THE

MERCHANT

Design & Writing by Adrian Lopez Sanjuan.

Editing by Noelia Garcia Novas.
Most of the art by dead people, remnants of another
time long forgotten by mortals. Additional art by Organic
Gear and Henrik Karppinen. Some artwork © 2015 Dean
Spencer, used with permission. All rights reserved.
The Merchant © 2023 by Adrian Lopez Sanjuan is licensed under
CC BY-SA 4.0. You are free to share and adapt this material
as long as you give attribution and use the same license.
 Contents
The Wasteland Under a Hateful Sun (Base Setting)....................... 6
• The Dying World with a Forgotten Name................................ 6
• The Glimmering Cities................................................................ 8
• The Traversing Merchants........................................................... 8
• Ancient Teachings........................................................................ 8
The Learnings of the Ancients (Base Game Concepts)................ 10
• Solo Journalling Roleplaying.................................................... 10
• The Tools of the Game ...............................................................11
• The Travel Deck...........................................................................11
• The Auguries of Fate...................................................................11
• Wealth and Renown....................................................................11
• Stocks and Supplies.....................................................................13
• Blades of the Guild......................................................................13
• Scouts of the Wasteland..............................................................14
• Tarnish of the Soul......................................................................14
The Perilous Crossing (Detailed Game Rules)............................... 16
• The First Crossing....................................................................... 17
• The Auguries................................................................................17
• Building the Travel Deck............................................................18
• Investing in the Journey ............................................................20
• Crossing the Wasteland (Types of Cards)................................22
 Contents
• Using Supplies..............................................................................27
• Finding your Path........................................................................28
• Reap the Rewards........................................................................30
• Tarnish and Corruption.............................................................32
Summary Diagrams............................................................................. 34
• Outside the Wasteland................................................................34
• Crossing the Wasteland..............................................................35
Infinite Realities (Inspiration Tables).............................................. 36
• Wasteland Table.......................................................................... 38
• Challenges Table .........................................................................42
• Artefacts Table.............................................................................45
• Denizens Table.............................................................................47
• Demons Table...............................................................................49
Merchant Career Sheet........................................................................ 50
 The Wasteland Under a

Hateful
Sun
Myour
ost of the dangers in
The Dying World with
journey can be a Forgotten Name
surmounted with a good blade and
good sense. The real hazard, my The world is ancient.
child, is the lure of the arcane. The There was a time when water
unfathomable mysteries from ages covered the salt deserts and deep
past and perished realities that the canyons, giant creatures roamed
Shifting Wasteland keeps from us. lush forests, and great empires
They will tarnish your mortal soul, built cities of stone and steel. A
consuming it from within until time before the cataclysm that
nothing human remains. Good luck. boiled the seas and killed the
gods.
Krrr-Urr, Elder Augurer

6
7
 The Glimmering Cities tribes not quite human anymore.
The land is now barren. The landscape of the wasteland
shifts often; traditional maps no
The Shifting Wasteland covers longer have meaning and only a
all, a land poisoned by arcane few immutable stars can guide a
powers emanating from a plane traversing merchant across the
of unbound entropy. Time and land.
space warp in the land outside
the few remaining jewels of fallen
Ancient Teachings
civilizations: the Glimmering
Cities, wondrous human dwell- Tradition is everything.
ings still protected by a sorcery The few remnants of civilisation
older than the hateful sun. follow ancient traditions with
religions fervour; sure that it’s
The Traversing the only true way to survival in a
Merchants harsh world where life is reduced
You are a Traversing Merchant. to its utility.
One of the few daring mortals Society is stagnant and every
that travel across the Shifting scrap of ancient knowledge is
Wasteland carrying goods and regarded as the absolute truth.
news between the Glimmering
Cities. An endeavour as profitable
as dangerous, as the wasteland is
said to have a mind of its own,
and it’s inhabited by demons,
corrupted creatures, and savage

8
 Today we followed a yellow river
that sank into a perfectly round hole
on the ground. Voices resonated in
a strange language from the depths
of that unholy wound in the earth,
but nobody mentioned anything. I’m
not sure if others could hear them.

9
 The Learnings of the

Ancients
Tyou
ake note of everything Solo Journalling
see, everything you Roleplaying
hear, and everything you feel.
A solo RPG (short for Role-
Your experiences in the wasteland
Playing Game) it’s a narrative
can be learnings for those that come
game that you play by yourself
after us, and it will help you to
with the goal of creating a story
keep your soul whole and within
with a specific theme.
yourself, if such thing is even truly
possible in the Shifting Wasteland.
In the case of The Merchant you
And by all gods, do not stay longer
play a trader leading a caravan
than necessary, or you will never
across an arcane wasteland full
come back to us.
of mysteries and dangers; risking
your life and your soul for no
Hurryan, Master of the Guild other reason than great profit

10
and everlasting fame. DECK, and add to your story by
This chapter provides an over- generating prompts with random
view of the main game concepts tables found in this book.
and how they relate to each other.
The Auguries of Fate
The Tools of the Game Before you start your perilous
A standard deck of cards and journey across the Shifting
a few six-sided dice are used to Wasteland, and even before you
randomise the events which will build the TRAVEL DECK for a
fire up your creativity. crossing, you must roll to find
out what omens are read in the
It’s encouraged to write at least a
sky by the Augurers.
short paragraph about each event
in a physical or digital journal. The result of the AUGURIES
The intention is to create the roll will determine the potential
travel journal for your character length of the crossing and its
as they cross the unfathomable difficulty.
arcane wasteland.
Wealth and Renown
The Travel Deck You must invest WEALTH
The TRAVEL DECK is a small before crossing the Shifting
deck of around 10 cards built Wasteland to buy STOCKS and
from a standard deck of 4 suits SUPPLIES, and optionally hire a
and 52 cards. veteran captain of the BLADES
and SCOUTS.
Each turn of play you will
draw a card from the TRAVEL The remaining STOCK at

11
12
the end of a crossing can be tion, superstitious fear, or actual
exchanged for WEALTH, but arcane dangers, no more than a
you might have to leave STOCKS few souls can venture into the
behind to survive the crossing. Shifting Wasteland together at a
If you run out of STOCKS time. This means that there is a
during a crossing and an event limit to what you can transport
demands the loss of additional with your caravan.
STOCKS, you must pay with Fewer STOCKS and more
your life and lose the game. SUPPLIES will reduce the risk
Crossing the wasteland and of running out of victuals in a
other events will increase your crossing of uncommon length.
RENOWN. More STOCKS and fewer
The RETIREMENT roll deter- SUPPLIES will increase your
mines the ultimate fate of your profit for the crossing, but at a
character. This is the final roll in higher risk of never reaching
the game. your destination.
You can attempt it at any time,
but it is unlikely your character Blades of the Guild
will have good prospects without The Guild provides trained
WEALTH and RENOWN in and eager soldiers, known as
such a harsh world. BLADES, ready to traverse the
Shifting Wasteland with your
Stocks and Supplies caravan; driven by an excellent
pay and the opportunity for
Your caravan has a limited
boasting if they make it back.
capacity as due to ancient tradi-
You have a number of BLADES

13
 with your caravan set by the your soul, consuming it with
Guild. Their lives can be risked every crossing. The Augurers in
during the crossing to give a the temples of the Glimmering
one-time bonus against a Chal- Cities call it the TARNISH of
lenge. Use them well. the Shifting Wasteland; but the
You can invest WEALTH to nature of such illness of the soul
hire a veteran captain for a single can only be speculated upon.
crossing, increasing the bonus Your character gains TARNISH
given by all BLADES. as the crossing progresses when
a Spades card is drawn, or as
Scouts of the Wasteland described by encounters.
A few individuals boast that Your TARNISH affects some of
they can read the wasteland like the random tables, generating
no other mortal, and that they new and stranger results as you
could live in it if they so desired. become acquainted with the
wasteland.
You can invest WEALTH to hire
a SCOUT for a single crossing, Some of the TARNISH you
which allows you to make a test accumulate during a crossing can
to take a detour and avoid the become permanent CORRUP-
next card in the TRAVEL DECK. TION, eventually consuming the
However, this will naturally make last remnants of your soul and
your crossing longer. ending the game.
Your TARNISH score always
Tarnish of the Soul resets to equal your CORRUP-
TION when starting a new
The wasteland puts a toil in crossing.

14
 The lure of the wasteland must not
be underestimated. Today we saw the
sun turn black, yet it illuminated us,
and then return back to settle in the east
for a few hours before welcoming the
night. I long to see such a magnificent
occurrence once more, and I’m tempted
to camp here for a few days; even
with our supplies running low.

15
 The Perilous
Crossing
Nof this world, or who built
obody remembers the name Each journey through the
Shifting Wasteland is built with
what we call the Glimmering Cities a small number of cards taken
and their ancient protective walls. from a shuffled standard deck
Did we build them with a magic of four suits and 52 cards, where
now forgotten by our own people, each card represents one or more
or did we kill those that built them? days in your journey, and some
I find that frightening; it would of them indicate special (often
mean that we are not actually safe dangerous) events.
within these walls after all, and we The Merchant provides the
are only waiting for the next ones basic lore of the setting; all other
to arrive and take it all from us. details are defined one card
Atrahasis, Wise of the Guild
at a time as you play (such as

16
traditions, religion, history, and • WEALTH : 1
personality of your character and • RENOWN : 0
companions), making emphasis
on a different theme for each suit • CORRUPTION : 0
of the deck. These will change throughout
Your overall goal is to retire your merchant career and will
with plentiful wealth and renown affect the retirement roll.
before the Shifting Wasteland
tarnishes your soul beyond The Auguries
recovery.
The AUGURIES are rolled when
Your goal for each crossing is to preparing your next journey
survive the wasteland and make through the Shifting Wasteland,
a profit. and they determine the potential
difficulty and length of your
The First Crossing crossing.
The first time you venture into You can reroll the AUGURIES
the Shifting Wasteland is a rite by spending 1 WEALTH, repre-
of passage into a caste of people senting offerings to your gods
that stand aside from society. or a sufficient time waiting in a
They are daring and ambitious Glimmering City while storing
enough to risk their wealth and STOCKS and paying for the
lives for more than they could expenses of your people.
ever dream. These rules are optional; if you
Make note of the following choose to play without them, use
attributes and starting values in the values for the “Inscrutable”
your journal. augury.

17
 2d6 Augury Certain Uncertain Challenge
roll Path Path Cards
2 Terrible. 6 cards 5 cards 8, 9, 10
3-4 Bad. 6 cards 4 cards 9, 10
5-9 Inscrutable. 5 cards 4 cards 9, 10
10-11 Good. 4 cards 4 cards 10
12 Propitious. 4 cards 3 cards 10

Building the Travel Deck The TRAVEL DECK is gener-

ated for each crossing as follows:
The result of the AUGURIES
roll defines which cards of the 1. Find and remove the
TRAVEL DECK are considered Ace of Hearts from the
challenges during the crossing, as standard deck and set
well as how to build the TRAVEL aside. This card represents
DECK from the full deck by your destination. Shuffle
using the Certain and Uncertain the rest of the deck.
Path results. 2. Remove a number of
• Certain Path is the minimum cards, face down, from
the standard deck equal
length of the crossing.
to the Certain Path.
• Uncertain Path is the addi-
3. Remove a number of
tional length of the journey
cards, face down, from
after the Certain Path. the standard deck equal

18
 The augurer threw the bones,
measured the distance between the
east and north star, and smelled the
wind. “A good crossing”, she said.

I remembered her scant, simple words

when another of my people went mad
by thirst and heat only days later. I’ll
be lucky if I make the crossing alive.

19
 to the Uncertain Path of the BLADES
and shuffle them with • Hire SCOUTS
the Ace of Hearts.
• Reroll AUGURIES
4. Place the Certain Path,
face down, on top of the You start with 2 BLADES in all
Uncertain Path with the crossings as part of your initial
Ace of Hearts shuffled investment, but a veteran captain
in. This is the TRAVEL and scouts must be paid for
DECK for this crossing. separately.
Due to superstition or an actual
Investing in the Journey danger presented by the Shifting
Wasteland, no caravan dares a
Before each crossing, you must
crossing with more than a few
invest 1 WEALTH on putting the
souls travelling together.
caravan together. This includes
all STOCKS to be transported You, as the player, can decide
across the wasteland, animals what “a few” means, from a
to carry them, drivers for the dozen to a hundred, as each
animals, the BLADES assigned WEALTH can represent a few
by the Guild, and SUPPLIES to coins or incredible riches, each
survive the trip. BLADE can represent a single
warrior or a squad of them, etc.
You can optionally invest addi-
tional WEALTH on the following The number of STOCKS and
improvements, each one costing SUPPLIES you carry depends
1 additional WEALTH. on your risk tolerance. The sum
of both must always be 8, but
• Hire a veteran captain you can allocate them as you

20
 Risk Supplies Stock
High 3 5
Standard 4 4
Low 5 3

please. The table above provides If your STOCKS ever fall below
typical examples of STOCKS and zero, meaning you cannot lose
SUPPLIES allocation. any more of your people and
You might be forced to lose pack animals, you never make it
STOCKS during a crossing to to your destination and lose the
escape failed challenges or due to game.
other events.

21
 Crossing the Wasteland caravan. Describe a peaceful
or religious activity involving
Use the TRAVEL DECK to draw
a new or already named
a new card each turn. Each new
character; such as a particular
card represents a length of time
in which you consume SUPPLIES ceremony of tea making, or a
and focus on describing a portion holiday curiously celebrated
of the journey. This period of in all Glimmering Cities.
time could be from a single day • Diamonds - [Greed/Con-
to several weeks, depending on flict]. Name a new character
how you want to present your in the caravan. Describe an
world. action of greed or conflict
It’s strongly encouraged that you involving a new or already
take notes of your experiences as named character; such as a
you play, writing a travel diary vicious fight between two
for the crossing and creating rich drunken guards, or a dispute
characters and cultures one piece that requires your judgment.
at a time with each card prompt.
• Clubs - [Legends/Supersti-
The suit of each card provides tion]. Describe a legend or
the theme of the event. This is superstition of the dying
for narrative purposes only and
world and how it affects the
it can be completely ignored, but
mood of the people in your
it helps to keep a good mix of
caravan; such as the “army of
themes in your journaling.
the dead” that is said wanders
• Hearts - [Religion/Society]. close to your destination,
Name a new character in the or how one of the animal

22
 drivers believes we are all for a full day, or how most
part of the same lost being of the food has been rotten
shattered by an angry god. by some unknown miasma.
• Spades - [Unnatural/Corrup- The card you draw each turn,
tion]. Describe something aside from providing a theme,
unnatural that happens and has a different game mechanic.
how it affects the sanity of the
people in your caravan; such The Destination
as one of your companions The Ace of Hearts, the Glim-
talking strange languages mering City you were headed for

23
24
these last few days or weeks. You the next chapter to define details
made it alive, but at what cost? such as the landscape, weather,
strange sightings, etc.
Respites
Use the theme of the card in
Aces of Diamonds, Clubs, and your narration to add depth
Spades represent an oasis or any to the dying world as you play;
other place in the wasteland that introducing people, relations,
offers respite in your perilous religions, cultures, history,
journey. legends, superstitions, etc.
You recover 1d6 SUPPLIES
Challenges
when you encounter an Ace in
your crossing. Cards numbered 8 or 9 to 10,
The sum of STOCKS and depending on the difficulty of
SUPPLIES can never go above the journey (according to the
8, but you can leave STOCKS AUGURIES roll), represent chal-
behind to load up on additional lenges in your journey.
SUPPLIES. Roll 1d6 on each column of
the Challenges Table in the next
Simple Days chapter to define details of the
Cards numbered 2 to 7, 8 or encounter.
9, depending on the difficulty Assume the landscape is the
of the journey (according to same as in the previous event or
the AUGURIES roll), represent reroll on the Wasteland Table.
simple days in your journey. To resolve the challenge, roll
Roll 1d6 + TARNISH on each 2d6 against the number on the
column of the Wasteland Table in drawn card.

25
 A result equal or higher than Artefacts
the card’s number is a success.
Knaves represent strange arte-
You escape unscathed.
facts from a forgotten place and
A result below the card’s number time that you find along the way
is a failure. Escaping comes at a in your journey.
cost, and you might be forced to Roll 1d6 on each column of the
leave valuable goods and people Artefacts Table to define details
behind, or even part of your soul. of the relic.
The cost of failure or reward of Assume the landscape is the
of success is rolled in the Chal- same as in the previous event or
lenges Table. reroll on the Wasteland Table.
You can use BLADES to provide
a bonus of 1d6 to the roll for each Denizens
BLADE used. You can decide to Queens represent strange folk
use them after rolling 2d6 against inhabiting the Shifting Waste-
the challenge. land.
BLADES used this way are no Roll 1d6 on each column of
longer available for the same the Denizens Table to define the
crossing. They are either dead or details of your encounter with
injured. other merchants, hermits or
If a veteran captain of the tribes of the wasteland.
BLADES was hired when Assume the landscape is the
investing in the crossing, each same as in the previous event or
BLADE provides a bonus of reroll on the Wasteland Table.
1d6+2 instead.

26
 Demons Using Supplies
Kings represent dangerous Whenever you draw a card from
demons and forsaken gods of the the TRAVEL DECK, except for
old world that you pray to never the Ace of Hearts, you must roll
encounter. for SUPPLIES.
Roll 1d6 on each column of To roll for SUPPLIES, roll 1d6.
the Demons Table to define the On a result of 1, 2, or 3, reduce
details of your encounter and the your SUPPLIES by 1. On a result
costly toll to your enterprise. of 4, 5, or 6, your SUPPLIES are
Assume the landscape is the not reduced.
same as in the previous event or Each section of the crossing
reroll on the Wasteland Table.

27
 without SUPPLIES, you lose Place each card drawn from the
1 STOCK and 1 BLADE. This TRAVEL DECK on the table in
represents a portion of your front of you and adjacent to the
caravan dying for lack of food previous card, forming a record
and water. of your path as you cross the
Shifting Wasteland.
Finding your Path You can use SCOUTS to choose
The wasteland warps time and to go around a drawn card by
space outside the Glimmering drawing 3 more cards from the
Cities. No path remains the original shuffled deck (not the
same after being traversed, and TRAVEL DECK) and placing
the only constant indication of them around the bypassed card.
direction are some of the stars in If you decide to use SCOUTS (if
the night sky, kept immutable by you have paid for their cost when
an unfathomable sorcery. investing in the crossing), roll
1d6 to see if the scout survives to
come back to you and warn you.
On a roll of 1-2 the scout dies,
on a roll of 3-4 the scout dies but
warns you by pre-agreed signals
or a messenger, on a roll of 5-6
the scout survives and can be
used again in the same crossing.

28
 1st card

2nd card

3rd card

5th card
(1st detour) 4th card

6th card 5th card

(2nd detour) (Not played)

7th card
(3rd detour) 8th card

9th card

10th card

29
 Reap the Rewards Discovering artefacts during the
crossing might further increase
At the end of each crossing you your RENOWN as rolled on
can exchange each remaining the last column of the Artefacts
STOCK for 1 WEALTH, and Table.
increase your RENOWN by 1
for each of the following: You can try to retire at any
time between crossings, ending
• Completing a crossing. the campaign for this character.
• Succeeding in a challenge Roll 1d6, add your RENOWN
(maximum 1 per crossing). and WEALTH, and subtract
your CORRUPTION before
• Encountering a demon.
consulting the following table.
• Finding an oasis.

Result Retirement

Destitute and forgotten. Your last days are

2-10
probably spent on the streets living of charity.

Comfortable, but quickly becoming

11-20
irrelevant in high society.

Rich and powerful. The lower classes bow

21-30
in your presence and request favours.

Lord of a Glimmering City. Only

31+
the gods are above you.

30
 The corpse spoke a third time.
“Leave”, it said. And so we did,
abandoning a dozen men and women
behind, trapped in that forsaken tomb
that will be sealed for another thousand
years or more. Only the gods can tell
how long; but maybe not even them
have power over this accursed place.

31
 Tarnish and Corruption TARNISH as described in the
rolled event.
Your very soul will be warped
by the Shifting Wasteland as you When you roll on the Wasteland
experience the corrupted and Table to generate a landscape,
sorcerous landscape outside the add your current TARNISH to
protecting walls of the Glim- the results, producing a changing
mering Cities. terrain as the wasteland consumes
your soul and shows you more of
You will hear incomprehensible
its arcane weirdness.
truths with the last words of your
own friends; you will encounter At the end of each crossing, roll
arcane entities born in another 1d6, if you roll equal or below
plane; and you will uncover your TARNISH score, you gain
forsaken artefacts from the time 1 CORRUPTION, which can’t be
before the Cataclysm that would removed.
make you a god if only you could If you reach 4 CORRUPTION,
learn how to use them. the wasteland owns your soul
The Shifting Wasteland corrupts and you lose the game. Describe
and changes everything in it, how your character ends their
including your own soul. To days, perhaps venturing into the
represent this, every time you wasteland alone, never to return.
draw a Spades card, you must When you start a new crossing,
increase your TARNISH score by you start with TARNISH equal
1, up to 4. to your CORRUPTION.
Other events, such as discov- TARNISH can only increase up
ering ancient artefacts or failing to 4 during a crossing. Additional
challenges, can also increase your TARNISH is ignored.

32
33
 Outside the Wasteland

Consult the AUGURIES [OPTIONAL]

• Roll 2d6 to determine the potential length and difficulty of the crossing.
• Reroll at the cost of 1 WEALTH.

Build the TRAVEL DECK

• Use the result from the AUGURIES or use the standard values.
• Standard Certain Path is 5 cards.
• Standard Uncertain Path is 4 cards.
• Standard Difficulty is cards numbered 9 and 10 as Challenges.

Invest in your caravan

• Pay 1 WEALTH for 4 STOCKS, 4 SUPPLIES and 2 BLADES.
• Change risk by adjusting starting STOCKS and SUPPLIES (sum must be 8).
• [OPTIONAL] Pay 1 WEALTH for a Veteran Captain of the BLADES.
• [OPTIONAL] Pay 1 WEALTH for SCOUTS.

Cross the Wasteland (see next diagram)

Reap the Rewards

• Exchange STOCKS for WEALTH (one for one).
• Increase RENOWN.
• Roll CORRUPTION. Reset TARNISH to your CORRUPTION score.
• Retire if you dare.

34
 Draw a new card from the TRAVEL DECK
• Ace of Hearts = End of journey
• Roll SUPPLIES
• If the card is Spades, increase
your TARNISH by 1
• Roll on the Wasteland Table

Numbered Card Challenge Card Figure Card

(1 to 8 or 9) (8 or 9 to 10) (Knave, Queen, King)

Describe a scene in your caravan. Aces Roll on the Challenges Table Roll on the appropriate table for the
allow you to replenish your SUPPLIES. and describe the scene. drawn card and describe the scene.
• Hearts: Religion/Society • Roll 2d6 against difficulty. • Knaves: Roll on the Artefacts Table.
• Diamonds: Greed/Conflict • Spend BLADES for +1d6 bonus • Queens: Roll on the Denizens Table.
• Clubs: Legends/Superstition (+1d6+2 with a Veteran Captain) • Kings: Roll on the Demons Table.
• Spades: Unnatural/Corruption
Crossing the Wasteland

Determine consequences.
• Apply the changes described
in the relevant table.
• If your STOCK falls below
zero, you lose the game.

35
 Infinite
Realities
Iread
t is a mercy we cannot Playing the Game
the ancient script
As you draw cards to find out
written on the artefacts that are
about the next part of your
brought back by the merchants.
journey, you can roll on the
It would surely destroy us, as it
tables presented in this chapter
destroyed those that came before us.
for inspiration when writing
Only in the safety of ignorance of
your story.
the arcane mysteries, and the blind
obedience of our ancient traditions, You do not need to follow the
we will find peace and stability. exact descriptions provided here,
Safety from the madness that and you are free to ignore, change
screams outside those walls. or adhere to these tables as much
as you like.
Suppiluliumas, Priest of Fire

36
 The Wasteland Table The Denizens Table
Roll 1D6+TARNISH per Roll 1D6 per column on this
column on this table for each table when you draw a denizen
section of your journey, that is card (Queen) to find out the
for each card drawn from the nature of your encounter with
TRAVEL DECK, or whenever the denizens of the wasteland.
you feel like a change.
The Demons Table
The Challenges Table Roll 1D6 per column on this
Roll 1D6 per column on this table when you draw a demon
table when you draw a Challenge card (King) to find out how
card, which depends on the diffi- badly your encounter with a foul
culty of the crossing according demon of a forgotten age, or a
to your AUGURIES (cards forsaken god of a dead religion,
numbered 8-9-10, 9-10, or just went for you and your enterprise.
10). These things are really not great
for profits.
The Artefacts Table
Roll 1D6 per column on this
table when you draw an Artefact
card (Knave) to find out what
arcane and hazardous relic you
or your people have found while
crossing the wasteland.

37
 Wasteland Table...
1d6+ You Traverse... With And/or
Tarnish
1 Barren plains Nothing but the Eerie silence.
and bushes. hateful sun.

2 Sandy plains with Nothing for A feeling of dread.

rocky slopes. miles around

3 Cracked terrain Thick thorny bushes. High speed

and dead plants. winds that make
talking difficult.

4 A dry valley or Pools of salty water A deep humming

dried river canyon. of iridescent blue, sound, almost
intense vermilion and mechanical.
glimmering purple.

5 Salty marshes and Geysers of A rotten sweet smell

twisted trees. sulfurous smell. permeates everything.

38
 ...Wasteland Table (continued)
And... And... And... And...
(Hearts) (Diamonds) (Clubs) (Spades)
Nothing special. Nothing special. Nothing special. Nothing special.

Nothing special. Nothing special. Nothing special. Nothing special.

Nothing special. Nothing special. Nothing special. Nothing special.

Rock engravings of Strange creatures Voices in the Malevolent eyes

a lush forest with fly around you wind. What do observe your
incredible animals. far in the sky. they say to you? movements.

An abandoned A cemetery of Petrified forest. The sun stops

campfire. bones of giant in the sky and
creatures with reverses directions.
huge tusks.

39
 Wasteland Table...
1d6+ You Traverse... With And/or
Tarnish
6 Rolling dunes of Sharp obsidian rocks A turbulent sky.
burning sand. jutting out towards
the sky like the
bones of a giant.

7 Sea of brightly Riddled with strange A thick red mist.

coloured or looking insects.
white salt.

8 Ragged hills with Vines that extend A sudden freezing

deep cool caves. over everything. cold or scorching
heat that disappears
quickly.

9 Deep gorge with Crossed by a Dark purple clouds

strange plants poisonous stream with flashes of light
growing in the shade. of strange colours deep within. Crea-
and toxic fumes. tures fly in and out.

10 Plain of treacherous Mounds and cracks Sounds over

silt and strong winds. spilling lava and ash. the horizon.

40
 ...Wasteland Table (continued)
And... And... And... And...
(Hearts) (Diamonds) (Clubs) (Spades)
A herd of creatures The remains of an Statues of salt. A black sun.
adapted to the unknown creature Did they move? Worms crawl out
wasteland. buried in the sand. of the earth.

Remains of a Remains of a Strange lights The wind carries

village built with recent battle. in the sky. a scream of agony,
strange materials. barely perceptible.

A dry oasis with You feel the Lake of rock oil, A day without
burnt trees. malevolent eyes of an extremely sun. The night is
a hunting creature. flammable and filled with lights
sticky liquid. that you have
never seen before.

Half buried Two of your A black pyramid A shrine to

ruins of stone. people fight, one with no entrance. some kind of
of them dies. The animals serpent-god.
won’t get close.

An abandoned A carefully laid The entrance to Ruins built on

temple carved circle of skulls a tomb of metal, top of the bones
from rock. around a black impossible to open. of a strange
monolith. giant creature.

41
 Challenges Table...
1d6 When What What
(Hearts) (Diamonds)
1 In the dawn of day, Temperature drops Lizard raiders.
before the caravan or increases suddenly
sets off for the day. to dangerous levels.

2 During the morning, A disease spreads Savage cannibals

while marching across in camp. ambush.
the wasteland.

3 At noon, while A mundane sandstorm Flying beast. The

taking a break from of vicious intensity. shadow of its wingspan
the harsh march. presages death.

4 During the evening, Swarms of venomous The worm. A

while marching across snakes crawl out of subterranean beast
the wasteland. their hiding places. that burrows under the
dunes of the desert.

5 At dusk, before the Fungal spores that Giant spider creature

stars show themselves drive people mad with a thousand young.
and your people rest. with suicidal rage and
hunger for human flesh.

6 In the pitch black of An arcane storm The Maw.

night, while the blades that scours the land,
of the guild take guard. raining lighting, fire
and ice as it moves.

42
 ...Challenges Table (continued)
What What Cost and Reward
(Clubs) (Spades)
Carnivorous plant Dark holes that seem Gain 2 TARNISH
hidden under the surface; to scream your names, if you fail.
consuming its victims over calling you to their depths. Reduce 1 TARNISH
several agonizing days. if you succeed.

Bones rise from Undead rise from Gain 2 TARNISH

the ground. their sarcophagus in if you fail.
the ruins of old. Reduce 1 TARNISH
if you succeed.

A strange mechanical A sea of snakes and Lose 1 STOCK and 1

contraption that moves other vermin, fleeing SUPPLIES if you fail.
on wheels of metal and from a predator. Reduce 1 TARNISH
shoots fiery death. if you succeed.

Fall into the catacombs A sentient monolith Lose 1 STOCK and 1

of the serpent people. mentally controls the SUPPLIES if you fail.
weak and demands blood. Reduce 1 TARNISH
if you succeed.

A cult to Belz, the lord A sorcerer that cannot Lose 1 STOCK and 1
of flies, which they want die, but desperately SUPPLIES if you fail.
to awaken by making a wants to. He needs Gain 1 WEALTH
massive sacrifice of blood. souls to gain strength. if you succeed.

Unnamed creatures crawl A sorcerous vortex. A Lose 1 STOCK and 1

from the depths of the gate into another reality. SUPPLIES if you fail.
earth seeking flesh. They Something crawls out Gain 1 WEALTH
look strangely human. of it, craving flesh. if you succeed.

43
44
 Artifacts Table
1d6 Relic Made of That And Value

1 Object of Clay. Is covered in Whispers Gain 1

unclear golden runes. in a dead WEALTH and
function. language 1 TARNISH.
at night.

2 Skull or Obsidian. Is extremely Burns Gain 1

corpse. fragile. human skin. WEALTH and
1 TARNISH.

3 Weapon. Iron. Is dazzlingly Rejects Gain 1

intricate. all light. WEALTH, 1
TARNISH and
1 RENOWN.

4 Statue. Bronze. Is drenched Arises primal Gain 2

in dried fear in all WEALTH, 2
blood. animals. TARNISH and
2 RENOWN.

5 Mechanical Bone or Stirs an Seems to Gain 2

contraption. flesh. unbearable hum when WEALTH, 2
dread. all is silent. TARNISH and
2 RENOWN.

6 Ring. Unknown Awakens Rots flesh Gain 3

material. greed and and tarnishes WEALTH, 3
envy on the gold. TARNISH and
beholder. 3 RENOWN.

45
46
 Denizens Table
1d6 Denizen Claiming And

1 A hermit or a The wasteland is not Wants to trade. You

small cult. sorcerous, it is a living can choose to exchange
entity and we are para- 1 of your SUPPLIES
sites living off its body. for 1 WEALTH.

2 A small nomadic tribe. The sun is the last god, Demands a tribute.
and the wasteland is Lose 1 STOCK or roll a
her curse. Someday she Challenge difficulty 10.
will forget her hate.

3 A prophet or sorcerer. Not such a thing as Offers help. Increase

magic, all falls within your SUPPLIES by 1.
the limits of nature and
all can be controlled.

4 A citizen of Quz-Tyr They have been to a Shares deep knowledge

from another land beyond the waste- of the Shifting Waste-
time, dragging land, where a powerful land. Gain 2 TARNISH
slaves in chains. civilisation thrives. and 1 RENOWN.

5 A merchant from the The underground of Needs help. You can

distant future. His the wasteland is full of choose to donate 1
features are better catacombs inhabited SUPPLIES. If you do,
adapted to the desert. by humanoid beasts. gain 1 RENOWN.

6 A two-headed This reality is but an Offers and artifact of

humanoid talking illusion. A vision of the wasteland (roll
goat. Or perhaps it a powerful sorcerer randomly) in exchange
was all a dream? created with machines. for 1 SUPPLIES.

47
48
 Demons Table
1d6 Shape Lair Threat

1 Swarm of flies. An ancient vase Lose 1 STOCK and

with a broken seal, 1 SUPPLIES. Gain
or an oil lamp. 1 TARNISH.

2 Tentacled horror. A cave leading Lose 1 BLADE,

to underground 1 STOCK and 1
catacombs. SUPPLIES. Gain
2 TARNISH.

3 Flaming hurricane The burning sand. Lose 2 BLADE,

or living sand. 2 STOCK and 2
SUPPLIES. Gain
2 TARNISH.

4 Giant three-headed A corpse or skeleton, Lose 2 BLADE,

serpent or frog. human or otherwise. 2 STOCK and 2
SUPPLIES. Gain
3 TARNISH.

5 Animated corpse. A petrified giant tree. Lose 2 BLADE,

2 STOCK and 2
SUPPLIES. Gain
4 TARNISH.

6 Sprawling carniv- Ruins half buried All is lost. You, your

orous plant. by sand. people, and all your
souls are consumed
by the ancient god.

49
 Merchant Career Sheet
Name &
Description
Merchant Attributes

WEALTH
RENOWN
CORRUPTION
STOCKS
Crossing #1

SUPPLIES
BLADES
TARNISH
STOCKS
Crossing #2

SUPPLIES
BLADES
TARNISH
STOCKS
Crossing #3

SUPPLIES
BLADES
TARNISH
STOCKS
Crossing #4

SUPPLIES
BLADES
TARNISH

50
51