Konig’s disposition before the pilgrimage
_______________________________________________ but many tell of the fanatic that arrived in Canam. Ko-
nig believed himself the new prophet of God. During
A prosperous nation in the midst of swamps and saltwa- his eastward trek, he wrote the Helios Codex. The
ter marshes, dependent on slave labor to work its fields book does not teach followers virtue or kindness, but
while its populace indulges in the twin national pas- preaches a rabidly xenophobic view of the world. Ac-
times of luxury and bigotry, Baruch Malkut is a land cording to Konig, God deemed technology a sin no
held in the iron grip of a seemingly ageless prophet, longer welcome in His kingdom, rejected man’s old
who uses his peoples’ religious ardor as part of a scheme ways and brought the Rapture. To those that remained,
to rule the world – a world of magic, in which only hu- He granted the secrets of magic, but also brought forth
manity has a right to exist. inhuman demons from Hell to test Man’s faith.
Southam is not a hospitable terrain for humans. Be- As they entered the southeast of Canam, Konig and
tween the ravening monsters that suddenly populated the Cloth were welcomed into the small echan town of
the jungles and rivers, and the more civilized monsters Faustis. The people there lived in the shadow of a
who viewed humans as just another strange animal to small bastion called Sebring. Sebring resembled Angel
be hunted for food or sport, those humans who stayed in many ways, although smaller, with less than 150,000
after Attricana’s opening were almost wiped out. A few residents. They lacked advanced technology, being
managed to find respite with a few narros and ogre like York limited to the most basic of conveniences.
towns, but these were rare occurrences. Thousands Even though Sebring never harmed or suppressed the
attempted to migrate north, but many failed attempting people of Faustis, Konig created a feeling of fear and
to cross the Gloam, and others were devoured by sea hatred towards the techans. Zealots and fanatics

320
flocked from surrounding villages. Sebring never real- by rich landowners, and exceptions are known to have
ized how large this force had grown, and did not even occurred.
anticipate an attack until magical bombardment brought Within a century, the Blessed Kingdom claimed all
the short walls of Sebring down in less than three days. the land of southeast Canam, from the Great River to
The armies of Faustis ravaged the bastion, taking no Okeanos. As Konig closed his grip on new lands, his
survivors and showing no mercy. According to one re- eyes turned to nearby territories like Tranquiss, Lau-
port, Konig demanded the city be burned to ash, with rama, and especially Limshau. The first delegation
the surviving population inside. Anyone trying to es- from Limshau was brought before Konig who had them
cape was crucified and their bodies posted around the executed on the spot, their books burned and the ashes
bastion as a message to others. By the time the last sent back to the fae. The custodians of Zorahn (who
flame died out three weeks later, a thousand grisly sent the delegation) swore to avenge their brothers and
crosses surrounded the gutted bastion of Sebring. This books: a few small clashes have occurred in the follow-
fanatical hatred spread quickly through the land, the ing century but an official declaration of war has never
zealots founding new towns or subjugating existing been announced. Limshau remains alert to the Malkut
ones. When all the land of the marshy peninsula was threat, and is backed by powerful allies in Abidan and
under his sway, Konig appeared once again to the mass- Gnimfall. Meanwhile, the armies of the Blessed King-
es. He revealed a new vision from God: the world still
belonged to magic, but it also belonged only to Man.
dom have been unable to stage a successful attack on
Laurama, and Tranquiss demoralizes any army that
321
Fae creatures were nothing less than Hell-spawned de- looks upon it. Konig refuses to let such a setback hold
mons, and only when the last fae had been exterminat- him and swears Malkut will cover all of Canam in his
ed would the Kingdom of Heaven come to being on lifetime.
Earth. The frightening pace on which Konig swayed The greatest threat to Canam, and maybe the
the masses alarmed non-humans already living in the known world, is the growing fanaticism of the humans
kingdom. Half-breeds were exiled or lynched. Pure of Baruch Malkut. The kingdom is, in some ways, more
blood fae were murdered wherever they were found, or dominated by religion than Abidan – for that matter,
captured by slavers and brought south to work the hu- more than any other state in Canam except Mann.
mans’ lands as beasts of burden. Of all non-humans, Their entire way of life is dominated by the strictures of
Konig despised the tilen above all else, labeling them the Helio Codex – not that most of the population can
succubi dedicated to coopting the pure blood of human- actually read it, but they are told what it says by the
ity. Tilen were never officially taken as slaves; whenev- kingdom’s fanatical priests and missionaries in services
er they were captured (or discovered as slaved), they that everyone attends at least once a week. The zealot-
were marched to the sea under the blazing sun and cer- ry that characterized the early days of the Blessed King-
emonially drowned. This resulted in them being prized dom has largely died down, replaced by a low-key sim-
mering callousness for all non-human life and a casual
 assumption that followers of Konig’s way are inherently Noteworthy cities in Baruch Malkut include Archy-
superior beings, but the spiritual atmosphere of the tas, Faustis, Itinera, Karum, Kavus, Maskell, Matronis,
realm is such that Konig or his followers in the Cloth Miynos, Nassau, Orlov, Sykar, Tobias, and Vallis.
could easily whip the populace into another religious Names: The official language of Baruch Malkut is
frenzy should it become politically expedient to do so. Onespeak, which has a strong Portuguese component
Baruch Malkut missionaries also travel extensively thanks to the most common background of its populace,
throughout Canam, preaching human superiority, the but it also contains many terms with strange or com-
sinfulness of technology, and warning of the retribution pletely invented etymologies. Names with a religious
to come if the local population does not submit to Dari- significance are particularly common.
us Konig before his armies come for them. Other than Examples: Abel Medeiros, Carla Danassan, Eneas
these itinerants and other agents of the Kingdom, there Ferreira, Fabia Albeirao, Henrique Araullo, Nathalia
are no followers of this religion outside of Baruch Victoris
Malkut.
Time has refused to claim Darius Konig after these Baruch Malkut is a bit of a problem.
years and the dictator continues his maniacal crusade It's deliberately designed to have no
against technology and non-humans, despite being redeeming features, and yet we pro-
more than two hundred years old. Not a stupid man,
vide a disproportionate amount of
Konig has recently allowed plans to be set in motion for
a traditional rail network ridden over by stream powered
options for characters to come from
trains (steam power being, according to Konig’s procla- there. It's also easy for it to be overshadowed
mation, the limit of God’s acceptance of technology). by our equivalent of Mordor, despite being a
Though it is estimated this effort will take fifty years to far more immediate and insidious threat than
complete, Konig hopes the rail network will ferry troops the northern wastelands. Although it is
and supplies to outer towns, allowing him to finally (purely superficially) similar to the Confedera-
overcome the stalemate and subjugate Limshau once cy, the role it plays in the setting is more like
and for all. Limshau, in turn, hopes that over the next
few years or decades, as society progresses united past
the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold
Baruch Malkut, the native population would overthrow War - a monolithic, hostile totalitarian ideolo-
the man responsible for retarding their civilization’s gy with both the power and the will to con-
potential. Furthermore, many believe the kingdom’s quer, only kept in check by constant vigilance
fanaticism will die with its king, though as Konig is over on the part of its enemies and rampant inter-
200 years old and shows no signs of age, unheard of in nal corruption.
any unbonded human, no one knows exactly how long
they may wait for this deliverance.
Resulting from the idea that if fae
Though the kingdom can no longer expand its bor-
ders, its population continues to grow and it boasts could only reproduce by bonding that
some of the most fertile crops in all of Canam, tended they would eventually be enslaved by
exclusively by enslaved fae. Though Konig preaches monsters wishing to exploit them, Baruch
the eventual extermination of all faekind, he is unwill- Malkut was born. Creating an allegory of
ing to overlook the economic potential of exploiting other empires employing slave labor was obvi-
them, though he prohibits breeding of fae slaves within ous, though I never specifically followed one
his demesne. He also personally despises fae inden- as a mirror. Yes, some of the fluff points are
322 tured prostitution, declaring it a sin against God and
Humanity – however, there are no actual laws against it,
taken near verbatim from the slave trade in the
and even if there were it would likely not stamp out the colonial United States, but that was only one
thriving trade in fae bordellos. Almost all towns, save portion—the non-slavery bits were modeled
for Itinera and Nassau, use and sell slaves though the off of North Korea, specifically elements of the
prime exports emerge from Matronis and Tobias. They cult of personality which Baruch Malkut has,
hardly refer to them as elves or even slaves, preferring and what would happen of the personality
more dispassionate, but equally merciless terms like was actually immortal.
merchandise, property, goods, or furniture. The Malkut
slave markets move the most gold in a day of any place
on Earth, which helped secure the kingdom as one of DAWNAMOAK AND
the most stable and successful in the world. Because of
this, although few who live there would realize it
THE TOWERS OF JIBARO
Looking down from the balcony, her reaching hands draped
(education being somewhat discouraged within the
over the polished railing that grew from the living wood of the
realm in favor of mass indoctrination) Baruch Malkut’s
tree, Valakkinye’s keen eyes could pick out the newcomers
way of life fairly closely mirrors that of the region’s dis-
even from this distance, despite the intervening tree canopy.
tant colonial past in the old Age of Man.
From up here, the visitors’ horses looked like ants, and the
men themselves like grains of sand. “Why are they here, vanakassus, governing the tower and its inhabitants.
chichya?” she asked her father as he stepped out into the The tower Larenoak holds the chaparran scroll library
evening sunlight beside her. and the Darawren academy, with Ramankasagranthos
“They are here to study,” he told her. “They want to know maintaining order. The last, Strongwood, is home of
about our ways.” the military and governing body. From here rules the
The girl’s brow wrinkled in confusion. “But Mistress Kal- highest chaparran and leader of Dawnamoak: Valenti-
kirrin says that the monkey-folk are brainless yahsor—” arankerr.
Her father rapped her sharply on the head. “We do not No-one knows whether the forest came before the
use that word, even if Mistress Kalkirrin does,” he said firmly. chaparrans or the chaparrans before the forest. The
Valakkinye pouted and rubbed her scalp as he went on. “And woodland fae do not keep extensive historical records,
it is true that humans are an ignorant people, but a few of and although there are a few chaparran elders who
them are just wise enough to realize that they know nothing. could probably remember, they consider such questions
That is what brings them here – to learn a better way. With not worth worrying about. Certainly, if someone were
diligent teaching, we may grow them into better creatures be-
fore their brief time on this world is over.”
to tell any human of the neighboring territories that the
land where Dawnamoak now stands was once desert
323
_______________________________________________ and scrubland, they would be met by disbelief, for the
enchanted forest gives off the sense of unimaginable
Dawnamoak is the largest chaparran civilization in age, far older than five mere centuries. How long it has
Canam and what most outsiders – at least those who been inhabited, none can say. There are many human
have ever heard of the place – think of when they envi- settlements just beyond the fringes of the forest that are
sion chaparrans. Spotting the great forest of Dawna- not even aware that the woods are the chaparrans’ de-
moak is easy. The fields of grass and bushes stop ab- mesne. No one is sure how many chaparrans live in the
ruptly, replaced by wooden behemoths. The trees of forest but numbers guess between 35,000 and 65,000.
Dawnamoak stand many times taller than other forests. Visitors are not automatically turned away, but they will
Many of them stretch more than 80 feet across at their find no welcome unless they speak chaparra (even if
base and tower a mile up, and yet even they are they know another language, the residents will not
dwarfed by the Towers of Jibaro at the center, trees speak anything else). Those who speak the proper lan-
grown from the graves of the wisest elders. A fortress guage may stay… for a short while. This is not to say
graces each peak, grown directly from the wood: Strong- that outsiders are entirely unwelcome, but they have an
wood, Berustar, and Larenoak. Berustar is the heart of uphill struggle ahead of them. Sometime within the
the chaparran religion, with their highest priest, Syl- first century after Attricana opened, humans sent a del-
 egation into the forest to make contact with its reclusive for thinking so, and the thought of her disapproval made him
residents. What happened at that exchange has not feel warm again. Only a little further to go. He gritted his
been recorded, but the humans were soon thereafter teeth and climbed to the next ledge and then the last few feet
escorted out of the wood and warned never to return. to the worn pinnacle of the mountain. Balancing atop it, he
But in 355 A.E., the human wizard Sugi Gantilanna en- exhaled into the thin air and looked about him, just as the sun
tered the great forest in hopes of establishing a sociable rose over the eastern horizon. Moments like this made it all
relationship with the fae, something no human had ever worthwhile – the whole vastness of Fargon spread out before
succeeded in doing previously. Though the chaparrans him, from the mountains to the tundra to the sea, the rooftops
of Dawnamoak still regard mankind as a whole with of the great temples further down the mountainside flaring red
mistrust, Sugi struggled against the stereotype for many in the morning light. He gave a sniff of satisfaction. Now, to
months and eventually earned acceptance. Despite climb back down…
sending occasional correspondence, Sugi would never _______________________________________________
leave the forest in his lifetime. During the following
fifty-five years, Sugi found a greater respect offered to When the fae returned to the world, each lineage ap-
him than to any human before or since. peared in a place that suited their kind best, whether by
Although most believe the trees to be oak, the ma- some subconscious desire or merely by fortuitous
jority are actually conifers, specifically cupressaceous chance. Most of the narros fell in the north. They must
variants like giant sequoias and dawn redwoods. While have wished for isolation, as they landed in an area that
in a traditional forest, the lack of sunlight resulting from virtually locked them off from the rest of the world.
such a dense canopy would starve out lesser trees, a side Being stalwart and rugged, they easily could have
-effect of magical saturation also allows smaller decidu- crossed the Nankani Mountains and joined their cousin
ous flora to survive and flourish beneath the huge ce- fae to the south, but they chose to remain and gladly
dars, and even a few grasses and wildflowers below planted roots in a land still chilled but no longer
them. Search hard enough and one could even find a wracked by permafrost, slowly made more habitable by
coconut palm, a flowering cherry, or any one of a dozen the influence of magic. By the end of the second cen-
species of flowering and fruiting trees not indigenous to tury, half a dozen cities and twice as many villages had
the region (or even to the prevailing climate). A strange emerged. This land was still far from being entirely
attribute only seen by the chaparrans of Dawnamoak is hospitable, however, and every city contains a monu-
their family attachment to specific trees. Every child ment to the thousands dead in the creation of their na-
born in the forest is given a tree to care for. Although tion.
this is not uncommon for all chaparrans across the The harsh environment created a people of unshak-
world, in Dawnamoak specific species of trees seem to able will. The narros of Fargon are the most relentless
equate to specific chaparran ethnicities: those with the in the application of whatever path they embrace.
darkest skin tones always bond with the sequoiaden- They work hard and play even harder. Unlike those in
drons, while the lighter tan chaparrans always choose Finer, living their lives in the mines and getting dirty
giant pines. There are more than a dozen other connec- with the spoils of hard labor, Fargon narros are far more
tions made between the various families of chaparrans spiritual, taking pleasure in a cold breeze or a frigid wa-
and specific species of trees. terfall with no other noises to distract them. They are
Chaparrans become more agreeable to the outside also a proud folk even by narros standards, quick to an-
world the farther away they are encountered from the ger and slow to forgive.
three towers. Although those residing in the towers Despite the isolation of their distant country, Fargon
claim all forests they see as theirs, there are dozens of narros can be found everywhere in Canam. They find
324 smaller villages hidden in the woods that claim no loyal-
ty to them. Their beliefs can often be different than
pesky obstructions like rivers and mountains a welcome
challenge rather than an impediment. A featureless
those in the capital. Noteworthy villages include Ko- desert would be more of a barrier to narros expansion
anas, Kerrana, Ulknas, and Widdig. than a mountain range, though no more difficult to cir-
cumvent. Their first contact with outsiders occurred
shortly after their largest and most southern city Thos
FARGON Thalagos was formed. After Thalagos Gin finished
Lorrask grunted as he pulled himself up onto the ledge. It erecting his castle, he sent a dozen pilgrim convoys to
wasn’t that he resented the obligation of climbing the mountain search for allies or treasure. Travelers east found ko-
– if nothing else, it got him out of earshot of his younger sister, diaks, who wanted little and had less to offer, and also
who talked like a tenenbri and had about as much tact as one boggs and skeggs, who wanted exterminating. West
– but he had been perhaps overly dedicated to his last piece of found nothing but rivers and rumors. South stumbled
work and had ended up putting off the pilgrimage until the into a safe crossing of valleys and plateaus later called
middle of winter. Narros were supposed to be hardy folk, but the Deep Pass at Dianaso, and followed it until they
sometimes Lorrask secretly suspected that this was partly an
reached the fledgling bastion of Selkirk. After sharing
act that his people put on to impress the other fae with their
knowledge and company with the resident humans and
dedication, and had made the mistake of buying their own
discovering the unfortunate side-effect of their nature
hype. His sister would say that he was a disgrace to the family
on technology, the pilgrims returned to Thalagos with
something better than treasure: a trade agreement and a Confederation, most of the nations of which (at least the
firm alliance that has never faltered in the intervening human and damaskan ones) sprang up in the wake of
centuries. Eventually, these narros would push past the narros’ explorations, moving into abandoned narros
Selkirk to finally encounter fellow fae in Limshau and camps and deciding to expand on them. Narros ravnor-
Salvabrooke. As they traveled, they would build ra train the elite warriors of Seliquam, and often travel
waystations to mark their passage, some of which grew with them on expeditions into Xixion to explore or
into small settlements centered around some monu- cleanse narros-made monuments of the kaddog’s filth.
ment or temple, and yet when their exploratory phase They maintain less frequent relations with the kodiaks
was concluded most of these were abandoned by their of Alpinas, although they are happy to fight beside
creators, to be filled by humans or fae stragglers of other them against the boggs and skeggs who infest north-
species. Sadly, the greatest of these structures now lie central Canam. They have few trading relationships
under the thrall of Xixion, their stately halls defiled by with the rest of the continent, as the southern nations
puggs. find the Finer Fire Pits more convenient. All narros
Narros don’t dig and mine only for the sake of min- mines in Fargon feature thermal mooring towers but no
ing: they are builders as much as they are warriors. Alt- dragonflyer flyer posts. 325
hough they use wood, they do so only when stone can- Noteworthy cities in Fargon include Hardstone Sig,
not be employed. Narros were bitter at the lack of arti- Mag-Farg, Majed, and Thos Thalagos.
facts and ruins from the previous age. Of all the na-
tions, the narros are most obsessed with leaving their
mark upon the world. Narros cities are the greatest of
THE FINER FIRE PITS
“So, can you make it for me or not?” I looked back at the
all the fae. They boast perfection in construction. Eve-
human through narrowed eyes, not stopping my work. “Oh, I
ry corner is a sharp edge. Every line is without fault.
can make it for you. But it comes with a price.”
Every building is a mark of mathematical precision.
He frowned. “I already said money was no object—”
Every tower is an avatar of the narros' faith in their own I shook my head. “I ain’t talking about money. The prop-
skill. Narros fortified themselves and created a nation erties you want placed on this thing – you must be hunting
of stone. Their sworn enemies, the pagus, dare not ap- some pretty big game. Big, scaly game by the look of it.” I
proach these lands unless they arrive in the thousands hefted my hammer, the forge-fire glinting in my eyes. “I want
in preparation for war. a piece of that action.”
In addition to the treaty with Selkirk and informal _________________________________________
agreements with Salvabrooke, the Fargon narros main-
tain regular diplomatic relations with the Seliquam
 Over a hundred thousand narros call this gargantuan the entire system would collapse. The Fire Pits main-
underground metropolis home. In total, twelve forges tains its success not so much because of its rich veins,
are found within the cavern, each as large as a human but because of the diversity of its neighbors and the
castle, dwarfed inside the colossal cavern that has never trade goods they can provide in exchange for Finer’s
fallen despite a lack of supports. The founder (and still metal and craftwork. They are able to bring in goods
ruler after four centuries) Garach Glim still digs along- that narros in the north envy.
side his people. He has shown no signs of senility or Traders, however, do not like to stay in Finer itself.
exhaustion. When asked why he put down roots so far The forges work nonstop and are built with inadequate
from Fargon, Garach’s answer was simple: “I hate cold.” insulation, keeping the average temperature of the en-
Huge deposits of coruthil and titanium can be found in tire complex at 46 degrees Celsius, with only a 5- de-
the Pits, along with practically every other mineral ne- gree drop during the winter. Though the resident pop-
cessity in the modern age. ulation is acclimatized to the severity, visitors are greet-
Above the mines, the narros settlers carved out an ed by a wall of heat that hits like an ogre immediately
immense cave, miles across with the only exit being a upon entrance. Many of the few non-narros residents
single massive staircase leading to the surface. This are opportunistic hedge wizards peddling heat re-
massive construct, more than 300 feet wide, descends sistance spells to the narros’ customers.
for almost a quarter-mile before finally reaching the The Fire Pits house the largest repository of narros
Fire Pits. A consistent and uncomfortable red glow ra- weapons and armor: only narros gear are kept in storage,
diates over the cavern, which the narros continue to while other goods are crafted to order. Though finding
hollow out. Inside, ovens a dozen stories tall work over- magic items can be a chore, many mages from across the
time constructing materials and smelting precious ores. world seek out the Pits – not for items or armor – but for
The city grows from the walls and roof of the cavern as Galla Sagard, the famous spellcaster and her well-
well as from the ground. In the dark, with only the known Open Library for Arcane magic. Galla loves en-
slight glow of the smelters, the city resembles a Christ- tertaining visitors even though she seldom gains the
mas tree turned inside out and spread across every opportunity to share her wisdom with other casters.
available surface of the cave. Ugly, utilitarian box- Most caravans travel through the Limshau city of
shaped buildings grow down, up, and out. Many live Kodex before continuing north to the Pits, and few oth-
out their whole lives without ever seeing the sun, in er allies take alternative routes. Even Kannos, their
spite of the strictures of the narros faith. Despite four nearest and most profitable human ally, transports their
hundred years of constant digging, the pits continue to supplies from Warraqeen to Kodex before traveling
be fruitful and were the most profitable narros mines in north. Most of the visiting population is damaskan
the world until a recent windfall at Thos Thalagos. though a few humans have appeared time and again.
Though many in Fargon look down on the Finer Fire Many of those are either independent merchants or
Pits, Thos Thalagos is the exception, with Thalagos wanderers looking for work. Since the narros here nev-
himself expressing admiration for the tenacity of the er developed a tight bond with humans like Thos
narros of the Pits, though also expressing concern that Thalagos, the Finer populace considers humans another
the name is false advertising (the forges are called non-narros race best avoided when there is no business
‘Finer’ not because they are in any way superior to oth- to be done. The Fire Pits feature a dragonflyer flyer
er narros cities, but because the name of valley the Pits service but no mooring towers.
were dug into was called Finer Vallis by a group of local
humans).
A narros from Finer often looks distinct from those
KANNOS
My master was too fat to ride a horse, yet he owned dozens.
326 from Fargon. While Fargon strives for self-perfection,
Finer permits the occasional personal flaw, on the as-
He never even came down to the stables to care for them –
that was my job. I fed them, groomed them, mucked out their
sumption that this frees the individual to focus on their
stalls, exercised them: as far as they were concerned, they
work rather than their self. One of the personal imper- were my horses. He just happened to possess them. Then the
fections that Finer tolerates in its residence is a looser skeggs came and raided the ranch, and took the horses away.
approach to spirituality and faith. While all narros give My master ordered me, then pleaded with me, then begged
at least token credence to the worship of Oaken, many me on his knees to get them back for him. All his wealth was
of the associated traditions of the faith are laid by the tied up in those horses, and without them he’d have to sell the
wayside by the necessities of life in the Pits. While land – he’d be ruined. Instead, I gave my notice, took down
thus far there has been no occasion to violate the narros’ my grandfather’s halberd and chainmail, and went north. If I
ultimate taboo, some have come to believe that given a find them, I’ll take them back… for someone who will appreci-
rich enough vein, Garach Glim would not hesitate to dig ate them. Finders keepers.
below the proscribed depth. Whether his workforce ____________________________________
would continue to support him in that event remains to
be seen. That said, few narros are disposed to take ad- Kannos formed from the remnants of a failed bastion,
vantage of this freedom. Given a choice, most narros Appareci. Now the kingdom’s capital, more towns
would prefer to remain isolated with their brothers and flourished in the lands around and became steadily ab-
sisters in Fargon, and if the Pits weren’t so profitable,
sorbed into the greater whole. The name ‘Kannos’ was program for a more mobile form of agriculture: cattle,
offered by the damaskans of Limshau, meaning “Iron pigs, chickens, and especially horses. Horses are more
Will” in their tongue. The king at the time approved abundant than dogs in Kannos, with many children giv-
and adopted it as the name of his proto-empire. en a young steed as soon as they learn how to walk.
Kannos, along with Abidan and Baruch Malkut, are These horses are treated as equals within the family.
the three largest human-dominated echan kingdoms in The kavaliers, Kannos’ elite mounted warriors, spend
Canam. Kannos and Abidan have approximately the the majority of their lives training their mounts and de-
same population, though Kannos claims nearly double velop a bond with their steeds bordering on the tele-
the land area, with the same strengths in numbers and pathic. But despite their proud cavalry traditions, Kan-
weakness in magic. Kannos is somewhat more cosmo- nos has yet to be involved in any major war. As all of its
politan than Abidan, though not nearly as much as civilized neighbors are staunch allies of the kingdom,
Limshau, and not nearly as obvious because of the the largest engagements occur between lance compa-
kingdom’s low population density. Some outsiders, nies and swarms of puggs, boggs and skeggs threatening
especially in more xenophobic communities, believe
this is the reason for the notable lack of religion in Kan-
outlying towns, and the encroaching evil of the Sana
Marsh to the south. Like many horsemaster nations of
327
nos. Fae tend to be private about religion, assuming humanity’s past, Kannos generals glorify combat, but
that they have one at all, and those that do pray do so rarely have the opportunity to indulge in it; jingoism is
without ostentation. The human population follows thus a common failing of the Kannos nobility, and many
suit: even those that are openly atheist or agnostic do have expressed a hope that Baruch Malkut does eventu-
not make a big deal of the fact, regarding other peoples’ ally invade Limshau so that they can be called upon to
beliefs to be none of their business. The kingdom’s defend their damaskan allies. Of all the united nations
mixed population and perceived atheism makes them of the north, Kannos places the most pressure on the
an avowed enemy of Baruch Malkut, but Abidan counts others to preemptively declare war on Darius Konig,
them as one of their closest allies, even more so than despite never having sustained an attack from the rival
Limshau and Gnimfall. kingdom. Compared to Abidan, trained in defensive
Kannos is rich in land and precious materials, but warfare and the use of shield walls and castle bulwarks,
lacks the population to properly maximize its potential. Kannos considers the best defense to be a devastating
The kingdom’s greatest treasure is its livestock. With cavalry charge, trampling down their foes and sending
rich farmland but without the military presence to de- them screaming back to their lands.
fend it against migrating pagus from the east and boggs Because raising livestock requires vastly more land
from the north, Kannos developed a profitable breeding than farming, wealth and nobility in Kannos are tied
 directly to how much land a person can control. The Or, rendered more familiarly: "Adrian
throne, as well as the most land in the kingdom, be- Käsig, Carl Waldon, Cordelia
longs to the Nezekin family of Appareci, and there has Harkos, Cecily Mondavay, Sean
not been a significant threat to their seat of influence in McAvoy, Wilma Sheen." Basically,
150 years. The first lord of any given city is the one in
possession of the most physical acreage and the beasts
Kannos is a place where you can get
to go with it. The kingdom’s aristocracy is often consid- away with naming characters like celebrities
ered very homespun and provincial by other kingdoms, name their children.
as fine clothes and ostentatious jewels are considered
lesser status symbols than good horseflesh and plentiful
grazing land. Furthermore, Kannos values bloodlines
LAUDENIA
Lannik goggled at the sight of the enormous tower, held in the
more in its breeding animals than in its nobility, so a
sky by nothing more than a wish and a prayer. “Stop staring,
sufficiently wealthy merchant or businessman can simp-
boy,” the wizard chided. “You are already attracting enough
ly buy himself a sizeable plot of land and a landgrave or
attention to me. Acting like a tourist makes it the worse.” The
count’s title to go with it. Kannos has such a small pop-
boy hurriedly shut his mouth, but he still continually shot wide-
ulation relative to its borders that often, an aspiring in-
eyed glances around him as they walked among the floating
vestor only needs to purchase unclaimed acres from the
island, across white bridges draped with crimson like inverted
royal charter. Less scrupulous investors may build a
sunsets. All around the pair, the graceful figures of the city’s
ranch or even a free house beyond the border and re- inhabitants passed by, very pointedly not noticing them—save
quest, or most likely bribe, the reigning monarch to for one; as they approached the tower, a willowy laudenian
appropriate the claimed land into the charter and ex- came forward and greeted the wizard with a bow. “You have
pand the borders of the kingdom. This has occurred returned, Temmosus,” she said. “But why have you brought
several times in Kannos’ history, but no major land this groundling here?”
grabs have occurred recently, as Kannos is reaching the The wizard returned her bow, his expression unchanging.
limit of what it can safely annex: with allied nations to “Lannik will be my apprentice. I am not inclined to explain my
the east and hostile wilderness encroaching on its re- reasons. They will become clear in time.”
maining borders, there are currently only three such The woman did not look shocked, but her porcelain fea-
houses awaiting the protection of the Kannos Kavalry, tures became even more masklike. “The council may demand
with as yet no royal word if their petitions will be ac- those reasons of you,” she warned. The wizard gave an imper-
cepted. ceptible shrug. “And I will give them the same answer.”
Though humans are on average weak with magic, _______________________________________________
Kannos is proud to name one of Canam’s most powerful
wizards as a past resident. Kereptis Rifts claimed a Laudenian arrogance refused to die when they lacked
keep in Sarnathi, and even though that town was not corporeal forms, and has only grown stronger in the cen-
absorbed into the kingdom until after Rifts’ death, Kan- turies since they were restored to them. After their arri-
nos has given him posthumous citizenship (despite ru- val, they utilized their greatest magic and built a mighty
mors that Rifts was a vile tyrant and that Sarnathi’s peo- city atop a mountain in the west. Deliberately isolated
ple celebrated upon his death). Downplaying the ru- from almost every other culture and guarded by en-
mors as baseless, the city of Sarnathi now cherishes the chanted shrouds, those few ground-dwellers who claim
name of Kereptis Rifts, or rather the booming tourism to have seen the city are often dismissed as dreamers or
industry that name brings in the form of adventurers madmen. Its location is vague, floating among a hun-
328 tempted by the tales of treasures in the labyrinthine
and treacherous tunnels of the Kereptis Catacombs.
dred different mountains in the Nankani range, never
appearing in the same place twice. On the surface,
Notable towns in Kannos include Appareci, Golana, Laudenia resembles a city of technology, a marble-
Jairus, Sarnathi, and Xiphos. white floating bastion of towering skyscrapers; but un-
Names: With its nearest neighbors being Limshau derneath the shine of the walls flows pure magic. The
and Salvabrooke, the dominant languages in Kannos are city floats on air, connected to whichever mountain it
common English and Damaskan. Due to freely absorb- currently anchors on only by a bridge of solidified
ing minor houses and smaller kingdoms in their forma- cloud. The Alkanost, the massive dragon-shaped flag-
tive years, there is little ethnic consistency within the ship the laudenians arrived in, floats atop a river of en-
kingdom, but their preoccupation with mercantilism chanted air alongside the city. The Council of Six runs
and the record-keeping that goes with it has resulted in Laudenia. Elrenar Alkanost, the oldest fae descendant
some idiosyncratic modification of the common alpha- alive and nominal king of Laudenia (although laudeni-
bet, ostensibly for more efficiency (most immediately ans do not have the same concept of royalty as ground
notable in the firm distinction between ‘C’—now a dwellers) still sits at the head of the council. Nacola
‘CH’ sound—and ‘K’). Most common names reflect Falconyr, the most powerful fae mage, also holds a seat.
these changes. Laudenians commonly turn those who do find their
Examples: Adryin Kesig, Karl Waldun, Kordylya land away without even bothering to learn their busi-
Harkos, Sesily Mondavé, Shon Makavoi, Wilma Shyn ness. The only culture they find even tolerable are the
narros of Fargon, with whom they infrequently trade same point to help in rebuilding their society. Because
the rich resources of the western Nankani Mountains laudenians have the most spellcasters of any species
for those few commodities they cannot obtain them- besides humans, and their magical prowess far surpasses
selves. Even then, the laudenians insist on bringing the that of other folk, they never endured many of the hard-
narros traders into the sky with them and alter their ships suffered by other races. Anything they wished for
memories afterwards, so that no ground-dweller has a formed itself from thin air before their thought could
clear idea of the skyrealm’s true nature. Visitors are finish. Looms wove cloth by themselves; food and
thus not only extremely rare but practically unheard of, drink sprang forth from magical cornucopiae and end-
and those who enter must adhere to a strict code of re-
spect for the inhabitants: make fewer waves and an out-
less fountains; crystals projected illusory images from
one place to another, so distant friends could speak to 329
sider’s presence may go unnoticed by those who do not each other as though they were in the same room; and
want her there. No evil acts are permitted within the for what they could not simply create, the laudenians
realm of Laudenia, with ‘evil’ being defined entirely at built giant quicksilver golems to go down to Earth and
the discretion of the laudenians (who are, thankfully, mine and harvest what they needed.
fairly discerning when not being knee-jerk reactionar- Once their new capital was built and the ship’s pop-
ies). Voluntary isolation does not prevent those looking ulation disembarked to their new home, the Alkanost
for rare items, both magical and not, seeking out the departed to begin the long journey of exploring the
floating city. skies and the wilderness underneath. During this time,
When they emerged from the gate, the laudenians the magos traveling aboard began forming the network
found the land below remote and hazardous, an ideal of floating keeps. Applying the same power that made
place to build their floating city away from prying eyes. their city, the laudenians harnessed the ambient magic
Laudenia was raised in a single day, using the com- found in rare stones that enabled them to disobey gravi-
bined magical power of the entire laudenian people, the ty and elevated them above the clouds, laying down the
city emerging right from the mountain stone smooth as foundation of an expanding empire. When they wan-
polished marble. They ensured all surviving laudenians dered too far east, they were turned back by increasing
that did not arrive with the Alkanost migrated to the dragon attacks; traveling north or west, they struck an
 impenetrable wall of wind; and they possessed enough arches, and even through the seamless walks. Many of
wisdom to turn back rather than brave a passing over the designs flow towards the center of the city-web, to
the Gloam. After three centuries, the Alkanost returned the tallest tower of Elsius which spears through the
to Laudenia and moored itself, having completed its cloud cover, dwarfing the highest skyscrapers. At the
work of building castles in the air across the whole peak, the tower blossoms like an oak tree to a half doz-
breadth of Canam. The keeps peer down from high en platforms and pedestals where the Council meets
above, out of sight of most ground-dwellers, never of- and the Alkanost docks. From here, the panorama of-
fering the hand of friendship to anyone, rarely lifting a fers little of the city through a veil of clouds. The city
finger for those in need. The laudenian belief professes floats perfectly calm without threat or thrill.
that to help would offer false hope to the needy, for With a city of such majesty, the laudenians seldom
they themselves are too few to offer any sort of reliable wish to show it off to anyone but themselves. A mas-
aid. They must choose their battles carefully, only ris- sive artificial cloud shrouds the periphery of the capital.
ing to the call when they feel the time is suitable. From high, only the peak of Elsius is visible. The in-
Some would say that this is merely an excuse to justify habitants appear to those they wish, usually reserving
the laudenians’ fundamental distrust of the ground and such an honor for the greatest dragons and the most
all that live upon it, but the laudenians don’t care what powerful fae leaders. Those who leave only do so for
the earthbound think of them. one reason: to alleviate the unending boredom of living
The city of Laudenia shines with its own inner light. in a city without dangers, adventure, or responsibilities.
Even at night, the towers glow with a soft white shim- Such malcontents are few and far between.
mer emanating from the polished stones themselves.
The inhabitants have no need of torch or candle, and I wanted to create a secret sanctuary
can control the light wherever they wish with the sim- of aristocratic elves in the setting—a
ple wave of the hand. As the sunlight refracts through Shangri-La in Northern Canada.
the atmosphere and shifts the sky to different hues, the
Locked away in the mountains, it was
city often echoes those same changes. As the sky turns
orange to red, the city’s exposed stone flushes to a rosy
originally intended to not be reachable by any-
tint. Beyond this, the glimmering white stone is carved one. Certain elves depart and are unable to
to precision to build every step, every bridge, every locate it again. It was intended to be a legend.
building, and every vase; no cracks nor mortar foul the Then the characters in my game found it—not
sheer, smooth surfaces of the fantastical structures. so much un unreachable utopia. As a result, I
Flowers and fruit grow freely in the public walks and created Selmana to be the Eden that Laudenia
gardens that line the roadways and many of the roofs. ended up not being...and then my characters
Each building in Laudenia supports itself on its own
floating island, connected to one another via stone
found it as well.
bridges. Seen from above, the city resembles a spider’s
web with buildings at the intersections and hundreds of LIMSHAU
bridges and roads connecting them all. The buildings The city looks very different from above than it does from be-
range from short, expansive coliseums to thin and soar- low. Down there it’s all mazelike streets, where you might find
ing towers scaling nearly as high as the city is wide. the walls beside you suddenly replaced by bookshelves at any
Red banners are the most common adornment of the moment; hawkers, harlots and storytellers vying for your atten-
walls, growing in complexity with the height of the tion from a hundred alcoves, librarians listening to travelers’
building: the peaks of the greatest towers dangle tapes- tales and writing everything down, and overwhelmed tourists
330 tries of intricate designs or wave flags longer than a
dragon’s wingspan. Inside, the buildings reflect dozens
desperate to find a place to lose their money; intermittent are-
as of noise and silence, a crushing crowd only a corner away
of colors depending on the artistry of the designer, from a completely deserted street. But up here on the roof-
though white brick with red fabric remain the popular tops is a traceur’s paradise: a wide open, boxy landscape of
choice. There is neither a need of window glass, as no stone and adobe, criss-crossed with ropes, ladders, staircases
rains fall or winds blow except when and where the leading to open patios, makeshift bridges across the crowded
Council wishes it so, nor any need of doors, for there are streets… it looks chaotic, but consider who built it. The drone
no thieves or vagabonds in Laudenia. No pollution of the city below filters up only dimly, and you can be free to
from noise bothers anyone over the tinkling of endless ponder whatever mysteries you choose as you climb and jump.
fountains, the chanting of priests and sonorant utteranc- You could just run from one end of this city to the other forever
es of magical ritual, and the clanging of bells in the ca- and never get bored.
thedrals. Not a single piece of woodwork can be found _______________________________________________
in the city: close inspection of the flowers and fruiting
trees reveals them to be magical constructs, hewn from Fae exist everywhere, and central Canam accommo-
the same stone as the buildings. Throughout the city, dates the oddest branch of them, the Limshau dam-
the white stone is carved with waves, circles, and in- askans. They erected great academies and training fa-
scriptions many forget to admire. The markings swirl cilities and then did something no fae expected: they
like water through the supports and pillars, across the invited others in – humans, narros, gimfen, anyone will-
ing to teach and to learn. The Limshau librarians thus Ravenar encouraged his fae brothers to mingle
became the keepers of the largest repository of freely and accept his new human friends. Although the
knowledge on Earth. These damaskans first appeared process took time, eventually a cosmopolitan communi-
on the vast field of Serapea, home to plentiful food ty grew from the first seeds. Of all the fae, damaskans
stocks, verdant plains, wide rivers, ample supplies of are most physically similar to humans, and their peculi-
limestone and the raw materials for adobe, and less vio- arly Asiatic features meant that the earliest human im-
lent wandering monsters than those that graced the for- migrants to Limshau were not that different on the sur-
ests and mountains. The leader of the damaskans, Rav- face from their new fae neighbors. These humans were
enar Limshau III, left most of his followers behind to carpenters, architects, hunters, smiths, tailors, bricklay-
build the new capital while he himself traveled west- ers, plumbers, doctors, teachers, and civil engineers.
ward with a small embassage. He had many adventures They brought vital knowledge the damaskans quickly
in his perilous journey (now referred to as the ‘Crusade absorbed. Despite the fae’s superior skill in art and
of Knowledge’), and none are entirely sure how far he song and their renowned mental and physical discipline,
traveled, for these crucial records were lost, along with they were astounded by the breadth of applicable
their transcriber, in the first major assault on the city.
What is known is that he eventually came before the
knowledge offered by the short-lived humans. Togeth-
er, they truly believed their new nation would set an 331
fledgling walls of the bastion of Angel, and there met example for others to follow. Assisted by magic and
with the elders of Genai. Upon his return to the plains, enhanced by the perseverance of its population, the
he brought no promises of alliance, but hundreds of town’s progress was unstoppable. Hundreds of kilns
Angel humans, mostly of Asian descent, as loyal follow- fired thousands of pale-white bricks every day, laid
ers of a new age. The empire grew quickly upon these down while still warm. The roads spread out from the
foundations. Ravenar, the oldest damaskan and one of center, intersected by streets and avenues. The hu-
the oldest living fae at the time, looked upon the new mans’ planning gave the city structure and precision:
world and understood that a new path awaited him. He the fae gave it personality. They painted tiles and mo-
told his thousands of followers, both human and fae, to saics across plain white walls and topped the tallest
think of this new kingdom as the utopia all other future buildings with the grandest sculptures. At their root,
civilizations would look upon for reference. They the city would be a storehouse of all knowledge. Every
would welcome all outsiders and respect their beliefs wall in every house would support shelves for books.
and laws. The realm would be bound by reason and Where other settlements might have a central market or
compassion, with an eye towards knowledge, for in their a grand bazaar, Limshau built the Central Stacks, the
eyes, knowledge separates the civilized from the barbar- most expansive public library in the world, open to the
ic. air, protected by magic from the elements, and hosting
 at least one text on every subject known to man or fae unknown. They offer the courtesy of respect even to
as well as a catalogue of all other books to be found any- their enemies and expect the same regard in return.
where within the growing empire. Citizens were en- They welcome outsiders, but expect them to pull their
couraged to donate works or words to the collections for own weight. Relations with other fledging nations took
all to share. As a community, they would learn from time to develop, as most grew much slower than
each other and strive to create a civilization based upon Limshau. The first foreign ally was the failed bastion of
the freedom of choice and speech, uncorrupted by reli- Appareci, visitors from Limshau even giving the new-
gious bias or corporate preference. Churches were not born kingdom of Kannos its name. Despite Limshau’s
permitted within the walls of Limshau (though its citi- stance on religion, they still opened a dialogue and
zens could worship privately as they wished), nor were forged a profitable alliance with Abidan. Damaskans
merchants and shopkeeps allowed to expand into a and gimfen have always been friendly, and Limshau
chain. Ravenar promoted freedom with laws designed soon made allies of both Gnimfall and Salvabrooke.
to protect those from others that victimize them, but However, later clashes with Baruch Malkut stained the
otherwise did not impede the individual. If a vice continent in blood, although instead of openly engaging
caused no harm to society at large, it was permitted; if it in a costly conflict, Ravenar suggested to his people that
could be controlled and regulated by the government to they take refuge in the cities, whose fortifications rival
minimize or prevent harm, it was also permitted. Alt- the walls of Angel for security. Many fae chose to re-
hough such decisions mired the city in controversy for main in their villages and often suffer at the hands of
many years, the necessity of such measures was ulti- Malkut slavers, though fewer since the construction of
mately recognized. the city of Zorahn to guard the border. A few fae now
The number of books and scrolls arriving eventually and again still vanish, especially from the free villages
proved too extensive for one town to handle, and Rav- south of Zorahn. Ravenar is still unwilling to commit to
enar decreed that more cities be built, with each satel- open warfare, despite strong pressure from Kannos and
lite city dedicating itself to a specific field of promises of support from Abidan and Gnimfall. They
knowledge. A few towns expanded to a dozen by cen- all understand that, even though a conflict may result in
tury’s end. Ravenar did not share the paranoia of other a short-term victory over the outer towns and villages of
fae and encouraged the uniting of the peoples, not only Baruch Malkut, the marshlands and swamps of the
culturally but by blood. Limshau was not the first city south could only be taken after a long and costly war of
to birth half-breeds between fae and human, but it did attrition.
eventually possess the largest ratio of them. The hu-
That was not the first time an elf asked me that question nor I
mans were attracted to the fae’s beauty, grace, and wis-
imagine the last. I see them burning symbols of human faith,
dom and the fae were attracted to the humans’ spirit, destroying the icons of their history. They expect me to under-
determination, and enthusiasm. More than a quarter of stand. All I know is that one cannot justify evil in reprisal for
the first human settlers took fae mates, and though this another evil. I will admit my kind can bloat their bellies in igno-
ratio dropped into the single digits after the first centu- rance and it truly shocks me. We, of all, should learn from our
ry, the human breeding cycle and the fae long life gen- past. Humans must record their history, given their lifespan lies
erated a massive population boost. in a breath of ours. We remember them from experience.
In response to the first concerted attack against the Chaparra and Laudenia claim superiority for we never enslaved
another species or hunted them down in xenophobia. How dare
city by a large force of unusually organized boggs, Rav- they forget our past? The humans I speak to know nothing of
enar’s successor, Ravenar Limshau IV, formed the cus- our unsmothered hate. Pagus were elves. They still are fae
todian order, devout disciples of knowledge. The pro- despite the ignorant claims to the contrary. The humans’ per-
tectors of paper, these scholar-warriors would defend sonal decree of corruption is but a candle to our bonfire. I will
332 the walls and the words inside. With cities and an army,
the sovereignty of Limshau was official, though Raven-
not judge all of mankind based on the paranoid actions of the
hated few or for the deeds they committed in the past. Those
ar refused to be called a king despite being blessed by a people are dead in a world long forgotten. This world has
changed. Adapt. Accept it.
dragon. Even today, publicly referring to the Limshau
Limshau Historical Entry 4684G
family as royalty is a serious faux pas within the king- Ravenar Limshau IV
dom, though in private nearly everyone calls them such.
Ravenar IV has no official title, being referred to infor-
Despite being at the center of what may be the
mally as the ‘First Citizen’ in public and simply
greatest brewing conflict between man and fae, most
‘Limshau’ on formal documents; he is not even the
damaskans are trusting of humans, if for no other reason
head librarian of the Central Stacks, only of an admit-
than that a large number of them are related to a human
tedly extensive collection of historical texts located in
at some point in their family tree. Thanks to this multi-
his large and central but otherwise ordinary residence.
ethnic influence, a uniquely Limshauan culture formed
Should the Limshau line ever become remiss in their
away from the other damaskans across the ocean. Dam-
duties, no doubt another family would displace them in
askan culture had always had superficial similarities
prominence, but thus far none has ever challenged
with the cultures of old Asia, but these influences be-
them.
came more pronounced in Limshau, to the point that
Damaskans were and are known for being fearless
many Sinitic terms completely displaced the native
and approachable. They neither fear change nor the
Damaskan words for similar concepts, particularly in the Limshau has been accused by some as be-
fields of cuisine, weaponry, and fashion. The Asiatic ing the Mary Sue nation of Ame-
propensity for reservation and propriety, interspersed by thyst—an idealized vision of what an
short periods of intense revelry, resonated with the author perceives a perfect. I’m not go-
Limshau fae, who became quieter and less disposed to
levity than their brethren in Damaska. All damaskans,
ing to lie, that’s exactly what was intend-
of course, abhor public physical contact, but the fae of ed. In the fiction written, damaskans are pre-
Limshau also began to resist being referred to by their sented as cold and unfeeling, almost Vulcan-
personal names except among close friends and rela- like, staining the perception that Limshau is a
tions. Most unusually, Limshau damaskans will volun- haven of human/fae relations. Beyond that,
tarily eat fish and certain kinds of meat, while those of the empire was always a favorite.
Damaska and other fae nations are strictly vegetarian.
At present, Limshau is the only place on Earth that a
fae culture has altered so significantly without a corre-
Limshau wasn't originally written
sponding species shift, and thus far nobody is able to with such a large ethnic Japanese
propose a suitable theory explaining this. population - that's an editorial addi-
Every Limshau city contains both a thermal mooring tion to justify the prevalence of Japa-
tower and a dragonflyer dock. Though Limshau is nese-influenced weaponry and the general
filled with hundreds of small villages, there are only a 'anime-ness' of damaskans. And so that I
handful of walled library-cities. These are Abarbanel, could make jokes about otaku librarians, but
Athenaeum, Enchridia, Escorias, Kodex, Limshau,
that was a secondary concern.
Primmer, Serapea, Warraqeen, and Zorahn. Every city
has its own proud division of librarians and custodians,
save for Zorahn, which only has custodians. SALVABROOKE
Names: While damaskan naming traditions are fairly “Ten pebbles? Nine? Eight? C’mon, chipper, it’s the deal of a
consistent with the rest of their species, placing the giv- lifetime...” Waving the peddler away, Marconi dodged through
en name before the family name, due to the influence the fairground crowd. Fortunately there were enough ‘bigguns’
of Asian immigrants Limshau fae are less likely to use here, even a few techans, that he didn’t stand out. He
their given name than their family name in public stopped for a moment to haggle with a certain merchant over
(assuming they do not adopt an ‘open name’) and using a string of glass beads, another to inspect and discard a pock-
a person’s given name without their permission is con- etwatch of dubious provenance, and briefly bent down to tie his
sidered rude. Limshau fae frequently draw their open shoelace next to a completely insignificant stall selling takoyaki
names from old Japanese history and mythology. – he briefly wondered where they’d gotten the octopus from
Limshau humans have tended to retain their original this far inland, and decided he didn’t want to know. Then he
family names (Japanese-derived names still dominate made his way to a picturesque little tavern – deliberately pic-
by a large margin despite later immigration from else- turesque, for he had seen the original pre-Hammer painting in
where in Canam), but have adopted the fae naming a gallery in Limshau.
sequence, and in the modern day there is no cultural His diminutive contact was waiting at one of the human-
consistency with given names: a Limshau human is just sized tables, looking amusingly like a lost child. Marconi kept
as likely to have an African, German, or Welsh given the smirk off his face – despite her appearance, he know she
name as a Japanese one, or even use a fae-style open could gut him ten different ways before he could draw his re-
name as their given name. Limshau’s gimfen popula- volver, if ever she felt like it. “The word is on the Books,” he
said, gesturing to the tapkeep for an ale. “Every leaf from
tion, of course, is as idiosyncratic as ever. Regardless of
their cultural extraction, everybody born in Limshau here to Angel will be whispering in the wind.” The gimfen 333
learns to write their name in Damaskan rather than woman smiled, showing her perfect white teeth.
whatever writing system it originated in. _______________________________________________
Example Human Family Names: Oda, Miyamoto,
Nakamura, Suzuki, Yamada, Watanabe A lone oak tree that never changes with the season
Example Open Names: Enma, Grasscutter, Juubei, stands like a centurion to mark the gateway to the land
Raiden, Shinobi, Tetsubo of light-hearted gimfen, a huge expanse of spreading
homes and villages. One seemingly continuous expanse
of civilization spreads to the corners of the massive val-
ley. Mountains line the perimeter, making the entrance
marked by the Lone Tree the only safe passage to the
inner fields. The population of the entire valley is more
than 150,000 with houses spread thin along a flat land
150 miles across. There is no centralized government,
leaving each patch of land under control of a clan elder
or sheriff. The population shifts so much in the valley
that naming the individual clans and their townships is
 pointless. Every year, all the headmen and women techan ETVs are commonly seen. Salvabrooke features
meet to discuss affairs. Little is actually accomplished a thermal mooring tower and a dragonflyer flyer service.
at these meetings; most motions (particularly ones in-
volving large and expensive construction projects) are
proposed, planned, and then tabled until the next year,
SELIQUAM
Lelan looked nervously behind her. The shrieks and squeals
at which point everyone will have forgotten about them
were getting closer. “Hurry up!” she hissed to the third mem-
because nobody bothers to take the meeting minutes.
ber of their band.
The most powerful ruler is Lora Longfellow, peacefully
“Nearly finished,” Mescalos called back, calmly fiddling
running a community of more than 3,000 gimfen in the with the chalk. The damaskan had drawn a complicated se-
area closest to the Lone Tree and whose judgment rep- ries of lines from one end of the nearly hundred-foot-wide
resents the norm followed in the rest of the valley. bridge to the other, and was now running down the length
The farming soil in Salvabrooke is extremely fertile adding finishing touches. Lelan held her rifle at the ready,
and fresh water flows from nearby mountains to large really wishing at that moment that she were a chaparran and
clean lakes, as close to a natural paradise as one may could see the swarm coming in the dark. By the time the
find, corrupted by as little technology as possible. The puggs entered the circle of light that was the limit of her vision,
majority of the gimfen wish to keep it that way. Cele- it would be too late to stop them. Of course, at that point the
brations are central to Salvabrooke’s life, with revelry vermin would have overwhelmed Kobur, on guard at the
and festivals occurring every week. Gimfen welcome bridge’s entrance, so there wouldn’t be much chance left for
outsiders and treat those who enter as kings or queens either of them.
with hopefully deep (but easily accessible) pockets. “All right!’ Mescalos shouted. Lelan didn’t wait before run-
Crime is quite low across Salvabrooke, although this is ning to join him. “Kobur, get over here!” There was a scream,
due in part to the gimfen predilection for not consider- a sickening ripping sound, and out of the darkness lumbered a
ing anything a crime that can be dismissed as a harmless huge kodiak, half of a pugg still grasped in his hand. Word-
prank: pickpocketry is an epidemic across the land, with lessly he threw the carcass over the rail and carefully hopped
the culprits happy to return their stolen goods with a over the line. Ten steps behind him, the swarm descended,
laugh and a wave if they happen to be caught (no gim- crowding so close onto the bridge that many were forced over
fen considers this in any way illegal). They adore hu- the edge into the deep waters below. Mescalos shouted a
man exports, but they adore even more the propensity word that tried to force Lelan’s brain out through her ears, and
for humans to buy cheap knockoffs of those same ex- the puggs crashed against an invisible wall, piling up against
ports in the name of tourism. In the larger communi- each other, crushing and suffocating the beasts in the lead.
ties, huge open markets begin business at the crack of “Good, but it will not hold them forever,” Mescalos said with
dawn, peddling shoddy imitation trinkets to anyone an impish grin. “Now, shall we see what lies on the other
interested. Tourists drifting through one of the many side?”
walking streets in a gimfen village should expect to be _______________________________________________
accosted by no less than a dozen different wandering
merchants attempting to vend designer clothes, imita- Though most travelers are quick to characterize the
tion gadgetry, or on occasion, legitimate pieces of folk central west coast of Canam as a monster-infested wil-
art, though not of gimfen culture (since gimfen culture derness due to the inhospitable expanse of Xixion, this
consists of wholesale robbery of other peoples’ ways of is not entirely accurate. Amid the forested highlands of
life). All prices are negotiable and begin at an outra- the northern mountains, the peninsula to the south, the
geous markup, since haggling is perceived to be part of islands that dot the coastal sea protected from typhoons
the fun. There are a few respectable merchants, but by high cliffs and twisting fjords, and the fertile valley
334 these are not the ones harassing passing non-gimfen.
What law enforcement a community might have (which
of the river that flows through the Pass at Dianaso can
be found dozens of tiny tribal nations, minor houses,
usually amounts to only a couple of stout lads with shil- and small fiefdoms. These nations live in an uneasy
lelaghs) attempts to keep the dishonesty in check, but truce with one another, having little in common except
most of the time, the enforcers just break up the fights the threat of Xixion to the south and the distant support
and shift the few homeless from the streets to maintain of the bastion of Selkirk to the east. Collectively, they
a positive image. are known as the Seliquam Confederation.
Salvabrooke is a common destination for echan tour- During the narros’ explorations south from Fargon,
ist trips by techans. It’s echan enough to shock them they found the lack of impressive buildings to be gall-
but safe enough to keep them at ease, and since most of ing, so as they went they built superb structures, which
its merchants are happy to take payment in barter, they they then simply abandoned as they moved on. Many
don’t have to find some way of turning uc into gold. of these monuments found themselves inhabited by
Since such tourists infrequently approach by land, they squatters, mostly descendants of human survivors from
remain blissfully unaware of how precariously close the region who had banded together into small neo-
Salvabrooke is to the ravening hordes of Xixion, and tribal groups out of mutual need, some turning to magic
nobody in the valley is going to disabuse them. to survive while others held on to as much of their tech-
Salvabrooke is one of the few echan locations where nology as possible (it is possible that the founders of
Selkirk were one such group that got lucky). Many of
these settlements were joined by lost damaskans and sions they can carry, leave their homes to be burned by
gimfen who had appeared separately from their kin- the horde, and travel upriver to the Redoubt at the city
dred, and even by a few wandering narros who, for one of Last Hope, a massive fortress wall built, with narros
reason or another, elected to leave Fargon permanently. expertise, across the approaches to the mountain passes.
In time, these camps coalesced into communities, coun- The wall is manned by soldiers sent by every member
ties, even a few moderately-sized cities, but limited nation of Seliquam, the central tenet of the treaty bind-
numbers prevented any one nation from ever growing ing the confederation together. Last Hope is the one
powerful enough to impose its will over the entire re- place where all of Seliquam stands united. The unoffi-
gion. However, the growing pugg and bogg raids on the cial representatives of Selkirk are also in attendance,
settlers’ farming and hunting lands eventually forced trading bastion-engineered goods, weapons and armor
them to make common cause. Unfortunately, the (including a limited supply of masterwork bolt rifles and
strength of that alliance is far less strong than similar revolvers) for the valley’s surplus harvest and the assur-
treaties elsewhere in Canam have proven. ance that the defenders of the Redoubt will continue to
The peninsular rainforest holds little of interest for keep the puggs far, far away from the bastion.
the puggs, and by and large they leave it alone save for Each nation within the Seliquam Confederation has
the occasional raid. More than twenty small tribes— its own method of government, from tribal councils to
mostly chaparran, but with a few human and mixed- rough democracy to feudal fealty, but each member
race, even several kodiak bands—inhabit the peninsula, nation sends a delegation to the Grand Council. Osten-
living largely by hunting and fishing, and trading with sibly the purpose of the Council is to discuss the busi-
(and sometimes thieving from) their neighbors. Settle- ness of the whole confederation and to resolve grievanc-
ments in the rainforest tend to be seasonal rather than es brought by one member nation against another, but
permanent – there are a few large, rooted towns (usually in practice it is a hotbed of suspicion and corruption as
quite literally, as it is far safer to live in a tree than on councilors finagle and make backroom deals to advance
the ground even for non-chaparrans), but for the most their own nations at the expense of long-standing rivals.
part each tribe maintains a summer and a winter camp, The people of Seliquam may stand united against
with certain grounds—such as the shellfish flats at Xixion, but they have a long history of raiding and swin-
Shiwoos, home of the largest kodiak settlement west of dling one another, and each nation clamors for a bigger
Alpinas—held in common between them. Though share of the limited supply of bastion-produced goods.
hardly on the level of the great forests to the south, the To prevent this hornet’s nest from being completely
rainforest is home to several unique and highly valued ungovernable, the eight most prominent nations set up
creatures and plants. Legend has it that a guardian the Inner Council, which enforces the few laws that
dragon sleeps beneath the mountain at the peninsula’s hold over the entire confederation and appoint the com-
core, but evidence of this is sorely lacking. manders of the Redoubt and the Train Guard.
The central islands, home to some of the most im- The dominant powers in the region are the eight
pressive narros monuments, were once heavily populat- nations on the Inner Council: Last Hope (human/
ed by humans, but the growing strength of the pugg narros), Victrix (human), Shiwoos (chaparran/kodiak),
‘city’ of Seelanus eventually drove them north to the Gwaii (human), the Abbey (human/damaskan), Van-
coastal islands. Here, free as they are from the threat of guard (techan human), and Squalmos (human/gimfen),
a Xixion invasion (puggs do not like to swim and build plus Gateway as the unofficial face of Selkirk. Victrix
no boats), can be found the most proud and carefree of and Last Hope have thermal mooring towers. Most
the member nations. Consisting largely of free houses, transport between the major regions of the Confedera-
pirate ports, and militant tribal groups, they trade their tion is by boat, but most watercraft must hug the coast-
military prowess for food and finished goods from the
mainland, although ‘extort’ might be a more apropos
line to defend against storms.
Names: Non-humans in the Confederation use their
335
term in the case of some. traditional naming systems. For some reason, the up-
The valley of the River Seliquam, which flows from heavals of Attricana spared much of the aboriginal hu-
the mountains bordering Alpinas to the sea, is one of man culture of the region, and while the actual original
the most fertile farmlands in the west. Many believe languages are long since extinct, the Seliquam dialect of
the river itself to carry a potent enchantment that keeps English is liberally peppered with terms derived from
the pugg hordes very firmly on the southern bank, but Salish and Haida roots, including a disproportionate
magical scholars have thus far found little evidence of number of personal and place names (even though few
this. As this region is at greatest risk of invasion, those remember what they actually mean anymore).
living there have largely opted for a feudal lifestyle, but Examples: Bella Mallaquin, Gwenlitu Hosten, Kal-
as they still greatly value their independence, the result lumi Brown, Mahcut Rowan, Robert Jacks, Teqmut
is a motley collection of small baronies. Practically eve- Caseway
ry hill worth the name hosts a castle, with a handful of
tiny ramshackle villages huddled around it. Every year
in the midst of the harvest season, the puggs swarm into
the valley to plunder. Every year, the inhabitants gath-
er their crops as hurriedly as they can, take what posses-
 While I've been able to make addi- border guards, especially those along the roads con-
tions and expansions to existing trolled by the house of Skyrose and eastern Limshau
setting material here and there, Seli- because of their nations’ proximity to Baruch Malkut.
quam is 100% my own creation. Alt- This leaves tens of thousands of square miles un-
claimed, a sea of wilderness in which islands of civiliza-
hough I live on the prairies now, I was tion flourish. Many of these would dangerous locations
born in the Pacific Northwest, and on the 14- in which to settle, thanks to the presence of magic or
hour drives to the coast to visit relatives, I like monsters.
to imagine castles gracing every mountaintop The easiest way to check if a forest is enchanted is
and river bend. I always thought it was a to look at the variety of trees growing. If the trees are
shame to bury this stunning landscape under a of radically different species, growing in the same re-
sea of ravenous goblinoids, so I was grateful gion without regard for light or temperature (conifers
mixing with fruit trees, or cactus growing on mountain
for the opportunity to contribute an entire new slopes), it is a forest populated by magic. Oftentimes,
region to the canon. the creatures that inhabit the forests spill out into the
surrounding scrub and plains, making open space only
FREE HOUSES slightly safer to traverse than the paths under the trees.
Canam’s most distinct feature lies with its large number The upheavals caused by Attricana’s opening also
of independent houses. Lauropa’s larger empires opened many spaces beneath the mountains and under
quickly absorbed every spare inch of land, brushing the ground, into which less than savory new life-forms
borders within decades of Attricana’s opening. With quickly descended. Some of these chasms even swal-
Canam, more than a century passed before any nations lowed up artifacts of the old age, so it is not unknown
encountered others. Those with slightly more power (though hardly common either) for a dungeon delver to
absorbed smaller adjacent villages, usually by oath of descend into a natural cave system and find an expanse
betrothal or by threat of violence, forming the first feu- of steel and concrete inside. These unchecked areas of
dal principalities. But much of Canam remained un- the world feature the most dangerous life forms. Some
claimed, and without the ability of the larger kingdoms rumors claim the largest percentage of chaparrans in the
to patrol and hold vast fiefdoms, many villages could world is spread over the unclaimed forests in Canam.
declare themselves free from alliance or external obliga- Beyond chaparrans, not known for their hospitality any-
tion. way, these forests, plains, and mountains showcase the
Hundreds of small villages dot the land, though greatest ratio of magically endowed life, from dire and
most are tied to a larger house. Most free houses con- elemental animals to monstrous beasts of ill will.
trol one small town and perhaps a half-dozen villages,
bonded to the ruling house because of a need of protec-
tion or by forced hands. Large nations usually don’t ALPINAS
directly border each other, most being buffered by sev- The eastern slopes of the northern Nankani Mountains
eral such small nations. Many of these houses are short- are covered with thick conifer forests that stretch far out
lived, especially if a larger nation sets sights on them, onto the central plains, jutting up against the icy tundra
but even then, such empires rarely have the manpower of Ashur in the north. Even though kodiaks control this
to maintain their conquests and they often break away area in force, they have never formed an organized na-
again within a few decades. The majority of the rulers tion: instead, hundreds of villages and roaming bands
of free houses (sometimes also referred to specifically as dot the landscape for hundreds of miles. No town lasts
336 “free-lords”) are human. Their culture, relations, and more than a few years before being broken up or de-
diplomatic standings are varied but seldom extreme. stroyed. The few open plains are cold and windswept,
The most notable free-houses are Antikari, Ogium, Or- forbidding travelers from making roots. No one is sure
chis, Plicato, Quinox, Torquil and Skyrose. how many kodiak camps there are. Few bands sustain a
population of more than a hundred. The largest and
THE WILD only permanent settlement, over 1500 strong, is Mak-
niculsh, ruled by Raknash.
Canam has no specific borders between its nations.
Though animalistic and tribal, the kodiaks prefer to
Kingdoms patrol as much territory as they think they
keep to themselves. They have a devotion to nature
can hold, but wide expanses between their territories
many other species admire but skeggs in particular do
prevent most conflict. Dozens of villages claiming no
not share. The kodiaks of Alpinas are considerably larg-
allegiance fall between them. This creates more of a
er and more savage than their kindred in Seliquam, and
wide blur instead of a defined line. The only way to
remain disdainful of the trappings of civilization which
know if one enters a specific kingdom is to ask the citi-
some of the southern lines have come to embrace.
zens of a village. There are no border markers or sen-
Nevertheless, many now wield weapons forged for
tries on many of the trodden paths, though well-
them by the narros of Fargon to aid in their endless war
patrolled roads such as the Continental Cross and its
against the skeggs of Dagron. This may eventually
tributaries leading into the major nations will maintain
cause problems in the future if the kodiaks finally over- ed by the pestilent forest of Tranquiss; to the west, the
whelm their enemies; the narros hope the trading rela- holy but perilous wood of Skepsis; and to the east, the
tionship will eventually civilize the northern kodiaks despoilers of Baruch Malkut, with whom the chaparrans
before their newly acquired weapons can be turned have been engaged in an ongoing guerilla war since the
against their benefactors. first Malkut slavers came to their lands in search of fae
flesh. Even before the Blessed Kingdom began to en-
HALYC croach upon their borders, the chaparrans lived in con-
The western plains from York stretching almost all the stant dread of the infection spreading from Tranquiss,
way to Gnimfall were given the broad name of Halyc. and this fear altered their attitude towards life. No
While nominally York claims this territory as part of its longer being content with patience and relaxation, they
domain, in practice it leaves most of it alone. The ma- grew increasingly aggressive with each other and other
jority of the plains are untamed grasslands leading up to surrounding lands. Their already reduced magical apti-
mountain foothills, turning to dense forests in the north tude virtually vanished save for a few unique adepts
leading up to the Gulf of Tethuss. More than thirty and savants, most of which end up traveling to Jibaro to
small chaparran villages call the forest home, and de- study due to the lack of avenues to learn at home.
fend it vigilantly against intruders of all sorts. Inde- They do not grow cities, but spread their community
pendent farms and villages along the road between out to cover a wider footprint within the forest. Their
Gnimfall and York sell to both echa and techa, with presence is quiet and looming, more hidden than even
those nearer to York receiving the blanket of protection the fae of Dawnamoak. Many travelers through Lau-
offered by the YSDF. Most military patrols in this re- rama have no idea that a chaparran kitarri lurks in the
gion are mere formalities to guard against the possibility trees above them, watching their every movement for
of pagus crossing the water or to clear the road of wan- the slightest sign of aggression. Laurama fae are in-
dering monsters. Less dedicated patrols roam the tensely distrustful of humans more than any other chap-
southern border, as York has never considered Baruch arrans: Malkut slavers are usually killed on sight, and
Malkut a serious threat. any others that the chaparrans even suspect of harmful
intent never leave the forest. Even innocent travelers
have been known to be attacked, stripped of their armor
KESAKAS and weapons, and dumped at the borders of the forest, a
The isthmus of land between Dawnamoak and the clear sign that outsiders are not welcome. Other nations
Gloam is a twisting labyrinth of mountains, deserts, me- do not acknowledge Laurama as a sovereign power –
sas, scrub plains and savannah. Few people live here, as even Jibaro considers them a satellite colony of Dawna-
it is home to innumerable savage beasts. With the ad- moak – and so their open declaration of war against Ba-
vent of magic, the land regressed to the Pliocene epoch. ruch Malkut has thus far brought no allies.
Dire animals of every description hunt each other
through the canyons and grasslands, and most settle-
ments in the area are either itinerant or perched precari-
NANKANI MOUNTAINS
ously on and within the sides of cliffs. The bastion of A huge mountain range dominating western Canam, the
Sierra Madre is located somewhere underneath this Nankani Mountains stretch from Kesakas to Fargon,
dangerous terrain, the terrors of which serve to protect bisecting the western third of the continent. Several
the techan city far better than any artificial defenses tributary ranges lead into it, particularly in the north,
could but which make excursions from the bastion a where the highest and most dangerous peaks sprout
harrowing experience that discourages casual tourism. between Selkirk and Thos Thalagos. While many iso-
lated echan settlements and even techan atolls can be
Kesakas hearkens back to the obliga- found among the peaks and valleys, the most populous 337
species within the range are puggs and boggs, who
tory 'hunting zone' you find in a lot claim large cave systems and build ramshackle ‘cities’
of computer RPGs (especially Final inside them, where the strongest goblinfolk rule over
Fantasy games) - a big wild space their lessers with fear and violence, and send them out
largely isolated from the rest of the on raids into the lowlands to take food, treasure, and
world where you can grind for XP. Not that slaves. Dire wolves roam the forested slopes, and many
you'd do that quite so much in 13th Age, of a rogue dragon has been sighted among the peaks. The
course, but there are other adventure opportu- only safe path through the mountains is the Continental
Cross, kept clear of monsters by the various free houses
nities beyond hunting giant beasts. that claim portions of the road. The mountains are also
full of ruins, including monuments from the days of the
LAURAMA Fargon expeditions, as well as older structures locked
The chaparrans occupy a great forest and mountain away within the earth, some full of remnants from the
range. Unlike their western cousins, the fae of Laurama last age of Man.
are extremely militaristic – not surprising, when you
consider their neighbors. To the north, they are bound-
 WASTELANDS where power is maintained by a loyal cadre of the
toughest warriors.
The wilds of Canam are full of many dark and danger-
ous regions. No goodly folk live in such places; they are
the preserves either of monsters or wicked creatures AZHI DAHAKA
whose ‘societies’ are born of violence and malevolent The greatest typhox dragons, the Ažhi seven, claim this
will. Often, a nameless and shapeless evil will infest a region under their direct control, though most of them
portion of the wild, turning into an unhallowed land of are never seen, living out their lives in solitude within
danger and death. Travelers learn to avoid such places, self-proclaimed kingdoms deep in the northern regions,
or tread carefully if they have no choice but to cross leaving their lesser brethren to impose order and terror
them. on the land. Pagus followers give most of their own
food as offerings, or risk being snatched up as food
APOCRYPHA themselves. There is no border between Apocrypha
and Ažhi Dahaka; any land that falls beneath the shad-
After the puggs, the largest individual fae population in
ows cast by the winged monstrosities is the evil drag-
Canam is the pagus. They control a massive expanse of
ons’ domain. The only thing stopping the dragons from
land dubbed Apocrypha by humans, or Sollasum by
launching a full-scale invasion of Canam, other than
many fae. Most of the pagus armies on the continent
their relative small numbers, is the lack of any central-
fall under the control of typhox dragons, which brought
ized control of the region. No typhox dragon will bow
them across from Kakodomania when the dragons dis-
before another, despite victories proven by scars, age, or
covered an unspoiled land across the polar ice and re-
size. Though they may respect and envy the power of
solved to spoil it. Separated from the darklands by
their elders, they will not rally to any common cause.
thousands of miles of ice and tundra, the dragons could
The seven dragon lords of Ažhi maintain keeps of
enslave and ravage as they willed without needing to
answer directly to Mengus. The recent arrival of sever- varying strength across the land, and none can be en-
al shemjaza in Canam threatens to disrupt the dragons’ tirely sure where they roost at any given time. These
monopoly. The pagus are bound in their souls to follow dragon lords are rarely seen, but are known across the
the orders of the generals of Kakodomania, who outrank continent through tales to frighten troops and children:
the dragons, though so far the shemjaza have not at- Baenis of Gorge, who forces his slaves to raise exotic
tempted to exert their authority on a grand scale. beasts, feasting on them as he sees fit; Balaur of De-
There is a growing number of pagus that have thrown bauch, who captures free pagus to engorge his numbers
off the influence of their masters and attempt to live and maintain the high population of his slaves; Goch of
free in the inhospitable wastes. Wrath, one of the surviving dragon kings who, with no
Pagus with their souls bound to Ixindar are not nec- citadel of her own, wanders the lands taking what she
essarily tied to its control. With the dragons killing and wills (though stories tell that she once gutted and
enslaving them to the east, the pagus must look else- claimed a laudenian sky keep as her throne); Lindis of
where to expand. Cold and water awaits them to the Avarice, who keeps her storehouses of treasures hidden
north. Mountains, skeggs, and kodiaks sit over the hori- and never lingers in any one place for long; Lotan of
zon in the west, leaving only the narrow land bridge of Scorn, whose massive citadel, built around an entire
Tethuss to the south, guarded by the Janoahn Bulwark. mountain with walls as high as its peak, lies mostly
This great fortress of man has never fallen, even when a empty due to constantly driving his pagus to war;
dragon lord attempted to storm the walls and was only Verkelen of Spite, who despises and distrusts all the
repulsed at the cost of the Paladin King’s own life. other dragons and never reveals his location to anyone;

338 Since pagus fear the natural elements of earth and Zilant of Indolence, who is far too lazy to do any-
(mountains, winds, water), they prefer to continue to thing other than lie on a bed of treasures brought to him
slam against the Janoahn wall, plummeting to their by his fearful followers, and occasionally eat one of
deaths into the churning gulf when they cannot retreat. those followers who doesn’t show sufficient deference
Though a massive land with rich potential, Apocrypha to his majesty. Though each of the seven claims to rule
will, within 500 years, no longer be able to support any the entire land, they do not fight each other for control
life thanks to the despoilment of dragons and pagus. of it except by proxy, sending their pagus slaves to mas-
The best-known tribal leaders are Mennos, Nemis sacre and plunder the slaves of the others.
the Gatherer, Saemus, Amon the Nomad, Arrenna, and
Kallis the Monster, leading camps named after them- Ažhi Dahaka and Apocrypha are not
selves. The biggest issue with these camps lies with meant to be Mordor—that’s somewhere
the pagus’ short lifespans: since even the eldest seldom else. The lands to the north are meant to
live past forty, most of the villages are equally short- be a region where a few dragons have been
lived. Their successors seldom follow the same ethics able to corral bands of pagus from the masses
(or lack thereof) as their antecedent, and the village of uncontrolled tribes plaguing the region. The
often tears itself apart in very uncivil wars with few sur-
fear is that commanders from the real evil land
vivors. Only a few rare exceptions have allowed certain
villages to survive past a generation, and these mostly
will arrive and lock a million pagus inline.
CYON exact location is unknown. Above the tundra lies the
Though not enchanted and tall like chaparran woods great glacier Chronzia, worshipped and feared by all the
over the horizon, Cyon is still equally massive, encir- denizens of the north, and somewhere beyond that the
cling the entire northeastern wall of Canam. In their mythical titan city of Selmana.
fledging first years, Angel clear-cut most of the land-
scape in their frantic construction, but the trees re- It's not entirely clear where Alpinas
turned as dense and stout as before in barely a genera- ends and Dagron starts, partially
tion. Each time the trees were felled, they grew back thanks to the dodgy maps we used to
just as strong, until the branches began to brush against have, but that's a good thing - there
the Angel wall; there are rumors that a few saplings should be some overlap. It makes for good
have begun to spring up inside the walls themselves, adventures when you don't know from day to
but the Crimson Starlight suppresses these whisperings
day whose territory you're in, particularly
in the name of public morale. On their own, the trees
don’t appear to be magical at all, but they do radiate an
when you can't be certain that the 'good' side
ambient EDF far above that of the surrounding lands. isn't going to try to eat you too.
Other than boggs, no other intelligent species are
known to inhabit the woods, though the Angel snipers SANA MARSH
who patrol the outer wall pass locker-room stories that A perpetual and permanent fog has spread for hundreds
tell otherwise: not just boggs but puggs, skeggs, and of miles in the land once called the Kingdom of Kardia.
even rumors of a chiggoth once. Along with the horrors, The Marsh is the single most dangerous place on the
there are tales as well of the more obscure fae anathema continent. Beasts shuffle into the black and vanish,
like faeries, dawnlings, and sylphids. waiting for an unsuspecting foe. Rumors tell of a terri-
ble evil that lurks in the castle once controlled by King
DAGRON Saren Sana, gathering the power of the Marsh towards
Over two hundred years ago, the kodiaks of Alpinas, it.
trained and supplied by the narros of Fargon, drove a Legends tell of one of the first kings of man in the
large swarm of skeggs out of the central Nankani Moun- new age, and how his arrogance and naivety reduced his
tains into the unclaimed wilderness to the east. They empire to eventual damnation for him and his people.
adapted to the bitter cold very quickly and grew in size The legend claims that King Sana ruled over one of the
and numbers. They formed several large communities first kingdoms in Canam after the opening of Attricana,
both underground and on the surface, and their disposi- Kardia. Older than any other surviving human realms,
tion grew colder than even their brothers to the south. Kardia expanded to dozens of villages while Limshau
They became known as the “Bugbears of Dagron,” was still building its first walls. Kardia used knowledge
making regular raids south into more temperate human gleaned from the first bastions to create a stable, grow-
lands and attacking travelers and undefended commu- ing empire with well-paved roads, a reliable under-
nities, even those of their erstwhile brethren. They ground sewer system, plentiful crops and powerful mag-
leave few survivors of these raids, stripping their victims ic. It is even said that the master mage Kereptis Rifts
of valuables and taking them back as slaves, destined originally came from Kardia.
for the cookpots when they can no longer work. Only Sana, however, grew troubled over his own mortali-
two villages are believed to have survived more than a ty. Unlike the bastions, afraid and xenophobic, Kardia
few years: one, Lilecrog, is ruled by the despicable embraced the new world, almost to a fault. As the fae
Numak; the other is Silcroge, ruled by Omerogroge, and half-fae population of the kingdom continued to
resting at the entrance of a large dungeon filled with grow, with much of the population obsessed with magic 339
stolen treasure. Despite their prosperity in their new and the elder folk who had mastered it, Sana came to
homeland, the skeggs have not forgotten their defeat by realize that his own lineage was threatened with obscu-
the kodiaks and wage endless war against them, the rity. Though already married with two sons, he began
longest sustained conflict in Canam’s history. The seeking a fae bond – at first not for gift of long life it
skeggs’ superior numbers and greater intelligence might would bestow on him, but so that his heirs would re-
have doomed the Alpinas kodiaks long ago but for the ceive the adulation that the merest peasant could com-
support of others; Fargon continues to supply the larg- mand as long as their ears were pointed. However, eve-
est kodiak bands in the north, and many of the kodiak ry one of his invitations was rebuffed, and not long af-
among Seliquam’s Train Guard have kindred fighting in ter, both of Sana’s young sons given to him by his inno-
the ancient feud. cent wife fell to a rare infection, taking them slowly and
The skeggs are not alone in their land: trolls and painfully. Without heirs, Sana became paranoid about
various ice monsters also rampage throughout the re- losing his lineage and set his wizards to examine any
gion. Further north, in the frostlands of Ashur, frost avenue that might extend his life or grant him the fae
dragons control and rule over a small fae population. bride he desperately needed. Finally, in his declining
The largest known frost dragon in Canam, a creature years, a great dark dragon with decayed skin, perforated
known only as “The Snow Devil,” resides here, but its wings, and a near-barren skull appeared at the gates of
 Gothas. The creature promised to return the empire to wafted about the living, whispering dark thoughts in
power and vowed to force the arrogant fae to kneel to their ears, turning some to madness and violence and
true immortality. Though tempted by the offer, Sana the rest to dull servitude. Little food grew in the mist-
had no desire for immortality, only the endurance of his wracked land, and those who ate what did grow turned
lineage. The dragon then offered him something else: into monsters and fed on those who remained. The
his long-sought bride. castle of Gothas became infested with sourceless shad-
Her name was Umala. A tightly wrapped silk band- ows. Where Sana walked, they followed, they watched,
age covered her eyes, though she could still sense her yet never revealed themselves. As more of his people
surroundings with ease. She possessed the ears of the died, the shadows increased; the fog thickened. Sana’s
fae but little else Sana could recognize as chaparran, forgotten bride perished in the empty halls, along with
gimfen, or damaskan. The dragon declared its own all who had once been loyal to him. Years passed into
blessing was proof of the fae’s noble blood. Umala even decades, finally leaving only a few souls lingering in the
possessed a great book of magic claiming to hold a pow- darkness, unable to change their fate. The fog seeped

340 er the gods feared to offer man. Though Saren’s first

wife objected to the pairing, the king agreed to the
into the soil and salted the earth. Contaminated water
rose from the depths. The castles and manors of the
bonding. great houses collapsed to rot and ruin, until only the
The events that followed have fallen into obscurity: tower of Kardia-Gothas remained. The shapeless forms
even the libraries of Limshau do not hold an accurate roamed the landscape as an army, raised from the ashes
account. The public was not permitted to see the con- of withered corpses. A few soon spread from the dark
cubine of the king. Though elderly and near senility, shroud into the outer lands, encouraging others to enter
the thrust of Sana’s manhood returned. His old and the Marsh with similar promises of immortality and
faithful wife was cast aside quickly in favor of newfound magic, knowing protracted stays ensured another meal
pleasures. After Sana’s lust was satisfied, one story for the king and the demon at his side.
claimed he would bellow a great exhalation of soot and It is said that Sana lives still, twisted and aged but
smoke which would settle and float about the kingdom. refusing to die, an empty shell of a man driven by the
A similar account, less popular but likely more accurate, twin curses of boundless sorrow and unquenchable de-
claimed that the very citizens of the empire would fall sire. Umala, unchanged in those years, refused her hus-
asleep to awaken aged to the point of death, their bod- band’s undying appetite unless new souls entered the
ies expelling a great darkness upon their demise which Marsh. Those daring to breach the cursed land should
refused to evaporate with the morning dew. More peo- exercise caution not to stir the attention of the mistress
ple fell to dust, replaced by the growing mist, which of Sana or her king, lest they fall victim to their lust.
 There has previously been some confu- central hive of the forest is so tightly packed with long,
sion about how big Sana Marsh is, sharp branches, no creature has ever successfully found
given that the earliest version of the the first tree which started the calamity. Though some
adventure at the end of this book believe destroying this tree would cure the entire forest,
there is no evidence for this.
erroneously talked about it being The infection has taken most of the natural trees
'nearby' to a ruined castle in Torquil (northern and now threatens both Skepsis and Laurama. Much of
Mexico). To clarify, the Marsh is Yellowstone: Laurama has already been taken though not enough to
its exact borders are expanding all the time and threaten the chaparrans there. Some believe enemies
are flexible depending on the needs of your of the fae created the deadly forest in hope the infec-
campaign, but they don't extend quite THAT tion would suffocate or consume them.
far. The only creatures that reside in Tranquiss are un-
natural monstrosities that carry the infection with them
341
like a symbiote, and the cancer dragons, one of the most
TRANQUISS notorious of which is Carcin of Pathos, a despicable
Twisted with evil, blackened with corruption and creature known to belch living tumors that slither across
cloaked in darkness, Tranquiss is, after the Sana Marsh, the ground to attach and infect victims with their
one of the most dangerous territories of Canam. It be- plague. Carcin is even more insane than most cancer
gan with the infection of a single tree but soon spread to dragons, and only a lingering sense of self-preservation
others, then dozens, and then hundreds. The trees lost keeps him from blindly attacking Laurama or Limshau
their leaves and the sap turned to blood. Hairlike ten- directly. Cancer dragons feel welcome in the pestilence
drils grew from the bark which gravitated toward living of Tranquiss and fear the holy, healing power of Skep-
flesh, and anything they touched was sucked dry of its sis, dreading that the fabled Skepsis Tree, with its pow-
energy and left as a desiccated husk. The wood can er to cure all ills, might free them from the diseases
neither be burned nor cleansed of its infection by any wracking their immortal forms. Every year Tranquiss
known magic. Even the most powerful spells only halt grows another few meters, spreading its claws about
the spread temporarily rather than cure it. The plague Laurama and Skepsis.
known as Trendance covered hundreds of square miles
before any even realized the threat. The canopy of the
 XIXION of 70,000 puggs while the Eletharius (‘Grasshopper’)
Puggs, even more than pagus and humans, are the fast- swarm has 100,000 and the Ephesia (‘Cicada’) swarm
est-growing intelligent species on the planet. They has 50,000. But all these together are a mere pint in a
broke off late from the damaskans and are considered gallon in comparison to the pugg ‘city’ of Seelanus
one of the least civilized of all fae races. They have (‘Millipede’), dug into the crater of a slumbering volca-
little culture of their own, preferring to steal and corrupt no in the north coastal Nankani range and which, at last
the trappings of it from their more civilized neighbors, count, had nearly 1,200,000 puggs.
and reproduce at an alarming rate. Puggs spread across
the globe quickly, though the highest concentration Hive Seelanus (I pronounce it 'say-lah-
remains where they first appeared, on the central west nus,' but I didn't come up with the
coast of Canam. Their elder brethren, the more intelli- name so maybe that's not how it's sup-
gent boggs, found that they could use their own size to posed to be said) is meant to be a bit
subjugate the smaller goblinkind and use their strength like Goblin-town from 'The Hobbit', only
of numbers to amass great wealth and power, though a lot more feral. There's obviously something
most puggs live a feral life beholden only to the strong-
in the hollowed-out crater of what was once
est of their swarm.
The pugg-infested region known as Xixion covers
Mt. Ranier that's keeping the puggs from
almost half of the land west of the Nankani Mountains, simply devouring each other... but who knows
but no roads cross it. Their growing armies push ever to what that could be?
the north, south, and east, encroaching on the bastions
of Selkirk and Angel and the lands around them. A Puggs viciously attack anything that doesn’t look
brief siege of Angel resulted in the total annihilation of like them, and if nothing immediately presents itself,
the attacking army, and they have not attempted it they turn their violence on their own kind. They are
again. With the bastions’ official policy of non- one of the most primitive species and what many higher
involvement in the realms of magic, it is left to the fae fear all faekind is destined to devolve into. Puggs
echans to keep the pugg population down, though both paint no pictures, write no poetry, and carve no sculp-
bastions have been known to offer covert support. In tures, though they will gladly carry such things off, de-
the north, the Seliquam Confederation formed to com- face them, and use them to adorn their foul pits (or,
bat the menace, while in the south the various free more often, use them as toilets). Their towns and vil-
houses and independent settlements take arms against lages are nothing more than huts of logs and mud, holes
the swarms’ incursions. Narros and damaskans are par- in the ground, or cliff faces strung haphazardly with
ticularly fierce in clearing out large concentrations of rotting timbers and ropes. They despise farming and
their evil little cousins wherever they occurred. To the prefer to hunt or steal. If they run out of prey, they
east, the onward push is stymied by the unpassable evil eventually turn on each other.
of the Sana Marsh and a strange power that somehow
prevents them from simply swarming over the moun-
tains protecting Salvabrooke. Instead, they pushed
south throughout the Nankani Mountains, burrowing
into holes and filling them up with stolen treasure, piles
of decaying garbage, and more puggs. Passing travelers
in the lands surrounding Xixion still need to contend

A
with raiders, but otherwise the ‘nation’ lies quiescent
342 but for their annual invasion of the Seliquam river val- ntikari was unimportant in the world until progres-
sive humans and fae from Limshau decided to set
ley, where they batter their oversized heads against the
Redoubt at Last Hope for a few weeks before returning a road across the land, uniting its various king-
to their holes. This may turn out to be a sleeping lion, doms. The town nurtured a business of escorts
as their frantic reproduction continues. and travel guides armed with allies and swords. Rising costs
forced some committed pilgrims to chance the journey to Angel
Puggs do not coordinate or plan, only rage. They
alone. At this late hour, gas powered lamps flickered with
have no talents for strategy or stealth, and no apprecia-
flame.
tion for the things they steal. They are a mass of living
The continental cross was a beaten path that connected
death – a humanoid locust swarm that ravages terrain
the bastion of Angel, through house Antikari and house Orchis,
and then moves on. The central areas of Xixion are
and finally to Limshau. Although not always safe, it was the
barren and lifeless. Even the trees have been stripped
easiest route to take with reduced risk. All Aiden needed to do
of their bark and burned. Several years ago, a bevy of
was book passage and follow the single road to Limshau. He
custodians and librarians attempted to analyze the pat- hobbled to the station, still forcing air into his lungs.
terns of the pugg swarms and managed to distinguish The Corrigan caravan was a string of a dozen slow moving
four different masses of puggs, which all continually conestogas, coaches, and carriages, laced together and towed
shift positions and are slowly approaching civilized by a group of oversized oxen. Endowed with magic, the two
neighbors. The Etaraki (‘Cockroach’) swarm comprises storey beasts never slept and seldom ate. They could pull a
hundred tons for weeks before needing rest. It was what Aid- and the fourth from Plicato.
en had waited his life to see, something truly unbelievable and After the second week, the caravan stopped in Orchis. The
impossible given the rules of science. It was real and alive and "sand-castle," as it was often mocked, was spotted on the hori-
beautiful. The conestogas were double in height and the two zon, flapping into vision from the waves of heat from dried
monstrous bovine dragged them like living locomotives. Aiden desert soil. The ruling founders preferred the term "Desert
had read about gargantuan snails with houses formed out of Flower." Regardless of its name, the smooth towers of the
their shells and flying boats with stone wings which never relatively small keep soared over those in Antikari or any other
flapped. This would do for now. buildings outside of a bastion.
Ten silver Limshau carmot later and he had sleeping provi- A mockery of a legend claimed a demigod of child-like
sions that would travel during the night. Though the caravan whim packed the sand with water and sculpted the keep with
was slower than galloping horses, it allowed a cushioned bed. his own hands. Upon completion, he ordered a dragon to fire
Antikari was a small house of questionable nobility in a the castle to an ironstone ceramic. The castle was then given
town that ruled a dozen smaller farms. The main keep was a to the Orchis family on condition that neither the immediate
fenced house slightly larger than the surrounding buildings. family nor their direct descendants ever sleep beyond the limits
Antikari also hated fae. Anyone approaching the town picked of the castle. They ruled over a dozen smaller villages across
up that nugget of gossip. Any moral opposition to the popula- seventy miles including stops along the continental cross like
tion's xenophobic view needed restraining for those wanting to Archena, Kerria, and Bitterblush.
approach Angel. Travelers needed to unite as the raiders pre- The Book of Free Houses, read to Aiden when he has nine.
ferred smaller, less defended targets. It was true to.
Most of the residents of Antikari believed anything non- It was there when Aiden switched over to a larger stage-
human was responsible for man’s fall from grace. Many of coach. It had two floors, a hallway, and four rooms with a
them wished to enter and live in Angel but their lack of useful narrow set of stairs and drapes separating the cabins from the
knowledge prevented it. beasts and their reigns. The population increased the further
The house baronet, Renan Torquil, inherited the keep when he approached Limshau. The caravan stopped at Black-
Stellen Antikari died from disease, leaving no heirs. Renan, his baronne and Kendelkorne, swelling in wagons and people.
half brother and 2nd in line to Torquil, claimed the seat before Aiden began recognizing cultures and landmarks from the
any bastards or distant relations could object. books he had read. Still no fae. He shared the cabin with a
After taking in a proper meal of rice and chicken, Aiden pleasant looking musician wielding an acoustic bass guitar
found himself starring at the restaurant's bathroom. The pa- marked with colorful rosettes sprinkled with damaskan elvish.
per was rough hemp. There was no seat, no plumbing, and no Aiden was still trying to pick up the tongue. It was one of the
cover, only a hole in the ground with a bucket of water beside easier of the elvish languages.
it. It ran to a closed pit a few meters away. Aiden took a "Ou frei casa y'habit?" the man asked.
glance outside and then back to the task. The ring around the "I’m sorry," Aiden answered," I don’t speak…whatever it is
hole wasn't clean, with muddy boot prints and various other your saying."
stains he would rather not touch with bare skin. Indoor plumb- "Ou niima bastion?" Aiden was sure it was Englo-Lingo, a
ing with moving water was a blessing Aiden instantly missed. strange dialect no one at Angel knew.
There wasn't even a handle to maintain balance. Matters "Yes…bastion, yes." The man plucked a few chords, evolv-
beckoned him and Aiden grimaced his way through it. ing with each pass into a complex melody. It was far superior
to any of the synthetic tunes Aiden had heard from his youth,
* * * only matched by the ethnic songs from Genai. "It’s very good."
"Muzak esta sin knacko civila est verbessern de mecha"
Caravans alive and rolling as well as sacked and burned could "Whatever you said, I’m sure you’re right."
be spotted along the Cross's route. Wandering shops sold Aiden appreciated the talent the man exhibited, and the
trinkets from the backs of wagons. Carts stayed together for
protection, creating nomadic markets that roamed the roads.
level of hygiene was a blessing considering the weeks prior. It
was between a surprisingly lengthy tune when the caravan
343
A day after leaving Antikari, the Corrigan passed Arciducha- shuddered and stopped. The coach drivers were all trained to
-a caravan of 35 wagons that sold fine clothes, rare foods, and pull their breaks in chorus but the vehicles still struck each
even protective lodging with optional vendible flesh to keep other, causing Aiden to fall onto the floor. Aiden poked his
merchants and adventurers warm and satisfied. It took four head out to see what caused the halt.
minutes for the road trains to pass each other. Flowers and It was a dumpy figure jabbing a dead jackrabbit repeatedly
drinks were share through windows. The drivers passed gossip with a sharpened stick. Despite the state of the prey, the
and news about the road ahead. Aiden noticed various pas- predator continued to perforate the body. The creature resem-
sengers waving and smiling. None of them were techan. All bled a hairless dog walking on bipedal legs. Floppy ears ran
were human. down a flattened head. The caravan was understandably cau-
For the first few days, Aiden was forced to sleep alongside tious. One could mean thousands. A forward guard readied a
a farmer with leather skin forged from fifty years in the sun. crossbow shot. Despite the racket of animals and passengers,
After passing the village of Nymanis, Aiden slept beside two the pugg ignored the group. They couldn’t allow it to live, even
miners that smelled of week-old cheese. As the caravan left if it did pay them no mind. It turned sharply and uttered a
the land of Antikari and made for the free house of Orchis, scream that crossed the laugh of a monkey with the shriek of a
Aiden was upgraded to a wool covered bed of straw in one of bat.
the conestogas with four other humans, three from Antikari Dozens more vermin swarmed from the trees towards the
 caravan. Aiden fell back into the coach and slammed the shut- and polyester and into Aiden’s leg. The pain was shockingly
ter down. The voices and clatter of armed guards rushed past intense. The pugg pulled it back quickly and strolled over the
him. corpse to aim for Aiden’s face. The leather-bound spellbook
"All able bodied men to the front!" screamed Captain Roth- had a skeleton of wood. It was heavy for its size and durable.
schild as he walked by the coach. "Grab a sword. If you can Only a handful of pages were pierced as the book was held up
hold it, you can wield it." as a shield. When Aiden pushed the book back, the creature
"Esta sang froid!" said the musician as he took the call and fell off the guard's body.
departed. Aiden leaned forward to follow. The screams of the After dislodging himself from under the armored carcass,
innocent forced a moment of pause and Aiden froze. Aiden rolled back and slammed the tome as hard as he could
The captain poked his head through the door. "Out of the upon the pugg’s head. He brought it down again, hearing a
room, this duties’ for all," he snapped. Out of reflex, Aiden crack, and another, which added a blemish of blood on the
grabbed his totem book as he left. "What's that?" cover. All his strength in a third cracked the creature’s bones
"Spell book," Aiden answered. and snapped the spear. A fourth, fifth, eighth, twelfth, and
"A mage, we've hit the fools luck." He snatched Aiden’s there was little left other than broken bones and blood. Aiden
shirt and pulled hard. "Get behind a sword and throw some kept at it up until jostled by the shout.
fire." "Hey...Wizard!" shouted the captain sarcastically. Aiden
"I actually--" Aiden was cut short as he was tossed onto his looked up from his kill. The remaining puggs had been driven
feet out of the coach. He fell in behind a hefty fellow draped off or killed. Three guards had fallen along with two passen-
in mail and topped with a burgonet. His weapon was a well gers. "You done wowing it with your magic? It’s over." Aiden
weighted often-used broadsword already blessed with pugg lifted himself from the ground, looked at the nearly destroyed
blood. The rodents were rolling over each other to get to their book, and limped back to the carriage. As he struggled up the
prey. A few wore scraps of clothes, many were naked, wielding steps, the captain added, "That was some spell you got there."
sharpened sticks with the rare pack leader with a rock or steel Aiden ignored him.
tip. The guard cleaved one on his downswing and caught an-
other as he brought his blade back. * * *
In history, puggs had been attributed to brownies, boggles,
leprechauns, and various other sprites. They were the fastest It was hours after the caravan got moving again did a doc-
growing species to emerge from the gates. All they cared for tor see to Aiden's injury. As the healer pulled the broken layers
was breeding and eating and finding the easiest and fastest of clothing away, they both realized how pathetic the wound
solutions to both. They painted no art, wrote no poetry, and was. The doctor didn’t comment and went about with three
carved no sculptures. If they ran out of prey, they turned on stitches. Aiden didn’t voice his concern if the needle or thread
each other. was sterile or if brandy was the best cleaning solution. The
"I heard right...mage?" the guard asked Aiden behind him. sutures were clumsy and the brandy hurt as much as the nee-
"Apparently. Watch out!" Aiden shouted as a pugg dove to dle sewing his flesh. Aiden winced away the pain the best he
impale a stick into the guard’s shin. It was kicked away by a could but a single tear still found itself rolling down his cheek.
spiked boot. He lifted the cover of his spellbook. It was beautiful once,
"Human wizard," he responded with hardly a strain, "good blind tooled with symbols from Chen that Aiden was still trying
marks on ya. Barking storms and cackling fire, eh?" to decipher. The uneven and muddled pages were a require-
Aiden held a tuff of steel loops in his hand to ensure his ment, filled with scratches and notes on the sidebars. Equa-
cover remained in front. "I don't really follow you, no." tions and shorthand filled every space. Sitting perfectly even
The guard leaned back. "Well, cast something." and parallel were the symbols of Aiden's devotion, the words of
"I could..." Aiden had a hard enough time concentrating on Pleroma.
his normal thoughts. To keep such a word in his mind, to re- The leather cover was broken. The spine was cracked. A
344 call all his knowledge of it, and in its expression, alter the physi-
cal rules of the world, was out of his reach when ferocious
bushel of papers fell out as he placed the book on his lap. The
spark flew out of a fallen page and whizzed around Aiden's
monsters were within theirs. "You know, I'm not good with a head, around the room, before flying back to its written word
sword, but perhaps I should--" on the scattered leaf. The blood had gotten through the hole
The guard turned sharply back. "Are you a mage or not? and stained the first few pages. Aiden gathered the fallen
Throw down the pillars, boy--" notes and minor incantations and slipped them back into the
"Holy fuck!" Aiden shouted. The guard turned back to see broken book. After he was left alone in the coach, Aiden
the blurry point of a rock-tipped spear only an instant before it glanced at the abandoned guitar and realized who one of the
drove into his eye. The lumbering corpse fell back on Aiden, fallen passengers was.
pinning his legs under 300 pounds of dead flesh and steel. "Shit..."
The pugg pulled the spear from the wound and smiled teasing-
ly. The terrified wizard kicked and struggled under the weight. * * *
His book was still in his hand. This pugg had more than a few
scraps of cloth draped over it, the chief. Aiden waited for his Captain Rothschild called Aiden to the reigns at mid after-
rescue, for that moment in every book where the hero would noon on the next day. Aiden was still nursing a mild limp as he
be saved at the last second. A dragon would be good but a pushed through the drapes and stepped onto the front of the
well placed arrow would-- road train.
The creature's spear drove an inch through layers of cotton "Captain?" said Aiden.
 "Yes, have a seat." The captain had a cushion. Leaf solar cells alone. Hidden deep inside, locked in an iron shell,
springs didn’t soften every rock. The vantage was impressive. was the energy of the sun.
Three storeys up and Aiden could just see over the crest of "Still beats walking," the captain replied. Aiden turned to
trees. Looking down brought him square into the ass of a cow reenter the coach. "What would you call something like that?"
twice the size of an elephant. "Mark 13 Behemoth, via the Angel Strongyards " Aiden
"How’s the wound?" The captain emphasized the last answered as he left the captain.
word. The captain turned and watched Aiden vanish into the
Aiden stroked the bandage he could see through the hole vehicle. "Well, good luck out there, techan."
in his pants. "It’s nothing."
The captain shook his head. "Could have told me you
couldn’t do magic. My fault for not knowing better. Human
casters were rare enough."
"I know the words, but--"
"Not in combat. If you want a light, make a fire. That’s a
useful skill. Carpentry, metalwork—hell—musician, there’s
some value in that. Do something productive. Wizard…same
spells then are the same today. Nothing changes, never gets
better. Can’t build on a spell, son." Aiden nodded. He didn’t
wish to engage in an argument, not now, not here. Aiden had
practiced the basic words for years. The pain had been dis-
tracting. The creature’s scream had been unsettling. Those
were good reasons but they were probably wrong. "So which
house?"
"House?"
"A peasant-born would know a blade. You’ve got skin as
pure as a fae’s ass. You were raised in sanctuary. So which
house? Antikari? Torquil? You don’t look inbred."
"You need to slow down." The captain looked ahead to
see the approaching dust plume, moving fast.
"Storm? Stampede, maybe?"
Future monster sketch
"I don’t think so." (I know, scary)
The captain stood up and shouted to the controller at the
rear of the coach, "Full stop!"
The man at the back stood up and a chain of screams
followed down the line, "Full stop!" The captain pulled on the
huge brake and the coaches slowed with the animals. "You
know what that is?" Rothschild asked. "If it’s a chiggoth, we’re
all dead."
As it rose over the hill, Aiden recognized it. It was taller
than all the trees around, with eight wheels that dwarfed even
the caravan’s beasts of burden. The goliath lumbered over the
landscape with carbon-kevlar wrapped tires, scarring the earth
with deep treads. The brute clumsily pushed and bullied its
way through whatever stood in front. The scrambler Aiden had
ridden in pranced gracefully in comparison. It was twice the
345
height of the caravan and held twice the people. It’s main
body was lifted high over its axles, allowing it to drive over the
forest rather than through it. Only leviathans like this ever
made it this far from a bastion and even then, they were a
rarity. It was flanked and escorted by a half dozen all-terrain
bikes with enclosed cockpits and chunky tires.
Aiden grimaced at the eyesore as it passed.
"My God, what a monster!" the Captain admired.
"Aptly said," Aiden replied. Monster was related to mon-
strosity, an abomination, something exaggerated, perverted, a
sin against nature.
"Still beautiful in its own way. Nothing to fear with that.
Not dragon or chiggoth. That’s traveling in style."
"It’s 2500 tons of iron and carbon driven by an energy that
would vaporize this forest if it were released." Unlike the
scrambler, this vehicle couldn’t generate enough power from
E
arth was, and always shall be, a dangerous place for those
who venture into shadow. Across the entire world, no
valley, mountain, forest, or town is immune to the
influence of magic. Where humanity did not take root to
at least moderately direct the land’s development, the flow from
Attricana would saturate it, giving birth to the truly bizarre, fantastic,
beautiful, or revolting. Classed together as spawn creatures, the
majority of these beasts possess no culture and many never develop
an intellect that can be measured or tested. A scant few have broken
from these primitive and primordial bonds to stake a claim as a
species worthy of respect.

FAE ANATHEMA
When magic first flooded the world, the saturation of enchantment
began to reshape the animals and landscape. The dragons arose in
imitation of the shape of the dominant life-form of the time, and an
indeterminate amount of time later, well after the dragon kings had
spawned their own descendant races, a new species appeared without
warning from the forests. These new creatures resembled nothing
that had come before. They were intelligent and beautiful, with the
power and will to form a civilization while the other creations of chaos
could only hunt and reproduce. Communities formed, towns were
built, and cultures flourished.
The elder fae had emerged.
These creatures were tiny in comparison to the dragons, but
reproduced a hundred times faster and were just as ageless and
deathless except through unhappy accident. They spoke a single
tongue, looked the same, and their traditions were mirrored in every
civilization they founded. Yet, though creatures wrought of magic
and able to imitate a fraction of the powers of dragons, they were not
masters over magic. One day, without warning, every new fae child
began to be born as a completely different species. They resembled
the original fae in only the broadest ways. This first branch was seen
as a deviation or worse, an abomination. They instinctively rejected
the ironclad traditions of their elders: even their speech was slightly
different. Most of these children were cast out of their communities,
and soon began to seek each other out. They shared similar beliefs
and in time, they developed a culture aberrant to that of their parents,
their idiosyncrasies of speech developing into barely-related
languages. As more and more came into the world, the original fae
realized a drastic shift in their species was occurring. The members
of this first offshoot had sprouted from the fae communities formed in
plains and valleys. Shortly thereafter, the fae that took the forests as
their home spawned their own unique subspecies. Fae in the
mountains formed another.
This entire process took less than a thousand years, but by the
next millennium, only one child in ten thousand was born a ‘true’ fae,
and by the following millennium the original species was completely
stillborn, the entire culture slowly becoming extinct as accident or
quarrel claimed them one by one. Three young species rose to
replace them: the laudenians, chaparrans and narros. Unlike the
original fae, these three branches were shorter lived and took pride in
cultural distinctions from their cousin races, though identical within
their own communities. Narros built underground empires and cities
atop of mountains while laudenians erected vast and expanding
empires in valleys. The chaparrans vanished in the dense forests that
birthed them.
 These new fae were settled and complacent, but in this, believing their future awaited them in the trees
less than half the time the original fae had reigned on and that the faeries and nariisa were a preferred fate,
the planet, the laudenians suffered another deviation. until these almost angelic creatures descended into
This new branch was shorter, with larger ears and a harpies and hags and finally the dojenn, one of the
frenzied desire to learn and record what they knew. ugliest creatures on the planet, appeared from the
The laudenians became petrified at the prospect of watery depths. The ultimate narros anathema, a fate
vanishing like their ancestors. Believing the earth itself feared by even the ogres, is the dumb and massive
was the cause, laudenians employed their power of chiggoth: the builder folk’s descendants are fated to
magic to uproot themselves and took to the sky, leaving grow large and stupid, smashing down the mountain
their ground cities to their children, the damaskans. keeps the narros spent their empire’s span building.
The narros and chaparrans were not immune, and Tenenbri have pushed their dark side into the crevices
soon started to branch their own deviations. Through of their underground labyrinths, but as these
this chaos, there did appear a pattern to these subterranean fae begin moving north, their secret has
mutations: they emerged more often in areas bountiful begun to move with them, the kythix. Damaskans, alas,
with life, and regardless of where the parent species cannot bury their descendants in dungeons or in the
settled, as long as the environment was similar, the depths of oceans. The skeggs are large and mean, but
offspring species was identical across the world. In the of limited and controllable numbers, but their
time it took the damaskans to emerge as a distinct descendent species of boggs was more numerous, and
people, chaparrans—the most varied and widest-ranging these in turn have been displaced (when they do not
of the new fae—spawned not one, but three different rule over) by the growing mass of puggs, an unstoppable
distinct subspecies, each bound to a specific element of feeding frenzy of animalistic fae.
the forest (water, earth, and air). Later, these lines Then there are the tilen. With a complicated history
broke off still further, amalgamating animal and insect of emergence, this young people has never branched
parts into their physiology. Many of these subspecies into a descendant species. Tilen always produce pure
grew smaller, more isolated to their particular niche, and tilen even when they breed with other species, even the
were harder to categorize and define by outsiders. never-changing pagus. Since the tilen look the most
There were other odd idiosyncrasies. The chaparran like the original fae (according to their claim), their
branches produced fewer and fewer males with every existence may be the solution the fae need to maintain
iteration, with the youngest species being over ninety their heritage and prevent the madness of a chaotic
percent female. The narros, due to their homogenous future.
environment, produced descendant races less
frequently, unchanged for millennia before branching
to the ogres, which themselves mutated almost
THE FALL
immediately thereafter into variations with one eye and The exact date was never recorded, though assumed to
two heads. As the chaparran branches became smaller have been thousands of years after the emergence of
and overwhelmingly female, narros were becoming the fae. Darkness washed across a starry night. There
larger and predominantly male, with the monstrous was no fire or brimstone, no oracle to herald the end of
chiggoth towering over them all. The most devolved days, no trumpets blown, no seals broken. A gloom
creations became known as the fae anathema. settled with the passing wind and a million fae walked
Building upon the foundations of the fleeing from their homes and families, following an undeniable
laudenians, the damaskans grew fast. They became the temptation. They were no longer slaves to whimsy, no
most populous of all fae, helped along by their longer products of chaos. They embraced a way that

348 increased reproduction cycle and social structure. would ensure the stability of their lives – an order of
While the chaparran anathema vanished into their things, never changing; masters instead of slaves to
woods and the narros in their mountains, the damaskan enchantment. They were corrupted by the Fall – the
anathema spread quickly over the globe. The first were arrival of Mengus. This influence could only corrupt
the skeggs and boggs, then finally the puggs, a locust what Attricana created, and an army of followers
swarm of fairy vermin that had no purpose beyond emerged in a single day, a stream of pilgrims to the
eating, rutting, and pillage. But not all the damaskan shores of a distant land, a growing expanse of black
branches were entirely uncivil; a portion of their glass where the dark star settled. Of all the fae, the
population had vanished under the ground, lost their chaparrans were the hardest hit. Many years passed
sight and became the tenenbri. Another group begot before these corrupted fae returned as the pagus, their
the gimfen, curious and playful creatures which thus far bodies transformed into identical, perfect killing
has not spawned a devolved species of their own, a fact machines, their might unleashed upon their unwitting
that most gimfen take as proof (together with their lack former kindred. Unlike the fae birthed from Attricana,
of technological disruption) that they are the final form those from Ixindar never changed, neither devolving
of fae to inherit the planet. nor evolving. They simply were, are, and will forever
Setting aside these last, newer fae branches always be. While Ixindar cannot encourage spawn races, it can
emerge less civilized and more perilous than their twist any existing life to its own purposes. The most
ancestors. The chaparrans thought they had escaped feared of these transformations is the dark mirror of the
 elder fae, the shemjaza. Like the old fae, these MONSTERS IN CANON
creatures were tall and beautiful in their own ways, but
obsessed with control and order rather than dance and AMETHYST
play. They put forward methods of war while their (part of the setting)
opponents pondered and argued over celebration and Animals/Critters (All)
joviality. Mankind now calls them devils or demons, Ankheg (spawn)
and there is more than a little justification behind those Bulette (spawn)
titles. Chimera (spawn)
Ettin (fae)
SPAWN
Gargoyle (spawn)
Ghoul (spawn)
Most monstrous creatures of the wilds are, of course, Golem (spawn)
ultimately not of fae extraction, but are results of At- Hellhound (spawn)
tricana’s influence on the world’s natural flora and fauna Harpy (fae)
(and, occasionally, the natural elements themselves). Human
The most common effect of this influence is to expand Hungry Star (spawn)
the creature to tremendous size, similar to the dire Hydra (spawn)
beasts that flourished in the epochs prior to the ascent Manticore (spawn)
of Man, but occasionally a creature is subjected to some Medusa (fae)
particular magical mutation which gives it unusual su- Minotaur (spawn)
pernatural powers. A few rare animals are gifted with Ogre (fae, narros branch)
limited intelligence in this way, though few have yet Ooze (spawn)
developed any sort of civilization or culture. As any Otyugh (spawn)
mutation caused by magic is invariably passed on to the Owlbear (spawn)
monster’s descendants, over the centuries many of Phase Spider (spawn)
these initial sports have produced true-breeding sub- Skeleton (Ixindar)
species. They are usually far more dangerous than their Troll (fae, narros branch)
animal forebears, as they have no intrinsic fear of hu- Vampire (Ixindar; commonly known as ‘ghulath’)
manity and will not hesitate to attack people when they Wight (Ixindar)
feel hungry or threatened (or, in the case of some of the Wraith (Ixindar)
more intelligent species, when bored). Wyvern (spawn)
Zombie (Ixindar)
AVAILABLE MONSTERS
What follows is a list of the monsters from The 13th OTHER COMMON MONSTERS
Age Roleplaying Game Core Book available in canon IN AMETHYST
Amethyst. These creatures either exist in the real set- (Not from The 13th Age Roleplaying Game Core Book)
ting of the story or their inclusion would not break the Basilisk (spawn)
setting’s logic. If a creature is not listed, there is usually Bat (spawn)
a good reason. You are welcome to include other mon- Centaur (fae, chaparran branch)
sters from any valid source, but non-canon monsters Crocodile (spawn)
should be treated as accidental or deliberate magical Cyclops (fae, narros branch)
mutations, without a developed history or a natural
350
Doppelganger/changeling (fae, damaskan branch)
place in the ecosystem. Summoned and shapechanged Elemental (spawn or construct)
monsters, of course, are constructs of the imagination Griffon (spawn)
and are not bound by this limitation; it is highly unlike- Hag (fae, chaparran branch)
ly, however, that any spellcaster capable of such effects Human
would produce a creature that has no canon analogue. Hyena (spawn)
Some monsters included in the Amethyst bestiary Lycanthrope (spawn)
may seem obviously inspired by mythology, which fits Panther (spawn)
well within the setting, and thus, may be similar to Roc (spawn)
monsters in The 13th Age Roleplaying Game. Ame- Satyr (fae, chaparran branch)
thyst is meant to imply these are the creatures that my- Snake (spawn)
thology and fairy tales are based on, but did not get en- Specter (Ixindar)
tirely correct. Since there is no dialogue with these
monsters, the English name for them is the same as
their historical mirror. In that case, Amethyst does refer
to them by their original name and they would use the
proper entry in The 13th Age Roleplaying Game.
MONSTERS REPLACED IN BOGG SCABB
AMETHYST 1st level mook [HUMANOID-FAE]
(These monsters don’t exist because there is a duplicate Initiative: +4
monster already present in the setting)
All elves, replaced by equivalent fae Sharpened Stick or Blunt Blade +6 vs. AC—4 damage.
All goblinoids (goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears), re-
placed by puggs, boggs and skeggs Impulsive Cruelty: The bogg scabb deals 3 ongoing
All dragons (both chromatic and metallic), replaced by damage when it score a critical hit on an enemy.
archon and typhox dragons. AC 16
Giants (but not the giant type), replaced by oggraks and PD 15 HP 6 (mook)
chiggoth MD 11
Kobolds, replaced with puggs
Orcs, replaced by pagus Mook: Kill one bogg scab mook for every 6 damage you
deal to the mob.

RULE AMENDMENTS BOGG THROWER

Descriptions: No monster flavor text from an out- 1st level archer [HUMANOID-FAE]
side source is canon in Amethyst. If a player inquires, Initiative: +4
be inventive. Only monster knowledge relating to the
creature’s physical capabilities and habitat is canon. Sharpened Stick or Blunt Blade +6 vs. AC—4 damage.
Fae = Fey: For dealing with magic items and mon-
ster origins, the fey keyword is part of the fae tree. R: Throwing Axe +6 vs. AC—4 damage
However, only specific fey like nymphs and hags are
canon. Any creature on the above list designated as fae Masochistic Response: If the bogg thrower is hit, it
has the same common fae traits as PC fae, but only has gains a +6 bonus to its next melee or ranged attack.
the common traits of the fey type if it normally has that
type. AC 16
Ixindar: Ixindar is a new monster keyword. An Ix- PD 14 HP 22
indar creature does not generate EDF. It does not alter MD 12
disruption rolls or cause a targeted disruption effect
when it scores a critical hit. All creatures on the above
list designated as Ixindar creatures, as well as all un- BOGG THROWER TACTICS
dead, have this keyword. Any non-canon creature with Bogg throwers are larger and smarter than the average
Evil alignment may also be an Ixindar creature at the scabb. They achieve this from puberty, which is a sud-
GM’s discretion. den and uncomfortable affair. A bogg thrower will let
the scabbs or puggs (if they have them) run into combat
BOGG first, approaching cautiously while hurling its axes at
any target available. If forced, the thrower will join me-
Before the puggs emerged, the boggs were considered lee combat but only if there are a few other boggs there
the largest growing threat in Canam. They were first.
numerous enough to be a hazard on their own and just
smart enough to realize stealth and numbers prevailed The bogg replaces the goblin, its defin-
against smarter and tougher enemies. Although it is
believed boggs came from the larger harrier skeggs,
ing feature being the gigantic head and 351
mouth—not uncommon in movies
there have been reports of boggs emerging directly from
damaskan roots. Skeggs are often chiefs among bogg where the adorable creature reveals itself
tribes, especially when a bogg mother has not been for having a menacing jaw.
established, and individual boggs have in turn been
known to set themselves up as the leaders of pugg
swarms. The common trait of a bogg is its perpetual
smile and hideously distended mouth. With three
times as many teeth as a human, the bogg can show
nearly them all when it grins, and does so often. Boggs’
pain receptors are wired differently from other species,
releasing a flood of endorphins and adrenaline when the
creature is hurt. This may explain their giggling
laughter even when impaled upon an enemy’s sword.
352
BOGG RAKE BOGG MOTHER
2nd level spoiler [HUMANOID-FAE] 3rd level troop [HUMANOID-FAE]
Initiative: +3 Initiative: +2

Actual Sword (stolen) +7 vs. AC—5 damage. Meaty Fists +7 vs. AC—10 damage.
Natural even hit: The bogg rake inflicts an additional 5 Natural even hit (once / turn): The bogg mother makes
poison damage. a second attack. If both attacks hit the same target,
the target is grabbed. Both hands grab and the
San In Yer Eye: As a standard action, the bogg rake can bogg mother can only grab one target at a time.
daze an enemy it is engaged with until the begin-
ning of its next turn. Gnaw: As a standard action, the bogg mother inflict 15
damage on a target it is grabbing.
AC 17
PD 12 HP 35 My Babies: When a bogg or pugg is killed within sight
of the bogg mother, the mother can make a meaty
MD 16 fists attack as a reaction.

BOGG RAKE TACTICS AC 18

Bogg rakes tend to be the more clever members of the PD 16 HP 80
bogg species. Like the spitters, they are older and can MD 14
often lead villages if a bogg mother has not emerged.
They utilize a poison given to them by the spitters that
is distilled from rotten animals and whatever else boggs BOGG MOTHER TACTICS
find laying on the ground. Rakes tend to skirt the out- The bogg mother is a force to be reckoned with and
sides of a combat, letting the lesser boggs and puggs get shares none of the cowardly instinct of its offspring.
into the thick of it before making their move. The bogg mother wades into combat as quickly as
possible to protect the puggs and boggs, and will drop a
victim in order to attack another, if it thinks one of its
“children” is being harmed.

353
 BOGG LORE attributes of their environment, these descendant races
A character knows the following with a successful had flair and artistry in how they expressed these
knowledge check. features. Their echalogical echoes were represented
DC 15: Boggs delight in both giving and receiving with respect and worship, called centaurs, nymphs and
pain, and the saying ‘that which does not kill us makes faeries. This aspiration died when the dojenn
us stronger’ is particularly apt when applied to them. appeared, rising from the depths of rivers, lakes, and
Any physical harm that does not kill them outright oceans to feed upon drowning victims before the water
makes them more dangerous. claimed them. Dojenn are the dark reflection of
DC 20: Each bogg nest contains at least one bogg everything the chaparrans had hoped to become.
mother. This grotesquely obese female bogg is Another noted difference between the dojenn and
pregnant one hundred percent of the time, with their cousin races is their appearance. Dojenn are one
between four and six uteri and an incubation period of of the most feared creatures to look at in the world.
twelve weeks. Each pregnancy produces between four They have lifeless eyes over a jaw of needle-like
and six bogg whelps or puggs (puggs born to bogg incisors. They can disengage their jaws and swallow
mothers are usually eaten, but a few are allowed to live creatures twice the size of their own head, and have
as slave labor). been known to do so to live prey, using their long teeth
to keep food from escaping. As time progresses, these
Yup, I’m keeping lore checks. I wrote monsters are appearing more and more, migrating
farther inland, following rivers deeper towards
them for a previous edition and loved established and unsuspecting nations. They have
them so much, they have popped up in already started attacking Baruch Malkut and York,
every subsequent edition, regardless of the striking during the night and pulling dock workers
rule system. It’s a simple concept and can be before an alarm can be raised. Like all fae anathema,
included with or without rolling. the dojenn are fated to be the ultimate legacy of the
chaparrans unless something even more monstrous

DOJENN
should emerge.

Chaparrans were proud of their pedigree. Their

descendant races were not massive ugly monsters with
stone appendages or feral rodents devouring everything
they could wrap their grotesquely oversized mouths
over, but became beautiful, angelic creatures sought
after by lustful mortals. Even when taking on the

354
DOJENN MATARK DRAGONS
4th level wrecker [HUMANOID-FAE] The most iconic symbol of fantasy, when the world of
Initiative: +8 magic swept over the globe, dragons became a
confirmation more than a realization, the final evidence
Bite or Harpoon +9 vs. AC—15 damage that fantasy had invaded reality. Unlike many other
Feeder Tendrils +9 vs PD—5 damage, and the target is fables, legends of dragons can be found in every corner
grabbed. of every nation in history, the symbol of both the
greatest wisdom and the greatest evil. Across the globe,
Caustic Excretion: When the dojenn is hit with a melee they took many shapes. Some walked upon two legs,
attack, the attacker suffers 5 poison damage. some four, or even six. Many twisted in coils with
snake-like bodies through the clouds while others
Feeding Time: The dojenn can make a bite attack as a slumped across beds of gold, silver, and skulls like
move action against a target it is grabbing. It can still lumbering cows. Winged or not, most dragons of
make a harpoon attack against another target as a legend could fly. Some devoured maidens, staving off a
standard action. greater appetite for villages offering the sacrifice. Some
fell to lances wielded by saints or squires while others
AC 19 died by the hands of their own tricks, fooled by clever
PD 17 HP 101 wizards. Throughout the legends, dragons were either
MD 14 dumb lizards or keepers of great knowledge and magic.
Some brought fire and disease while others water and
plentiful crops. The sight of a dragon in the skies
DOJENN LORE rained fear on everyone below. Their deaths heralded
A character can know the following information with a both ages of wisdom and despair. Their images upon
successful knowledge skill check. coats, crests, and colors signified a country’s dominance
DC 10: Dojenn prey on the innocent and over the monster or their reverence for it.
complacent, and take joy in the terror of others. They Modern dragons were exultant over the respect they
have no qualms in devouring both fae and humans, with had received in their absence, regardless of the source.
marked preference for their own cousin races like They were shocked at the amount of detail that had
faeries and nariisa. It has been suspected that the survived and the accuracy or liberties taken both
dojenn have eliminated several faerie branches, forcing condemning and glorifying them. Some were especially
these innocent creatures from their waters and woods. surprised at the singular attitudes dragons would take
DC 15: Dojenn scales ooze a toxic secretion which dependent on the nation. Rarely would dragons be
burns the flesh of dryfoots on contact, but it evaporates represented in different lights within a single culture,
quickly in air and washes off just as quickly in water. causing no end of disagreement regarding their actual
DC 20: The dojenn are an offshoot from an earlier nature – how their bodies moved, what powers they
chaparran deviation; a merfolk-like aquatic fae species controlled, or even how many toes they had.
called the jeilynn. The dojenn systematically destroyed Nevertheless, to many people, defacing an image of
each jeilynn home, and the vast oceans now contain a dragon regardless of its character was considered
little intelligent life other than scattered dojenn tribes insolent and unlawful. The dragons’ elevation to
and the occasional spawn creature. Rumors still persist godhood was an obvious transition to some. Most
some jeilynn have survived, hiding from their progeny. dragons insist that such worship is undeserved, but

355
DC 25: All dojenn most ever see are female. The even the noblest dragons have a streak of vanity in
males may still be visible as tiny, remora-like parasitic them, and few despise the adulation they receive. In
creatures that attached themselves to the female’s one form or another, almost every dragon from human
underside and merge with her for life. literature is represented on Earth, from the grotesque
soot-belching eaters of the young, to the erudite
DOJENN TACTICS masters of fire and water. Even the aberrations with
many heads and tails and legs can be found, though
Dojenn prefer quick strikes to pull prey into their somewhat rarer. Their origins are uncertain, even to
environment to continue the attack. When in the open, themselves: it is suspected that Amethyst, the first and
they don’t conceal their presence, attacking openly and greatest dragon, created them from the dinosaurs who
visibly, letting their revolting forms dissuade enemies roamed the ancient Earth, but this is by no means con-
from establishing a defense. The dojenn immediately firmed. Initially, four dragon kings arose, each
rush into combat with the first creature they see and controlling a section of Earth. Lazarus of Grace,
attack viciously. controller of the West and Shaka of Dawn, ruler of the
East, remain the only known surviving dragon kings,
though Goch of Wrath, one of the seven Ažhi lords,
claims to have been a dragon king at one point. Lazarus
believes, although he omitted such a conclusion in his
 book, that Jahada of Glass is that fourth, taken by
Amethyst as a mate. Her fate remains a mystery.
ARCHON DRAGONS
Soon after the kings appeared, many more dragons The title of ‘archon dragons’ applies to the three broad
emerged. The yok-ani, born from Shaka’s will, were classifications of holy, guardian, and noble dragons –
the first, though with their slow reproductive cycle, they categorized not by their powers and nature, but by their
quickly became the fewest (only nine exist in the mod- role in draconic society. Holy dragons are the keepers
ern day). Over the rest of the world, holy, noble, and of draconic faith and mysticism, a complex discipline of
guardian dragons fell under the umbrella title of which lesser beings are fundamentally incapable of
‘archons’. Later, corruption from Ixindar claimed its understanding more than a fragment: their wisdom is
first victims: from Goch came (whether as her offspring great, but frequently cryptic to mortals, and they are
or her corrupted minions, none are sure) the Seven renowned for being long-winded. Guardian dragons are
Lords of Ažhi, the first fallen dragons. Soon after, more the warrior class, defenders of the dragon way of life
dragons of hideous disposition appeared, including the and the lower creatures under their care: they are all
cannibalistic death dragons and the cursed cancer expert strategists and deadly combatants in both body
dragons; these were feared and cursed by the name of and spell. Noble dragons are administrators and
‘typhox’. Many dragons, including Lazarus, believe adjudicators, the bureaucracy of dragonkind: they all
that it was a beacon from Goch that originally have formidable minds and are more focused
summoned Mengus to Terros, and that the despoiled spellcasters than the holy dragons, but they have a
dragon king has within her hearts an evil not claimed by tendency to focus on their own areas of interest or
Ixindar. expertise, which is not a problem for dragons but may
be difficult for the rare mortals they interact with.
No game statistics are provided here for archon
CLASSIFICATIONS dragons, as they refuse to get involved in mortal
There are three types of dragons: archon, typhox, and conflicts: if attacked, they will use powerful spells to
neutral dragons. All have decidedly different roles and confound their opponents and simply vanish. Archons
cultures, but all of them are proud: any ancient or older summoned by magic are always presumed to be just
dragon should bear a title appropriate to their nature. powerful enough to accomplish whatever task they have
Among these three types are several unique individuals been summoned for without difficulty.
of great power who stand out from the rest. The dragon
kings stand above even these.
Dragon Abilities: Like 13th Age Roleplaying Game TYPHOX DRAGONS
dragons, roll for Amethyst dragons on the Random Goch was the first fallen dragon, corrupted from within,
Dragon Abilities table, once for medium and large, though whether by her own supremacy and immortality
twice for huge. or by Ixindar during the first migration, none can say for
sure. Although there are hundreds of typhox dragons,
An aspect of dragonkind that was only seven are called Ažhi, the first corrupted dragons.
only lightly touched on in previous After them emerged three distinct classes of dragons of
the typhox line. These are the fallen and death
editions is their naming scheme.
dragons, both bound to Ixindar, and the cancer dragon
Dragons in every setting are incredibly which is not bound to Ixindar but rather cursed by it.
arrogant and grandiose, but Amethyst's
dragons take it a step further - most, with only
a handful of exceptions, actually believe they
CANCER DRAGONS
356 are divine beings, and incorporate titles into
The ugliest of them all, cancer dragons live their lives
wracked in agony. They cannot die from any disease
their names so that people know how to wor- but have no way to defend themselves from any
ship them (and even those who eschew claims infection. They are receptive to any ailment afflicting
of godhood have such titles granted by those any creature. Acid and poison courses through their
who worship them regardless). To make your very blood, their eyes are bloodshot and ooze puss.
dragons stand out better from each other, you Many archon dragons sympathize with these pathetic
should give each one a name and a title (even creatures unable to rest or even sleep. This constant
suffering has turned the dragon’s disposition bitter and
if you never reveal them to the PCs) and per- spiteful, wishing only to inflict their pain unto others.
haps a unique ability related to their chosen The only time the misery subsides is when the creature
portfolio. For instance, a death dragon with transfers disease or poison to a victim.
the name 'Thallas of Sargasso' might fancy
herself the god of drowning victims, and might
add seaweed-related trappings to her attacks.
MEDIUM CANCER DRAGON Resist Poison 16+: When a poison or disease attack tar-
4th level spoiler [DRAGON] gets this creature, the attacker must roll a natural 16+
Initiative: +8 on the attack roll or it only deals half damage.
Vulnerability: If a healing spell is cast on the cancer
dragon, it is vulnerable to all attacks until the end of AC 20
its next turn. PD 18 HP 76
Infected Claws +9 vs. AC—10 damage
MD 14 357
Natural 11+: Make an infection attack as a free action
against the same target. Cancer dragons are meant to be sympa-
thetic—once archons that had been
[Special Trigger] Infection Attack +9 vs AC—5 ongoing infected by a necrotic curse. Some can-
poison damage.
not be saved, but the first inclusion of them
Natural 16+: Chain attack—make another infected
claw attack. in my campaign involved a cancer dragon being
cured and attempting to find redemption for
C: Infection Breath +9 vs PD (1d3 nearby enemies)—5 its past. This created an encounter where the
poison damage, and the target is weakened until the players had to fight an archon dragon unwill-
beginning of the dragon’s next turn. ing to offer forgiveness.
Natural 16+: The target is weakened (save ends), and
after the breath attack is resolved against all targets,
it cannot use infection breath for 1d4 rounds.
 LARGE CANCER DRAGON HUGE CANCER DRAGON
Large 7th level spoiler [DRAGON] Huge 11th level spoiler [DRAGON]
Initiative: +11 Initiative: +14
Vulnerability: If a healing spell is cast on the cancer
dragon, it is vulnerable to all attacks until the end of Infected Claws +12 vs. AC—85 damage
its next turn. Natural 11+: Make an infection attack as a free action
against the same target.
Infected Claws +12 vs. AC—20 damage
Natural 11+: Make an infection attack as a free action [Special Trigger] Infection Attack +12 vs AC—20 ongo-
against the same target. ing poison damage.
Natural 16+: Chain attack—make another infected
[Special Trigger] Infection Attack +12 vs AC—15 ongo- claw attack.
ing poison damage.
Natural 16+: Chain attack—make another infected C: Infection Breath +12 vs PD (1d3 nearby enemies)—
caw attack. 80 poison damage, and the target is weakened until
358 the beginning of the dragon’s next turn.
C: Infection Breath +12 vs PD (1d3 nearby enemies)— Natural 16+: The target is weakened (save ends). If
20 poison damage, and the target is weakened until you roll a natural 16+ on any infection breath attack
the beginning of the dragon’s next turn. rolls, after the breath attack is resolved against all
Natural 16+: The target is weakened (save ends). If targets, it cannot use infection breath for 1d4
you roll a natural 16+ on any infection breath attack rounds.
rolls, after the breath attack is resolved against all
targets, it cannot use infection breath for 1d4 Immune Disease/Poison 11+: When a poison or dis-
rounds. ease attack targets this creature, the attacker must roll
Resist Disease/Poison 20: When a poison or disease a natural 11+ on the attack roll or it deals no damage.
attack targets this creature, the attacker must roll a Passing the roll inflicts half damage.
natural 20 on the attack roll or it only deals half dam-
age. AC 24
PD 24 HP 450
AC 23 MD 19
PD 21 HP 250
MD 15
CANCER DRAGON LORE MEDIUM DEATH DRAGON
A character knows the following with a successful 4th level leader [DRAGON]
knowledge skill check. Initiative: +9
DC 15: Cancer dragons are among the most Vulnerability: Holy
revolting, loathsome creatures to walk the earth. Their
enormous bodies are carriers for every malady known to Rotting Claws +8 vs. AC (2 attacks)—4 damage.
man, and the oldest of their kind have complete and Natural 16+: Both the dragon and it’s target take 1d8
utter mastery over the maledictions that afflict their damage.
enemies. A cancer dragon’s breath is a disturbing
mixture of bone shrapnel, diseased fluids, and gas.. R: Essence Breath +9 vs. PD—4 damage and the drag-
DC 20: It is a common misconception that cancer on recovers 4 damage. After using essence breath,
dragons are Ixindar-bound creatures; they are not. the dragon cannot use it again for 1d4 rounds.
They were originally desert dwelling elemental dragons Natural 16+: Attack a target near the first (max 3). If
that were cursed by Goch. They are still Attricana- you hit a second or third target, the dragon can di-
bound creatures, only suffering from a curse from vert the hit point recovery to any of its zombies.
Ixindar. Simply being in an area where a cancer dragon
is or has been is hostile to a creature’s health. Resist Negative Energy 16+: When a negative energy
Vegetation withers, animals grow tumors, and the attack targets this creature, the attacker must roll a
ground oozes with rot. natural 16+ on the attack roll or it deals half damage.
DC 25: Cancer dragons live in hot climates and
seldom in areas that are cold or damp. Their skin Grave Call: The cancer dragon will always be teamed
carries a natural bluish tint often marred by scars and up with at least 4 humanoid zombies at the start of a
lesions. A few cancer dragons, old and near decrepit, battle. Any dead creatures nearby the dragon on its
have killed enough and infected enough that they have turn rise as human zombies.
finally vanquished the pain in their bodies, but they
remain infectious and their blood is as toxic as ever.
AC 19
Avoid any attack from a cancer dragon which can
penetrate skin; an infection will surely set. PD 17 HP 50
DC30: On a few rare occasions, a few sympathetic MD 15
souls have used intense magic to cure a cancer dragon
of their afflictions. If they survive the ordeal, the pain
passes and the contagious blood purifies, allowing them
LARGE DEATH DRAGON
Large 6th level leader [DRAGON]
to vanish and live peacefully in solitude from then on.
Initiative: +13
Few cancer dragons have undergone the practice and
Vulnerability: Holy
even fewer have survived it: most will go to any lengths
to avoid the treatment, fearing change more than pain.
Rotting Claws +11 vs. AC (2 attacks)—18 damage.
Those that emerge healthy find a new zeal for life. The
stains of their sins remain, however, and those cancer
Natural 16+: Both the dragon and it’s target take 4d6
damage.
dragons turning away from darkness have few allies on
either side.
R: Essence Breath +11 vs. PD—20 damage and the
dragon recovers 20 damage. After using essence
DEATH DRAGONS breath, the dragon cannot use it again for 1d4 rounds. 359
Despite many assumptions, death dragons are not Natural 16+: Attack a target near the first (max 3). If
undead. They embraced Ixindar and dedicated their you hit a second or third target, the dragon can di-
souls to its power, pursuing its ability to decay rather vert the hit point recovery to any of its zombies.
than create. When Mengus ceased to have any interest
in necromancy, the death dragons – until then thought Resist Negative Energy 20+: When a negative energy
to be her favored children – were outcast. They possess attack targets this creature, the attacker must roll a
astounding negative energy. They can control undead natural 20 on the attack roll or it deals half damage.
and cast necrotic spells. This effect decays their flesh
and rots their souls. Death dragons look thin, with Grave Call: The cancer dragon will always be teamed
barely an ounce of fat and thin muscles hanging off up with at least 4 big zombies at the start of a battle.
their bones. Even their wings are pitted and frayed: Any dead creatures nearby the dragon on its turn rise
however, the unchanging power of Ixindar keeps them as big zombies.
as strong and deadly as they were in their prime. They
cannot consume any food unless it has been dead at
AC 21
least a week. Anywhere death lurks in abundance, you
will find them. PD 18 HP 160
MD 17
 HUGE DEATH DRAGON DEATH DRAGON LORE
Huge 9th level leader [DRAGON] A character knows the following information with a
Initiative: +17 successful knowledge skill check.
DC 15: Death dragons will always be near areas with
Rotting Claws +14 vs. AC (2 attacks)—30 damage. high concentration of undeath, as simply being near the
Natural 16+: Both the dragon and it’s target take dragon acts as a catalyst for nearby carrion or the corpses
6d10 damage. of the creatures the dragon kills to rise and obey their
master.
R: Essence Breath +11 vs. PD—50 damage and the DC 20: Of all the typhox dragons, the death dragon
dragon recovers 50 damage. After using essence is the most magically adept, if only in a single form.
breath, the dragon cannot use it again for 1d4 rounds. Though the dragons did not create the discipline of
Natural 16+: Attack a target near the first (max 3). If necromancy, they are now, undoubtedly, the masters of
you hit a second or third target, the dragon can di- it.
360 vert the hit point recovery to any of its zombies.

Immune Negative Energy: 11+ When a negative ener-

FALLEN DRAGONS
gy attack targets this creature, the attacker must roll a Most dragons of legend slain by brave knights or braver
natural 11+ on the attack roll or it deals no damage. squires tell of fire dragons. Their scales are either dark
Passing the roll inflicts half damage. blood-red or green as ancient bronze, and they bellow
smoke and flame with every breath. The closest match
Grave Call: The cancer dragon will always be teamed to them in the modern age is the fallen dragon. The
up with at least 4 giant zombies at the start of a battle. fallen were the first corrupted dragons, loyal followers
Any dead creatures nearby the dragon on its turn rise of their greatest, Goch of Wrath. Unlike the repellent
as giant zombies. death and cancer dragons, fallen dragons are beautiful,
with uniform scales and proud manes. Their teeth
interlock without a gap or chip and they never display a
AC 25 stain or smudge upon their skin. They are the parallel
PD 22 HP 500 of holy dragons, equally as ravishing to the eyes. Their
MD 20 voices are deep and commanding. They refuse to sully
themselves by acting like undomesticated or
uncultured monsters. Indeed, they believe themselves
to be fair in their actions and just in their role as the LARGE FALLEN DRAGON
most powerful creatures on the planet. They consider Large 10th level wrecker [DRAGON]
themselves to be the highest authority and superior to Initiative: +13
all others – a responsibility not to be taken lightly. A Vulnerability: Psychic
fallen dragon will gladly accept the worship of an
inferior being and feel perfectly entitled to it: and when Primeval Weapons +15 vs. AC—35 damage
these followers march to war, they are the only force on Natural Miss: Re-roll ; a hit inflicts 50 damage.
Earth that can say without a doubt that god is on their Berserk Rage: While the dragon is staggered, it can
side. make two primeval weapon attacks.
Fallen dragons rule over Ažhi Dahaka in Canam and
often fight with the shemjaza for control over the pagus. C: Napalm Breath +15 vs PD (2d3 nearby enemies)—
Because of this rivalry, few of these dragons live near 40 fire damage.
Ixindar, preferring to stake their claims elsewhere. Miss: Half damage
They strive for dominance, resulting in more attacks
from fallen dragons on civilized lands than from any Counter Rage: If the fallen dragon is hit by three or
other typhox. They prefer controlling land to dungeons more creatures in a round, on the dragon’s next turn,
or keeps, and will rarely be found underground or it can make 1 additional primeval weapons attack as a
hiding behind castle walls. Fallen dragons will attempt free action.
to control everything they can see. That which they
cannot outright command, they will destroy. Intermittent Breath: A large fallen dragon can use na-
palm breath 4 times per battle, but never two turns in
MEDIUM FALLEN DRAGON a row.
6th level wrecker [DRAGON]
Initiative: +11 Fear: While engaged with this creature, enemies with
Vulnerability: Psychic 72 hit points or fewer are dazed (-4 attack) and do not
add the escalation die to their attacks.
Primeval Weapons +11 vs. AC—8 damage
Natural Miss: Re-roll; a hit inflicts 12 damage. Resist All Damage 11+: When any attack targets this
Berserk Rage: While the dragon is staggered, it can creature, the attacker must roll a natural 11+ on the
make two primeval weapon attacks. attack roll or it deals half damage. Once per round, if
the fallen dragon suffers full damage, it can make a
C: Napalm Breath +11 vs PD (2d3 nearby enemies)— primeval weapons attack as a reaction.
10 fire damage.
Miss: Half damage
AC 25
Counter Rage: If the fallen dragon is hit by three or PD 24 HP 400
more creatures in a round, on the dragon’s next turn, MD 22
it can make 1 additional primeval weapons attack as a
free action. Fallen dragons are the default evil
dragons of legend in Amethyst. They
Intermittent Breath: A medium fallen dragon can use
are the oldest, the ones rumored to have
napalm breath 3 times per battle, but never two turns
in a row. started the plague which created the can-
cer dragons. And yet, despite all that, I have
361
Resist All Damage 8+: When any attack targets this never included one. I’ll have that rectified in
creature, the attacker must roll a natural 8+ on the my next game, I swear.
attack roll or it deals half damage. Once per round, if
the fallen dragon suffers full damage, it can make a
primeval weapons attack as a reaction.

AC 20
PD 19 HP 90
MD 18
 HUGE FALLEN DRAGON by their own unbound chieftains. The fallen will
Huge 13th level wrecker [DRAGON] usually dominate every living creature in a massive area
Initiative: +19 around its lair.
DC 25: The fallen were the original typhox dragons,
Primeval Weapons +15 vs. AC—70 damage and have always been the most powerful. They loathe
Natural Miss: Re-roll ; a hit inflicts 105 damage. the shemjaza for some long-past transgression but will
Berserk Rage: While the dragon is staggered, it can rarely face them directly, choosing more subtle means
make two primeval weapons attacks. to dispatch them.

C: Napalm Breath +15 vs PD (2d3 nearby enemies)— THE SEVEN LORDS OF AZHI
80 fire damage. These powerful fallen dragons are all huge. In canon
Miss: Half damage Amethyst, these are the only huge dragons. There
should never be a point at which a fight against them
Counter Rage: If the fallen dragon is hit by three or should be anything less than grueling: apply new pow-
more creatures in a round, on the dragon’s next turn, ers for them (on the fly if necessary) from the Random
it can make 1 additional primeval weapons attack as a Dragon Abilities table in The 13th Age Roleplaying
free action. Game core book to ensure that they can always chal-
lenge any party.
Intermittent Breath: A large fallen dragon can use na- Baenis of Gorge: Baenis sits bloated on his treasure,
palm breath 6 times per battle, but never two turns in growing fatter on the rich livestock his pagus followers
a row. bring for him. Baenis is huge, but also slow and
cumbersome. He stopped being able to fly long ago.
Fear: While engaged with this creature, enemies with He gorges on food every day with an insatiable appetite.
144 hit points or fewer are dazed (-4 attack) and do In his prime he feasted on elves, giants, and even other
not add the escalation die to their attacks. dragons. Today, if his pagus don't feed him, Baenis will
feast on them.
Resist All Damage 16+: When any attack targets this • Baenis cannot fly and suffers a –2 to all attack rolls.
creature, the attacker must roll a natural 16+ on the He has 800 hit points.
attack roll or it deals half damage. Once per round, if Balaur of Debauch: Balaur follows neither logic nor
the fallen dragon suffers full damage, it can make a reason. It is hermaphroditic, capable of shifting its sex
primeval weapons attack as a reaction. and preference on a whim dependant on daily desires.
It only acts out of passion and instinct and never out of
AC 27 rationale. Balaur desires continued physical
PD 25 HP 1200 gratification and the desire for external stimulus. It
craves destruction and lusts for beauty. Balaur enlists
MD 25 slavers to capture those of beauty of various sexes from
various species and often has its way when assuming
FALLEN DRAGON LORE their form. Balaur is even rumored to have sent
A character knows the following with a successful emissaries to purchase slaves from Baruch Malkut
knowledge skill check. (without their knowledge as to the source of funds). It
DC 15: Fallen dragons have absolute control over lusts over the youth, the striking, and the otherwise
362 flame. Where they go, mundane fires flare to follow
them, and dry kindling may burst into flame of its own
unattainable. It cares not for emotion and prefers only
personal indulgence. These slaves never live more than
accord. The ground beneath their massive bodies is a year before Balaur grows bored and slays them in the
scorched black. Mages beware to use fire spells where a most violent ways possible.
fallen dragon is, for fear that the wyrm will turn the •Balaur can change shape at will into any creature.
magic against its wielder. •Targets Balaur hits with counter rage are confused
(save ends).
There's no really good universal rules Goch of Wrath: Goch feeds on violence, fear, and
method to depict this: I suggest hav- anger. Goch, the oldest and most powerful fallen
ing any fire magic the wizard pos- dragon, prefers to allow enemies to destroy each other.
Using her unique complement of abilities, she can
sesses go hideously awry at a dramatic inspire rage and violent actions in others, corrupting
point in the conflict, by GM fiat, and find them to commit the most despicable acts. Goch is far
a way of making it up to the unfortunate older and powerful than the other Ažhi Seven but is
player later. often lumped in with them, a categorization she
despises.
DC 20: Pagus in Canam are almost always under the •Goch has 1200 hp.
direct control of a fallen dragon, and only rarely are led
 Lindis of Avarice: This fallen dragon spends every dragons exhibited every conceivable shape and power,
moment searching for more treasure. She ravages but the majority reflected in some way a connection to
narros mines, attacks wandering travelers, and the natural elements of the world. There are dozens of
ambushes mage towers. She considers the taking of unique lineages among the elemental dragons, most
wealth of higher importance to causing destruction, and with only two or three members across the world. They
Lindis will often be very selective in her attacks, even exhibit no particular moral proclivities, beyond their
sparing the lives of her victims in exchange for all their typical draconic arrogance and self-centered nature.
magic and wealth, especially if her attack may blemish Only one lineage, the frost dragons, has been
or damage possible loot. No matter how much Lindis particularly prevalent in their interactions with the
acquires, it is never enough. She is not arrogant as mortal world, and unfortunately they tend to have some
Verkelen and has the most guarded lair of any dragon of the nastiest dispositions: many lower beings classify
known. Her dungeon is littered with symbols of them with the typhox dragons, which frost dragons find
varying magical potency with layers of multiple traps supremely offensive.
over many levels.
•Lindis' treasure horde is quadruple. YOK-ANI DRAGONS
Lotan of Scorn: Lotan is proud. His over-inflated The yok-ani were the first dragons born after the drag-
ego often nets him trouble as he brazenly strides into on kings, and bore more than a passing resemblance to
enemy lands, where he is often forced to retreat from the four that came before them (and indeed, to Ame-
greater foes. Legend claims Lotan lives in a great thyst himself). They most closely resemble the dragons
castle, though its location is a mystery. From a bed of of Asian mythology: wingless and sinuous, swimming
gold, he commands others to do his bidding. He through the air like snakes with no obvious means of
believes himself too important to go into combat, but support. Their scales are usually bright and colorful,
will if a single enemy challenges him. Several and their mane-like crests resemble jeweled crowns.
opponents have tried but none have succeeded, They are among the most powerful spellcasters ever
increasing Lotan's already bloated self-image. seen upon this Earth, in either age, surpassed only by
Verkelen of Spite: This dragon hates all other the dragon kings. Unlike other dragons, yok-
dragons and intelligent creatures and covets all they ani do not claim titles.
own. Verkelen assumes the world belongs to him and
takes whatever he wishes. He is the last creature Not necessarily because they don't see
anyone wishes to make deals with, as he never keeps
his side of a bargain. Verkelen keeps a large cadre of
themselves as divine (maybe they do,
creatures as personal servants. maybe they don't), but more because
Zilant of Indolence: Zilant is a lazy beast. He being title-less among a species that defines
wishes to do nothing but sleep and eat. He believes he itself with titles makes them even harder to
has done enough for the cause of evil and wishes just to understand. Remember, just because they like
be left alone. Every single time he closes his eyes, he peace and occasionally help people, that
sleeps for a century. When he awakens, he finds quick doesn't mean they're good. A yok-ani's actions
and easy prey for a feast. His dungeon supports an array
of defensive battlements, making him difficult to slay.
and motives should be completely beyond mor-
He never initiates an attack, believing it uses far too tal comprehension.
much energy, though will still defend his lair from
assault. He also sleeps with one eye open and as light Only nine yok-ani were ever born, and none has
as an elk. He may be too lazy to commit evil acts but
finds good acts an even greater waste of energy.
ever been killed or subverted by Ixindar. The only
reason they are not classified among the archon dragons 363
is their strict adherence to neutrality. They count
themselves as the world's ultimate diplomats. They
NEUTRAL DRAGONS even believe if the dark gate and its denizens remained
Many dragons rejected the whisper of Mengus, but in their own land, they could be allowed to exist in
neither did they adhere to the side of Amethyst, peace. In wars, yok-ani refuse to take sides, preferring
whether out of some ideological prohibition or simple to maintain the peace when finally forced to intervene;
self-interest. While birthed from Attricana, they hold this they only do when an ongoing conflict (such as that
themselves apart from the rest of draconic society, between the narros and the tenenbri) becomes so bitter
content to pursue their own agendas preferably a long and protracted that genocide becomes a very real threat.
way away from their kindred. When this occurs, the dragons use their magic to stop
Neutral Dragons will be expanded in a later book. the fighting and force the warring leaders to a truce.
Breaking such a peace treaty brings immediate and con-
ELEMENTAL DRAGONS clusive, though rarely terminal, retribution.
Many neutral dragons were concerned only for their Of the nine, only one yok-ani dragon resides in
own affairs, maintaining strict neutrality in the conflict Canam: Genai-Dilong, after whom the echan township
except when it spilled into their own domains. These within the walls of Angel is named. It is said that it was
 by his power alone that the refugee fleet was able to them to act like heroes, all of them are willing to
make the crossing across the turbulent ocean to the swallow that preference for a steady paycheck. Most of
shores of western Canam, and that he now resides them have contempt for the fantasy world and believe
somewhere within the temple at the center of the town; what they are doing is patriotic for the human race.
there have only been a handful of confirmed sightings
in the intervening centuries, however. For a mortal to
see a yok-ani once in their life is thought to be a sign of IRON SONS CORPSMAN
the greatest good luck: two sightings are considered a 3rd level mook [HUMAN]
sign of lifelong blessing. No lesser being, not even the Initiative: +5
eldest laudenian, has ever seen a yok-ani three times in
a lifetime. Close Combat Knife +6 vs. AC—4 damage.
Natural 16+: The corpsman can pop free from the

364 IRON SONS COMPANY

target.

The Iron Sons is the largest techan free-company in R: Assault Rifle +8 vs. AC—6 damage.
Canam and possibly the world. Very few people Bad Timing: If the corpsman misses an attack roll by
outside of the Iron Sons’ ranks knows how old the 10 or more, he cannot use assault rifle on his next
company is or who originally founded it, although it is turn.
believed that the current operating general is not its
first commander or even its second.
AC 17
Though virtually every community apart from Angel
and York thinks of them as a terrorist organization, the PD 15 HP 13 (mook)
Iron Sons take contracts from all bastions and – MD 13
occasionally – from echan nations. They don’t care who Mook: Kill one iron sons corpsman for every 13 damage
pays, and their success rate is extremely high. The Iron you deal to the mob.
Sons continue to spread their fingers across the land,
operating independent cells in several bastions and in
nearly two dozen stationary and roaming bases across
the continent. Their membership is wide, comprising
of humans from every walk of life. Though many
members would prefer taking assignments that allow
IRON SONS GRENADIER KODIAK
3rd level spoiler [HUMAN] Kodiaks are one of the few spawn races to emerge in
Initiative: +5 modern Earth with any semblance of a culture. They
began as simple folk in the frigid north, slowly
Close Combat Knife +8 vs. AC—4 damage. developing a social structure, farming skills, and the
Natural 16+: The corpsman can pop free from the first signs of a spoken tongue. Their massive size
target. encouraged a preference for violence and a brutal first
encounter with the skeggs affirmed it. While a few
R: Assault Rifle +8 vs. AC—10 damage. communities have grown in size and civility, others
Bad Timing: If the grenadier misses an attack roll by have degraded back to feral ways, retaining enough
10 or more, he cannot use assault rifle on his next intelligence to plot their attacks on the unsuspecting.
turn. The region in which a band originates determines its
proclivities. Most live wild, ignoring the outside world
R: Grenade Attack +8 (1d4 enemies near each other)— and ignored in turn. Those kodiaks bordering on
10 damage. Fargon forged a trading relationship, bartering animal
hides for weapons and education. The narros dealing
Intermittent Grenades: An Iron Sons Grenadier can use with the kodiaks also hoped their civilized neighbors
his grenade attack times per battle, but never two would beget a safe border and an eventual host of
turns in a row. unstoppable warriors ready to rally if the narros were
called to battle. Unfortunately, some of these kodiaks
AC 19 took this knowledge of weapons and went to war
PD 17 HP 45 immediately against their own brothers as well as the
MD 14 skeggs. After the skeggs were pushed back by the
modernized mass of muscle and steel, the victors
continued their blood rage until they were killed or ran
IRON SONS SERGEANT out of food. A few bands, smaller and less savage,
4th level leader [HUMAN] moved west of the mountains as far south as the lands
Initiative: +5 bordering Xixion, where they have become almost
civilized. Although kodiaks have rarely been seen
Close Combat Knife +9 vs. AC—12 damage. southeast of Quinox, the rumors of their migration grow
Natural 16+: The sergeant can pop free from the tar- each year. They are often sought after as bodyguards,
get. thugs, or as savage warlords on the battlefield.
Regardless of their role, they stand the tallest and instill
R: Assault Rifle +9 vs. AC—14 damage. the greatest fear on those that see their eyes.
Natural Hit: One other Iron Sons ally can make a
ranged attack.
ENRAGED KODIAK
Look Into My Eyes: Once per battle, two killed Iron 4th level Double-Strength troop [HUMANOID]
Sons this battle stand back up. They now have hit Initiative: +8
points equal to their staggered value.
Iron Chains +8 vs. AC—24 damage.
Staggered: While staggered, the enraged kodiak in-
AC 20 flicts 30 damage. 365
PD 16 HP 54
MD 18 Slavering Bite +8 vs. AC—15 damage, and the target is
grabbed.

IRON SONS LORE Ravenous: While staggered, the enraged kodiak can
A character knows the following with a successful make an iron chains attack and a slavering bite at-
knowledge skill check. tack.
DC 25: The current general of the Iron Sons is a
man known only as Chauk. He has personally
AC 20
commanded several contracts and possesses such high-
level intelligence on bastion technology and knows so PD 18 HP 108
many of the bastions’ darker secrets that the same MD 14
bastions which hire him have also posted bounties on
his head. As such, he has not been seen outside of his
inner circle in several years.
 KODIAK LORE the death of her lover. She birthed Chronzia, the
A character knows the following with a successful kodiak devil, creeping from the north in the form of a
knowledge skill check. colossal glacier. Fressen returned to her realm to rejoin
DC 15: Kodiaks have wide, trunk torsos but are still with her other half, her twin brother Kwuoia, who is
humanoid and easily differentiated from the bears they always silent and spends the entirety of his existence
came from. Few people can tell the males and females planting and growing trees.
apart. Kodiaks don’t need to hibernate but they do eat
massive amounts of food, nearly four times any other M.A.X.
creature. They have no table manners.
DC 20: There are three distinct subspecies of
(Mobile Anti-echan eXoskeleton)
kodiak. The best-known are the hulking brutes that The appearance of this armored figure is rarely
366 most resemble the natural Kodiak grizzly bear after reported, as few ever survive the encounter. Despite
the rumors and accounts, no one knows what its goals
which the species was named. A smaller variety, more
akin to the smaller coastal brown bear, is found are, its origin or destination, or if more than one even
primarily in the Seliquam valley and peninsular exists. It resembles an oversized exo-armor, but with
rainforest. The least known is a tiny population of no apparent openings to accept a pilot. Its body is black
throwbacks who are barely distinguishable from the without any insignia, and its arms and legs are as thick
animals they spawned from, and are revered as the as the torsos of similar sized enemies. MAX possesses
closest thing the kodiak religion has to saints. The rudimentary intelligence and problem solving skills. Its
eldest of these, said to be as old as the present age, is low, deep voice demands obedience and its sympathy is
rumored to reside atop a mountain somewhere in the far non-existent. No bastion in Canam has claimed its
east of Canam. construction. It is never found with anyone else, has no
DC 25: Kodiaks have developed a culture in their marks of origin, and has never been found as wreckage
short span of time. Little is known about the kodiak to be salvaged. It seems to be on a mission and is
religion. They worship several gods unique to them. singular in that purpose, never resting, never stopping
Their major deities include Fressen, the maiden of until it has completed its objective—after which, it
winter and slumber. She attempted a mortal life with a vanishes until another assignment is downloaded into
kodiak shaman and was punished for her actions with its memory banks by its faceless masters.
M.A.X. Reactor Meltdown: If MAX is reduced to zero hit
Large 10th level wrecker [CONSTRUCT] points or less, all creatures up to far away suffer a +26
Initiative: +13 vs. PD attack, suffering 200 damage on a hit, half
damage on a miss.
Slam +26 vs. AC—100 damage and MAX pops free from
the target. Immunities: MAX cannot be marked and is immune to
poison attacks and disease.
R: Reliquary Plasma Caster +26 vs. AC—116 damage,
and 15 ongoing fire damage. Resist Physical 16+: When a physical attack targets
this creature, the attacker must roll a natural 16+ on
Resist Variable Damage 11+: On its turn, the MAX can the attack roll or it deals half damage.
select an energy type. When any attack of said type
targets this creature, the attacker must roll a natural AC 26
11+ on the attack roll or it deals half damage. PD 20 HP 432
MD 24

367
 M.A.X. LORE PAGUS
Nothing is known of MAX. Ixindar cannot create, only transform. Within a single
night, as the black star fell from the sky, a million fae
...Yet. walked from their homes and vanished into the night.
M.A.X. was intended to invoke theo- Many of the unfortunate victims came from the
ries and questions about the future. chaparrans that lived in a large forest near the land later
Anyone that owns our original 3.5 OGL called Kakodomania. When they returned a century
edition from 2008 already has an idea where later, they were completely unrecognizable: not only
had they been transformed to be physically identical
MAX comes from. This origin has not
regardless of their original species, but their carefree
changed. Theories can include a relic from the hearts had been replaced with dark, destructive
old age, or an automaton from a bastion across purpose. Ixindar’s corruption caused their skin to
the ocean, or something from...SPACE! become thin, cracked and veiny. They lost all their hair
from head to toe and their once slender forms bulged
MERFOLK with slabs of corded muscle. After centuries in
darkness, only their ears remained the recognizable
As these chaparran descendants lived their lives on and feature from the old fae, around the same length as
under the water, they eventually replaced their legs chaparrans. An oddity of modern pagus is that some
with fins and a tail. It is believed these fae branched survivors of their attacks have reported pagus with
around the same time as other nymphs, specifically naturally round ears, though there has never been an
water-based ones like nereids and naiads. Being so tied explanation for this.
to nature, and thus the world that reflected the power of All other fae descendants have disowned this breed.
Attricana, they were especially vulnerable to its effects. Chaparrans and narros have sworn to their annihilation.
The few fae legends that speak of them refer to Alas, the most unfortunate side effect of the pagus’
them as jeilynn, but many modern fae are unaware that corruption is their reproductive system. Unlike other
such a creature ever existed; it was only their fae species, pagus females enter into season every two
substantial consistent inclusion in human mythology weeks and gestation only takes three months. Worse,
that verified their existence in the previous age. They pagus do not require pair bonding to breed outside their
kept to themselves for thousands of years in the ancient species, causing their numbers to increase at an incon-
world, and in the modern one they are virtually ceivable rate. Pagus know how to forge their own
invisible, having been hunted close to extinction by weapons and beat their own armor from an early age.
their children, the dojenn. As it stands, sailor tales are They are taught every facet of war and the quickest
the only evidence of their continued survival. The routes to success. Pagus warbands rarely fail in their
legends claim the females are as beautiful as the men goals, if only because their innumerable hordes can
are revolting—as close to vicious animals as can be simply overwhelm all but the strongest opposition.
before they stop being fae altogether. By the time the First Hammer fell thousands of
Despite many fairy tales, there has never been a years later, pagus outnumbered all other fae combined.
factual record of a bonding between any land creature While Amethyst reduced most to ash in his death
and a jeilynn. Though human sailors seem fascinated throes, when the black gate re-opened, they returned
by the idea, there are obvious physical hurdles popular with an obsessed fervor. Thankfully, Ixindar lost
fiction seems to ignore on a regular basis, which require control over most of them as the pagus spread
fairly substantial magic to overcome (since bonding
368
throughout the globe. Kakodomania found itself
does not grant either partner the power to survive in without much of an army, forcing Mengus to reconsider
their mate’s hostile environment). her plans and wait for their numbers to replenish. How-
Though they are classed as mammals and reproduce ever, she is nothing if not patient. Without the
the same as dolphins, this is as close as they come to dominating whisper, the unbound pagus went wild.
being related to other fae or humans. Another Some pagus claimed freedom from Kakodomania but
unfortunate misconception insinuates that eating the most followed the dictates of the corruption implanted
flesh of a jeilynn grants one immortality. This is false in their souls hundreds of generations prior. Raiding
but has led to some barbaric attempts to test the theory. bands appeared across the globe. Evil dragons took
Merfolk are not expected to be direct opponents and control of many to form their own personal guard,
so monster stats are not included. claiming lands in Canam for themselves. Many of those
that were left became nomadic. Their hatred for the
other fae never died, and they found new enemies
aplenty in this new time. Oddly, every year, more and
more pagus are trying to better themselves. The fur-
ther they are raised from Ixindar, the greater the chance
for redemption, but first they must somehow escape
from the self-destructive tendencies of their kindred PAGUS STRIFEBRINGER
and find their own place in the world. 5th level mook [HUMANOID-FAE]
The human mage Kereptis Rifts calculated that Initiative: +8
more than six million pagus walked the earth in his day,
and with their rate of reproduction (even considering Maul +10 vs. AC—9 damage.
their high mortality rate) that number must have easily
doubled or tripled in the modern day. Their Mounting Mob: Each time a strifebringer is killed in
communities never grow larger than a few hundred the battle, all other strifebringers gain 3 hit points
before internal conflict splinters them. Their culture (cumulative).
does not predate the present age, for they were neither
permitted nor interested in expressing themselves
while under the influence of Ixindar. This culture is AC 21
noteworthy for what it lacks: they have no independent PD 19 HP 18 (mook)
writing style (unnecessary, as they keep no histories and MD 15
the only tales they tell are braggartly retellings of their Mook: Kill one pagus strifebringer for every 14 damage
battle exploits), they don’t play music (excluding war you deal to the mob (see mounting mob).
drums), and they never dance. Since they were created
for war and reproduction, the society that developed
indulges in such actions. PAGUS BATTLESWORN
One notable development of this is a festival of 5th level troop [HUMANOID-FAE]
procreation called San Lossom (“The Founding”). All Initiative: +10
sexually mature pagus in the community divide by gen-
der, and the males challenge the females to single com- Maul +10 vs. AC—18 damage.
bat: the women may wield weapons in this battle, the
men may not. The males must disarm their opposites Focused Aggression: When an enemy staggers the bat-
to earn the right to mate with them, while the females tlesworn, said enemy becomes the focus of the bat-
resist with deadly force. After the highest-ranked tlesworn’s aggression. The battlesworn gains a +1
couples have concluded their private duels, the festival bonus to attack rolls and its damage increases to 21
degenerates into an orgiastic grand melee. All the against its focus.
while, the war drums beat rhythmically, no different
from any other battlefield. Because female pagus are as AC 21
large and dangerous as the males, there is no separation PD 19 HP 72
of gender in their day-to-day life. Females have as MD 15
many rights as the males and if a female reaches the
rank of chief, she is expected to never be defeated by
challengers; most female chiefs have already birthed a PAGUS OUTRUNNER
dozen or more whelps in their lives, so this is rarely a 5th level archer [HUMANOID-FAE]
problem for them. Most shemjaza and dragons Initiative: +10
discourage the pagus forming their own culture, but a
few have tolerated the San Lossom as it accomplishes Falchion +10 vs. AC—18 damage.
two tasks: weeding out the weak and ensuring R. Crossbow +10 vs. AC—18 damage
continued pagus stock. Natural 16+: The outrunner makes a second cross-
Pagus were created to be perfectly obedient armies:
separated from Kakodomania, their barbaric tendencies
bow attack (no more) as a free action. 369
intensify because they no longer have a clear authority Furious Anticipation: Any enemy that hits an ally of the
to follow and turn to the simple expedient of obedience outrunner is vulnerable to the outrunner’s crossbow
to the strongest. As it is hard to dispute the physical attack.
superiority of dragons, this makes the winged gods
natural choices for leadership. Sympathizers believe
AC 21
that, if instructed in ways of peace and given a benign
figure of respect, pagus could civilize. Evidence of this PD 19 HP 72
has already been seen in Apocrypha. MD 15
Pagus are despised by every single race, even the
ones that rule over them. Shemjaza think of them as
hounds, dragons as cattle. All other races swear to their
destruction. Only a small number of nations and rulers
have permitted pagus to exist within their borders, and
only when it has been conclusively proven that they do
not live under the influence of Ixindar.
 PAGUS SHAITAR PAGUS JANNISHAR
5th level Double-Strength wrecker [HUMANOID- 8th level wrecker [HUMANOID-FAE]
FAE] Initiative: +13
Initiative: +8
Maul +13 vs. AC—38 damage,
Morningstar +10 vs. AC—36 damage. Natural 16+: The jannishar makes a second maul
Natural 16+: Target is dazed until the beginning of attack (no more) as a free action.
the shaitar’s next turn.
Shattering Blows: If the shaitar is engaged with at Onslaught: If an enemy the jannishar is engaged with is
least two enemies, it can make two morningstar dropped, the jannishar can move to engage a new en-
attacks instead of one as a single action. emy as a quick action.

Unfocused Aggression: When the shaitar is staggered or Focused Aggression: When an enemy staggers the jan-
hit with a critical hit, on its next turn, the shaitar can nishar, said enemy becomes the focus of the jan-
make morningstar attacks as a move action. nishar’s aggression. The jannishar gains a +1 bonus to
attack rolls and its damage increases to 50 against its
Charge: The shaitar can move to engage an enemy focus.
from far away as a single move action.
AC 24
AC 21 PD 22 HP 144
PD 19 HP 144 MD 18
MD 15

PAGUS CHIEFTAIN
5th level Double-Strength leader [HUMANOID-FAE]
Initiative: +10

Heavy Flail +10 vs. AC—36 damage,

Natural 16+: An allied pagus makes a basic attack as
reaction.

Actual Strategy: Once per round, if an allied pagus is

killed in the battle, an allied pagus an additional
standard action during the chieftain’s turn.

Unshakable Conviction: All nearby allied pagus are

immune to fear, and cannot be confused. When the
chieftain is staggered, all nearby pagus gain a +2 bo-
nus to all damage rolls.

370 AC 21
PD 17 HP 144
MD 17
PAGUS LORE degrades until little is left aside from an insane monster.
A character knows the following information with a Most of these creatures are killed by the shemjaza
successful Knowledge (nature) check. before they can destroy the settlements they inhabit,
DC 15: Pagus are militaristic to a fault. Each pagus but some are enslaved and brought from battlefield to
whelp is trained harshly and vigorously from a very battlefield in chains. These pagus are called the shaitar
early age to become a vicious warrior. When in combat, – the breakers. The pagus strong-willed enough to
the pagus are regimented and single-minded, unlike the avoid this horrible fate find their mental agility
riotous skeggs or the often solitary oggrak. The pagus increasing, rife with thoughts of free-will and culture.
take pleasure only in death, not in torture, and as such
they are very quick in dispatching any opponents PUGG
remaining after a battle. Pagus don’t believe in much Unlike other fae descendants like the chiggoth, kythix,
other than what they see and feel. They act on instinct and dojenn, the puggs are not difficult to find.
and seldom with reason. Because of their skewed Collectively, they are a massive, destructive organism
disposition, their intuition endorses violence and an quickly advancing beyond nuisance to real threat, a
unwavering dedication to the one they consider their danger to nearly every nation on Earth. In some areas,
leader. When pagus mark an individual as their chief, they are a random and uncontrolled pest, amounting to
they swear untiring loyalty to that authority. For little more than a handful of rock-throwing, blunt-spear-
thousands of years, that fidelity was firmly tied to the jabbing animals. While not dumb beasts, they have no
forces of Kakodomania. No matter how powerful a avenues for directing their intelligence and when not
pagus chief was, she always answered to a shemjaza, given clear and explicit commands (backed up by the
dragon, or occasionally the direct whisper of Mengus. threat of force) they generally default to the most de-
When freed of that authority, pagus wander wild. structive action they can perform. However, they have
Uncontrolled, they follow their last directions—to kill proven to be domesticable, and when raised in a culture
anything that opposes Mengus. Unfortunately, pagus that doesn't promote thievery or deception, puggs can
must be told to stop fighting and, without those sometimes be raised to live normal lives as servants.
instructions, their path of blood will continue unabated. Whenever someone hears the term “house elf,” it is
DC 20: Pagus think forward, never backward. They usually a pugg that is being referred to. For every
desire what they see and rarely plan ahead. They were chaparran or damaskan captured or broken in the slaver
created to kill and do so very efficiently. Unlike the markets, there are ten puggs that are processed and
shemjaza, pagus seldom play with their kills. They forgotten. Domestic puggs are usually bred in pens like
dispatch as quickly as possible, razing villages and pigs, as the feral ones are too difficult to re-educate, but
eliminating its population before moving on. If they many slavers will still capture wild puggs to replenish
have carnal desires, they commit them quickly in order their breeding stock. They are trained for simple
to resume their regular duties. Pagus are impatient and chores, hard labor, and occasionally cooking. Sad to say,
easy to rouse. They will take to war over a morning they still live longer and happier lives than if they had
meal with no preparation from the previous night. been born into a bogg or skegg encampment, or even
They are decisive in action and when ordered to one of their own swarms. Freeing a house elf is no
commit or if taking a quest by choice, pagus are narrow- kinder than throttling it in its sleep, as even when they
minded in their fixation. They cannot be distracted retain their feral instincts, they lack the brutal
and have been known to refuse sleep for days in their experience necessary to survive on their own. In open
obsession. echa, when left to their own devices, puggs are
Crossing a pagus is unwise and in battle, opponents
371
inevitably savage and destructive. In history their
are warned never to leave pagus alive. If they survive, likenesses have been attributed to several fantasy
they will remember who wounded them and will think creatures like boggles, brownies, leprechauns, and
of nothing but vengeance. Pagus don’t taunt various other malicious sprites.
opponents, and they never cheer. On the battlefield,
they are silent, cold-hearted machines. They march Puggs are one of my favorite mon-
forward and mark their targets. When a rival sees a sters—gifted with a mob ability that
pagus locking eyes upon him, that opponent must be
was once distinctive in the genre. Their
ready, for that pagus is coming to kill them.
DC 25: Pagus are a dominated race. The shemjaza Bloody Innumerable ability is meant to
and typhox dragons have held them under their thumbs allow larger groups of puggs to emulate more
since the fall and ruthlessly murder any pagus that powerful opponents. I have no problem if you
begins to chafe under the yoke of Ixindar’s rule. There want to continue scaling the bonuses if four,
are few pagus in Kakodomania older than twenty years five, or even six puggs gang up on one target.
of age. As a pagus ages, it doesn't become weaker and
decrepit as do other races. A pagus continues to grow
larger and larger until the day it is killed. However, the
mental health of the pagus, unless strong to begin with,
 PLAIN PUGG PUGG LORE
0 level mook [HUMANOID-FAE] A character knows the following with a successful
Initiative: +6 knowledge skill check.
DC 10: Puggs have no aspirations, and only desire
Sticks +5 vs. AC—3 damage. the freedom to eat and kill whatever they want. They
R. Stones +5 vs. AC—3 damage have no self-control and only stop eating when their
stomachs are too full to fit anything else. Their bodies
Bloody Innumerable: Two or more puggs can combine can process any organic substance they can wrap their
their efforts on a target with a melee attack (make one jaws around, and many will cheerfully attempt to eat
attack per group). 2 puggs = +1 bonus to attack and a inorganic matter as well. The two most common causes
+2 bonus to damage; 3 puggs = +2 bonus to attack and of accidental death among puggs are choking on
a +4 bonus to damage. something too big to chew and being crushed or
suffocated in a swarm.
AC 16 DC 15: Puggs can be found anywhere on Earth but
are especially prevalent in western Canam where they
PD 14 HP 5 (mook)
grow at an alarming rate. Female puggs can produce a
MD 10 litter of two to four offspring every three weeks, though
Mook: Kill one pugg for every 5 damage you deal to the only one in five hundred survives the eight months
mob. required to reach maturity (the rest usually being eaten
by their siblings and occasionally their parents).
PUGG TACTICS Estimates indicate that every square inch of the planet
will be covered in puggs within a thousand years if dras-
Puggs are cowards at the best of times, and refuse to
tic measures are not taken.
attack unless they have overwhelming numbers on their
DC 20: Slavers often capture puggs to sell as house
side (or are so hungry they forget themselves, which is
pets to human owners. The puggs often don’t even
more common than not). They will gang up and swarm
realize they’ve been captured, as they are beaten less
one enemy at a time, biting, scratching and kicking
under human care than under the skeggs'. Small groups
until it comes down.
of puggs have been known to wander into slaver camps
and give themselves up for the promise of food,
especially if they don’t have numbers to overwhelm

372
their enemy. On their own or when in small numbers, I generally don’t include stats for good
puggs are absolute cowards. creatures or creatures the characters are
not expected to directly engage with.
Puggs are stupid, animalistic, and This was more about space than creating
driven by instinct, but you shouldn't a wide range of monsters—given the ration
always play them as completely allowed for this book, we kept with evil crea-
mindless: occasionally, you might tures the players would most often fight. This
surprise the PCs with a group of puggs will change with future books.
acting with what passes for cunning.
SHAPELESS WILD
SATYRS Many opponents swear these creatures are undead,
Satyrs, called scians by themselves and other fae, were while others claim them to be shadows, but they are
represented somewhat accurately throughout human neither. They are born from the death throes of lost
history. They are one of the earliest chaparran souls within the Sana Marsh but are neither ghosts nor
branches, eventually leading to centaurs. However, wraiths. They breathe, but have no faces one can see;
satyrs are not the peaceful skittish creatures the they have claws but no arms. They throw no shadows
centaurs are. While less feral and animalistic than but seem to emit darkness, concealing their true shape
puggs and boggs, they are still wild creatures, and (if they even have one). Only illuminated white eyes,
additionally are hypersexual, orgiastic, and hedonistic. jaws of knives, and dripping silver claws twice the
The neurochemicals which in humans cause happiness length of human fingers emerge from a mass of
and satisfaction instead produce an adrenaline response blackness. Their sole purpose is to protect the Marsh
and a strong hallucinogenic effect in satyrs. They and follow the commands of their demon mother.
quickly crash from this high and must immediately seek They have recently been seen outside the Marsh,
out new pleasures or lapse into a dull fugue, during attempting to drag victims back to the darkness to
which they are easily provoked into mindless, wild increase their numbers.
rages. Satyrs are also incapable of bonding with any
creatures, and thus can only breed with their own kind.
Because their conception rate is the lowest of any fae,
THE SHAPELESS WILD
3rd level troop [BEAST-IXINDAR]
satyrs engage in as many sexual encounters as possible.
Initiative: +8
However, the species has a strong sexual dimorphism,
with female satyrs (also known as maenads) being
Reflective Claws +8 vs. AC—10 damage.
virtually indistinguishable from human women, albeit
Natural 16+: Make a second reflective claws attack.
with slightly pointy ears and profoundly unstable
minds. Male satyrs are not generally patient enough to
Evergloom: All light near the shapeless wild is reduced to
determine their partner’s species beforehand, preferring
dim, shadow casting light.
to seduce first and not bother asking questions. They
are incredibly charismatic and never take a lover by Shapeless Distortion: The shapeless wild can pop-free as a
force, although their passions have been known to quick action.
result in broken bones.
Satyrs seldom get involved in combat and are Hidden Ways: The first time in battle someone hits the
shapeless wild, it misses (unless a critical hit).
373
considered by many of the other races to be cowardly.
They hide in forests the same as chaparrans and
centaurs, though keeping away from both. Because of AC 19
the increasing population of humans and their PD 16 HP 45
heightened sexual drive, many satyrs have migrated to MD 17
nearby human communities to persuade passing locals.
Satyrs should not be confused with fauns, a very
miniscule later branch from satyrs. Fauns are smaller, THE SHAPELESS WILD LORE
less cowardly, equally as hedonistic but in different A character knows the following with a successful
ways, preferring drink and song as their pleasure of knowledge skill check.
preference. DC 15: One must take the tales told by tavern
Satyrs are not expected to be direct opponents and drunkards with a grain of salt. Though many stories of
so monster stats are not included. formless beasts beyond the bogg-controlled forests are
told, no one worth the price of a pint ever recounted a
reliable tale. Some described the shapeless as living
shadows, as if the shade they cast peeled from the walls
and enveloped them. Others proclaimed them to be
smooth-skinned creatures with nary a hole or wrinkle in
 their bodies save for a pair of white eyes floating in their
featureless skulls. A similar story adds claws of silver
SHEMJAZA
374 sticking from black fingers. Because of the lack of
definition, all one can see is a pair of glowing eyes
The greatest departure from legends, the modern com-
manders of the dark armies of Ixindar don’t wield pitch-
looking out from a black void, and vicious talons forks, have cloven hooves and spiked tails, or sport
whirling about it. Some claimed the creatures were horns, though they do have pointed ears. They resem-
cursed fae, maybe tenenbri or some offshoot of nymphs ble the oldest fae races, but are not fae: they are the
turned to shadow, while others insisted they were pure manifestation of the power of syntropy, given the
rejects of death, raised to inflict their rage upon the form of the ancient fae by the intelligence of Mengus.
living. How this came about remains a mystery. The fact that
DC 20: The shapeless are moving beyond their they closely resemble tilen gives credence to the claim
marsh and attacking nearby villages, or reaching far that the tilen are the nearest to the original fae form,
beyond to entice distant rulers with similar promises of but has not helped the tilen’s desire for peace with the
immortality that drove the king of Kardia to madness various nations of the world. Their appearance was un-
and evil. The Torquil town of Barbecallis is rumored to common in the time of Terros and unseen in Canam
have fallen to shapeless hands, but in that case, it was until only a few years ago. The shemjaza are usually
because the two lords in charge of the keep had the ones leading armies and committing secret tasks
rejected the advances of the demon succubus as they bestowed by their lords or god. Each one is worth a
had already taken each other as lovers. hundred pagus.
They stand much taller than any fae, growing in
 not need to be prodded or threatened to obtain that
obedience. To a shemjaza, fulfilling the interests of
Mengus and Ixindar are as natural as breathing. They
are permitted the greatest latitude of any of Ixindar’s
creatures, for they regard freedom as the greatest evil in
the universe. All pagus in Kakodomania are controlled
by the shemjaza, and a few have even appeared in east-
ern Canam to usurp the dominion of the typhox drag-
ons. Shemjaza still number quite few even in Kakodo-
mania, though they are by far are the most dangerous
servants of Mengus.
Shemjaza are all unique creatures with capabilities
and powers tailored for a particular role in the armies of
Ixindar. There should never be a point at which
shemjaza are a pushover for player characters.
Shemjaza will be expanded in a later book.

PCs shouldn't be able to kill shemjaza

for the most part, but that doesn't
mean they can't defeat them. If you
decide to make a shemjaza the big bad
of an adventure, you should give it a poet-
ic-sounding One Unique Thing (like a PC) rep-
resenting its appointed task, and then inter-
pret that Unique absolutely literally. For in-
stance, a shemjaza charged with raising prehis-
toric monsters as undead might have the
Unique "Untouched by all that bites and
slashes, burns and bashes," making things like
swords, bullets, fire and acid simply stop a few
inches from its skin. Make sure the PCs see
that their attacks don't even reach the target,
and focus their attention on foiling whatever
the shemjaza's plan is (such as smashing the
necromantic artifact it wields, or dropping half
a mountainside on top of it to slow it down
while the party takes out its minions).

SKEGG
The skeggs share the boggs’ desire to achieve 375
satisfaction through violence. However, they are not
stature as their power increases, and have solid black
capable of the boggs’ casual masochism, and so direct all
eyes with no differentiation of the pupil, iris, or sclera.
their energy into harming others. Since they have no
They feel nothing except for physical and emotional
talent for building large communities, they must raid for
extremes. Everything must be pushed to an excessive
food and supplies. On their own, they attack caravans
limit, even pain, a sensation they are fascinated by and
and hamlets but rarely towns or villages unless they
go out of their way to inflict on both themselves and
have enslaved boggs or puggs to wear down the
others. Some intentionally mutilate themselves to keep
enemies. Skeggs are the smartest of the damaskan
their sensations constant. Despite their size and the
anathema, just intelligent enough not to rush head
intimidating aspect of their eyes, they are described as
strong into a fight, driving the lesser castes up first.
being astoundingly attractive and charismatic. Another
They have a love/hate relationship with the boggs, but
misconception claims they are all sadistically evil, which
feel nothing but disgust for puggs, which they regard as
is not entirely true: what they are is the epitome of amo-
little better than useful vermin.
rality. The concepts of good and evil are meaningless
to them, and even chaos and order confuse them as
philosophical notions. All they understand is obedi-
ence, and unlike the pagus and typhox dragons, they do
 SKEGG PUGG-DRIVER SKEGG LORE
3rd level, leader [HUMANOID-FAE] A character knows the following with a successful
Initiative: +7 Knowledge (nature) check.
DC 15: The skeggs consider themselves the ruling
Pugg Prodder +8 vs. AC—10 damage. caste of damaskan anathema and will always assume
control over boggs and puggs whenever they encounter
R. Nice Throw +8 vs. PD—8 damage from throwing a them. Both skeggs and boggs look upon their
nearby pugg at the target. There is now pugg en- descendant puggs with contempt, offering them no
gaged with the target. rights or privileges, throwing them in front of a battle
line, assigning them the hardest labor, occasionally
Rabble Rouse: All puggs in the battle gain a +1 bonus using them as furniture, and even breeding them as a
to attack and a +2 bonus to damage rolls. This is cu- food source.
mulative with the puggs’ bloody innumerable ability. DC 25: Skeggs will not breed with boggs and will
oftentimes keep a bogg mother in chains to maintain
Crowd: The skegg pugg-driver is always flanked by a order over a nest. Skeggs also have a basic knowledge
mob of puggs—the details are left up to the GM. of weapons and armor and enough intelligence to appre-
ciate treasure and the affectations of culture—skills
AC 19 worth their weight in a chained bogg mother. Pugg-
drivers occasionally sell some of their stock to human
PD 17 HP 45
traders.
MD 13
THORNSHROUD
SKEGG INCITER In the darklands, there is a complex hierarchy, which
3rd level, leader [HUMANOID-FAE] not all of Mengus’ minions care to follow. Shemjaza,
Initiative: +7 typhox dragons, and other powerful evil creatures
engage in an intricate dance of dominance and
Morningstar +8 vs. AC—10 damage. deference. In theory, shemjaza overrule all other
Natural 16+: An enemy is vulnerable to an ally’s next subjects of Ixindar, but in practice they often have their
attack roll. own concerns and feel no compulsion to enforce their
will, enabling other overlords to take power. None of
You’re Not Finished: If an ally falls in the battle, the this mattered when Thornshroud arrived.
skegg inciter can make a morningstar attack as a reac- Thornshroud is a construct of living armor with the
tion. head of a human grafted onto it. The head is withered
and decrepit but still conscious and aware. Negative
AC 19 energies keep the psyche intact, though twisted by
PD 17 HP 45 whispers from the darkness. When Thornshroud
arrived in Canam, he swayed any forces he approached.
MD 13
Pagus, shemjaza, and dragons wilted under his will.
Instead of corralling the masses of evil behind him in an
SKEGG THUG assault on Canam, this armor vanished on a mission no
3rd level, wrecker [HUMANOID-FAE] one else was aware of, one he wouldn’t share with his
376 Initiative: +5 subordinates. He told them it came from the highest
authority, orders from the greatest voice of all.
Heavy Bone Warclub +8 vs. AC—10 damage. Thornshroud takes joy in the torture and suffering
Natural even hit: Make a second heavy bone warclub of those he deems inferior, which includes every living
attack (only one) as a free action. This second attack and unliving creature on the planet. Unlike a pagus,
inflicts 14 damage. Thornshoud wears his emotion visibly, laughing at the
pain he inflicts, taking trophies of those he kills,
Amplification: The skegg thug benefits from the esca- brandishing pelts and skulls as marks of this glory. His
lation die. ears are round, proof that such depravity could only
come from a human. Not even he knows his own age or
where on the planet he fell under the shadow of
AC 19
corruption.
PD 17 HP 45
MD 13
377
 THORNSHROUD so close to their spirit animal that the two became
10th level Double-Strength wrecker merged. As with most magical mutation, some of the
[IXINDAR-CONSTRUCT] traits of the now hybrid being would have passed on to
Initiative: +14 its progeny. Of course, this theory does not account for
the number of such creatures relative to the rarity of
Holocaust (sword) +26 vs. AC—116 damage spirit-bonded, and it is possible that other forms of mag-
Natural even hit: The target loses a recovery. If it has ical shapeshifting may contribute to the phenomenon.
no recoveries, the target is stunned (save ends). The therianthrope condition has also been seen in
Natural odd hit: The target is grabbed and is vulnera- reverse. Though magic usually creates a dire creature,
ble to holocaust attacks until free. Only one target occasionally a normal animal may develop a level of
can be grabbed at a time. intelligence equal to or higher than humans or fae. The
darawren believe that when such an uplifted animal
Engine of Ixindar: As a standard action, Thornshroud develops a connection with a humanoid, it can
may use a recovery to regain 75 hit points after using eventually discover how to take their form, though rare
engine of ixindar . is the animal, even an intelligent one, that can pass for a
hominid without any tells. Regardless of its source, the
Holocaust Riposte: Use a recovery as a free action and transformative condition is only passed on to the
gain a standard action. werebeast’s offspring about half the time, even when
they bond with another werecreature.
Structural Integrity: When Thornshroud is reduced to 0 Natural-born werecreatures are not predisposed to
hit points, his head detaches from his body, grows any alignment, although the majority have an at least
four spidery legs and attempts to escape. In this semi-feral lifestyle and live in their hybrid and
form, Thornshroud has 42 hit points and an AC/PD/ transformed state almost as often as their original form.
MD of 28. Those cursed by magic often turn into psychotic
monsters, as their minds are unable to handle the shock
of the first transformation and crack under the strain.
AC 26 However, it is not unknown for a werecreature’s mate
PD 24 HP 432 to voluntarily accept such a spell, and while such folk
MD 20 tend to be more capricious than most due to not having
the psychology of shapeshifting ingrained since birth,
they are no more disposed toward antisocial behavior
THORNSHROUD LORE than a natural therianthrope.
There is currently no lore associated with Thornshroud.
Natural therianthropy would be a
Currently, Thornshroud is part of a good Unique for a character. Trans-
massive shift in how Ixindar runs its forming obviously wouldn't provide
war campaign. Expect more infor- any direct mechanical benefits on its
mation in the next book. But as you own, but if paired with an appropriate
might have predicted, his design and that of background, it could be a very interesting and
Gebermach (mentioned in the fluff and seen in viable choice.
the Death of Amethyst illustration) are similar
378 for a reason.

WEREBEAST
Contrary to popular belief, one does not contract the

I
disease of lycanthropy by being bitten by a werewolf.
Most werecreatures are born that way, either to fae t was four days later when Aiden heard the shout.
(mostly chaparrans) or humans unusually susceptible to "Custodians! What fortune!" Captain Rothschild
magic. Afflicted lycanthropy is not a disease, but a shouted from outside. Aiden jumped from the bed
deliberate curse, usually inflicted by a particularly and scratched franticly at the wood to slide open the
invidious spell. shutter. The parade had passed into Limshau’s borders
Throughout human history, therianthropes, as some during the night.
prefer to call them, have been described as being "The anathema flee further into the west," a sharp,
tricksters, villains, wise shamans, or faithful lovers. clear, and charismatic voice answered, a master of the
There is no distinct therianthrope culture, though the language, "chasing food and from that which feeds upon
condition passes along family lines and may influence them." Aiden poked out his head to see. When that
local traditions. Natural werebeasts are believed to failed, he went for the door.
have originated when one of the rare spirit-bonded grew "Yeah, they were here, ‘bout two dozen. Never seen
379
 them this far," the captain replied. Still with half his layers n't find a single flaw on the modest amount of exposed
on, Aiden threw open the doors, missed the steps, and skin. Gentle enough to be swept away by a stiff breeze,
slammed into the dirt. He flinched from the pain still in strong enough to push the breeze back. A sharp nose led
his leg. It passed quickly as he saw them, as real as every to brilliant green eyes. Narrow in face but high in cheeks,
wish wanted them to be. her slender body floated towards him.
The damaskans noticed Aiden with their piercing al- Aiden's jaw became unclenched. In a beat, he was
mond eyes as he rounded the carriage. These two wore fourteen again, ogling the sketches under the bedsheets.
new clothes, pressed and clean--a common feature of the He became ashamed by his imperfections and hygiene.
species. They abhorred getting dirty. The ears, their The light caught her flowing straight dark hair thrown
most distinguishing feature, tapered straight out a few back from a head turn. Strands pulled aside to expose the
inches from the sides of the skull to a sharp point. Both ears. Her smooth, light brown skin peeked from gaps in
these guards were male. Supposedly, a female's ears were her armor. She was close and he appreciated the perfec-
pointed higher and fluttered depending on her mood. tion. The coat had round buttons that continued up from
Their hair was dark and cut under shoulder length. the hips to the high collar, where it was topped by a firmly
Their skin was light tan. Aiden took note of their visible secured short belt. The collar continued half way up her
age, younger than himself. They wore the black kawabari long neck.
and overcoat distinctive of the warrior scholars from the She passed him and stopped as they locked eyes. He
city of books. The kawbari Limshau armor was the uni- wanted that to last forever. Everything everywhere led to
form and signature of the custodian. Overlaying leather, this instant. It was beyond anything he had imagined or
both conditioned and boiled, covered nearly every inch of prepared. She broke the moment and looked down at his
their bodies. The longcoat of thick split leather, ran down arm. When she reached for and grabbed it, the adrena-
to the base of waist in the back, but flowed down past the line could be measured in wattage. She pulled his sleeve
knees in front. Their blades were locked and safe on their and revealed the watch. "Rompere?" she asked
backs. "Pardon?" Aiden answered.
"Perhaps the speculation of a chiggoth in this region is "Non functional." She shared the accent of the others,
accurate," the one custodian said. a strange sort similar to Minx's, but with an emphasis on
"Either way, you here for escort?" Rothschild replied. perfect pronunciation.
"No. You are three days from the city. You will find "Yes."
no other threats in your approach. We patrol to find the She released him. "A wizard's book but bastion born.
nest. We suspect it not far from your path. Have you You have a tale."
suffered losses?" "I do indeed." Aiden tryed to form the best smile he
"A few, yes." could. His thoughts quickly migrated to remind him of
Aiden just watched and admired the accuracy of those the unbuttoned shirt and rumpled hair.
stories. They walked with such subtlety and lightness, She tilted her head and a slight smirk to lift the spirits
they were hardly leaving impressions in the soil. Every of the dead crept over her face. "Then the city will wel-
arm movement was intended, no peculiar itches or nerv- come you."
ous ticks, no idle hands. They stood straight and balanced "Thank you," was all he could marshal as his brain ram-
without shuffling. Their very existence was a denial of bled on with other distracting thoughts.
common sense and if the gate above were to close, their "Anything of concern, Raven" called out the lead cus-
deaths would come quick under the unforgivable wrath of todian.
logic. She answered him. "There is nothing tainted or cor-
"Unfortunate," the custodian said. rupted. No advanced technology."
Other passengers had emerged from the convoy to "Very good."
380 get their glimpses. Some had seen the likes of them be-
fore. The women were smitten. The men were unsettled
Aiden glanced at his watch. "Prohibited?" he asked.
"Not exactly," Raven answered as her smile faded.
but unsure why. "Unprotected power cells are unsafe in environments
"Should we worry over contraband?" the custodian such as these.
added. Aiden noted they had no horses. They ran with- Aiden attempted to impress. "Actually, I know…
out a drop of water or sweat since the city and would I’ve…I’ve read."
continue to do so until nightfall. "Then reminding you of it was avoidable," she an-
"Never gave you reason to suspect before," the cap- swered directly and stepped away. Aiden furrowed his
tain answered. "Still, you’re in your place and welcome to brow, unsure how to make of that.
check." The lead custodian resumed his conversation with the
"We already are." captain. "We will leave you to your journey," the custodi-
The third custodian wore white and was orbiting the an said. He called out, "let us continue, Raven."
opposite side of the caravan. Aiden turned back to notice Raven started for the other two. Aiden stepped up to
and instantly became aware of his unbuttoned undershirt, follow her. "Raven, nice name."
his damaged pants, his unshaven face and morning hair. She continued walking. "It is," she replied. Fae seldom
She studied every passenger, scrutinized each vehicle, sported curves. Detractors complained of their lack of
and did so with only a passing glance. She looked like a definition, that females missed many of the voluptuous
human girl barely at the sunset of her teens. Aiden could- aspects of women, and males the tone and muscle of
stout and sturdy men. All Aiden could think was how The captain walked back around. "Hoping for an im-
those critics never spotted a damaskan from behind pression?" he asked, finally jostling Aiden out of his deliri-
strapped in kawabari leather. um.
The captain offered his hand to the lead. "Thank you "I don't know. I guess…yes."
again." When it wasn't accepted, the captain let it drop. "Next time don't ask a question you know the answer
The two custodians approached Raven. to." Aiden broke his stare to finally look at him. "Don't
Aiden watched her slip away. He didn't want to follow fret, you'll see more where that one came from." He pat-
but he couldn't let it drop. ted the disillusioned wizard on the shoulder.
"My name’s Aiden," he finally announced. "Yeah, but..." Aiden had ceased being an adult some
She looked back as she walked away. "I did not ask." time ago.
He had read they had no concept of deception, that their ...no higher than a princess, an exotic, a target that
outlook and behavior was foreign to those unaware. A could never be struck...
year visibly older or younger could mean a century. A "You'll remember this meeting, but it's not memora-
century of traumas and delights can change a person. His ble. Sorry to say." The captain climbed on top of the lead
hand under no conscious control finally took the initiative coach. Aiden brought his eyes back to the forest. He
and flattened his hair and buttoned his shirt. The elves wasn’t sure what the captain meant. "Hey! Wanna walk
vanished into the woods, her white leather the last to the rest of the way?" was the final snap Aiden needed to
fade. The passengers and guards boarded the caravan. recover his adulthood. He walked up the steps, back into
Aiden kept his eyes on the fluttering leaves. the coach. "God have mercy on you in Limshau."

Early aircraft sketch

381

Future fae creatures

U
ltimately, what distinguishes Amethyst from other fantasy
settings is the contrast between the familiar and the alien.
Merely the act of looking at the map and seeing the broad
outline of North America cements the idea that the
adventure is taking place in a familiar world, even if it has no other
elements in common. Both GM and player will approach the setting
with their own preconceptions drawn from their own real experiences,
and want to integrate those elements into their play.

THEMES
The overarching theme of the setting is ‘lines between extremes’.
The line between fantasy and technology is the most obvious, but
this is only the tip of the iceberg. There is the line between
humanity and the fae peoples, and the discrimination that often
results therefrom; the line between the religion that betters the
believer and that which subjugates the outsider; the line between
civilization and wilderness, and the difficulty each has in co-existing
with the other.
What is most important is the way in which these lines manifest.
At first, it is appropriate, even encouraged, to represent them as
dividing lines: partitions between extremes, and never the twain shall
meet. Over time, however, they should evolve to represent a
continuum, as the characters’ experiences with the world beyond
their preconceptions cause their ways of thinking to change. Not just
the characters’ attitudes, either – player characters are dynamic and
powerful individuals capable of making a global impact. The actions
of the party should have the potential to change the world, even if
only one small corner of it.
Where most fantasy settings start from an exotic basis and grow
gradually more familiar as the players are exposed to them, Amethyst
should start from a basis of familiarity and grow more and more
outlandish. The modern-style techan, with his day-to-day
conveniences that roughly equate to the player’s everyday life, is
thrust into a realm of floating stone heads, trees the size of
skyscrapers, teleporting wild cats, and impossibly beautiful and
graceful near-immortals. The staid librarian is forced to leave her
peaceful stacks in pursuit of a lost tome, and begins to experience the
things that once she only read about. The miners who have never left
their underground tunnels must venture out into the daylight and
fresh air. In every case, no matter how jaded the character may claim
to be, these experiences should be presented to them as the greatest
of wonders. The one dividing line that underpins any Amethyst
adventure is the line between isolation and experience.

CONCEPT
Virtually any adventure concept can be fit into Amethyst; the basic
dungeon crawl; the epic quest; the noir mystery; the war story; the
fairy tale; psychological or body horror; even sports stories have their
niche. The only thing necessary to give the adventure a particular
Amethyst feel is to emphasize any contrast between familiarity and
otherness, injecting symbols of modernity into fantasy and symbols of
fantasy into modernity.
The foremost manifestation of this theme is the conflict
between magic and science. Even if they never leave the bastion, a
techan party has to deal with at least a low-level of disruption, not to
mention the consideration of why they’re in a bastion in the first
place. Even if they never encounter techans, a fantasy party likely
has some synthetic equipment or would give up a large chunk of a
 treasure haul to obtain some. Regardless of the unenchanted loot into the means to upgrade their
adventure concept, therefore, the first decision to be equipment, and to indulge in the luxuries that they are
made when planning an Amethyst adventure should be fighting to preserve. As part of the techan experience is
whether the party will be echan, techan, or a mix of the dealing with the fantasy world on its terms with often-
two. Some adventures will only be possible with one inadequate equipment, even if there is a hole in the
type of party, while others can easily switch between team’s strategic makeup, the adventure should not be
the two, but the choice will inevitably impact the way adjusted to compensate unless the disparity between
the players approach the adventure. the capability of the party and the power level expected
An adventure with the same locations and the by the adventure is too great.
same monsters can often have radically different
approaches, outlooks, and outcomes depending on
whether the party follows the path of technology or fan-
RELATIONS
tasy. The characters themselves will have different In The 13th Age Roleplaying Game, characters are de-
motivations. A traditional fantasy character adventures fined more than any other game by their relationship to
to make a name for themself, to acquire wealth, or the setting elements. Although Amethyst lacks Icons as
because they are called by a higher power (whether a The 13th Age Roleplaying Game defines them, the
personal moral calling, a command from a superior, or concept is still there, and remains just as vital. In Ame-
an undefined sense of destiny); an echan party tends to thyst, your allegiances and associations may be the most
have a variety of individual motivations and approaches important things on your character sheet—they define
the adventure with much less focus as a result. A your perspective on the world, and who your friends
typical techan character is part of a unit, often and enemies are, not merely on a local scale, but in the
paramilitary, and thus pursues the adventure’s objective epic struggle taking place every day for the very soul of
more single-mindedly because it’s their job. A techan the Earth.
party will usually play through an adventure in a more The techan group should define its perspective on
linear fashion, even if the details of the adventure are the fantasy world before starting play. If dragon attacks
unchanged. are threatening bastion and village alike, this is usually
merely a matter of flavor – whether the techans look
down on their echan allies as ignorant bumpkins, are
ORIGINS uneasy around them for the effects they may have on
The choice of path also determines the physical starting technology, or are even fascinated by their seeming
point of the adventure. For fantasy games, the old exoticism, they do not require any additional motivation
expedient of ‘you all meet in a tavern’, while cliché, is to make common cause. When offered a quest,
nevertheless a viable option. Fantasy characters are however, a party that despises echans is probably going
presumed to be capable individuals, can come from to demand some pretty hefty compensation in exchange
virtually anywhere in the world, and have no real need for interacting with them. On the other hand, a group
to know their companions prior to the start of the game. that is curious or even sympathetic to fantasy (but not
A fantasy party will usually be broadly diverse, with enough to want to give up refrigerators and microwave
characters more often created according to the whims of ovens) is just as likely as any echan adventurer to help a
the individual player rather than the needs of the group. dragon-ravaged village out of the goodness of their
While most groups tend to cover as many of the tactical hearts (and for the less philanthropic, the lure of the
bases as possible (rare is the party that will set out into dragon’s hoard applies as much to techans as it does to
the wilderness without a healer, for instance), unlikely heroes out for adventure). As the techan game

384
sometimes this will require the adventure to be lends itself strongly to military or paramilitary groups,
tweaked to accommodate a deficiency in the group. those with no opinion one way or the other may be
Techan parties do not have the luxury of content to simply follow their orders. Regardless of
individuality. As outsiders in the fantasy realm, without their motivations, though, techans tend to view all
ready access to the means to repair and resupply, they echans as essentially the same, until they are confronted
only have one another to rely on for support. As such, by the realms of variation throughout the world. A
they should know each other extensively before the techan adventure, despite being very focused, should
adventure begins. Techans who meet over a brew and take care to accentuate both the common and the epic
decide to take on the world tend to have their bones fantasy elements: these are all new and unique
scattered across the wilderness in very short order. A experiences to the characters, and even if they try to
techan group is usually part of an organization. They shut them out, they cannot help but be affected by the
are accustomed to hierarchy and uniformity, their novelty.
equipment is issued to them rather than found or An echan group does not need to define its
crafted, and with very few exceptions, they all come position relative to the bastion-born, but each individual
from the same bastion. The bastion is the default should consider where they come from and how that
starting point and ‘home base’ for a techan party, and background relates to the world at large. An ex-slaver
the group will have to periodically return to it to restock from Baruch Malkut is going to relate very differently to
their batteries and ammunition, to convert their a Limshau damaskan than a knight of the Bulwark. A
party from Limshau and a party from Seliquam might
be equally cosmopolitan, but the one comes from a
ADVERSITY
background of cooperation and cultural exchange while The most crucial consideration for any techan party is
the other comes from an untrusting, cutthroat society. the threat of disruption. Sooner or later, all their nifty
Additionally, while echans are broadly more toys are going to break, and oftentimes their survival
experienced with the wonders of the world than depends on their ability to either repair them or find
techans, most are just as isolated, having never traveled some way to do without them. As a result, techan
more than a few miles from their homes, or ventured off parties rarely venture far from home, as it is too difficult
the beaten paths if they are habitually nomadic. They to find replacement parts far from their bastion of
are used to the standard elements of the fantasy world – origin. Techans will never find useable treasure in the
the diversity of peoples, the idea of magic if not hordes of the monsters they dispatch. Any technology
necessarily all its implementations, the dangers of the they might find would have been disrupted and
wild – but they are also aware that there are many rendered useless after such long-term exposure, and the
things in the world that they have not seen yet. An only value magical items might have for such a group is
echan adventure should accentuate the differences the paltry amount they would be able to sell them for at
between the characters’ home experiences and what the nearest village, since the prolonged exposure to
they encounter on the road, or the strange similarities EDF required to find a suitable buyer is rarely worth
that can arise despite very different circumstances. the risk. As a practical consideration to ensure the
characters do not fall behind the curve expected by the
game, treasure drops for techans should rarely include
TALENTS magical items unless those items have major plot
Techan and echan parties each have some things they significance (and that importance should be made
can do that the other cannot. Obviously, the techan obvious at the time). When fighting techan monsters
group cannot perform magic, and while some may have (Iron Sons, MAX, etc.), this is not an issue, and salvaged
access to sufficiently advanced technology that can technology can be a viable reward. Even if the enemy
replicate some of its effects, that technology must be carries nothing that can be retrieved whole, it would be
carefully guarded and rationed. An echan party has reasonable to award the group with an appropriate value
more reliable access to efficient healing, large-scale in widgets a character with the Engineer skill can use to
damage effects, powers that boost individual prowess, resupply and upgrade the group’s equipment.
and spells and items with the potential to change the Another inevitability that techans must contend
way they think about obstacles. An adventure for such with is their own attitudes toward echa. Although there
a group must take into account the possibility that are exceptions, most techans have no idea how to relate
someone can fly over a wall to open a gate from the to echans, and constantly risk causing offense with their
inside, or use magic to read a hostile courtier’s mind and perceived superiority complexes. They intrinsically
devise a counter for his arguments the night before view fantasy as something that doesn’t belong in the
their audience with the king. world – a view which echans do not hold of them in
A techan team, while lacking the ability to affect turn, and which they will have to come to terms with in
the world in such profound and unusual ways, has a the event, increasingly likely with prolonged exposure,
slightly broader base of power. They are better able to that they become saturated with magic and are unable
compensate for one another’s’ deficiencies. With very to return to their home.
few exceptions, any techan can use any other techan’s As much as techans do, echans must contend with
equipment, so very rarely will the outcome of a plan the fact that the world at large is a dangerous place, and

385
depend entirely on one character’s special abilities: unlike techans they have less reliable refuges to retreat
techans have more latitude to adapt as a result. As their to. Echans as a whole do not have the same sense of
abilities focus on improving the ability of the group solidarity that the bastion-born do, and the variety of
rather than the individual, their damage output and peoples and attitudes throughout the civilized world, let
defensive ability are more consistent than an echan alone the wilderness, means that they cannot be certain
party, and while they do not have ready access to of how they will be treated from one settlement to the
instant healing, they do have fortress-like vehicles that next. While the ability to freely use magic is a great
they can retreat to when the going gets tough. An help in defending against the unknown, the unknown
adventure for a techan group should account for their can often use it right back, frequently with more
ability to take down large numbers of low-powered expertise. Furthermore, while anyone in an echan party
enemies without much difficulty, their ability to can benefit from magic, only a few can actually use it,
amplify their effectiveness with concentrated fire or and if those few are somehow incapacitated, the group’s
explosives against more potent threats, and their power collective effectiveness is substantially reduced.
to overcome or simply demolish physical obstacles, Closeness with the fantasy world can be a double-
depending on what means of transportation they have edged sword, because the problem with magic is that it
access to. is inherently chaotic. Familiarity breeds contempt, and
that can be deadly when one expects to easily dispatch
a clutch of mindless puggs and instead falls into a pit
 trap contrived by one of the few wily ones. therefore more likely to contain two techans than a
Forejudgment is a particular problem for fae, who are single one. If a lone techan joins an echan party, it may
accustomed to homogeneity within populations: even a be reasonable for the GM to create an NPC party
Limshau damaskan would have difficulty member with the necessary technical skills that the
understanding that challenging the tough but good- player character lacks.
natured barbarian to an arm-wrestling contest, despite
being certain to lose, would be a better way to get What your players want should usu-
information out of a group of rival adventurers than ally trump canon difficulties in a
defeating his touchy wizard companion in a battle of mixed party, unless you've got a story
wits. An echan group must be constantly made to reason to emphasize the divide. In a
realize how much they don’t know about their own
world, preferably in the most inconvenient way
mostly-techan party (especially one with a
possible. vehicle), it can be as simple as just not letting
the echans touch the high-tech things, keeping
them outside the vehicle and ignoring the am-
MIXED GROUPS bient EDF rules. In a mostly-echan party it's
Though the game separates fantasy and technology by
default, the dominant theme of the setting is the a little tougher to square with canon, but un-
interaction rather than the segregation of the two. less the player wants to deal with her equip-
While normally this applies on a macro-scale, it can just ment constantly breaking down as a roleplay-
as easily apply to interactions within the party. Mixed ing event, don't press the issue without a good
groups have hurdles, but this has never stopped them reason.
from trying. All that is required is a suitable
justification for why echans and techans would be
working together. The biggest consideration from a PATTERNS OF
gameplay perspective is the impact of disruption on the
team dynamic. The GM should monitor this situation
LANDSCAPE
In fiction, the focus of the quest is the journey rather
carefully: if the party is getting constantly tripped up by
than the goal. The lands that they pass through should
the default disruption rules, consider adopting one of
take up more of the party’s attention than what awaits
the less punitive variants in the interests of the group’s
them at their destination. In order to retain the sense of
fun.
familiarity versus otherness, Amethyst’s regions are only
In a standard group, the most common mix is the
broadly defined, allowing the GM to populate them
inclusion of a single outsider. Perhaps techans have
with wonders as the adventure requires. The following
allowed a fantasy character in their fold to help them
general descriptions can aid the GM in converting
with diplomacy and regional expertise. Maybe a techan
adventures from other sources to Amethyst’s world.
has fallen prey to the lure of enchantment. As not all
Over the course of a single adventure, the party should
‘echan’ humans actually generate EDF, the inclusion of
travel to between one and three locations: even if they
a single non-mage human may not actually impact a
remain within the same region (or even the same city),
techan party at all. A mage or a fae (gimfen aside)
every adventure should involve going somewhere amaz-
would be a different matter, as consideration would
ing and seeing something fantastic.
have to be made for their effect on the group’s technol-
Abidan: Abidan is a civilized and well-populated
ogy. Furthermore, as many techan adventures promul-
country with little excitement to offer adventurers
386
gate the cause of technology over magic, a truly echan
beyond those serving on the Wall. Though not as safe
character would have to be highly unusual to hold simi-
as Limshau, Abidan is blessed with friendly neighbors
lar goals.
and a solid infrastructure, albeit one constantly under
A lone techan amidst fantasy characters would
threat of pagus attack (only really a consideration for the
have more difficulty. Most techans leaving bastions on
inhabitants of Janoah – most others feel themselves
their own are tourists looking for a temporary escape
perfectly safe). Unlike Limshau, Abidan is more like a
into enchantment. They keep to the main roads like
traditional fantasy kingdom – it actually has a king, for
the Continental Cross, never witnessing the hardships
one thing, and knights and priests as well as wizards.
of those living under fear of pugg or bogg attack. They
Its strong basis in religion but lack of a single state-
travel to a secured and safe echan nation like Limshau
sponsored church makes it less prone to corruption than
or Salvabrooke, have a happy little adventure among
other nations, with such occurrences being largely
the elves, and return thinking they have gone rugged
limited to the outer fringes. Abidan is most suitable as
and tackled the harsh world. If forced to endure for
a homeland or base for an echan party, the destination
long in that world, their equipment will start to fail, and
for a delivery or escort quest, the site of a great battle
unless they have the expertise to maintain it on their
between forces of good and evil, or merely as an
own (or can make friends with a gimfen mechanic) they
example of what Man is capable of if the best parts of
may soon have to become echan themselves if they
his nature are indulged.
want to survive. Mixed echan-dominant groups are
 Baruch Malkut: Konig’s kingdom would less likely slightly less impressive, as most narros living spaces are
be a passing diversion and more appropriately a major very dimly lit and tend to be somewhat claustrophobic
element of a larger quest, if not the catalyst of the quest for taller species (it being somewhat impractical to build
itself. The rich live in fabulous mansions and employ high vaulted halls when you have to contain your city’s
every type of magical convenience, their wealth entire population within a single mountain and your
ensured by the slave-tended fields. The poor are religion forbids digging too deep). That said, virtually
crowded into cities with inadequate sanitation and every mountainside and peak in Fargon is replete with
amenities, denied the ability to read and better wide-eaved temples, as if all the architectural wonders
themselves, and conditioned to accept the word of the of the Orient were crammed into a single mountain, and
theocracy as fact. Thieves and assassins lurk in the even the isolated, unpopulated regions are home to
shadows. The swamps that surround the cities are rife fantastic monuments. Fargon is a relatively peaceful
with bandits, slavers, and other examples of human place as narros aren’t known for being bandits or
monsters. Chaparran and damaskan guerillas striking thieves. However, the constant warfare between skegg
back against their oppressors are unlikely to distinguish and kodiak forces has upset the tranquility of the
would-be heroes from Malkut mercenaries, and may nation, and the farther east characters travel, the greater
attack without asking questions. Players venturing into the threat; furthermore, dragons and beasts of cold
Baruch Malkut must always be on guard against claim mountains the narros dare not touch. Fargon is
everything around them. the most remote of Canam’s civilized lands, and is most
Bastions: Bastions are launching points and home likely to be seen either as the homeland of a wandering
bases for techan groups, but rarely quest goals. Each echan party or as the destination of a quest, perhaps to
bastion has a slightly different attitude toward echans, craft a particularly potent magical item, to study an
but all ultimately want to keep them out. Nevertheless, ancient magical or martial technique, or to slay some
an echan party might be forced to penetrate bastion ancient monster of legend.
defenses on a retrieval or a rescue mission; a techan Kannos: Assaults from the Sana Marsh, with boggs
group might defect from their own society or infiltrate and skeggs approaching from the north and waves of
an enemy bastion, and have to use stealth to evade the puggs shifting from the west, means that no caravan is
authorities or steal away secrets. Non-humans will have safe in Kannos. All merchants have mercenaries
the most difficulty in a bastion-based adventure, as guarding their interests. Lost merchandise needs to be
their physical traits immediately give them away: pointy reacquired. Burnt wagons are an often sight on Kannos
ears are a lot harder to disguise than just wearing a wide roads, and sellswords never go hungry. The larger cities
headband, not to mention that their mere presence have rarely suffered attacks, but they have dangers of
shorts out high-tech equipment, making them fairly their own: opportunistic businessmen, arrogant nobles
easy to track. Angel and York are the most obvious itching for a fight, the organized crime that comes with
bastions for an echan party to infiltrate, whereas Mann a highly capitalistic society, bored mercenaries between
is the most exciting and dangerous option for anyone to jobs, and inconstant attitudes towards outsiders make
try to sneak into: the other bastions are simply too hard for an interesting, if not necessarily a dangerous sojourn.
to actually get to for the purposes of most adventures. Along the roads between the distant settlements,
Enchanted Forests: Dawnamoak, the triad of opportunities for side-quests are plentiful. Kannos is
Laurama, Skepsis and Tranquiss, the forests to the perhaps the most typical of all the human kingdoms,
north of York, and the various other mystical woods of showcasing neither the best nor the worst of humanity
Canam are perilous places even for those with a right to in a neo-medieval world, but plentiful elements of both
be beneath their eaves. The traditional role of a forest the bad and the good.
in a fantasy quest is as an obstacle that must be passed
through, and the denizens of the woods do not make
Laudenia: There are any number of reasons for
adventurers to travel to Laudenia, but actually getting
387
this easy. Chaparrans value their privacy and will there is difficult enough to be the focus of a quest on its
attempt to hinder those who approach lacking their own. Most people are only dimly aware of the
blessing, and outright attack those who come with existence of the laudenian capital and fewer still know
hostile intent. The beasts that inhabit the woods are anything about the network of floating castles that criss-
liable to treat any adventurer they come across as food, cross the continent; most non-laudenian airships don’t
and some of them are intelligent enough to set traps for fly high enough to encounter them, and magic cloaks
the unwary. Even the trees may resist onward passage. the keeps from idle scrutiny. The only ways of
Traveling through a forest should be as dangerous, if reaching the sky realm are by accident or by enlisting
not more so, than traveling through the mountains. the aid of a laudenian willing to overcome their species’
Rarely will any of the chaparran settlements within the scruples for a good cause or good cash. Once there, the
woods be the destination of a quest, but they may be a challenge becomes not being kicked straight back off
waypoint where a party stops to gain knowledge of how again. Laudenia can be the ultimate destination of an
to proceed. adventure, or the party may travel there in search of
Fargon: Myth and literature are full of tales of the powerful magic or secret lore, but whatever their reason,
wonders of the dwarven underground halls, and many a they will never be just passing through.
quest has such a citadel as its terminus. The reality is
 Limshau: Limshau is urbanized and safe. location and proximity to the ancient centers of
Travelers can pass from town to town with little fear of civilization: the other lands are far more remote and
being assaulted by anything other than merchants. The hazardous to travel in, and are more likely to be the
walled cities are well guarded, with little bureaucracy focus of a more epic quest.
and therefore little corruption. Every city is also a
library and an academy, and whenever the party
requires specialized knowledge to complete a quest,
THE SINGLE STONE
this is likely where they will go to find it. The outer The following short adventure can serve as the group’s
villages are more typical fantasy fare as might be seen in introduction to the Amethyst setting, or serve as a cam-
any other setting – or would be, if they were not the paign seed for a more experienced group. It involves
only place on Earth that such settlements are common. travelling to different locations, researching the history
Nowhere but Limshau are you likely to encounter of the setting, and fighting off some truly fiendish foes.
settlements with at least a few members of every Simultaneously, the party will involve themselves in a
civilized species. Limshau is the Constantinople of the conspiracy that may take them across the world and
new world, the hub of trade between the urbane involve enemies singular and powerful as well as nu-
peoples of the continent, and the place where every merous and influential. They will find evil parading in
adventurer will find herself eventually, even if just the light and allies hiding in shadows.
passing through. This is an adventure for four to five 1 st-level characters
Salvabrooke: The agrarian gimfen settlement is of either echan or techan origin; the specific events do
somewhat unique in not being often a destination nor a not change, though certain obstacles along the way may.
home base for a party. It is more of a waystation, an Although this adventure can serve as the starting point
opportunity to stock up supplies, gather intel, possibly for a campaign focused on the Amethyst relics, the party
meet new friends, take in the majestic beauty of the is under no compulsion to follow this path at the adven-
lands within the ancient caldera, and generally play ture’s conclusion. Where they go after this is for you
tourist in a relatively safe environment. It is fairly easy and the group to decide.
to get to from anywhere, for all the various threats in
between, and may serve as a staging area to reach more SUMMARY
inaccessible regions of the continent. Greedy or generous, techan or echan, the group of he-
Seliquam: While collectively as cosmopolitan as roes stumbles upon or is sent to investigate the rotting
Limshau, Seliquam is a political viper’s nest of carcass of a crashed transport plane. No one is sure
conflicting interests and cultural grandstanding. Mixed where it came from or where it was going, but apparent-
communities are common, but usually no more than ly its sole purpose was to transport a small item a great
two or three species at a time, and homogenous distance: the Amethyst amulet. Little does the group
settlements still outnumber them. Despite the fact that know that they are not the only ones aware of this crash,
this is the only place in Canam where one can see a for a rival organization has been tasked to take the amu-
kodiak walking down a town street and nobody will bat let for themselves and eliminate any obstacles.
an eyelid, where castle ramparts are patrolled by
riflemen, and where ancient narros monuments can be ECHAN INVOLVEMENT
seen without the long trek to Fargon, most Seliquam The characters are on their way to Limshau, but before
communities are intensely suspicious of outsiders, and they arrive they are asked to escort a merchant caravan
adventurers must earn their welcome. Thankfully, along the Continental Cross. When a band of boggs at-
there are plenty of opportunities to do so: the lands to tack and make off with a rare piece of treasure, the play-
388 the north and the south are replete with ruins and
treasures waiting to be explored and cleaned of their
ers will give chase and stumble upon the plane wreck-
age, starting their quest.
monstrous filth. A quest from one end of Seliquam to
the other would pass through every type of fantasy
cliché, and even a few venturing beyond fantasy. TECHAN INVOLVEMENT
Wastelands: It is ill-advised to linger in such Regardless of which bastion the players are from, they
places. There are few settlements of any kind and should be around the bastion of Angel when they are
those that do exist tend to be hostile to outsiders. Most dispatched to a specific set of coordinates and investi-
have been uninhabited since the Hammer fell, and so gate an aircraft from another bastion that crashed on its
any ruins or dungeons of interest are few and far way to Angel. This may be a normal mission for this
between. More vicious and unusual monsters can be group or their first outing from the walls. The story be-
found in the wastelands, making them of greater gins just outside of Crax in Antikari.
usefulness for monster hunting quests, and caches and
artifacts of the last age of Man tend to surface more
often in such places, having had fewer adventurers
survive the process of picking them over. Of the great
wastelands of Canam, only Xixion provides much
general adventuring opportunities because of its
SECTION 1: ligence.
There are three boxes, two larger ones the skegg
THE CARBON CRUCIFIX used as armrests and one small one he used as a seat.
If the players are chasing boggs, they will encounter The security on each box is a mechanical but complex
them at the following location. If they are travelling disk tumbler lock, making it virtually impossible to
here intentionally, then they will be ambushed. As the break.
heroes press through the forest, read or paraphrase the Each box has 50 hit points and requires a Strength
following: DC25 to break.
BOX LABEL LOCK DC CONTENTS
You push through the heavy foliage and come 1-Large Security 20 4 disruption patches,
upon a tree stouter than the others. The 3 sets of handcuffs
sheen of its silver skin glints in a fading sunset. 2-Large Emergency 20 1 standard techan
Only two branches reach from its peak, adventurer’s kit
spreading its arms to the sky. Jagged roots 1-Small See below 15 See Below
have sliced into the soft dirt, an invader among
its neighbors of wood. The small box carries the label, “Open under controlled
The towering centurion left a scar of ashes conditions—EDF Hazard” but no other indicators. It
and death behind it when it fell from heaven. also appears the lock has suffered some damage and
This was not some great hammer of god cast to may be easier to pick. Upon opening it, read or para-
Earth but a machine made from the hands of phrase the following:
men. Where once it obeyed undeniable rules
to allow its flight, now a carcass rests to prove Echan: Your hands roll through fluttering
the chaos of a new age. From dirt to sky, it pieces of snow that feel neither cold nor wet
stands taller than most trees. and refuse to melt in the warmth of your hand.
Techan: Your fingers rifle through the packing
This is the tail section of a very large aircraft. Over 100 foam. You can see a faint violet glow through
feet tall, it’s still only a small section of the monstrosity the packing.
it once was. It plainly does not come from anywhere
around here. You reach in and curl your fingers around the
A bastion-born player can make a DC20 history light, and from the box you pull a strange
skill check to determine the following: The craft comes purple jewel. Four pearlescent silver dragon’s
from Porto—the utopian bastion known to prosper far claws are clamped around the outer edges of
east, across the ocean. How it got here would be an the unrefined, almost jagged gem. The
obvious question without a speedy answer. Though fingers of the lizard coil around back, not to a
they have been known to send flights as far west as An- hand, but across to other fingers. Two golden
gel, they rarely send more than one a decade. To find a loops could support a chain if one were so
wreck would be a rare prize indeed. Porto flaunts the inclined to flaunt the amulet from his or her
greatest technology of the planet though the chances of neck.
any of it still working by this point would be slim.
A DC20 search of the wreckage will uncover 300 If any of the players attempt a closer look (or with an
uc in widgets from the wreckage. additional DC18 skill check), read or paraphrase the
following:
BATTLE 389
If the characters are chasing the boggs, they only have a You notice movement within, as glints of light
few brief moments before reinforcements arrive. If not, jolt through the imperfections in the jewel,
the group is ambushed by a horde that has been using like lightning bolts arcing from one side of the
the towering tail of the aircraft as their chief’s hut. gem to the other, following the sharp angles of
the stone. No outside light source reflects in
1 Skegg Thug it, but it does reflect your faces perfectly in
2 Bogg Rake the glossy finish. It also gives off its own light;
5 Bogg Scabbs visible only when staring past the arcs of
sparks, into the heart of the rock itself. This is
The chief, although a skegg and thus of superior stock, unusual even for magic.
wasn’t bright enough to understand the distinctiveness
of his metallic keep. He stacked crates and used them At night, this item glows much brighter. Though magi-
to form a throne without bothering to attempt breaking cal, no one can identify its properties or origin. No spell
them open, not that the steel reinforced plastic boxes can discern any information about it. Its oddest proper-
would have yielded to his simple tools. The locking ty is that for some reason, the item does not disrupt
mechanism is intricate and far beyond his limited intel- technology.
 Techans have no chance of identifying the item on
SECTION 2:
their own, and echans will find it difficult without ac- BY THE BOOKS
cess to a library. Either way, Limshau is the obvious When the heroes arrive at Limshau, read or paraphrase
next destination. the following:
A DC18 skill check on magic or arcana can find the
following: Obviously a magical item, this relic was like- They call them the White Walls of Limshau—
ly forged by a wizard of great power: the Pleroma letter- a maze of dense stone and adobe walls dozens
ing running down one side of the setting proves that. of miles across, radiating from a central
But enchanted jewels never glow with an internal fur- archive. It holds the combined knowledge of
nace like this one. This is a natural enchantment that a hundred nations, modern and extinct. One
someone later set into an amulet. One of the Pleroma could find the rhythmic dance rituals of the
letters has been marred by a gash, possibly from a pow- chaparrans or the spastic drum beats of the
erful sword strike. Further, this is most likely created by narros. Look further and one could even
human hands: chaparrans would set it in wood; tenenbri stumble across tomes smuggled from the
wouldn’t have used only one metal, and narros would human bastions. Diligently, the damaskan fae
not have used one as mundane as silver; gimfen have and humans of Limshau maintain their city.
few competent wizards and none of this caliber; and Ten storeys tall and virtually uniform in
neither damaskans nor laudenians would have allowed texture, the white walls encircle the entire
such an artifact to become lost in the first place. This library, every branch, every building. The
leaves a human mage, but there have been very few of wall twinkles in the orange sun. The marble
those on this continent of any significant power. If this facing of the granite walls seem fragile at
check is successful, gain a +4 bonus to the history first… until you realize how thick the barrier
check. really is.
A DC18 skill check on religion can find the follow-
ing: There is a faith based around the dragon god, Am- When the heroes pass through the gates, they must
ethyst, but this is not a symbol of faith (though it is ob- check their weapons with the storehouse. Only custodi-
viously made to resemble one). The markings on one ans and the militia are allowed weapons in the city.
side are Pleroma, indicating it was made by mage. If Clever deceit or sleight of hand may allow smaller
this check is successful, gain a +4 bonus to the history weapons to cross but anything bigger than a short sword
check. would be confiscated. The guards provide detailed re-
Any player can attempt a history skill check at ceipts for everything before passing the party through.
DC30 (including bonuses for the two other skill checks When the heroes enter the city, read or paraphrase the
above): To cause a gash on a magic item of this magni- following:
tude would require a powerful enchanted weapon. The
only notable account of a duel between a powerful Limshau is orderly, calm, and beautiful.
mage and an equally adept swordsman comes from Lau- Hundreds move without a shove in the streets.
ropan history, and the mutual destruction of the mage The various buildings blend together in uni-
Torfin Gendron and the fanatical knight Wilhelm Myre. formity. Footbridges pass overhead,
connecting higher buildings. As you wander
This is Stormcage, Torfin’s most prized magical deeper, the city grows taller, bridges criss-
possession. The heroes, however, are not made aware crossing over each other as the levels climb. A
390 of the amethyst’s true power or history: only the leg-
ends surrounding Torfin’s famous duel and the mysteri-
pair of leather-clad custodians with katana at
their backs chats with merchants. An orange-
ous disappearance of the amulet. For more information haired gimfen stands atop his cart, selling
on the amulet’s properties and history, it will be neces- various silks gathered from his village to the
sary to do extensive research in Limshau. northwest. A few legal tall-eared scarlet
women promote their pleasures from a second
level window.
A huge form eclipsing the rising sun bathes
the street in shadow. You glance up to see the
silvery-white skin of a 1,200-foot long airship
floating over the walls with hardly a whisper.
Only a small cabin hangs underneath the
perfectly smooth untarnished body, with most
of the crew and passengers resting comfortably
inside the superstructure. Propellers bigger
than men spin as the vessel slows towards the
mooring tower at the city center.
Limshau is enormous and the heroes may feel some- the love we accept, comes along the path,
what confused on where to start. If they have never never at the end. Faith, belief, are yours to
been to Limshau before, this is a perfect opportunity to claim …truth is for all of us." He looks over
get lost and pick up some local color while they search the group, then rubs his palms together. "This
for the arcane history stacks. If they do not wish to week, pick one of the following books. Have
wander, any passing librarian or custodian can direct it read by the end of the month. We’ll then
them to the appropriate branch. Once they begin discuss them at length, including the
searching around the branch, they can introduce them- possibility that I may have wasted your time in
selves to the local chief librarian, a human female the assignment. Fear & Loathing by Soren
named Inara Setinga, and the custodian assigned to this Kierkegaard, Prophetic Fragments by Cornel
branch this week, a damaskan male, Baelin Ston- West, Novum Organum by Francis Bacon, or
esthrow. Both will help the best they can. The High Cost of Death by Marikama."
Special: If the PCs failed the previous history skill
check, they must reattempt it before continuing. They The class files out, passing the heroes looks ranging
gain a +4 to their roll while researching, gaining an addi- from curiosity and confusion to annoyance, leaving
tional +2 from Inara and +1 by Baelin if the characters Paraerra alone. He makes one passing glance at the
enlist their help. They may repeat the challenge each heroes and says, “By your presentation, I assume you’re
day. If they previously passed the religion or arcana not nihilists.”
checks but fail the history check, they begin the next
skill challenge with one success for each. This can con- The heroes can present their information and what they
tinue until the players give up or they succeed. have learned. If they have not solved the previous skill
If the players do give up, or are stuck, or when checks by this point, he’ll answer it for them, giving the
they do read the history of the item, eventually, either heroes any information they may need about the item.
Bailin or Inara will volunteer the following. It may take him a few minutes and he would have to
see the artifact, but he will be successful against all the
"There is someone that might be able to help. checks required. Beyond this, he confirms the unique
He’s an expert on lingering legends and relics powers of this item.
that refuse to be buried. A very devout man,
too, but we won’t hold that against him. His “It’s as powerful as a foundation spell but
name is Filipe Paraerra-sensei. You’ll find him apparently requires no sacrifice for its use. It’s
in the Philosophy branch of the University." also possible it gains in power with its owner.
The markings on the inside suggest that. You
FILIPE PARAERRA have in your possession a powerful relic that
Paraerra is not an old man with worn and weary eyes, binds the arcane with faith, a declaration even I
pinching his nose when his heavy glasses strain his must acknowledge is more than a little
head, but barely into his 40s, 230 lbs. of toned muscle. incongruous. There could only be one other
He is not about brute strength but total physical perfec- explanation, but that answer does not lie with
tion. As an athlete, he could outrun the stoutest of me.”
knights even without their laden steel. He is also a Bud- <Response>
dhist. When the heroes enter his classroom, they find “If you’ll permit me a momentary indulgence,
thirty students of various ethnicities, ages, and races I believe I know where the answer rests.”
squatting straight-backed upon mats placed erratically <Response>
about the room. The desks have been pushed to the “As with everything else in Limshau, this
truth rests in the pages of a book.”
391
walls. No one pays the heroes any mind, regardless of
how they enter and how they look. They find Paraerra
at the head, wrists resting on his knees, addressing the Although there is a library branch dedicated to the his-
room. tory of relics, there is also another smaller one doubling
as a museum, dedicated to the study of the relics them-
"Does the pursuit of truth without finding it selves. Paraerra believes what the heroes seek is there
have purpose?" Paraerra asks slowly, almost at and decides to help them look for it. The book in ques-
a whisper. "You will find evil if you chose to tion is the Chronicle of Aurannis. The chronicle was
seek evil. You will find faith if you chose to once part of the great Bible of Drasago, the holy book
seek faith. But do not seek truth. A drive to written by dragons, but was removed due to its length.
find a truth will lead to faith, and will be Unlike the other gospels, Aurannis’ collection does not
perceived only in your eyes as fact. Truth…is enchant the user if read but is still magical itself. Paraer-
what you find along the way of seeking. ra flipped through it once and could have sworn to have
Truth…is stumbled upon, never fought for. seen a relic like this amethyst among its pages.
The same it is with the salvation of the soul. When the group arrives at the specific branch,
The harmony we establish within ourselves, Paraerra questions the librarian, an attractive damaskan
elf wearing bifocals named Chenai Pagekeeper. She has
 some unfortunate news as she leads them to the loca- to track the Iron Sons and has been engaged in research
tion in the branch the book was kept: it has been stolen. to try to narrow down their possible destinations: if the
“I hate to say, we lost that tome recently. It even heroes offer to help, they can make the above check
carried a marker to prevent theft, but obviously they with a +5 bonus. On a success, Paraerra-sensei suggests
found some way around that. The book was taken not that Zellis keep is the most obvious destination, as it is
more than a few days ago. Interesting that nothing else the closest. On a failure, Hataori is only able to suggest
was stolen.” that the heroes may be able to pick up the trail again in
This is obviously not coincidence but who would Antikari.
take it is a mystery. If the heroes ask the significance of If the heroes note that it seems odd to entrust the
the amulet, Filipe answers with, “From what I remem- recovery of a valuable tome to a bunch of perfect
ber reading, if the fragments of his heart are brought strangers (especially if they are techans), Hataori tells
together at place of his death, Amethyst can be brought them that he has perfect faith in their abilities and
back … and then the armies of order will have no hope trusts to their word and the offer of the reward to bring
against the power of his will.” them back once they’ve found the thieves. After they
Filipe doesn’t know how many fragments there are leave, he also dispatches two custodian apprentices to
or how powerful they have the potential to be. All of follow them secretly and make sure that the book
that was in the book. Limshau will also offer a 2,000 gp comes back to Limshau. These shinobi are too well
reward for the book’s retrieval. trained to be noticed by the heroes and will not inter-
vene overtly: their only purpose is insurance (and to
TO FIND THE CHRONICLE take over the mission should the heroes fail).
The Chronicle of Aurannis was stolen by thieves be-
longing to a techan mercenary company known as the SECTION 3:
Iron Sons, a cell-based organization and one of the larg-
est and most successful free companies in the world. SHADOW OF TORQUIL
This cell operates out of the crumbling kingdom of From Limshau to Zellis is two weeks by horse, one
Torquil, and is currently heading back to wait at their week by ground vehicle, and four days by air. If they
rendezvous in the abandoned keep of Zellis. are certain of their destination, Hataori will commission
If the players inquire about the theft, Chenai is a thermal to transport them to Antikari: otherwise,
very forthcoming. Paraerra will offer to hire them horses and sufficient
stores for the journey (if they have their own transport,
“The last people to look at the book were a the offer of supplies still stands). If they are tracking
pair of techans, judging from the way they the group via ground travel, the journey is much longer
were dressed. At least, they were wearing but would be an opportune time to insert one or two
techan-style combat fatigues. One sported a random encounters.
badge on his arm—a sun dipping below a line
with a solid sphere of wrought iron below. THE JOURNEY
They just flipped through the book briefly, If traveling by land, the group keeps to the Continental
then left without a word.” Cross for most of the journey. The cross is a beaten path
that connects the bastion of Angel, through House Anti-
A DC25 history skill check can discover the fol- kari and House Orchis, and finally to Limshau. The
lowing (a techan gains a +5 bonus): This is the symbol highway is inconsistently paved, being little more than
of the Iron Sons. They operate across the continent, but
392
a wide dirt road in some places, gravel in others, even
most bastions technically classify them as a terrorist asphalt in a few, depending on the resources available
organization, so they operate like a secret society, solic- to the house or kingdom that maintains that stretch.
iting contracts privately rather than advertising their The road is commonly used by thousands of people. A
services. Rumor has it that a major cell is operating out traveler can count on at least three encounters with fel-
of Torquil. low wayfarers or caravans every day. Wandering shops
sell trinkets from the backs of wagons. Some carts stay
If nobody is able to make the above check, they are together for protection, creating nomadic markets that
directed to the lead custodian in charge of the investiga- roam the road, never straying apart. The most well-
tion: a human, Robin Hataori. While he suspects the known is the Arciducha, a caravan of 35 wagons selling
Iron Sons to be responsible, he is unable to track them fine clothes, rare foods, and even protective lodging
beyond the city gates, having ascertained from the gate between Antikari and Gnimfall, usually staying near
guards’ registers that a group of five arrived in the city Limshau borders, where the road is patrolled more fre-
four days ago and left again the next day, heading west. quently. When the group reaches Antikari, they easily
Among their equipment were several disruption muffler pick up the trail of the Iron Sons, which requires them
bags, which any techan in the party realizes could be to break from the road and push through Crax.
used to shield the chronicle against magical alarms and
scrying. Hataori presently lacks the manpower required
393
 BATTLE openings. At least two show bears, one
Pugg raid. Swarms of puggs storm from the forest. foraging on all fours, the second rearing back
They emerge 10 at a time for three rounds. to ward off enemies. Another image is of a
great spread-winged eagle. A few others show
30 Puggs animals lesser known, spawn species finding
form after the wave of magic swept the globe:
After three days through Crax, the group pushes short, squatty puggs, flightless cockatrice, and
through an opening into a huge valley, where they can various boggs.
see the majesty that once was Zellis Keep.
There is significant damage to the entrance door,
THE TOWER OF ZELLIS having broken from all but one hinge, opening the inner
chamber to the light outside. As the players enter the
Read or paraphrase the following: keep’s entrance, they spot three fresh corpses.
Everything of value from weapons to gear has been
The peak holds just enough room for the keep stripped.
constructed atop it. Many of the battlements
overhanging the cliff point down rather than A close examination (DC15) reveals deep slashes
across. The outer walls and towers curve at across their chest, most likely from a talon rather than
every corner to deflect siege works, though no from a knife. What remains of their clothing indicates a
ballista, catapult or trebuchet could reach this techan origin but anything more than that is a mystery.
height. Only cannon could breach these walls. Such a fate would surely fall anyone lost in the keep.
Battlements circle the keep with three rows of There is a shaft of light coming from up ahead but the
embrasures atop each other. Hundreds of passage between entrance and light is long and dark.
arbalests could rain straight down with gravity When the heroes reach the shaft, read or para-
as their ally. Buttresses from the sides of the phrase the following:
mountain rise up to join the walls of the castle.
Most likely, the same construction of the You reach the light. Cylindrical and wide
mountain catacombs was employed in the enough to fit an adult dragon, the shaft carries
building of the fort. The blackness of the up through the entire mountain to an opening
entrance is reflected in the outer wall of the to the sky. There might have been glass or
keep, formed of huge slabs to prevent hand- shutters at the top, but no longer. Unfiltered
holds. The construction must have taken the daylight glints off the embedded crystallized
kingdom a king’s lifetime to complete. Those chips within the granite. The bouncing bands
who planned its construction never lived to are visible through floating dust. Stone and
see its completion. Now, moss and weeds wood beams run across the shaft, climbing up
have crept up the sides and breached the the sides all the way to the light. The sound
indestructible walls. Grass pushes from arrow of sporadic rain dapples to the ground level. A
slits. Most of the castle has crumbled into spiraling pathway orbits the tunnel to the top.
ruin. The path is wide enough for a two horse-
drawn carts abreast.
As the group reaches the base of the tower, read or
paraphrase the following: The crossing beams of wood and stone form part of a
394 Though the wood rotted a century ago, the
complicated pulley system, connecting by sprockets
and chains to a warped wooden gondola suspended half-
massive opening still remains, three storeys way up the shaft. The system is surprisingly well main-
tall. The main door sits at the back of a thirty- tained and complicated, using the pulleys as a way to
foot corridor into the side of the mountain. lift the gondola instead a bulky counterweight. It even
The lintel above, carved from polished appears automatic, requiring no slaves to strain in its
limestone, took an army to lift into place. It use. If anyone attempts to use it, the entire construc-
stretches from the doorframe, across the tion will fall apart, raining wood and steel to the base.
ceiling, sticking out of the entrance just far Everyone underneath is targeted by an attack at +9 vs.
enough for a pair of weathered soapstone PD, for 8 points of damage.
dragons, no bigger than a man, to perch, The collapse ricochets and reverberates through
greeting those who entered. Their wings have the entire mountain. Unfortunately, the heroes must
long since broken to stumps, the gems climb all the way to the keep above.
encrusting their eyes stolen. Both walls
around the architrave are divided by
intersecting lines, opening squares wide
enough for a man to reach to either end with
his fingertips. Several engravings fill a few
THE KEEP OF ZELLIS believing everlasting life awaits those that allow the
shadow to embrace them. They are led by a necro-
Timetable: The climb is lengthy. No matter what mancer, Katho Kovacs, who believes he has found a way
happens as they ascend, the group arrives at the peak to control the shapeless in the shemjaza’s stead. Many
near sunset. of the shapeless are still here, hiding until night falls.
Kovacs had been waiting outside the keep for sacrifices
AREA 1: GARDENS and found them when the Iron Sons arrived on their
As the heroes reach to the top of the passage, read or own business. Most of the Iron Sons have already fallen
paraphrase the following: victim to the cultists.
The beast at the entrance to the keep is a kodiak
To slowly crumble through centuries is not a the cultists have tortured into servitude and now guards
fate fitting for such a keep. The granite stone the keep.
of the castle will take eons to fall to dust. The
potential for recovery still lingers in its BATTLE
foundation. Yet, no one has come to claim its The cultists are west and south of the pit. While most
prize. The fragments of House Torquil have engage the heroes, at least one will run north to free the
enough problems maintaining their keeps in kodiak. The cultist requires two rounds to free the
the south; other free houses are too far east. kodiak, though he is killed immediately after by the
Not to mention, the new tenants would also beast (only Kovacs can control it). It enters combat the
need to act graciously to the chaparrans of following round.
nearby Dawnamoak. But even considering
the costs of maintenance, it's still quite the 20 Disciples of Kovacs
treasure in itself, rivaling anything stolen from
its coffers since the empire’s collapse. The
surrounding lands are plentiful, and once
DISCIPLE OF KOVACS
2nd level mook [HUMANOID]
cleared and secured the keep could be a stout
Initiative: +4
defensive post. All one would need is
ambition, masses of loyal indentured workers,
Ritual Weapon +7 vs. AC—5 damage.
and an army large enough to daunt neighbors.
When you burst into the late afternoon sun,
Martydom: When a Disciple of Kovacs dies, the next
you are greeted by a moss- and weed-plagued
target from a Disciple of Kovacs is vulnerable to the
court. There had been glass covering the shaft
attack.
at one point, and thick shards still jut from the
sides. This beautiful court would have been
Blood Will Tell: For every 4 disciples that die in the
covered with flowers and short grass
encounter, one rises from the dead to continue the
surrounding a glass-covered pit where one
fight.
could peer down into the bowels of the nation.
Around the perimeter of the court, which fills
half the peak, several broken windmills AC 18
shudder rather than spin in the breeze. Across PD 16 HP 9 (mook)
the field, you can see what remains of the MD 12
keep itself.
Mook: Kill one Disciple of Kovacs mook for every 9
Your attention, however, is diverted
elsewhere as more than a dozen figures on the
damage you deal to the mob. 395
other side of the pit notice you and begin to
The cultists hope to take the group alive, and tie them
approach. They wear loose mail and old
up until night arrives. Shapeless don’t attack those
blades but their cloak of velvet black appears
sleeping or restrained, preferring to let their curse pro-
cared for. Up the path to the keep, a roar
duce more of their kind. As the victim sleeps, their soul
bellows like a trumpet out of the entranceway.
is devoured by a shadow that withers the body to dust
Under the shade of the keep, you see only the
and emerges fully formed as a shapeless. The cultists
massive torso of a form twice the height of any
wish to join this order, believing their souls are reborn
of you.
as immortals. Their leader believes he can control the
wild and is hoping to create an army of shapeless under
Zellis is one of many abandoned castles and forts in the
his control.
failed kingdom of Torquil. This one fell into darkness
All this information can be retrieved by careful
when a shemjaza attempted to seduce one of its two
interrogation of a captured cultist. These cultists are
lords. Rejected, the demon set loose the shapeless wild
loyal to Kovacs but are apprehensive about dying, since
upon the population. Most died in the carnage, others
this will prevent them being reborn as shapeless. If the
rose up as shapeless as they slept—a side effect of the
fight goes badly and the disciples are unable to break
curse the shapeless bring with them. Cultists followed,
 the kodiak free, they will attempt to push past the kodi- BROKEN KODIAK
ak and alert their master. 2nd level Double-Strength troop [HUMANOID]
Initiative: +6
AREA 2. GATE GUARD
Read or paraphrase the following (ignore the second Bloody Claws +7 vs. AC —14 damage.
paragraph if the kodiak entered combat in the first Natural even hit: The kodiak inflicts up to ten dam-
encounter): age on himself in order to inflict that same damage
on an opponent.
The massive oak gate doors lie slightly ajar,
creaking in the wind. A portcullis has long Slavering Bite +7 vs. AC—10 damage, and the target is
since rusted and fallen to broken bars upon a grabbed.
granite path. The doors do not sit at the top of
the stairs but a distance underneath an Ravenous: While staggered, the enraged kodiak can
overhanging round archway thirty feet up. bloody claws attack and a slavering bite attack
Unlike the rest of the keep, this construction
has survived time with every impost still AC 18
standing. The painted white stone has flaked PD 16 HP 72
from weather, creating a speckled finish. Two
doors, nearly the size of the main entrance, MD 12
stand to your left and right.
AREA 3. ATRIUM
The beast you saw before waits for you to step Read or paraphrase the following:
closer. A tortured kodiak hurls phlegm from a
tongueless maw, rough and jagged. Its grey The influence of magic has had its way with
and black fur covers every inch, right to its the unmaintained plants of this garden. The
black claws. Still primitive, many kodiaks atrium’s glass roof has long since shattered and
have been exploited by more intelligent fallen to sharp fragments upon the stone floor.
beings for their strength and brutality. This Four stone trellises in the room are overgrown
creature has been scared and tormented, by weeds and hanging ferns. On the opposite
broken and brainwashed into serving its side of the room, it opens to the outside where
captors. The once-proud warrior that could you spy a moss- and algae-covered fountain.
rise to its hind legs and hold onto tools with its
claws has been reduced to nothing more than The horticulturist that saw after these gardens grafted
vicious guard dog. together several bizarre species and had others import-
ed from all over the world. Unmaintained for all these
BATTLE decades, they crossbred and basked in the chaos of At-
The kodiak can move within reach of every door but tricana and now have turned into a mass of killing
not beyond the archway. Every round it is injured, it writhing thorns that lash out to anyone trying to cross.
can make a DC20 Strength check to break its chain. If
it does, nothing will prevent it from trying to kill BATTLE
everything it sees. The mass waits until the group is between the trellises
396 before surrounding the group. There is one for each
trellis. They drag victims to their trellis where they can
be devoured slowly with caustic juices.

4 Triffids
TRIFFID skill check to search will locate the pouches and saddle-
2nd level spoiler [BEAST] bags the horses had when they were killed. In one, they
Initiative: +7 find 30 sp; in another, a fine black powder used in some
more nefarious rituals. There is food in two bags, alt-
Slashing Vine +7 vs. AC —7 damage. hough it has been saturated by horse entrails. Further
Natural even hit: The triffid makes a second slashing searching will find a silver chain (2 gp), a diary detailing
vine attack. the obsessive desire to convert to the shadow of one
Ennis Carson, and a single holy dragon scale (5 gp,
Night Quill: If the slashing vine rolls a critical hit with though not many people will trade for it).
a slashing vine, the target is rendered helpless after A DC25 check to search will find a crushed silver
the attack is resolved (save ends). and bronze goblet under one carcass. This is used often
in rituals and is worth 120 gp given its current state.
Thrashing Tendrils: The triffid can engage a target far There is an exit here that proceeds down a small
away. dirt path, all the way around the keep, to the pit stair-
well.
AC 18
PD 16 HP 36
AREA 5: KITCHEN
This is the main kitchen of the banquet hall. Read or
MD 12 paraphrase the following:

The fountain beyond is open the sky, outside of the A large stone counter jutting from all the walls
keep. It is covered in mold and moss and the water is of this kitchen rests under a coat of dust. An
slick and sickening. A search at DC20 will reveal one of open oven still has its spit and a thick layer of
the following (roll 1d6, each result only occurs once): char and burned bone. Blackened chairs sat at
either side of the spit for unlucky servants to
1: A pouch with 4 gp, 10 sp, and a fingernail spin. Anything else in the room has long since
2: A jade pendant worth 10 gp and a book of carpet been stolen save for a few broken steel bowls
samples. and a hanging rack of cast iron cookware, black
3: Triffid poison (3 uses; +8 vs. PD, 1 point of damage as oil and slicker than ice. At the far corner sits
and the target falls unconscious [save ends]). a pile of old bodies, withered and dried like
4: A leather scabbard filled with salt. raisins.
5: A skeleton with 4 gold teeth (1 gp each)
6: Potion of healing The characters will have passed the chef’s office (so he
could check and double-check all the food that came
AREA 4: STABLES and went). His papers are scattered, faded, and worth-
Read or paraphrase the following: less. There are eight bodies in the corner, all naked and
mummified to such a degree as to prevent any identifi-
The dozen horses the cultists had brought cation. They are decades old.
were once tied safely within the stables. Under the charcoal, a character can search against a
Their bodies have been torn apart by the dark DC of 20 to notice a small black lockbox amidst the ash.
shape that refuses to show its form despite the It has a simple lock (DC18 to unlock) and inside, the
characters will find two gold wedding rings (2 gp each)
light coming from the open stable door
beyond. The shapeless form shifts and and a silver pendant (10 gp). 397
weaves under the bands of light cast through
breaks in the wall. The creature casts no AREA 6: BANQUET HALL
shadows. Its arms seem to vanish when Read or paraphrase the following:
covered by its body. Its eyes cast their own
light, reflecting off matte silver claws. Instead of leading into a royal chamber, this
keep opens directly into the banqueting hall.
BATTLE A long stained wood table extends for 25 feet
This is a shapeless wild that has woken early. down the length of the room. Worn but sturdy
Shapeless Wild don’t convert basic animals, only those chairs surround the room. A large serving
with high intelligence. It immediately attacks. On hatch connects the hall to the kitchen. A
round three, two more rise from a pile of hay. hallway beside the hatch leads to the head
chef’s office. Another door is closed on the
3 Shapeless Wild opposite wall from the kitchen. Across from
the entrance is an equally large set of oak
Characters checking the horses notice the excessive doors, leading into the receiving chamber.
level of violence inflicted on the poor animals. A DC15 Empty metal bars once held tapestries, and the
 nails in walls once hung paintings, but don’t appear much better equipped than you,
anything of value has been stolen. This makes but you don’t know how much ammunition
the three bodies tied to chairs at the table all they have. This room seems to have been the
the more alarming. servants’ quarters and these poor souls appear
to have been locked within for who knows
Despite being bruised and bloodied, these match the how long. They don’t appear in the talking
descriptions of three of the five Iron Sons thieves. mood.
They are not dead, only deep asleep, suffering from the
curse of the castle. They cannot be awakened in any BATTLE
way, not even if they are injured. When night falls, the These two men, David Stone and Martin Wood, repre-
bodies will wither and shapeless will emerge. If they are sent the surviving members of the Iron Sons cell that
aware of this, the players can kill the techans to prevent stole the Chronicle of Aurannis.
an ambush later, but it is too close to nightfall to get
them out of the castle in time to save them. There are 2 Iron Sons Survivors
score marks in the floor, indicating the table has been
moved often.
Treasure: The techans’ gear is all still here and
IRON SONS SURVIVOR
3rd level troop [HUMAN]
both echan and techan players can take what they like.
Initiative: +5
The techan gear is still functional.
Two TL0 machine pistols (only one with a clip
Teeth & Nails +8 vs AC—7 damage, and the target is
with 30 rounds), three battery flares, one electric torch,
grabbed.
one lighter, two two-way radios, three sets of spare com-
bat fatigues, and 10 uc from various bastions.
R (David): Shotgun +8 vs. AC—14 damage to engaged
A DC25 search discovers a loose stone beneath the
targets; 7 damage to targets nearby and far war away.
pile of gear. Under the stone is a pouch filled with 20 sp
Natural 16+: A hit target is dazed until the beginning
and 50 cp and a letter written in English:
of the survivor’s next turn.
If the sun sets, stay awake, lock yourself in.
R (Martin): Assault Rifle +8 vs. AC (two attacks)—10
Bar the doors. Light torches about the room.
damage.
Avoid the darkness. The shapeless will scrape
and claw to get in. By day, defend the keep.
Linked Targeting: Once per round, if one Iron Sons
Cultists want their offering and will kill those
Survivor hits with a ranged attack, one other Iron
that try to leave. Only half of us sleep every
Sons Survivor can make a ranged attack against the
morning while others fight. If you find this,
same target as a reaction.
look at the light. You live as long the sun still
shines. By nightfall, be somewhere else.
Don’t bother praying for salvation. We tried. AC 19
PD 16 HP 45
AREA 7: SERVANTS MD 14
QUARTERS
Read or paraphrase the following the moment the If either survivor is taken alive, the following can
be made with the proper checks.
398 characters open the door:
What happened here is not obvious. The PCs will
Echan: Three loud bangs like thundercracks have to take one alive and push through the temporary
echo from the room as you open the door. insanity in order to get any answers.
Instinctively you pull back behind the frame.
You noticed two humans inside but you A DC18 check involving insight or empathy re-
couldn’t see what weapons or magic they veals the following: He’s obviously traumatized, but
might have brought to bear. Three holes more importantly, he appears sleep deprived, which
explode from the open door. This room seems doesn’t help matters in the slightest. They were proba-
to have been the servants’ quarters and these bly ambushed in the receiving room or banquet hall.
poor souls appear to have been locked within Given that his friends have yet to turn to the shapeless,
for who knows how long. They don’t appear he’s only been locked in here for a day or so. Perhaps
in the talking mood. these two locked the other two out when the fight be-
Techan: Three loud gunshots echo from the came too severe and they made a decision which cost
room as you open the door. Instinctively you the team.
pull back behind the frame. You noticed two A DC18 check involving healing or medicine can
humans inside, both armed with assault rifles reveal the following: He isn’t physically wounded be-
with an obvious intent to use them. They yond the sleep deprivation, which appears to have been
going off and on for the better part of a week. You are Broken pillars occupy the remaining empty
able to stabilize him, but he needs sleep to properly space in this dilapidated room. In front of the
recover. His lucidity may only be temporary. You are table, a dozen cloaked figures – the same as
not properly equipped to determine the long term psy- those you killed before – silently kneel before
chological effects. a taller man gleaming in silver and platinum
A DC18 check involving diplomacy: You try to plates. His complexion is perfect, his smile
talk him down; assuring him you mean no harm. Your charismatic. He appears like a noble, beaming
appearance must have been initially alarming, but the with allure and chiseled features, but his eyes
offer of food and water helped greatly. Seeing the light give away his lack of virtue as he looks across
outside has also helped. the room to you. This is no knight, but a
Success: Through his frantic speech and hyper- human monster.
ventilation, he says the following: “Do you grow restless, my children?” he asks.
“You wish to waken anew. Cast off your
“It-it-it was just a j-j-job. Taking the book mortality. All that is required is your desire.
was ea-ea-easy. Cakewalk, good money, low No bloodletting, no sacrifice. Just the will. Sit
risk, no w-w-weapons. They said h-h-here— with us.”
wasn’t our idea—they said here. Ok, w-w- When the characters refuse, he concludes,
why not.” “Then the shepherd must cull his flock.” He
“I don’t know. The general set it up. He got then motions his followers to attack.
the c-c-contract. Whoever they were, they c-c “Alive if possible, let’s be merciful.” Of
-c-can’t handle magic for very long. They said course, his brand of mercy involves forcing
they were c-c-c-coming here to pick up the victims to slumber for the oncoming curse of
book. I-I-I c-c-can’t fall asleep. They t-t-took the shapeless.
it. The hoodoo and his flock, p-p-p-preparing
for tonight. Don’t be here. G-G-G-Got to g-g- BATTLE
get out.” The cultists will not attempt to kill the characters if
they drop below 0 hit points. If all the characters are
This warns the PCs that something is due to happen at reduced below 0, then the cultists will stabilize them
nightfall. They each receive +2 to all defenses against and the characters will be restrained. They may make a
the first attack by shapeless wild against them in the saving throw after 10 minutes to rouse before the curse
upcoming encounter. sets in, but their weapons will be removed and they will
Failure: He is irrational and babbles meaningless still be restrained.
nonsense while thrashing and trying to escape. Nothing
will sway him. Katho Kovacs
No amount of diplomacy will convince the survi- 9 Disciples of Kovacs
vors to stay and help in the fight. If allowed to depart,
they will flee without looking back, not even stopping
to try to help their comrades.
KATHO KOVACS
2nd level Double Strength Spoiler [HUMAN]
Initiative: +6
AREA 8: RECEIVING ROOM
Read or paraphrase the following: Black Staff +8 vs. AC—14 damage.

399
Natural 16+: The target loses one recovery; Kovacs
How magnificent this receiving hall must have gains one recovery. He can use a recovery in one of
been hundreds of years ago when two great the ways listed below as a standard action.
lords welcomed anyone willing to trek up the
mountain to request an audience. Now only Ashes to Ashes: Use one recovery to attack all nearby
fractured brick and decayed wood remains. enemies; +8 vs PD—8 ongoing damage.
The two thrones, once carved from oak and Deliver to My Hand: Use one recovery to attack all
gold, sit in tatters, the wood rotted away and nearby enemies; +8 vs MD—target is weakened (save
the gold long since been pilfered. Only stone ends).
feet, barely a foot high and embedded in the Assembly of the One: Use one recovery and Kovacs
floor, remain. Tiles of jade checkered with regains 18 hit points.
marble have cracked with time and abuse.
AC 18
The thrones are not elevated. A stone table,
shaped like a crescent moon, curves around PD 16 HP 72
the two chairs. Here, knights, businessmen, MD 12
and landowners would convene to discuss
affairs of the day. The room stretches a fair The cultists will rush in to attack and protect their mas-
distance to the wooden doors at the entrance. ter. Apart from the furnishings already detailed, there is
 a pile of gear and treasure in the corner of the room, Underneath expands into gaping maw. The
pilfered by the cultists as well as the other bandits and vessel is daunting in its profile—an overturned
mercenaries that have frequented this keep. boat settling on a dragon’s skull. Bumps and
Treasure: Although there is substantial treasure divots pepper the hull. No smoke escapes
here, every piece retrieved takes a standard action. The from the exhaust, no glow from idling engines.
most accessible are: one suede pouch with 50 gp, two It hangs as if on wires suspended from heaven.
linked gold rings worth 30 gp, four short swords in sella- Metal boarding ramps reach out; too thin to
ble condition, one magic item worth no more than 520 sustain weight at that distance, but without
gp, and the Chronicle of Aurannis. supports, the bridge doesn’t bow, even as the
first figures cross it.
PREDATOR AND PREY
Once only three or fewer cultists remain, or if Katho Six shapes under the shadow of the vessel scurry over,
Kovacs is staggered, read or paraphrase the following: taking the keep in no time. The technological level of
this group appears far beyond anything the characters
All remaining natural light bleeds from the have seen before. As their weapons dispatch the shape-
room. The shadows begin to grow long and less quickly, the players should make their escape. If
fill the entire chamber. A few formless shapes they approach the interlopers, they will be fired upon.
rise from the casting blackness. Illuminated The first shot will miss and vaporize a nearby statue.
solid white eyes glint off the silver sheen of Next round, if the characters have not taken the hint,
razor claws which slide and dance in the fire a real shot (+15 vs. AC, 25 damage). Any attacks by
blackness, making you unable to see arms or the heroes fail to do any damage even if they hit their
shifting legs. As they emerge from the mark: this is not a fight the characters should have a
crevices about the room, whatever light still hope of winning.
lingers refusing to reflect off them, they
quickly close in. As the players race down the tunnel, at least two shape-
less will emerge behind them. As they reach the base
Four shapeless wild emerge from each corner and go of the shaft, two more shapeless will emerge below.
about attacking both the characters and the cultists. The characters can fight or continue their escape. If the
Their first attack should kill one cultist instantly regard- players had horses, they are still waiting outside. The
less of his remaining hit points, to impress upon the shapeless will not pursue outside the keep if the heroes
players that this is not a fight they can win. Every two continue their escape. When the heroes have reached
rounds after this, one more shapeless emerges. This the edge of the valley, read or paraphrase the following:
will continue until the heroes make their escape or are
all reduced to 0 hit points or below. Kovacs will at- The monstrosity pulls slowly away from the
tempt escape through the rubble in the west. If he keep. It begins to lift to the sky, pushing
makes it to the edge without pursuit, he escapes. None through the threshold of clouds. Before the
of his followers will survive. As the group passes bottom jaw finally vanishes above, a small
through the banquet hall, the restrained techans trans- prick of light leaps from its point. It moves
form into shapeless and attempt to block the escape. If with precision to the keep. A brilliant flash
the shapeless in the stables have not been killed, they strikes the landscape an instant before the
emerge when the players pass that door. wave of thunder reaches you. It shatters the
When the heroes emerge back into the courtyard, peak and splinters the mountain as a hammer
400 read or paraphrase the following: to a sand sculpture. Smoke and cinders covers
what remains under the moonglow. Shards of
The sun has fallen and what few stars can fight grass fly like knives past your skin. The first
against the glare of Attricana poke out from trees lose their needles.
the curtain of night. Splinters of a few clouds
thinly stretch out to the horizon. The black The blast is not radioactive, only a destructive concus-
silhouette in the sky at first appears part of the sion wave. All characters suffer a +8 vs. PD attack that
night as it carries stars down with it. inflicts 12 points of damage (half damage on a miss).
The vessel is taller than it is long, longer than The blast continues all the way to the forest, where it
it is wide, hovering just under the clouds and strips the needles and leaves off the trees. The keep, as
just over the trees. As a floating centurion, it well most of the rock tower, has been destroyed. Dust
dwarfs the mountains and the keep perched and pebbles are all that remains. If the players have not
atop them. The Moon and Attricana bare their acquired the book, they can search the debris.
light through a temporary break and the
glisten of the shape’s metallic skin begins to CONCLUSION
twinkle. The top looks like inverted boat Even if they did not defeat Kovacs, they receive a 1000
bigger than any ocean vessel ever seen. gp reward for his defeat if they return to Antikari. If
they also recovered the book, the heroes can return to Bank on greed as your bitterest enemy and
Limshau and deliver the book for the 2000 gp reward, staunchest ally."
or they can take it to Paraerra-sensei before rendering it
up to the librarians for the reward. He will open the LEADS
book and read the following: Where the players go from here is up to them and you.
They may continue this quest or continue with their
"Before the First Hammer, the greatest lives. If they choose not to take on this responsibility,
dragon—he of violet and lavender scales— then Paraerra will offer an additional 2,000 gp for the
gave up his soul to stop the encroaching relic and insist that the amulet stay in the city (if they
darkness of Ixindar. It was Gebermach that refuse, it is stolen from them within a week of leaving
wielded the demon blade Dogurasu, plunging Limshau, by high-level custodians who leave no sign of
it into the dragon’s heart, ending the mortal their presence and are not detected, regardless of how
life of an immortal soul. In his final scream of good a watch the party keeps). This would be the op-
defiance, this dragon of violet and lavender portunity to plan out the campaign with some clues …
scales brought down a mountain upon Ixindar or leave the quest hanging for now to allow the players
and orphaned the world to science. The the chance to develop their characters with other adven-
impact that followed closed the world from tures until the quest calls upon them again.
magic. Before that instant, the crown of this
dragon fell upon the ground. It was shattered,
scattered, and forgotten."
"Amethyst was the living deity that forged
the first world before it was our world. Before
the Hammer. Before science had its reign.

B
And there are others … all infused into
artifacts by owners since passed and forgotten. y sunbreak, Aiden had checked from the hostel
As they bond to their owners, or as they are and made his way to the eastern gates. He
brought closer to other fragments, their powers reached the front of the line before the
amplify. Eight they are in number. They crowds gathered. The seam in the door was
have earned names across various kingdoms. nearly invisible until it broke the instant the sun’s rays
"Amethyst opened the first gate, or maybe he drifted down the wall. The simple assemblage of gears
was inescapably connected to it. To control and pulleys moved the huge slabs of stone effortlessly.
them would be to control the fate of this On the other side, a smaller gate of chain and iron was
world, and the fate of his soul. According to guarded by a handful of custodians. Two damaskans
myth, to bring them together at the point of guarded either side, armed with katana and tanto with a
his death would allow one to call him back to human custodian sitting behind a podium, brandishing a
life. And, in that moment, he could save the clipboard and pencil. They were dressed in the black ka-
world. The power to open or close the gates is wabari Aiden had seen before. The human greeted him.
contained in these items. With Attricana "Hola. Sprache?"
gone, Earth would fall back to science, leaving "English?" Aiden answered and asked.
man unhindered in his pursuit to retake it, but "Lingo or Franca?"
for Ixindar of course. Some of techa insist the "Franca."
gates are connected and with one goes the "Early morning sir. You carry papers?"
other: perhaps they are right, though reality is
rarely so simple. Where these artifacts rest,
"Yes." Aiden brought up the various papers proving
his identity. This included the Angel Ident Card and a
401
dark souls converge. Those bound to science letter of recommendation from David Obatala Chen. The
wish a normal world while those bound to custodian stopped at the latter and didn’t bother flipping
darkness wish only to see it burn. It is to be through the others.
hoped that those reading this are more "Aiden ka-moo?" the custodian verified.
moderate in their desires. "Kae-mus."
"To find the other artifacts means to seek out "Just arrived or spent the night?" The guard filled
those brought to their knees by overwhelming out Aiden's temporary passport.
evil. Seek out the greatest temples, the tallest "The night."
towers, and the deepest dungeons. Seek out "No aggravations, I hope?" The custodian stamped
the vaults closed tight. Seek out the the passport and handed it back with the papers.
obsessions that drive men mad. The answers "Just some Malkut immigrant pandering his paranoia."
have been recorded. Somewhere, at some "Odd they still do after escaping that madness."
time, someone noted their presence ... For "Keeps them safe I suppose, a delusion to depend
on. Thank you." Aiden retrieved the papers and made his
they have already all been found. And no one
way through the gate.
would give up such power willingly or without
As he passed through, the custodian said to his back,
compensation regardless of their motives.
 "The gods may be dead but faith is no delusion. Enjoy illustration Aiden had previously seen in a book. It was
your stay in Limshau." Aiden turned back and paused, but real to.
didn't comment. The golden coat of the 1200-foot long vessel floated
past the outer wall. Only a small cabin hung underneath
* * * the smooth untarnished skin with most of the crew and
passengers resting comfortably inside the superstructure.
Thousands moved without a shove in the streets. Aiden took a moment to drink in the sight. Such a vessel
No one needed to control the crowds, though wagons sat on the border of disruption, relying on unbroken phys-
and horses often found it difficult to press through faster ics to keep itself aloft. It was a thermal, lifted by heated
than a crawl. The buildings blended together. As Aiden air. The behemoth hadn't touched more than a single
wandered deeper, the city grew taller. wheel on the ground in 115 years. Propellers bigger than
He navigated through the narrow cobblestone men spun as the vessel slowed towards the mooring tow-
streets. He pushed against the chalk walls as beasts and er. The sun appeared again behind it, turning the dirigible
wagons plowed by. Various silks were danced in front of black. It wasn't a forty foot French horn, but it would
him to entice a sale. Another peddler promised increased suffice.
lovemaking in a pouch filled with powdered dragon testi-
cles. A pair of custodians chatted with a merchant. An * * *
orange-haired child-like gimfen stood atop his cart, selling
various silks gathered from his villages in the north. The appraiser had a desk plate announcing him as
Gimfen came from those playful tales about helpful Roland Gauss. Gauss rolled his fingers over the spine of
spirits that would lend a hand in need or work without the book. He opened the cover and checked for bends,
compensation making toys in the bitter cold inside some ensuring the bleed was undamaged as it folded over the
fat man’s sweatshop. The gimfen was barely four feet front. Aiden’s book was without rips, and the leaf had
with the thin body and eyes of a child. significant strength. Gauss was impressed. The room
A few legal tall-eared scarlet women promoted their resembled Chen’s biblio but with more collections and
pleasure from a second level window. They were dam- total works over singular novels.
askans. Aiden made himself stop. The fae smiled and "The Glory of Her Sacred Majesty Queen Anne in
flaunted their thin subtle curves to passing eyes that the Royal Navy and Her Absolute Sovereignty as Empress
viewed them. They did what they wished and needed few of the Sea, Asserted and Vindicated by Joseph Gander,
laws to keep them ethical. Aiden forced his eyes back on amazing," the appraiser complimented. "Printed in 1703
the road as the temptation was increasing as he stared. and only once, a treatise for an age no one remembers.
More books rested on the shelves of Limshau librar- You weren’t brandishing this book openly, were you?”
ies than anywhere else on Earth. The namesake capital “No,” Aiden lied, and Gauss could tell.
was the largest of all of them. Escapees from the bastions “Good thing no one out there appreciates real treas-
often smuggled forbidden manuals from their home to ure,” Gauss answered as he examined the book. “Gold is
barter into Limshau to get a head start on a new life. such a distraction. How many riches wait ignored by the
Twinkling chips of granite fell across his face as a rabble? Chen must have faith in you to offer this as a
heavy cart rolled over a stone bridge above. Limshau was trade."
as a stacked city, with a lattice of stone and wooden paths Aiden still hadn’t checked in. His pack sat across his
above the main roads. Aiden took the lure and diverted lap, covering the hole in his pants. "You know him?" Aid-
to one of the wooden overpasses to get a look across the en asked.
ocean of stone, wood, and flesh. The market ran for Gauss was pleasantly plump with three inches of
miles with a hundred thousand humans and fae going growth across his face and a mop of chestnut hair. His
402 about their lives.
There was nothing out there, Martin had said. Aiden
teeth were straight and gleamed white across his dark
beard.
leaned his weight on the railing and admired the labyrinth. "Every custodian worth his sword, every librarian
It reminded him of Genai—a network of mathematical worth his books knows him,” Gauss said. “His life is
imperfection. The outer walls might have been faultless priced more than the tomes in his collection." Gauss
but city was a delightful mess. Obstructing statues stand- danced his articulate fingers across the embossed cover.
ing in intersections. Living trees peeling apart stonework "He's invested greatly in you, my friend. You looking for
to gain their roots. passes or currency?"
Aiden heard two long high-pitched notes boom over "I think both."
the market. It brought up his eyes along with all those of Gauss rolled his chair across to a nearby shelf and
the street. Considering the volume, Aiden had expected retrieved a ledger. "Well, passes translate to more for
a colossal horn atop a citadel, coiling around the tower to you. Compensation will be higher. Wizardry?"
a tiny mouthpiece connected to an embouchure of a "Uh…yes." Aiden was almost apprehensive to an-
broad-lunged dwarf. The notes repeated, calling out for swer.
attention from the entire city. Aiden's eyes focused on an "What I love to hear," was his legitimate jovial re-
immense silhouette climbing over the shrouded sunrise. sponse. "Human mages are rare in this world. A per-
It bathed Aiden and the market in shadow. He recognized chance for wonders and whimsy." Gauss loved words and
the colossal outline of an airship, the Abecedarian--an enjoyed their expression. "You flipped?"
 "Not yet." a white city has shadows." Aiden looked at the paper in
"Well, it's not easy. I know too well." He opened Gauss’s hand. "We have banks,” Gauss added.
his book and began logging in the details of the transac- "Oh--" Aiden accepted it receipt.
tion. "Could never manage more than a card trick my- "Didn’t think I'd hand you a stack of gold and silver
self." After filling out some initial documents, he opened a in a leather pouch, did you?"
drawer and revealed a piece of hard cardstock barely big- Aiden laughed it off, "Sorry, of course." He looked
ger than a pocket photograph. "This is an access pass. at the receipt as his signature and face drew themselves
Hold that." He offered it to Aiden and he accepted. Aid- onto its surface. He looked back to Gauss as the realiza-
en’s signature, which he hadn’t given, and his likeness, tion washed over him. "You said you knew alchemy?"
which he hadn’t offered, etched upon the surface. "Pretty "A hankering is all I’ll admit."
clever?" Aiden opened his pack and pulled out the stone he
Aiden flipped it around in his hand. "Actually it is." found in the crash. It still glowed with its own fire, uncar-
"Can’t even be stolen now. Hand it over." Aiden ing for having been ignored. "What do you imagine this
did so. Gauss dropped it in his drawer and closed it. is?" He offered it without worry.
"Check your pocket." Aiden followed and reached in, felt Gauss looked at it over indifferent. "A glowing
the card, and removed it. Aiden smiled at the real magic. rock."
Gauss opened hands and leaned back in his chair. "Your "Thank you," Aiden answered blankly.
approbations are drippings from a Christmas turkey. I do "It could be sapping your life force as we speak or
have a hand with card tricks." gifting you with foresight. Suffer from either?"
"You a wizard?" Aiden smirked. "I believe the melancholy is purely
"No," Gauss laughed. "Parents forbad it. Dad rec- self-induced."
ommended I pick up a serious profession like silversmith. Gauss handed it back. "I like the clasp. Someone
In the end, he settled for alchemy. Not all magic comes thought it was important. There's a religion based around
from the spoken word. There are those naturally blessed purple stones. Something about a dragon god, I think.
and those that mix materials fallen from heaven." Aiden Older faith, pre-gate. Never seen one glow. Could be
disputed the use of heaven as science had its own theo- naturally imbued. You ever get drunk?"
ries. He didn’t voice those thoughts. "Don't get jealous. "No--"
Pleroma is still the standard. You figure that out, king- "In human mythology, amethyst would stave off
doms will open their legs for you." drunkenness. Many of those stories had some measure of
"No pressure though." truth."
"If it was easy, everyone would do it, and a genocide "That they did."
by fools would follow." "I’ll take it off your hands if you need extra coin.
"I thought all genocides were by the hand of fools." Limshau has an artifact library. I can tender a price when I
"Point. Unfortunately, to master Pleroma requires know more."
intelligence, not wisdom." Aiden casually slipped it back in his case. "I’ll hold
"If everyone could wave a wand, there'd be anarchy," onto it for now." Aiden wasn’t sure why. He trusted
Aiden quoted his memory. Gauss but preferred caution.
"Exactly. Thankfully for every hundred students fol- "Well, it’s been nice having you," said Gauss. Aiden
lowing the arcane, usually only one emerges a wizard. If held out his hand and Gauss accepted. The appraiser
you’re interested in classes, start with Dr. Paraerra. He turned over Aiden’s hand to see the watch. "That can’t
doesn’t teach spellcraft but many say you can’t walk the be working."
path without him." Gauss pointed at the card in Aiden's "It’s not."
hand. "Regardless, that will get you into any branch. "Well here time can stop if asked to. It’s all in the
With Chen's recommendation, you have the red banner.
Flash it to borrow private editions from homes if you re-
wording." Gauss released Aiden’s hand.
"Thank you, Mr. Gauss. It’s been enlightening."
403
quire. Trust and respect is assumed." Gauss exclaimed as Aiden left, “It’s Roland, and may
"Thank you." the milk of mermaids quench your thirst."
"You were expecting…exploitation?" Guess leaned
forward as he toyed. * * *
"The trip here…was—"
"Anyone claiming a journey is half the fun lost faith in Aiden stared at the toilet. It was wood and stone,
the destination." Gauss pulled out a stack of papers and but it had a seat. The chain flushed water from the large
signed the bottom of each. He then offered them. "Six cistern above. It was primitive, using gravity fed water
months paid room and board. Private accommodations, from towers about the city, but it was heaven compared
you have a guest?" to the past two months. The seat was hard. The stone
"No," Aiden answered, though trailing off at the end. was cold. He didn’t care and neither did his bowels. The
"Planning on one?" bed was cushioned with a down pillow. The white walls
"I don’t think so." were more than a design aesthetic. A cool breeze flowed
Gauss tendered the currency next. "And carmot, to every crack and corner. Aiden found a second floor
only currency we deal in. Four hundred remains after room with a view of a market street. The circular stone
lodgings. Keep it in ration." He filled out a receipt. "Even window held no glass, only a wooden shutter to block out
 the noises if needed. It was never too loud and the over- yellow. Something is black and something is white. In this
lapping voices in various languages reminded Aiden of world, what we see is interpreted by our brains. What
traffic clatter in Angel. A pull of a similar chain ran a we perceive we take instantly as reality. What we are
pump bringing clean water. The toilet and the sink was taught we accept...as gospel, even to the extent of altering
knowledge brought over by bastion-man, what the fae our perception of the world around it. Yellow and blue
could never manage on their own. It wasn't stupidity but do not make green and the true color blue isn't even
a lack of the obsessive drive to better one's life that only something our brains can handle. If you have any hopes of
came from evolution. Fae found a simple solution and understanding this world, you have to accept that there
never attempted progress. The disruption of their very are no absolutes."
being on even the most basic mechanisms did the rest. "Anything is possible--" Aiden found himself whisper-
Before men and their printing press, the fae stuck mostly ing.
with scrolls. Books for them were a luxury reserved for "Damned straight," Paraerra exclaimed with a clap.
special editions as each had to be stitched by hand. It jolted Aiden as eyes focused on him. "Sorry," he
The sun hadn’t set before Aiden shut his eyes. He said.
slept for twelve hours. He woke without an ache and "Don't be. Anything IS possible. God has been re-
thoroughly cleaned himself in the communal showers on placed by the will of the very people he created. This is
the lower level. Aiden felt scrawny and bare amongst the his parting gift, the keys to the kingdom. It's not a test.
hairy, barrel-chested human men in the other stalls. The There's no virtuous morality at play, no good versus evil.
water was freezing as was everything else that morning. For the first time, the world is malleable. Why do you
The city was still a slave to weather. He had a brazier and think they send all wizards to me first before they put any
a few sconces in his room but they would do little against spells in your head. You're a dreamer."
the cold when winter hit, mild that they were at this lati- "Is that a problem?"
tude. "No, but you're sitting near me for your stay in my
There was no way to keep food cold so it was to the class."
market for produce every morning. Aiden raced for an Aiden held up his hands in protest. "No, no, that's
empty seat, fought through his deficient proficiency of the quite all right." Paraerra raised his hands as if preaching to
sinitic tongue the server's used, and ordered a plate of god, and then firmly pointed to an open area next to him.
what looked like raw sewage. He tasted garlic. He didn't Aiden sighed and shuffled to the position.
recall seeing garlic. Aiden felt something crunchy and "Let me start with a rhetorical question. If there
hoped it was intended. He left his remaining Angel grain was no intelligent life in the universe, does the universe
bars for emergencies. He knew he had to acquire a stout have meaning? We all know the adage about the tree
stomach if he had any chance to acclimatize to echa. The falling in the forest. I move beyond that by saying that if
caravan had helped but that was mostly bread. no one hears the falling tree, even though it makes a
By afternoon, he found the arcana wing, three blocks sound, the act of the fall and the sound it generates is
of libraries, stores, and schools. Aiden slammed his tat- utterly worthless. Intelligence is the universe's way of
tered tome of incantations and power words in front of a acknowledging its own existence, and a cosmos with no
storekeep that specialized in totems. It jostled the spark eyes to see it, ears to hear it, or brains to understand
out of the book, which quickly went back into hiding. it...has no value. So if intelligent life is the ultimate goal of
Aiden was awaiting some castigation from the owner but the cosmos, is there room or even a need for a greater
only heard, "I've seen worse," as the clerk took the book intelligence? If there was a divine creator--a greater
and went about finding the rare components required to thought--behind everything, then that could devalue our
repair it. Later, Aiden wondered if the keeper had seen own importance. This would lead me to say that there's
worse from many of his patrons, or just the humans, few meaning to the universe, but not a purpose. It may have a
404 that they were.
Before lunch, Aiden signed up for a philosophy lec-
function, but not necessarily significance. That would
transfer the responsibility onto us. We are not obligated
ture. The teacher was not some old man with worn and to find purpose in our lives, but it may be something only
weary eyes pinching his nose when his heavy glasses we can seek ourselves, as no guiding light will show us the
strained his head. He was barely into his forties with dark path.
skin with toned muscle. There were thirty other students "We now have the capacity to alter the universe,
of various ethnicities, ages, and races sitting with backs actually change how it functions. Only a cosmos aware of
straight upon mats placed erratically about the room. itself could control how it acts and if we’re the gestalt of
Aiden had entered late and noticed the desks pushed to this consciousness, then God is only the sum of all the
the walls. minds in the universe and had no capacity to think until
"I'm Doctor Philippe Paraerra and if you have any we thought of it." Paraerra smiled. "...and I'm only four
hope of understanding this world, you have to begin with minutes into my first class."
your awareness. Of how you perceive it. This class does The students laughed and Paraerra continued, "If you
not deal with specifics. It deals with color." Aiden fur- follow this logic any further, then the removal of god and
rowed his brow at the statement. Others followed. "Got science simultaneously allows us absolute freedom to pur-
you all looking crooked, didn't I?" A few laughed. "I’m sue personal meaning without any obligation to the uni-
serious. Color is a name we give our perception of the verse, which, as I said, may not have a purpose at all."
basics of what we see. Something is blue. Something is "So there would no predetermined path for anyone,
by science or by God, real or not?" Aiden asked. Aiden wondered if he had been so lucky to find
"There may still be a set path but one you may be some unique item, a mcguffin to start him on a great
only partially in control of. Think of it as...cosmic social- quest. If this was, would he take it, accept such responsi-
ism. bility? If it was worthy for midgets and melancholy mages,
"That sounds somewhat absurd." why not? But in fiction, the storyteller ensures the surviv-
"My thoughts exactly...but that's a conversation for ability of his characters and Aiden had no such guardian
another day." watching over him.
Tick.
* * * Aiden didn't spot it initially. His mind was lost not
on the stone but on the lingering image of the prostitute
As evening fell, Aiden sat at the edge of the window. in the window. Tick. Right next to the amethyst, the gem
The moon and Attricana were bright but a few well commanded all attention. Tick. When the second hand
placed candles were still required for Aiden’s reading. He moved again, Aiden spotted his watch. Tick, the second
didn’t feel the need to flaunt the spark. He glanced at his had moved.
open pack and the azure glow inside. Aiden walked over Tick, again. Aiden tilted his head rather than risk
and pulled out the amethyst. He returned to the window shifting the watch as it rolled over to 10:04 am. He saw
and his book, placing the jewel on the open face. He the hand mark off another second. Aiden mouthed a
could see the storms swirling away inside. He resumed curse as he palmed the Amethyst and moved it away from
his reading. his watch. The second hand stopped abruptly before
She was a fae. That much Aiden could easily tell. 10:05. He brought the stone back alongside the mecha-
She was taking in the breeze from her larger window nism. Time resumed, closing to the end of the minute.
across the street. Second floor, the same as him. His "How is that possible?"
height but half the weight, with a frame
of a normal person that had been
stretched. She leaned from her win-
dow to let her blonde hair dry naturally
in the wind. Her neck was long and
thin, uncovered by a flowing layer of
silk which danced about the air. She
wore nothing underneath the simple
gown but nature’s current refused to Future book cover
reveal anything by whisking away the
cloth. It would only permit Aiden a
glimpse of her slender legs below the
knee and everything above the shoul-
ders. As her hair dried and lifted in the
air, the strands parted to reveal her
ears.
Aiden didn’t notice the amethyst
sliding off his book until it clanged on
the floor. He bolted from view of the
window to snatch it back up. When he
returned to his admiration, he noticed
the human male entering the room
behind her. He wore well pressed
405
blues and purples, satin and linen with
accents of leather. He removed his
coat as she turned. She slowly em-
braced him. He paid generously. She
placed him on the bed and walked to
the window. Her’s had two shutters.
As she closed one, she looked across
the street and met Aiden’s eyes. He
flinched but continued his stare. She
smiled and rolled her fingers in a wave
and closed the final shutter.
Aiden sat himself back on the win-
dow edge and dropped the rock back
on this book. It slid down to his hand,
brushing across his wrist. He stared at
the storm caught within it. Tick.
 Abidan 26, 62, 67, 68, 70, 72, 187 Fae Iron 257 Saeqaar 276
Active Dissuasion System 250 Fargon 31 Sana Marsh 339
Advanced Wasteland Armor 244 Finer Fire Pits 32 Scrambler 263
Alpinas 336 Flak Longcoat 245 Self-Propelled Projectile 240
Amarok 246 Flamethrower 240 Seliquam 39, 72
Amulet of Amethyst 282 Full Combat Armor 245 Selkirk 41, 46, 197
Angel 26, 46, 70, 193 Gladiator 248 Sierra Madre 41, 46, 71
Angel Hammerhead 264 Guided 239 Shields 250
Angelite 256 Gauss 238 Shotgun 240
APC 259 Gimfen 55, 66, 90, 186 Skinplate 249
Apocrypha 338 Glue Gun 240 Small Arms-One Handed 234
Aramid Combat Suit 244 God’s Eye Sniper 240 Small Arms-Two Handed 234
Aramid Survival Suit 244 Gold 257 Sniper 240
Archon Dragons 27 Halyc 337 Sonic 240
Armored Zeppelin 264 Heavy Auto 239 Sonic Stunner 241
Apostle Motor Slave 246 Human 111 Specialty Weapons 235
Armored Truck 259 Immune 239 Spider Silk Suit 244
ATV 259 Iron Sons 33, 70 Staff of Kerif 281
Augment 238 Ixindar Spells 278 Staggered 203
Auto 238 Janoahn Master Shield 250 Super Heavy Weapons 235
Azhi Dahaka 338 Kannos 33, 59, 61, 189 Tactical Body Armor 245
Ballistics Armor 244 Kesakas 337 Tank 259
Baruch Malkut 45, 72, 190 Kodiaks 115 Tanker 249
Basic Chemical Projectiles 233 Language Description 292 Techan Ammunition 127
Bastion Exports 232 Land Shark 261 Tech Levels 230
Behemoth 260 Laser 239 Tech Mail 246
Bible of Drasago 278 Laudenia 35, 63, 94, 192 Techan Melee Weapons 237
Bike 259 Laurama 337 Tenenbri 61, 103
Blimp 268 Limshau 35, 51, 62, 71, 185, 189, 191 Tesla Glove 241
Blinder Mail 244 Limshau Buckler 250 Testament 249
Bracers of Amethyst 283 Limshau Kawabari 244 Thermal Frame/Ships 268, 301
Buckle of Amethyst 285 Limshau Weapons 232 Thornshroud 41
Buggy 259 Magnarros 257 Tilen 48, 107
Carbide Armor 245 Mann 46 Totem Magic 125
Capacitor 238 Mann Pantokrator 266 Tranquiss 341
406 Capsicum Spray 240
Chaparran 53, 66, 82, 187, 189
Mobile Motor Armor 249
Nankani Mountains 337
Truck 259
Typhox Dragons 42
Combat Exoskeleton 247 Nanotech Combat Armor 244 Vapor Rifle 241
Corruption 277 Narros 54, 97, 191 Vehicle Rules 257
Coruthil 256 Netgun 241 Wanderer 263
Covenant 248 Nomad 261 Wavecrashers 301
Cyon 339 Nuclear 239 Wounded 203
Dagron 339 Nuke Truck 262 Xixion 342
Damaskans 80 Pagus 38, 50, 58, 100 York 43, 47, 73
Dawnamoak 30 Panther Bike 262 York Wasp 267
Disruption 277 Pincher 239 Yowie Suit 246
Distant Range 211 Piton Gauntlets 241
Dragonflyers 301 Plasma 239
EDF 208 Power Hooks 241
Electroshock Gun 240 Rack Power Suit 249
Energy Envelope 250 Repulsor Engine 250
EXP 238 Restrainment Field 241
Extreme Range 211 Sacrifice 204
THIS LICENSE IS APPROVED FOR GENERAL USE. PERMISSION TO DISTRIBUTE THIS LICENSE IS MADE BY WIZARDS OF THE COAST!
OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a
The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc ("Wizards"). All Rights Reserved.
1. Definitions: (a)"Contributors" means the copyright and/or trademark owners who have contributed Open Game Content; (b)"Derivative Material"
means copyrighted material including derivative works and translations (including into other computer languages), potation, modification, correction,
addition, extension, upgrade, improvement, compilation, abridgment or other form in which an existing work may be recast, transformed or adapted;
(c) "Distribute" means to reproduce, license, rent, lease, sell, broadcast, publicly display, transmit or otherwise distribute; (d)"Open Game Content"
means the game mechanic and includes the methods, procedures, processes and routines to the extent such content does not embody the Product
Identity and is an enhancement over the prior art and any additional content clearly identified as Open Game Content by the Contributor, and means
any work covered by this License, including translations and derivative works under copyright law, but specifically excludes Product Identity. (e)
"Product Identity" means product and product line names, logos and identifying marks including trade dress; artifacts; creatures characters; stories,
storylines, plots, thematic elements, dialogue, incidents, language, artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, likenesses, formats, poses, concepts, themes
and graphic, photographic and other visual or audio representations; names and descriptions of characters, spells, enchantments, personalities, teams,
personas, likenesses and special abilities; places, locations, environments, creatures, equipment, magical or supernatural abilities or effects, logos, sym-
bols, or graphic designs; and any other trademark or registered trademark clearly identified as Product identity by the owner of the Product Identity,
and which specifically excludes the Open Game Content; (f) "Trademark" means the logos, names, mark, sign, motto, designs that are used by a Con-
tributor to identify itself or its products or the associated products contributed to the Open Game License by the Contributor (g) "Use", "Used" or
"Using" means to use, Distribute, copy, edit, format, modify, translate and otherwise create Derivative Material of Open Game Content. (h) "You" or
"Your" means the licensee in terms of this agreement.
2. The License: This License applies to any Open Game Content that contains a notice indicating that the Open Game Content may only be Used
under and in terms of this License. You must affix such a notice to any Open Game Content that you Use. No terms may be added to or subtracted
from this License except as described by the License itself. No other terms or conditions may be applied to any Open Game Content distributed
using this License.
3.Offer and Acceptance: By Using the Open Game Content You indicate Your acceptance of the terms of this License.
4. Grant and Consideration: In consideration for agreeing to use this License, the Contributors grant You a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, non-
exclusive license with the exact terms of this License to Use, the Open Game Content.
5.Representation of Authority to Contribute: If You are contributing original material as Open Game Content, You represent that Your Contribu-
tions are Your original creation and/or You have sufficient rights to grant the rights conveyed by this License.
6.Notice of License Copyright: You must update the COPYRIGHT NOTICE portion of this License to include the exact text of the COPYRIGHT
NOTICE of any Open Game Content You are copying, modifying or distributing, and You must add the title, the copyright date, and the copyright
holder's name to the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any original Open Game Content you Distribute.
7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any Product Identity, including as an indication as to compatibility, except as expressly licensed in
another, independent Agreement with the owner of each element of that Product Identity. You agree not to indicate compatibility or co-adaptability
with any Trademark or Registered Trademark in conjunction with a work containing Open Game Content except as expressly licensed in another,
independent Agreement with the owner of such Trademark or Registered Trademark. The use of any Product Identity in Open Game Content does
not constitute a challenge to the ownership of that Product Identity. The owner of any Product Identity used in Open Game Content shall retain all
rights, title and interest in and to that Product Identity.
8. Identification: If you distribute Open Game Content You must clearly indicate which portions of the work that you are distributing are Open Game
Content.
9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents may publish updated versions of this License. You may use any authorized version of this
License to copy, modify and distribute any Open Game Content originally distributed under any version of this License.
10 Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with every copy of the Open Game Content You Distribute.
11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise the Open Game Content using the name of any Contributor unless You have writ-
ten permission from the Contributor to do so.
12 Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the terms of this License with respect to some or all of the Open Game Con-
tent due to statute, judicial order, or governmental regulation then You may not Use any Open Game Material so affected.
13 Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to comply with all terms herein and fail to cure such breach within 30 days of
becoming aware of the breach. All sublicenses shall survive the termination of this License.
14 Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable, such provision shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it
enforceable.
15 COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
System Reference Document. Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on material by
E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
13th Age RPG Core Rulebook. Copyright 2013, Fire Opal Media; Authors Rob Heinsoo, Jonathan Tweet, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Mon-
te Cook, and Skip Williams.
Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook. Copyright 2009, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: Jason Bulmahn, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook,
and Skip Williams.
Castles & Crusades, Copyright 2004, Troll Lord Games; Authors: Davis Chenault, Mac Golden.
Amethyst: Renaissance ©2012 Dias Ex Machina; Author: Chris Dias
System Reference Document. Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on material by
E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
The Book of Experimental Might. Copyright 2008, Monte J. Cook. All rights reserved.
Tome of Horrors. Copyright 2002, Necromancer Games, Inc.; Authors: Scott Greene, with Clark Peterson, Erica Balsley, Kevin Baase, Casey Chris-
tofferson, Lance Hawvermale, Travis Hawvermale, Patrick Lawinger, and Bill Webb; Based on original content from TSR.
Dias Ex Machina Games
129 6807 Westgate Ave.
Prince George, British Columbia,
Canada.
V2N 5P8
www.DiasExMachina.com