The Lands

Map I

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This map depicts the more northerly portion of The Lands including the Wandering Lands and the northern parts of Westara and the Eastern Expanse. Also there is the Northern Wastes. And note the Great Ocean and the Sundering Steppes at its western and eastern limits respectively. For the more southerly portion see Map II. And to take a closer look just click on the map itself and then hit 'All Sizes'.

Map II

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This map depicts the more southerly portion of The Lands including the Golden Plains and the southern parts of Westara and the Eastern Expanse. Also there is the Southern Desert. And note the Great Ocean and the Sundering Steppes at its western and eastern limits respectively. For the more northerly portion see Map I. And to take a closer look just click on the map itself and then hit 'All Sizes'.

2009-10-28T08:04:00.014Z

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i. Map I – Including the Wandering Lands and parts of Westara and the Eastern Expanse.

ii. Map II – Including the Golden Plains and parts of Westara and the Eastern Expanse.

iii. Contents – This page which has links to all others. See also sidebar for quick chapter access.

1. The Universe - Descriptions of both the Firmament and Supernatural Realms.

2. The Passing of Days - The months and days of the Orb Calendar.

3. The Lands: Geography - A comprehensive description of many parts of The Lands.

4. The Lands: A History - A history of The Lands from the Lost Ages to the present day.

5. Moral Dispositions - A short discussion of ‘alignment’ as it may be understood for adventuring in The Lands.

6. Races – Descriptions of Halflings … Elves … Dwarves … Orcs ... Humans. Includes information on culture and reproduction.

7. Names & Titles - A description of naming conventions in The Lands.

8. Gods & Goddesses - Descriptions of the eleven gods and goddesses of The Lands and an excerpt from the controversial Scrolls of Eternity.

9. Gender & Sexuality - A somewhat scholarly discussion of what gender relations and sexuality may be like in a fantasy setting such as The Lands.

10. Callings – Information on the adventurer roles of the Clergy … Warriors … Rogues … Mages and variations thereof.

11. Personages of Fame & Infamy - The lives of a score or more of characters who have helped make The Lands what they are.

12. Nations & City-States - The political economy of a dozen or more republics and monarchical states.

13. The Bestiary - The nature of all manner of fantastic and fabled monsters. Here be Dragons… and Giants… and Manticore… and the Undead. You have been warned.

14. The Vault of Artifacts - A tantalizing selection of magical items such as the Talisman of Transmutation and the Cloak of Illusion. Get your potions and scrolls in here.

A. Appendix: Sage Scrivenings - Discover the Legend of the Dagger of the Brethic Overlord which is a tale of power and corruption set to the background of an ancient civil war.

B. Appendix: Scenarios - Having taken a look at The Lands you may now wish to consider venturing into it yourself…

C. Appendix: D&D Game Mechanics - A personalized bastardisation of past D&D (including Advanced D&D) rules that only the Games Master needs to be intimate with. May be altered following play-testing…

D. Appendix: Comments - For a discussion of the genesis of this setting of story-telling gaming or to contribute to such discussion go here.

The Universe

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The Universe as perceived from the Lands extends both into the space of the stars and planets and the concurrent space of the supernatural realms.

The Firmament

The Lands are the most diversely inhabited part of a world which is named Orb. Most inhabitants of The Lands however prefer the name The World or even The Lands. These inhabitants are also aware of other objects in the Firmament as follows...

There is one Sun which is orbited in concentric orbits by five planets (three of which are orbited by moons). In order by distance from the Sun the five planets are Oryon, Vareck, Orb, Udolfo and Tara. Most of these worlds are named for significant historical figures.

* Oryon is the smallest planet and has a rusty tone to its dusty surface. It is the only planet apart from the Orb to keep its original Lehenic name (the others having been given Erimanic names). Sages speculate it is a hot and desolate world.

* Vareck is the second smallest planet and has a misty white look. Its permanent coverage of cloud allows sages to speculate endlessly on its surface conditions and inhabitants.

* Orb is the world of which The Lands are a part. From space it is a beautiful pattern of swirling whites, blues and greens. Orb is orbited by one object known only as the Moon. The Moon however is followed by a string of even smaller objects - the Followers (known commonly as the Moon Dust).

* Udolfo is the second largest planet and covered in a pattern of ever-moving flame-and-golden bands. It also is orbited by two moons - Tilda and Brennan. These are at best seen as white dots in the strongest of spy glasses.

* Tara is the largest and furthest planet from the Sun. Like Udolfo it has a pattern of bands but in shades of pink and purple. It is encircled at its equator by a ring. Further away it is also orbited by the solitary moon of Hakon (which is usually too dark to be seen at all and is only sometimes seen as a grey dot).

It is noted that there are ten named objects in the Firmament - Sun, Oryon, Vareck, Orb, Moon, Udolfo, Tilda, Brennan, Tara and Hakon - and that this may be why inhabitants of The Lands count in tens.

Beyond the planets are the multitude of stars fixed in the night sky. They have been arranged by observers into Constellations. Many think that the stars are holes in the walls of night while others speculate that they are incredibly distant suns!

All information on objects beyond Orb is garnered solely from observation using composite spy glasses (telescopes) and by consulting ancient texts. Legends tell that in the Age of Glory however the empires operated ships of the sky that took them as far as the Moon but sages have never found any strong evidence for these sky ships.

Supernatural Realms

The Firmament is just one of many realms existing in parallel with one another. Much more is know of these other realms than of the stars and planets. In answer to why this is the case the sage Eldwin Lombard says:

"Even the Moon is hundreds of thousands of miles distant.
In contrast the Halls of Eternity are but a fatal injury away."

The realms intimately associated with the Lands are as follows...

The Elemental Planes are four in number and are eternal realms of pure substance. They are as follows:

- The Realm of Fire
- The Realm of Air
- The Realm of Water
- The Realm of Earth

It is these four elements that compose all matter in the Firmament in infinite combinations.

The Ether is the eternal realm of Animus - that force that grants movement and vitality. In the Ether all Animus is inert and it is only once it is combined with Elements that it becomes active. In the Ether all is misty greyness. They say that the Firmament was once just Ether till it was mixed with the Elements. Tiny pockets of Ether can be produced by removing all Elemental content and powerful arch-mages use these as temporary personalised realms.

The Spirit Planes are six in number and are the territory of Gods & Goddesses. They are the eternal habitation of immortal spirits. These planes are as follows:

- Paradise
- Netherworld
- Harmonium
- Discordia
- Shadowlands
- Eternal Halls

All these realms are of infinite size but sometimes only along particular dimensions rather than in all directions. It is suggested by some however that the Eternal Halls are more correctly understood to be a pocket of Ether and of finite size.

Information on these Realms is gathered by a process of magically assisted communication and transportation. Most adventurers will never experience anything of these other realms or if they do it will be in the very rare instance of meeting a native of such realms visiting the mortal world.

The Passing of Days

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In the Calendar of Orb there are 360 days in every year. There are 12 months of 30 days each.

Months

The names of the months are (from Spring to Winter) Meadowbloom, Freeborn, Frolictime, Flamesky, Midsummer, Goldgrass, Leafall, Harvestime, Bonedust, Frostfall, Midwinter, Frostmelt.

The birth month of a person dictates which ‘Birth Sigil’ (themselves derived from particular stellar constellations) they are allocated as follows:

Meadowbloom - The Dandelion Seed - Air Element - Plant Aspect

Freeborn - The Kite - Air Element - Object Aspect

Frolictime - The Swallow - Air Element - Animal Aspect

Flamesky - The Firebrand - Fire Element - Plant Aspect

Midsummer - The Campfire - Fire Element - Object Aspect

Goldgrass - The Grass Snake - Fire Element - Animal Aspect

Leafall - The Fallen Leaf - Earth Element - Plant Aspect

Harvestime - The Plough - Earth Element - Object Aspect

Bonedust - The Ferret - Earth Element - Animal Aspect

Frostfall - The Lilypad - Water Element - Plant Aspect

Midwinter - The Fishing Line - Water Element - Object Aspect

Frostmelt - The Salmon - Water Element - Animal Aspect

Astrologers make use of a combination of elements and aspects to make pronouncements about the personality of persons. This they can then use to recommend particular spouses or careers. Interestingly astrologers never pretend to have the ability to predict the future as they do in this world. This is because of the existence of mages who use bone-fide Divination magic thereby making the need for predictive astrology obsolete.

In most cultures there are holidays held on the Solstices (in Midwinter and Midsummer) and the Equinoxes (in Freeborn and Harvestime). Such celebrations usually occupy the fifteenth and sixteenth days of the month.

Days

The months are further divided into three week-like units known as Tendays (as in the D&D Forgotten Realms setting). The ten days of this week are named for the gods and goddesses as follows:

Olorday - Day of the Sun

This day is important to all worshippers of the god Olorin and anyone whose life focuses on daytime activity. During this day the churches of Olorin hold a Noontide Celebration. In this ceremony thanks is given for the warmth-giving light of day and personal offences taken are forgiven.

Bernaday - Day of Laws

This day is most holy for all those associated with the making or enforcing of laws. Clerics of the goddess Bernali say a prayer for all the court cases of the coming Tenday calling for honesty and justice to be the order of the day. Long sermons on the importance of the law and order in everyday life are made for those who are prepared to listen.

Garloday - Day of Earth

This is one of two days in which the Druidic creed has its time of rest and contemplation of the vastness of nature. For the Druids this day is a day for all of Nature but is named for the god Garlomen specifically. For others it is a day dedicated to those who work the land or mine or craft items from the products drawn of the ground.

Lineday - Day of Festivals

On this day all those who cherish culture – whether elite or common – engage in recreational events in honour of the goddess Linesa. Any ceremony held on this day by the church of Linesa is short and sweet so that she can be more fully worshipped by attending or engaging in plays, shows, dances, drinking sessions, parties and so on.

Kanday - Day of Storms

On this day the church of the god Kandoth holds a ceremony involving the making of the biggest racket one can imagine. The neighbours always go away for this day if they can help it as the din can be akin to that of an electrical storm and that is fully the intent of its makers.

Nitarday - Day of Growing

On this day the church of the goddess Nitara holds a ceremony giving thanks for all the living and growing things in the world whether they are for the benefit of the worshippers (crops and livestock) or for the sake of natural beauty. Gifts of food are exchanged among followers as needs and wants dictate.

Elcheday - Day of Crafts

On this day all craftspersons and artisans pray to the god Elchemar that they will improve in the work they do and make offerings of their handiwork to the god at his churches. It is also on this day that craft bazaars are held.

Maruday - Day of the Sea

This is one of two days in which the Druidic creed has its time of rest and contemplation of the vastness of nature. For the Druids this day is a day for all of Nature but is named for the goddess Marumi specifically. For others it is a day dedicated to those who work on rivers or coastlines fishing or netmaking or whatever.

Teloday - Day of Battle

This day is most holy for anyone engaged in combative professions. Clerics of the god Teloch perform mock melees on this day in homage to their god and to all those who have fallen in battle. Worshippers pray for a full life followed by a quick death in combat.

Ularday - Day of the Stars

This day is important to all worshippers of Urala and anyone whose life focuses on nightly activity. During this day worshippers of Urala sleep or otherwise rest all day long but hold a star-gazing ceremony on both the midnight before and the midnight after this day. In this way the worshippers of Urala consider themselves twice as holy as the church of Olorin. In these nightly gatherings worshippers silently brood over the wrongs they have suffered and the woes of the life they have so far lived.

It must be noted that one god – the Deliverer – has no day. The clerics of the Deliverer say that is because every day belongs to the Deliverer and indeed the church of the Deliverer has a hand in every funeral ceremony regardless of who the deceased may have worshipped in life.

The Lands: Geography

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The Lands as known are just a portion of the world on which they rest. This portion extends from the equator at the southmost perimeter of the map to the north pole at the northernmost perimeter of the map. This represents a distance of two thousand miles from the Northern Wastes to the Southern Desert. The western and eastern extent of The Lands is something like one thousand miles from the shores of the Great Ocean to the Sundering Steppes.

The Maps (I and II) only depict major locales and otherwise generalises natural characteristics. A blank part of the map may include small scattered hills or a smattering of sparse woodland. Those hills specifically indicated are plateaus (sometimes the foothills of mountain ranges). Forests shown are major areas of dense and permanent woodland. Rivers and lakes are shown but never the many hundreds of streams and ponds. Finally only the most populous settlements are shown rather than all the tiny villages and hamlets of the Lands. For further information on the many nations and city-states referenced herein see Nations & City-States.

The key regions within the Lands are the Northern Wastes, the Wandering Lands, the Great Ocean, Westara, the Eastern Expanse, the Sundering Steppes, the Golden Plains, and the Southern Desert. These and their major features will now be described...

The Northern Wastes

The Northern Wastes are a polar land of permanent snow and frost in which few animals and even fewer humans survive in a life dependent on hunting and fishing. This land has the Erimer Sea as its southern border. Its only locales of interest are the Twisted Forest and the Wilderfar Mountains.

Twisted Forest

The name for this dense woodland is somewhat fanciful simply because it is a forest almost exclusively of very non-twisted pine. They say however that its cold and wind-whistling miles will twist the sanity of anyone venturing into it. Also tales are told of both wicked spell-casting hermits and gigantic spiders - the Terror Spinners - which hide in this forbidding land. Starvation is the most ever-present danger in the Twisted Forest according to sober travelers.

Wilderfar Mountains

These ranges are always covered in ice and snow and they say nothing can survive the frigid conditions and the constant blizzards of this benighted land.

The Wandering Lands

This land gets its name because it is the ancestral home of humans of the Erimanic kin and even today Eriman barbarians wander across this sub-polar to temperate region following and hunting elk. They also meet occasionally in traditional gathering places to exchange goods and news. Its northern border is the Erimer Sea while its more vague southern border extends to the Grey Hills and the Hills of Fog. It has a number of important locales...

Erimer Sea

This is a massive inland sea that is connected in the west by a ten-to-fifteen mile loch to the Bay of Farnorth. It also draws on many rivers drawing waters from the cold hills of the region. It surface is fresh water while its depths are salt water. In Winter its surface freezes as much as fifty miles from its northern shores. A scant number of fishing vessels plow its waters to feed the few settlements along its southern shore. Of some danger to fishers of the Erimer Sea is its native population of Trolls (both fresh and saltwater breeds) which relish both fishy and human flesh. The free city of Kingshope is situated in a cove of its southern shore.

Ruins Of Ringin

Ringin (a contraction of Rinuglarin) was once the capital city of the Erimanic Empire. It has been abandoned for well over a millennium and preceding that was also the site of civil war for a further five hundred years. Some say nothing can live there now because of the way in which the land was blasted by magical forces. Others however say that the city is inhabited by all manner of monsters that were once bred for the wars of the Age Of Tumult. It is likely that the ancestral mansions of long-forgotten nobility now house Wights and Wraiths. And some say that the backstreets and lanes are ruled by Dopplegangers whose greatest hope is to kill and assume the identity of visiting adventurers so that they can escape the monotony of Ringin for a new life in the wider world. The ruins are located on the shores of a lake in the Grey Hills which presumably is home to freshwater Trolls. Adventurers visit this site despite its dangers because it is also known as the greatest repository of both mundane and magical riches in all The Lands.

Mount Fate

Mount Fate is a lone mountain removed by some fifty miles from the Pillar Mountains. Its visage dominates the barren hills surrounding it. For several hundred years now it is rumoured to be the location of an underground maze devised and ruled by a Lich known only as The Castellan. Nobody knows for sure who The Castellan once was but many suspect that he was Hakon - apprentice of the fabled Arch-Mage Mons Tara whose actions helped end the Age of Glory. As far as anyone knows the purpose of the Castellan is to challenge adventurers to face the dire tests and challenges of the maze so as to turn its survivors into a personal retinue of elite guards. Others however think that the maze is full of monsters and lethal puzzles simply because they are what interests this ancient and eccentric undead mage.

The Great Ocean

The Great Ocean is the only ocean known to The Lands even if others may exist. It coast is in the west of The Lands and extends from polar to tropical climes. Its most noteworthy features are described herein...

Bay of Farnorth

A bay of the Great Ocean that connects to the Erimer Sea via a ten-to-fifteen mile long loch. This is a wild stormy bay rarely visited by ships of any kind. The Eriman fishers who have visited it report of seeing Selkie - seals that can assume human form - sitting on the rocks at low-tide.

Haven Island

Haven Island is the coastal island on which is located the present-day capital of the Elvish Haven. The Elvish Navy is docked in a port on its landward side. It is an island of beautiful hills and woodland but it is often shrouded in mists on its ocean side.

Bay of Nar

The Bay of Nar is a calm and temparate bay on which is located the three Sea Cities of Nartellfar, Delmisar and Orvilia. This entire land was once known to its original Elvish inhabitants as Nartellfar (long since the name only of its oldest human settlement). Another characteristic of the area is the Island of Nar located at the entry to the bay. It now belongs to the Sea Cities and a villa in its lowlands is the site of meetings of the League of Lasting Peace and Prosperity. However its hilly centre is off-limits to all humans by decree and legend says it is the site of an Elvish garden hidden from mundane access by powerful magics.

Pirate Isles

The Pirate Isles are a group of islands nestled in a wide gulf. The coastline of the gulf and the islands is rugged and characterised by many cliffs and occasional coves. There are many tideline caves. Safe harbours are rare but the few that exist are all the territory of Narmantic pirates and smugglers. Recently these pirates have been unifying and the harbour town of Whistling Cove has become something of a capital (it even has a 'council chamber' for pirates that is itself constructed from a former pirate ship stood on end).

The Remnant

Nobody has proven it but this island is known to mariners as The Remnant because of the popular understanding that it is the only part of the legendary Island Nation to remain above water. It lacks any human habitation except for temporary encampments of whale hunters. The reefs surrounding this island are the home of a community of Merkind (which legends report are the descendants of the humans who inhabited the sunken Island Nation).

Farport Peninsula

This peninsula is the location of the city of Farport. It supports its own farmland and villages. Its northern coast is rugged and lined by cliffs while its southern coast sports some of the smoothest and most inviting of all beaches in The Lands.

Gaping Gulf

The Gaping Gulf is a massive bay on which the Port of Nerina is located. Vessels that try to sail along the coast south of these waters find themselves facing many perils which include sudden storms, hidden reefs, and the huge serpentine Hydra that hunt these waters for larger prey (including sharks, dolphins and humans).

Ragged Isles

The Ragged Isles are two or more islands named for the forbidding cliffs that characterise most of their coastline. These islands are home to a hermitage of ascetic sages and scribes which has been there for generations (and itself was inspired by an older hermitage at the same site that preserved pure wisdom during the Age of Tumult). Recently all contact with the Hermitage ceased (the last message from it described a shower of shooting stars that fell into the waters at night). An expedition funded by the Tower of Lore to determine what has happened has been lost without trace.

Westara

Westara is deemed to be all the lands between the Great Ocean and the Border Mountains. Its northern and southern limits are more vague. This is a temperate region and considered the most populated one overall. Despite this it still has its own wilderness including the plateau of the Brethic Hills. Westara includes in its area Haven, the Rushing River cities, the Sea Cities, Hinhome, Rolania and the Grazian Confederacy. Other important locales are as follows...

Hills of Fog

These gently rolling yet mist-shroud downs are nominally considered the territory of Ley Elves despite the very small numbers of any habitations there. A traditional part of life for Elvish nobility involves wandering alone into these hills to track and then tame a Unicorn - the largest native wildlife of these hills. Unicorns are the product of selective breeding by generations of Elves but they are left to graze in a wild condition - the taming is a vital aspect of the forming of a bond between Elf and Unicorn and the experience is considered a rite of passage for aristocratic Elves entering adulthood.

Greenwood

This beautiful forest is part of the territory of Haven. It is home to Ley Elvish gardeners and gatherers. It is also the only habitation in the Lands of the fabled Pixie - a race of tiny and magical creatures that only the Elves have an accord with.

Rushing River

This river flows from the Starshine Lake in the Brethic Hills to the Great Ocean. Its shores support many farms and villages as well as two cities. In Urbana they say the river is so named because of its wild and rapid waters flowing from the hills. In Traviata however they think it is named for the rushes and reeds that grow along the banks of this river.

Brethic Hills

This land of hills and dales is full of tales and legends - a land of Freshwater Trolls and Will-O-Wisps. Its native humans are of the Brethic kin. They live in scattered rural villages in vales and are ruled over by a dozen 'robber' barons and baronesses who live in small hilltop keeps (some of which are also copper mines). Villages pay taxes to these lords and ladies in the hope they will then be left alone. Culturally the villages owe loyalty much more to the Druids (one in every village) and the wandering Bards. There are other human-made structures as well as the villages and keeps. These include the barrows of the ancient nobilty and the famed chalk carvings (the most famous of which are the Fox & Hare of Muddy Gully in the westernmost part of the Brethic Hills and the only area which survives on hospitality rather than farming). For more info on the history of the Brethic see the Legend of the Royal Dagger of the Brethic Overlord in Sage Scrivenings.

Deben Wood

Some say this is the oldest portion of forest in the Lands. Definitely it has some of the oldest treets including ancient oaks and elms. This forest nestles in that portion of the Brethic Hills that become foothills of the Border Mountains. They are the traditional home of the Druidic religion and the Grand Druid keeps a rambling home and farm in a secluded meadow.

Archer Hills

These gently rolling hills overlook the Bay of Nar to the west and form the rural hinterland of the Sea Cities. Some say they are named for the Elvish scouts that once wandered here. They are now the site of both villages that owe allegiance to the Sea Cities and villas of rich merchants from the Sea Cities who love the slow pace of life and the marvelous views at sunset. There is also some copper mining in these hills.

Many Hills

The Many Hills are so named simply because the original human (Narmantic) visitors to the area were accustomed to the coast and had never seen so many hills stretching away into the distance. They are gently rolling hills which become rugged in the centre. There are scattered farms and villages in its western parts and some iron mining in its centre. In its east are wild pastures in which Centaur hunt and play. Only recently have settlers from Grazia encroached on these fields.

Tower of Mist and Tower of Lore

There are two amazing structures made by the Elves in ancient times - the Tower of Mist and the Tower of Lore. They were constructed from huge blocks of timber that were grown into particular shapes and fitted together perfectly then magically transmuted into stone. Like all Elvish architecture they lack right-angles and twist and curve into the sky. Both towers were made to defend the inland borders of the original Elvish empire. They were home to warriors and also the site of powerful magics.

The Hills of Fog are the location of the Tower of Mist. During the Age of Tumult a force of Eriman warriors and mages succeeded in storming the Tower of Mist and everyone on both sides perished in a bloody fray. For over a millennium the Tower of Mist was abandoned due to the tales of a spectral battle that rages forever in its halls and corridors between the magically trapped spirits of both Elves and humans. Only recently has this changed with the occupation of the Tower of Mist by the Arcane Coterie.

On the northern borders of the Many Hills is located the Tower of Lore. Even in the Age of Tumult this citadel survived all attacks. More recently however the Elves withdrew from the area and transferred ownership of it to a council of sages called the Trust of Lore. It is now the site of a small university town to which all may come seeking wisdom. The tower itself still stands and is home to a Governor chosen by the Trust.

The Eastern Expanse

The Eastern Expanse is deemed all the lands between the Border Mountains and the Sundering Steppes. Its northern and southern limits are more vague. This is a temperate region dominated by grassland. Many who stand in its vastness think of it as endless. It includes in its area Bordenia, Rovnara, Kelda, Fugitives Forge, Mount Hammer, Ivana and the Woodland Realm. Other important locales are as follows...

Border Mountains

The Border Mountains form the divide between Westara and the Eastern Expanse. They are referred to sometimes as simply 'The Mountains'. They are the longest mountain range in the Lands. They are however relatively low and broken by many passes and crevasses. The northern part of the Border Mountains is inhabited by Goblins and Hobgoblins. The southern part however is inhabited by Orcs. The northern and southern inhabitants are constantly at war with one another (much to the relief of humans living round the Mountains).

Grey Hills

The Grey Hills are a hilly plateau covering a huge area. The name comes from the fact that the hills fade to grey in the distance and standing within them can give the impression that the whole world is grey. In these wild desolate hills few humans live. It is inhabited however and wolves hunt elk and dear while bears fish in its many cool streams.

Pillar Mountains

The Pillar Mountains are the tallest in the Lands. Nobody has ever crossed these ranges - nobody that is except for the fabled Stone Giants who legend tells live in the secluded stony vales. They know the safe passages over the Pillar Mountains but one has to find and befriend them and they are a most reclusive race. In its south-eastern foothills copper is mined. In those foothills is located the Fugitives Forge - a Dwarvish citadel overlooking a waterfall that has never fallen even to a siege by Eriman warriors during the Age of Tumult.

River Lake

The River Lake only exists for the few months of Spring every year. The rest of the time it is a marshland stretching between the two rivers that meet to the south to form the Everflow River. It is only once both rivers burst banks with the melting snows of the Pillar Mountains that a lake forms. Then all manner of geese and pelicans and such gather from all over the Eastern Expanse and so do hunters of these water birds.

Valley of Allmeet

The Valley of Allmeet is a beautiful vale in the foothills just south of the Border Mountains. Within it is located a village and a keep which houses the garrison of Allmeet. The purpose of this military presence (funded by both Bordenia and Rolania) is to police the overland route between Westara and the Eastern Expanse. The population is constantly changing in size and composition. Because of its location and purpose the village has the sort of diversity one would expect of a city. The valley must occasionally suffer raids from the Orcs of the Mountains but it is always well-prepared to repel such attacks.

Greatwood Forest

Greatwood Forest extends into both the Eastern Expanse and Westara. It is deemed to be more part of the Eastern Expanse however because the Woodland Realm within it is very much in its eastern half. It is from the Wood Elves that most descriptions of the Greatwood Forest come. It is the largest forest in the Lands and is home to the tallest of all trees - the magnificent Greatwood Tree. The Everflow River here is lined by weeping willows. The forest is like a sea of leaves of all shapes and hues. It is home to the fabulous Griffon and (in its western half) the wild Centaur. It is also the site of a hill under which are magnificent caverns of water-formed mineral formations (stalagmites and stalactites and stone pools) that have been preserved even as the caverns have been converted into the fortress of the Wood Elves.

Shadow Water

The Shadow Water is a deep lake named for the shadows cast onto it at Dawn by the Iron Mountains. It is a beautiful lake filled with all manner of fish. It is also the location of the free city of Ivana. Due to its location Ivana is a trading town for both the Elves of the Greatwood Forest and the Dwarves of the Iron Mountains.

Iron Mountains

This small mountain range sports many mines of iron. Its foothills are the pastureland for sheep and goats. One mountain stands separate from the others - Mount Hammer. It gets its name from a natural formation on its western slopes that resembles an anvil (the sharp end jutting away from the mountain) with a square block of stone above it (which the Dwarves imagine is the front of a hammer about to pound the anvil). Between the anvil and hammer is a gap which provides entry into a wonderful cavern and what was once the greatest iron mine of all time. Its ore has all been removed but now the mine has been converted into the palace of the Mountain Dwarf monarch and the foothills on the western slopes are now the site of the city of Mount Hammer.

The Sundering Steppes

Many think that the Eastern Expanse is endless till they come to the Sundering Steppes. Young travelers ask how far they go. Old travelers answer that they extend all the way to Sunrise. The Dwarves have another thing to say however - they ask "what is the difference between nothing worth finding and nothing at all?" to which they answer "Nothing!" The Sundering Steppes are an arid plateau of moors and hills. Clumps of bushes and piles of stones are all that seems to challenge the monotony. The Katharians (a old Planavic word for "children" suggesting that the Planavic of the Eastern Expanse think themselves to now be mature) live here in scattered clans in the old ways of the Planavic. Once every few generations however they unite into a army that sweeps west seeking battle and booty. The rest of the time they graze kine and horses across vast areas.

Seven Hills

The Seven Hills (named for the seven tallest of scores of hills) are technically part of the Sundering Steppes but are culturally deemed part of the Eastern Expanse. For most of history these hills rich in gold and silver were the site of the capital of the Dwarves. They now however are the home for a savage band of Hill Giants that gathered from the Sundering Steppes to destroy the Dwarvish homeland. Once beautiful citadels and towns of stone (set both on the hills and inside them) are now the vandalized hovels of monsters (hovels the Hill Dwarves have sworn to one day re-take).

The Golden Plains

The Golden Plains are a wide and wild expanse of rich grassland. Much of this temperate to sub-tropical plain is inhabited by wild oxen, dear, wolves, lions and eagles. Sinti travelers wander this land in small clans. Hunters also come from Nerina and Farport to capture or kill some of the exotic wildlife. Most of this land seems to be an endless haze of gently waving long grasses. However to the south are several distinctive locales...

Everflow River

The Everflow is the longest river of the Lands. It is attended by a wide flood plain as it traverses the pastures of Nerina. At times it is so wide and deep as to allow seafaring ships to voyage hundreds of miles inland. Sometimes Hydra will also travel inland along this waterway from the Gaping Gulf.

Delta Swamps

Many rivers and many more tiny streams and pools traverse this land of swamps and reeds. Some humans venture into these swamps to hunt its rich store of fish and birdlife. However they are always careful to stay to the bigger rivers due to the legend of the Formanti - a clan of insect-warriors who hunt humans for sport and food just as humans do the smaller inhabitants of this land.

Hills of Plenty

The Hills of Plenty are so named for the many orchards and vineyards covering these hills in a colourful patchwork. In the vales are many small villages. They traditionally owe allegiance to the Empire of Nerina but nowadays this is only nominal and villagers are far more likely to identify with the merchants of Farport (many of whom now own holiday villas in this welcoming province).

Lost Hills

The Lost Hills were once the site to which exiles from the Empire of Nerina would flee - hence those who inhabited it were those who had lost all honour and property. Then gold and silver were discovered in those rugged hills and they became a land of mining settlements served by merchants who made many a fortune. Those mines have been exhausted for a millennium and many townships sit abandoned. Others however persist on a mixture of grazing and pottery. Local legends say that some of the abandoned villas are home to lost private fortunes but that such caches are guarded by mummies.

Elderwood

There is debate over the origin of the name Elderwood. Some say it is because of its age. Others however say it is due to the industry of Elderberry wine production along its northern border. It is a lovely mix of ferns and shrubbery as well as larger trees including palms towards its southern border. Rarely does this forest become thick and many travelers have walked from one end to the other. Legends persist nonetheless that hidden deep in Elderwood are meadows in which the last flock of the Pegasus live to this day.

Salty Sea

The Salty Sea is so salty that they say nothing can live in it. However generations from Nerina have reported on the vigor that comes of bathing in its waters. Also locals know that algae do live in it and can tint its waters different colours at different times from green to blue to purple to red. In recent times a shooting star fell into the Salty Sea at night and the following morning its shores were shroud in an unusual mist that flowed into the city of Mirage on its shores.

Mirage

Mirage is a city of Nerina named because its beauty exceeded the expectations of all visitors to it. The city was attractive and its setting between the hills of Demona and the Salty Sea made it particularly picturesque. At one time it was even considered as an alternative capital to that of Nerina City. The city has recently declared its independence and has been fortifying. Diviners are very confused by Mirage as spells tell them that - despite all evidence to the contrary - the city is now deserted.

Demona

Demona is a land of hills that are themselves the foothills of the Wyrmway Mountains. It is a land of sparse vegetation and is dotted with hot springs and warm muddy bogs. In ancient times the fumes were blamed on demons. It is a land of fascinating rock formations but also a risky land to wander in because of the bogs and the occasional Manticore.

Wyrmway Mountains

The Wyrmway Mountains are known to be the oldest. The are also low by the standards of other ranges. The most distinctive characteristic of these mountains is that Wyverns roost among its craggy tops. For many miles around they can be seen circling in the sky and many assume they are dragons.

The Southern Desert

The Southern Desert is a barren land many consider bereft of any life. This is a mistake however and there is some scattered life in this tropical if arid clime. The northern borders of this land are more like grassland. Further south they cede to dunes, salt flats, stony vales and the occasional oasis. Some Sinti nomads even traverse this empty land rather than contend with the prejudice they must face if they travel further north. Those Sinti who do so bring with them tales of many rare and legendary monsters hiding in this land. Among those named are Gorgons, Manticores, Jackalrie, and Genie.

The Lands: A History

2006-05-08T04:59:00.057Z

For a speculative and religion-derived description of the origin of The Lands as written by one of its own see the excerpt from the Scrolls of Eternity under Gods & Goddesses. For more sober history see herein. The history of The Lands is divided into a number of Ages. The significant character and events of these Ages follows...

The Lost Ages

In this time which lasted several thousands of years hunter-gatherers slowly developed the trappings of civilized life. Elves invented art originally by drawing temporary images in the sands of shore. Dwarves invented the oldest tools by chipping stones. Humans invented the taming of animals and the growing of crops. Such skills developed slowly but over generations all developed and were practiced by all races to some degree. Nonetheless most lived a wild and nomadic life.

Sometimes one of the Dragons - agents of the Divine - would become impatient with the slow and staggering progress of civilization and would rule over a nation-state of its own forging. The Dragon would rule as a divine monarch but then tire of its work after (say) a century and abandon its charges to rule themselves. Such a state would disintegrate once its Dragon had departed but the knack of living in larger and more complex groups became common over time. Historians say that the Lost Ages ended with the written declaration of formation of the Empire of Nerina.

The Age of Glory

This was the age of Empires to South, East, West and North and lasted 1000 years. The Lands looked very different from the way they do now as attested by the oldest maps which date from this era. Consider the following differences from the present Maps (I and II) :

* Some 200 miles west of (what are now) the Pirate Isles there was a landmass (covering an area as large as the present-day Salty Sea) known in most records as The Island Nation.

* Most forests were larger. Much of the coastal lands between the Hills of Fog and the Many Hills was covered in the ancient Western Forest (now only the Greenwood is left). In contrast the present-day Greatwood Forest was smaller and was confined to the west-bank of the Everflow River.

* Much of the plain along both banks of the Everflow River was a shallow fresh-water inland sea extending from the present-day locations of River Lake to the Shadow Water. The Salty Sea at that time extended all the way to the Lost Hills and Elderwood was semi-salty swampland.

* Mount Fate seems to have only come into existence sometime since the Age of Glory maps were drawn. How a mountain can simply spring from the hills is a matter of debate among scholars.

* The Lands were warmer as well as wetter. The Erimer Sea was cold but its waters never froze over (only the rivers to its north did this). What is now the Southern Desert was grassland much like the Golden Plains are to this day.

Of even more interest for historians is the markedly different political landscape of the Age of Glory. As soon as humans in Nerina were ruled by an emperor or empress it was decided by both the Elves and the Dwarves that they too needed such rulers. The Lands now had three empires. Many deeds of glory and heroism were done in the shaping of these empires.

The lowlands of Westara were the territory of the Elvish Empire - known also as the Empire of the West. Many Elves still lived a semi-nomadic life by preference and it was usual for an aristocratic family to maintain more than one home (say a coastal villa and an inland lodge). The royal family had both a Summer palace (still located on present-day Haven Island) and a Winter Palace (which was once located in present-day Grazia). The Elvish Empire was defended by the fact that at any one time several armed retinue effectively 'patrolled' it as they travelled from home to home.

That part of the Eastern Expanse between the Sundering Steppes and the Everflow River was the territory of the Dwarvish Empire - known also as the Empire of the East. Its capital was in the Seven Hills and it had mining settlements in the south-east foothills of the Pillar Mountains and the foothills of the Iron Mountains. At this time minerals and metals were plentiful in the rugged hills and it was only much later that miners had to resort to mining in mountains. Mining made the Dwarvish Empire rich. Most of its population were in its hills but it maintained excellent roads in its lowlands.

There was a short but bloody war staged both north and south of the Border Mountains between the Elvish Empire and Dwarvish Empire over salt. The Elves had lots of salt but gave it scant value. In contrast Dwarves love salt but had barely any. The Elves had been selling it to the Dwarves for more and more exorbitant prices. Once the Elvish price hit a pound of gold for a pound of salt the Dwarves took it by force and war began. It is from this time that the expression "rubbing salt in the wound" comes. The Salt War ended once the Empire of the South offered to sell salt at a better price. However it resulted in a long resentment between Elves and Dwarves. Now even a statement like "pass the salt" can cause arguments between members of those two races. But back to ancient times.

Nerina was the Empire of the South and extended over much of the Golden Plains from Farport to Mirage. One of its emperors - known to history as Oryon - decided in 500AG to become both Emperor of the South and Emperor of Humankind. To make this title a truth Oryon went on a campaign northward to bring civilization to all humans northward living a life of barbarism. In five years Oryon extended the Empire to include all lands inhabited by the speakers of Lehenic (then as far as present-day Allmeet). In the next five they then marched all the way to the northern limit of the Grey Hills routing and scattering the disparate Brethic and Eriman clans they met along the way. Oryon expected to be ruler of all humans between the Erimer Sea and the Gaping Gulf but never expected what arose from the Wandering Lands.

The clans of the Wandering Lands had gathered and chosen a ruler from among them - Vareck - a warrior of legendary renown who overnight forged an army as powerful and disciplined as that of Oryon. With devastating speed they bested the forces of Nerina. Oryon also discovered that his conquests in Westara and the Eastern Expanse were shaky as conquered subjects formed alliances with Vereck. The new force pushed Oryon back to the Golden Plains - only there did his forces have sufficient support and supply from the local population to halt the barbaric advance. All Erimanic clans swore loyalty to Vareck (the Brethic choose the alternative path of paying a huge tribute to preserve independence). Now The Lands had four empires and Vareck become Emperor of the North (whose descendants became Emperors or Empresses of Erimania the Great which lasted 500 years).

The Age of Glory ended with the deaths of the Eriman Emperor Udolfo and his one-time advisor Tara the Usurper.

The Age of Tumult

In this time Erimania the Great was rent asunder by a 500 year long civil war which at times also became a war that drew on the other empires and which involved the changing-of-hands of many a province and estate.

In this age the Orcs enter history as they came from the Border Mountains to pillage lands wracked by war. Also a new race was bred from captured orcs and became the Goblins - nocturnal mercenaries that added an additional level of savagery to the forces of both sides in the civil war.

Also in this time The Lands became cooler and drier and many present-day geographic characteristics came to be.

The Age of Tumult ended with the wholesale disappearance of two massive legions that were all set to do battle in a field just south of the now devastated Rinuglarin.

For further information on the Age of Tumult see the Legend of the Royal Dagger of the Brethic Overlord under Sage Scrivenings.

The Common Age

This is the present age which lacks any better name because it is still happening and seems to lack any agreed defining characteristics. Present year is 1311CA. Other significant dates follow...

1CA - Following the end of the civil war (due to lack of combatants) the mercenary Goblins withdraw to the Border Mountains from which their ancestors had come. However they cannot abide the native Orcs still living there and start a war with them.

50CA – The nations of Rolania and Bordenia are formed. Kingshope asserts its independence from these nations and declares that it will only unite with these under the authority of the original and now lost royal line of Great Erimania.

109CA - On Farport Peninsula two gigantic corpses wash ashore and cause a sensation. The squid is as long as a galleon. The whale is even larger and as it rots is found to have a small house-boat floating in its largest buoyancy cavity. Both seem to have perished fighting each other. Only the bones and shells of these monsters - named Kraken and Leviathan - survive to be shipped to the Imperial Court of Nerina.

111CA - A huge tidal wave hits the shores of Westara. Within days ships of humans wash ashore and the refugees report the total destruction by natural disaster of the Island Nation. The Elvish monarch (the title Emperor or Empress is now deemed tasteless following the Age of Tumult) must decide how to respond to the hundreds of survivors of that disaster (as well as those of its own subjects suffering from the tidal wave). Some advise putting all the humans to the sword. Others advise vanquishing them inland to other human nations. Yet others advise offering them a home in Elvish lands. It is the latter course-of-action that is taken. Many humans are taken into Elvish households as servants. Many human orphans are adopted by Elvish parents. The vast difference in live expectancy between the two races takes its toll on the happiness of such mixed households. Nonetheless the first Half-Elves of any number are born in this time.

113CA - Reports start to circulate in the courts of Bordenia and Rolania that a new mountain has risen from the foothills north-east of the Pillar Mountains. The most common name for this rumour is Mount Fate. Sages speculate on some sort of connection between it and the sinking of the Island Nation.

151CA - Nomadic horse-herders start migrating in small but frequent waves from the Sundering Steppes into the Eastern Expanse. They call themselves the Planavic. For now they live in scattered clan settlements. Some clans are hostile to the Dwarves ruling much of this territory but they are quickly defeated by the well-armed and disciplined Dwarves. Other clans however seek peace with the Dwarves and are granted permission to live in the lowlands as vassals to the Dwarvish monarch (the title Emperor or Empress is now deemed tasteless following the Age of Tumult) or to live beyond its borders.

230CA - The Dwarf mines of both the Iron Mountains and the south-eastern foothills of the Pillar Mountains have been depleted of all ore that can be got by methods of the time. The working population dwindles.

266CA - The humans living as subjects of the Elves have grown in population to rival that of the Elves. Those humans who lack the sponsorship of an Elvish household (of which there are a growing number) must live by decree in a number of gated human settlements. The largest is Nartellfar in the Bay of Nar from which these human guests draw the kinship name of Narmantic. Tensions grow between the host and guest races.

306CA - A second wave of Planavic nomads invade the Eastern Expanse. They are united under one general - The Katharian (whose name is lent to all his forces) - and wage war on both settled Planavic clans and on the Dwarves. The Dwarves recall all garrisons back to the Seven Hills for defense of the homeland. Among Planavic clans that are conquered by the invaders some warriors become resistance fighters and form the original movement of Rangers.

325CA - Twelve still free Planavic clans unite under the leadership of the Dunothev Clan to repel invading Katharians back to the Sundering Steppes. The Katharian himself is killed by the Patron & Matron of the Dunothev. Once the invaders are repelled the nation of Rovnara is formed with the Dunothev Clan as the royal family. Most Katharians return to the Sundering Steppes but some stay in the Eastern Expanse as bandits.

390CA - The wandering Sinti travel across the Southern Desert to seek work and make homes in the Empire of Nerina. They are accepted by the government but suffer prejudice at the hands of the locals. Some try to settle but many others continue wandering from village to village as tinkers and fortune-tellers and household servants for hire.

421CA - An ascetic hermitage of Lehenic sages and scribes that has existed since the Age of Tumult on the Ragged Isles suffers a lethal plague that kills all its members. The records they have been keeping are left to the ravages of time.

464CA - The War of the Orcs & Goblins is lost by the Orcs whose population has been reduced to a fraction of its original size. Those clans still intact flee south of the Border Mountains. Some scatter and become mingled with gangs of human bandits and thus the first Half-Orcs in numbers are born. Most however travel further and storm the Iron Mountains. They succeed in routing the Dwarves there whose population and forces have dwindled over time.

490CA - The capital of Nerina is temporarily transferred to the city of Mirage for a period of 30 years till a new Empress returns it to Nerina City.

500CA - Pretenders to the throne of Erimania the Great become something of a fad in Bordenia and Rolania. Most such pretenders are obscure. However one commoner in Rolania claiming royal blood sparks a bloody revolt across several estates. A few months later in Bordenia one baroness presents documents showing her royal ancestry and once they are declared fake she wages war on her peers. Both military adventures end with the deaths of the instigators (as well as of many innocents). In both nations a new knightly order - The Paladins - is formed with the function of both assessing the veracity of royal claims and of providing military response to any resulting belligerence.

501CA - Notices magically appear in town squares all over the Lands challenging adventurers to take the Test of Mount Fate. It seems that someone calling themselves The Castellan has constructed a maze under the mountain and wants to see if anyone can survive it. A surprising number of adventurers make way to the mountain to never return.

566CA – The Elvish Monarch falls into a ten day trance and on recovering withdraws the authority of his nation over most of its former territory and re-draws its borders to those of present-day Haven. The Summer Palace on Haven Island becomes permanent capital of the Elves. The Winter Palace is ransacked by a human mob. Ownership of the Tower of Lore is granted to a body of human scholars. Nartellfar becomes capital of the new maritime Monarchy of the Narmans which is recognised by the Elvish Monarch. In return for such recognition the Narman monarch agrees that all elves still residing in former Elvish territory are given the same rights as Narman subjects. Most Elves withdraw to the reduced territory of Haven but most Half-Elves stay.

567CA - An expedition of Elvish migrants form a new isolationist homeland in the eastern arm of the Greatwood Forest - The Woodland Realm. From this time onwards the distinction between Ley Elves (Eldenari) and Wood Elves (Evenari) is drawn.

606CA – Ivana is founded by fifteen Planavic clans on the shores of the Shadow Water. The monarch of Rovnara grants the ruler of the city the title of Duke.

646CA - The Narman monarch grants city charters to the human settlements of Port Grazia, Delmisar, Orvilia, Traviata and Urbana. Some of these are brand-new townships while others are on the site of former Elvish settlements.

703CA – An army of Dwarves re-takes the Iron Mountains from its infestation of Orcs with help from Ivana (known as the Battle of the Orcs & Dwarves). They convert the old iron mines of Mount Hammer into a new citadel for this revived colony. New deeper mines are dug. The Dwarves start trading with and even investing in the enterprises of the humans of Ivana.

704CA - Orcs who survived the Battle of the Dwarves & Orcs flee towards the original homeland of the Border Mountains. Some clans get lost in the Greatwood Forest and are exterminated in the Battle of the Orcs & Elves. Most however return to the Border Mountains and start the second War of the Orcs & Goblins. These battle-hardened clans quickly take much territory. However at this time Hobgoblins are suddenly born among the Goblins and become powerful new warriors in this savage war.

712CA - In response to both growing travel between Rolania and Bordenia, and continuing bandit and Orcish activity between those nations, both nations construct a garrison in the valley of Allmeet to defend the overland route between Westara and the Eastern Expanse.

793CA - Trading along the coast from Nartellfar to Nerina City has grown markedly and with it has come piracy. Narman pirates are particularly concentrated in what are now named the Pirate Isles.

824CA - Another wave of Planavic nomads under a second Katharian invade the Eastern Expanse. It is much weaker however that that of five centuries before, and the Dwarves easily defend the Seven Hills. Nonetheless they cause much havoc. Rovnara is assisted in its battles by Bordenia and the Compact of Defense arises from this alliance. Ivana boosts its forces by hiring mercenary troops. Scattered settlements across the Eastern Expanse are well-served by the clandestine force of the Rangers. Once more the Katharians are vanquished once their leader is killed.

858CA - A meteor strikes a hill in the vacinity of Allmeet. The hill is excavated for meteoric iron and a number of peculiar corpses are discovered there. Those corpses of alien origin are named the Occu and the Ilkithiri (for there seem to be two kinds) and are stowed in the vaults of Allmeet.

898CA - In the Sea Cities new kinds of mage arise with the development of specialist schools of magic. The first of these is the School of Illusion in Nartellfar.

942CA - In Rolania a province is set aside in which the Halflings of the nation can gather and live together. This is done in part because of Halfling wishes and partly because many humans consider the Halfings to be nothing but beggars and better living far away.

999CA – Farport declares independence from the Empire of Nerina.

1000CA - The Governor of the Tower of Lore sends an expedition to the Ragged Isles to revive the hermitage there and rescue its store of books and scrolls from turning to dust.

1036CA - The guilds of Nartellfar foment revolt and expel the Narman monarchy which withdraws to Delmisar. The republic of Nartellfar is declared.

1049CA – Following a popular revolt the republic of Delmisar is declared. What is left of the royal family withdraw to Orvilia.

1050CA - The subjects of Orvilia ratify the Narman Monarchy in a new constitutional form. From this time onwards every barony from Port Grazia to Urbana continues to owe its loyalty to the Narman Monarch but acts with ever-bolder autonomy. Some promote themselves to status of Duchy from time-to-time (depending on the tastes of the current title-holder).

1057CA - The newly formed Aristocratic Alliance of angry gentry seek to overthrow and replace the Monarch in Orvilia but are thwarted by a combined force of all three Sea Cities. The League of Lasting Peace & Prosperity is formed between Nartellfar, Delmisar and Orvilia. The Aristocratic Alliance is granted safety and comfort by the Barony of Traviata far inland on the Rushing River.

1086CA – Kelda is founded by Planavic farmers and pastoralists. The first game of Gruntball is played on its common.

1111CA – The Seven Hills fall to invasion by Hill Giants. The Monarchy-in-Exile removes to Fugitives Forge (a fortress that defended old copper mines in the south-eastern hills of the Pillar Mountains) while the majority of civilian survivors move to the Iron Mountains. From this time onwards a distinction is drawn between Hill Dwarves (Holemgar) and Mountain Dwarves (Karumgar).

1190CA - The Aristocratic Alliance have been secretly fomenting outrage among the nobility of Rolania over the growth of republican government in the Sea Cities. A small but decisive majority of Rolanian lords and ladies push for war. The only strong opposition comes from the Rolanian Order of Paladins (who can only advise) so the Protector declares war on the Sea Cities which are taken by surprise and each city has to survive its own siege.

1215CA - The Narman-Eriman War comes to an end. The more diverse and inventive forces of the Sea Cities have pushed far inland and captured the province of Hinhome. Rolania is now suffering due to a shortage of both labour and food resulting from the long war (and Bordenia can only offer so much help). The Sea Cities offer incentives to Rolanian deserters with some effect. Rolania agrees to end aggressions and the Sea Cities withdraw.

1216CA - The Sea Cities form the secret service known as the Tapestry to ensure that they will be aware in advance of any developments in The Lands that may threaten the peace or prosperity of the Sea Cities.

1217CA – Hinhome is granted its independence by Rolania on condition of the Halfling homeland continuing in the capacity of a military vassal state. The Sea Cities however change the terms to insist that it only come to the aid of Rolania in the case of a war of defense rather than aggression.

1230CA - Seeing that the Seven Hills are still lost after more than a century the current ruler of Mount Hammer declares himself the new Monarch of Mount Hammer (while still recognising the Monarch-In-Exile as the rightful ruler of the Seven Hills rather than of all Dwarves). Hill Dwarves riot in all the places they live in numbers (including human cities).

1246CA - Keldan merchants have formed two separate guilds - one for native Planavic members and another for Eriman members. The latter attempts to take control of the Council from the former. Blows are struck inside the town hall and soon a brawl spills into the streets and the city is reduced to a civil war with fighting extending into the surrounding farmland over many months. Tensions arise across the Eastern Expanse till the Rangers intervene and end the conflict in Kelda by expelling the instigators on both sides.

1261CA - the current Duke of Ivana calls on the services of the Battering Ram mercenary company to quell conflict in the streets between young hotbloods of its Fifteen Founding Families. Once the job is done the Battering Ram stay despite the resentment of the nobility.

1289CA - The recently formed Arcane Coterie occupy the abandoned and supposedly haunted Tower of Mist.

1296CA – Port Grazia becomes capital of the military regime of the Grazia Confederacy. Its secret service The Adamantine Network is formed. Port Grazia provides military support to settling farmers in the Many Hills who have come into conflict with the Centaurs in that area. By association it is deemed that war is now brewing between the Grazia Confederacy and the Woodland Realm.

1300CA - The nobility and even merchant councillors of the city of Traviata are overthrown by a popular revolt. The Barony take refuge in Urbana further inland. The citizenry of Traviata are yet to finalise a new form of government. Many suspect war will happen between the citizenry of Traviata and the Barony of Urbana.

1303CA - The once independently-minded pirates of the Pirate Isles unite under the banner of the Crossed Blades.

1305CA - The Inaugural Census of Nartellfar is conducted. Many remark on just how many citizens have Elvish blood (one-in-ten).

1308CA - Following a shooting star and an unusually misty morning the city of Mirage becomes the home of a new and suddenly popular religious cult - The Ilk - who promise ‘renewed life’ and whose emblem is a distinctive looped cross. Within months a new republic has been declared and the royal governor is sent packing back to Nerina City.

1310CA - All contact is lost with the hermitage on the Ragged Isles. A survey ship sent by the Tower of Lore to investigate never returns. Also a new cult promising power to all its adherents emerges in Farport - The Occult - whose emblem is a dot in a circle in a five-pointed star - known as the Seeing Star.

Moral Dispositions

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Some of the characters (including gods and goddesses) described on this site will have D&D Alignments attributed to them. Many role-players are wary of the concept of Alignment. In part they feel that it needlessly restricts natural human behaviour. To some extent they think this because of the stupid caricatures that attach in popular culture to words like good and evil. Here I will try to rehabilitate good and evil and also redefine the five components of Alignment in D&D which combine to provide the many moral paths characters can choose to walk.

Good: A good person is someone dressed in white with the most shiny of teeth who rides in to save the day just in the nick of time. Hold on – that is the stupid caricature of good from novels and movies. In the Lands a person is good if they fulfill these two criteria: (i) The emotions they feel most consistently and powerfully are deemed positive or constructive ones (decide for yourself what those are) and (ii) the actions motivated by these emotions serve to help others (whether this is intentional or accidental). This they can do in any way they want and to any extent circumstances allow. The divine personages Olorin and Nitara are considered good.

Evil: An evil person is someone dressed in black who ties innocent victims to railway tracks. Hold on – that is the stupid caricature of evil from novels and movies (besides which the Lands lacks railways). In the Lands a person is evil if they fulfill these two criteria: (i) The emotions they feel most consistently and powerfully are deemed negative or destructive ones (decide for yourself what those are) and (ii) the actions motivated by these emotions serve to harm others (whether this is intentional or accidental). This they can do in any way they want and to any extent circumstances allow. The divine personages Urala and Kandoth are considered evil.

Lawful: The lawful person has an even-tempered disposition. In personal conduct they are methodical and calculating. They prefer living a life that is structured and will do what they can to make it that way. The divine personages Bernali and Elchemar are considered lawful.

Chaotic: The chaotic person has a temperamental disposition. In personal conduct they are impulsive and spontaneous. They prefer living a life that is improvised and will do what they can do make it that way. The divine personages Teloch and Linesa are considered chaotic.

Neutral: A neutral person represents a mix of all the characteristics listed in the other alignments. The mix is such that they rarely if ever behave in ways that would identify them with one of those other alignments. They tend to go along with whatever circumstances dictate however some of this alignment will actively strive to preserve a balance of such characteristics in the wider world. The divine personages The Deliverer, Garlomen and Marumi are considered neutral.

With all this in mind one can now imagine Player Characters (PCs) of differing alignments co-existing and even forming friendships across opposing alignments. Issues will arise in these cases but such relations can still occur. Nobody is obliged to consider someone of an opposing alignment to be an enemy (assuming they even recognise those opposing characteristics in the other person).

For a bit of fun players may want to assess their own alignment with user-written test at OKCupid.

Races: The Halflings

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The legendary origin of the Halfings is discussed in The Tale of Fenella (see in Sage Scrivenings). They are a race closely related to humans and the name 'Halfling' arose because they look like the children of humans. They call themselves the Hin. They speak a variation of the human tongue Brethic. Adventuring Halfings can become Warriors, Clerics, Thieves and Bards. They can only apprentice to Mages.

Description

Fully grown Halflings are between 3'9" to 4'8" tall and weigh 55-130 pounds. They have similar proportions to humans but in a smaller size. They have brown to ginger hair and hazel or green irises. Hair tends to curliness. They can live as long as 72 to 100 years. The temperament of Halflings ranges from cheerful to reserved and from cheeky to proper (in other words rather like humans). They prefer temperate to cool climes of gently rolling hills and prefer a rustic way of life.

Culture

The Halflings worship the same gods and goddesses as do humans. If they are described at all they tend to be given a Halfling aspect and some characteristics are emphasised over others. The sins of the gods and goddesses themselves are overlooked in most sermons. The Deliverer is particularly popular. Halflings focus on living a life of safety and comfort mixed with decency and humility. Work is important but so is rest and relaxation of a well-behaved kind. Games like hide-and-seek are enjoyed - even by adults. The village is the standard unit of Hinnic society.

There is a Halfling nation of Hinhome which is itself a former province of the human nation of Rolania. There is a tendency therefore for polite society in Hinhome to emulate the customs and manners of that mentor-nation. However there is also an undercurrent of resentment for the generations of discrimination they faced and with that comes a hint of irreverence. The more adventurous or eccentric of Halflings seek to discover the 'original' culture of the Hinnic which was lost during generations of servitude to the Rolanians. The closest they think they can come is in emulating another human culture - that of the Brethic.

Technology

Halfling skills are very much those of the humans they lived among for generations. There are however a few distinctive Hinnic designs of which the most noteworthy are the warren and the wind mill. Warrens are rambling homes dug into hillsides or artificially covered by grassy mounds. The wind mill is a recent innovation of Halfling make which they use as an alternative to the older and more popular water mill. Halfling music focuses on simplistic and infectious tunes played in a Brethic mode.

Clothes

Halfling militia of Hinhome wear leather armour and wooden shield and wield short sword and stone slings. Some however ride pony-drawn war-carts and wield spears. Halfling clothing is practical and modest while also suggestive of comfort and affluence. This rustic look is supplemented in formal occasions by trappings of Brethic origin like the kilt and the torc.

Food

Halflings tend to have the same food as the humans they share lands with. However one invention of Halfings is the pie. They are particularly renowned for the making of a mashed-tuber topped pie filled with mushrooms. They also enjoy sweet things like honey-seed cakes and ciders. Finally they will often follow a meal with the smoking of pipe weed - an export of Hinhome of growing popularity.

Reproduction

Halfling courtship standards are very similar to those of humans of the more reserved and private kind. Indeed the average Halfling is most coy on the topic of sex and utilises all manner of euphemisms if the topic must be discussed at all. Halflings prefer small families of one to three children and focus on giving those few children as good a life and livelihood as they can.

Half-Hin

Halflings and humans can interbreed but this is rare and considered controversial. Any child resulting from such a liaison will grow to become a normal sized human in every respect who can pass as of Brethic kin perfectly. Any children they have are also human. Such 'fullsome' children living among Halflings tend to find life difficult as they grow - even if prejudice is curbed they still have practical issues with the size of furniture! By adulthood they will have left to find a new life among humans.

Races: The Elves

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The Elves look passingly human but that observation overlooks a host of unusual characteristics which are described herein. The Elves speak a language they call Enara. Adventuring Elves can be Warriors, Mages, Specialist Mages, Clerics and Thieves.

Description

Fully grown Elves are between 4'8" and 6' tall and weigh 76-200 pounds. They are gracile compared to humans and have 'finely chiseled' faces which include distinctive gently pointed ears. They have long soft hair growing from their scalps but all body hair is incredibly fine and transparent. Hair and iris colour changes as an elf ages. In youth they have coppery-brown hair and green irises. In maturity they have golden-blond hair and blue-grey irises. In old age they have silvery-white hair and violet irises. The overall look of Elves is deemed enchanting by many but creepy by some. They can live as long as 360 to 500 years. They have exceptional resistance to infection. Elvish temperament ranges from frivolous to serene. They prefer temperate lands of meadow and woodland.

Culture

The Elves are a race with an intense sense of belonging to the world in which they live. Elvish religion venerates the Universe as a whole and the Elves regard themselves as a fundamental part of it. Elves hold that the spirit following death becomes one with the spirit of the Universe. As such the concept of separate and aloof gods and goddesses is an alien one to Elvish culture. This perspective grants most Elves a sense of humility but in some it becomes a kind of arrogance.

They live in small family groups that nonetheless are well aware of how they are connected by blood and marriage to many other such groupings. There are two classes in Elvish society - nobility and freeborn. Entry into the nobility for a freeborn elf is a matter of simply marrying into nobility which any well-regarded elf can do over time. As such the nobility are a significant proportion of the population and the distinction is regarded as a small one from day-to-day. There are trappings of nobility however such as the service of a household Pixie (a diminutive and enchanted race that only Elves can understand). Loyalty to the lord or lady of a household is important and a directive from such a person is binding (if rare). All the Elves owe allegiance to the Elvish Monarchy and (once more) a royal decree is sacrosanct. Nonetheless the life of most Elves is one of freedom of movement and life-decisions.

The Elves nowadays live in two distinct nation-states which tend to be isolationist. Haven is what is left of the original Elvish empire and is located on the shores of the Great Ocean. Its territory includes Haven Island, Greenwood and the south-western portion of the Hills of Fog. Its size was reduced by royal decree and to this day only the monarch has a full understanding of that decision. The inhabitants of Haven are known as the Eldenari (Ley Elves). The Woodland Realm is located in the Greatwood Forest and owes nominal allegiance to the monarchy of Haven. It was founded by those who most objected to the ceding of territory to humans who had once been guest-workers of the Elves. Its inhabitants are known as the Evenari (Wood Elves).

Technology

Elves draw on what natural mineral and plant substances they can from the territory they rule. They are renowned workers of wood and sandstone. They can also persuade trees to grow in particular shapes and the standard Elvish home is produced by a twisting together of several trees into an elegant dome. However they lack natural reserves of metals or harder stones. They have a distinctive solution to this lack - rather than get these from other races they prefer to magically transmute (say) wood to stone and glass to steel. Such magic is done sparingly and its products are then cherished for generations. Elvish designs emphasise natural lines and curves. The motif of ivy occurs in much art and craft. Elvish music is improvised and meandering. It utilises vocals, wooden flutes and ceramic wind chimes.

Clothes

The Ley Elf troops of Haven wear Elvish chainmail and wield long sword and short bow except for the unicorn-riders who also carry spears. They wear grey uniforms. Elvish clerics accompanying the troops wear golden Elvish chainmail and green garments decorated with white flower while Elvish mages wear silver Elvish chainmail and blue garments decorated with stars. The Wood Elf militia of the Woodland Realm wear iron-studded bark-fiber jerkins along with garments of natural greens, browns and russets. They wield long sword and short bow except for the griffon-riders who also carry spears. The long swords of the Elves have a distinctive one-bladed design.

In civilian life Elves will wear clothes similar to those described sans armour. As self-sufficiency is an Elvish value there is a tendency however for all adult Elves to carry some arms. Mottled grey cloaks are popular for travel. Clothing emphasises the lines of the body in motion. Jewelery is delicate and worn sparingly but clothing itself has elegant decorative patterns worked into it.

Food

Elves only consume things taken from living things that allow those living things to continue living. Death is something Elves are happy to bring only to those who deserve it. So Elves will eat fruit and berries but not root vegetables, nuts but not ground nuts, grass seeds but not grass stems, mushroom caps but not mushroom stems, eggs and milk but not flesh, honey but not bees. Elvish food emphasises delicate flavours and textures and is nourishing but never overfilling. One exception to this is the famed and very decadent omelette made from griffon eggs and unicorn cheese. This is the centrepiece of any Elvish feast. Elves also enjoy a sparkling wine bottled under starlight (star wine) which they find helps them contemplate things far away and long ago. Elves are much more likely to gather wild food rather than cultivate crops.

Reproduction

An elf can consciously inhibit his or her fertility. Thus just by thinking they can ensure that a sex act is purely recreational. As a result some humans think that Elves will be totally promiscuous (itself just wishful thinking on the part of the humans) while in truth Elves are very selective of partner and will only sleep with someone they love. An elf may well have a number of concurrent lovers, from co-habiting partners with whom they have children to occasional flames they visit every now and then. The only ban on this polyamory is the taboo of incest (extending to first cousins). Elves will generally only have one or two reproductive partners as they are very selective in choosing the right inherited characteristics for their children – in a sense these partnerings are ‘self-arranged marriages’ which take into account political and cultural factors.

Gestation for Elves takes 18 months but birth is quick. The elfling is very small at birth and can only breath in water. It is instantly submerged in a liquid consisting of spring water and amniotic fluid that is held within a ‘birth pod’. Traditionally these birth pods are bowls made from half of a hollow nut of massive size (1’6” to 2’ long) but now they are frequently made of carved wood or clay. The infant spends the next 18 months in the pod as the composition of the fluid is slowly changed and its level lowered so that eventually it is sitting in only inches of pure spring water and can now begin life as an air-breathing toddler. During that time it is only removed from the pod for suckling (which somehow overcomes its need to breath). Elvish nature and culture is such that the Elvish population has been static for all of history.

Half-Elves

Elves can mate with humans but such matings are rare. Matings between existing mixed-bloods are much more common - allowing for more normal lives together - and the majority of Half-Elves are the children of Half-Elves. Half-Elves lack the ability to control fertility. However they still have a tendency towards polyamory.

Half-Elves are the same size as humans and otherwise have much diluted Elvish characteristics. They lack the infection resistance of Elves. They have a life-expectancy of between 180 and 250 years. It is the marked difference in longevity between the two races that has made Half-Elves rare and likewise makes most Half-Elves seek fellow mixed bloods with which to form relationships and have children. The majority of Half-Elves live in human society. Half-Elves can be Warriors, Rangers, Mages, Specialist Mages, Clerics, Druids, Thieves and Bards.

Races: The Dwarves

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The Dwarves are much more than the race of miners that they are characterised as and yet it is an identity that even they find difficult to see past. Historical challenges to the Dwarves have forced them to diversify what they do and how they relate to the world as is described herein. The Dwarves speak a language they call M'gar. Adventuring Dwarves can become Warriors, Clerics and Thieves. Only Half-Dwarves can become 'Spellsmith' Mages.

Description

Fully grown Dwarves are between 3'9" to 4'8" tall and weigh 76-200 pounds. They tend to stocky in form and homely of face. They have course hair of brown to black (shading to grey with age) and brown to grey eyes. They can live as long as 180 to 250 years. They have exceptional resistance to toxins. Dwarvish temperament can be stolid and taciturn with bursts of more lively emotion. They prefer to live in hilly or even mountainous areas within a temperate climate.

Culture

The Dwarves venerate ancient ancestors who serve as role-models and the heroes of tales told to instill a sense of pride and determination. The spirits of these ancestors are regarded as divine and Dwarves hold that they are reincarnated from those same spirits. Dwarves put value in stability and structure and the habits of the past are elevated to the status of sacred rites in the present. It is this sameness that has been both a boon and a handicap.

Dwarves have a very structured and orderly society. Both the nobility and commoners are connected by loyalty to wider society and within it to particular professions such as miner, stonemason and blacksmith. Mineral riches were always important to the Dwarvish empire of the past. The gold and silver of the Seven Hills combined with the copper of the south-western foothills of the Pillar Mountains and the iron of Mount Hammer gave the Dwarves power and riches far beyond what the population warranted. The lowlands between these areas were regarded as a burden to be traversed and left fallow. Ravens were domesticated to provide a communication network for Dwarves who preferred to stay at home.

Over time the ore was exhausted in the shallower mines and newer mines were more difficult to dig. This combined with hostile incursions into Dwarvish territory forced a concentrating of armed forces and workers in the heartland of the Seven Hills. Also Dwarvish nature and custom produced a slowly dwindling and aging population over time.

Some enterprising Dwarves explored new ways of supporting themselves by trading with humans and focusing on offering skills and expertly crafted items. Dwarves of such a temperament re-populated and revived the territory of Mount Hammer with such methods and also opened new mines in the Iron Mountains. Many others however stayed in the stagnating community of the Seven Hills. The sudden invasion of Hill Giants utterly destroyed that society and killed the Dwarvish Monarch.

Since then there has been both a Dwarvish Monarch-In-Exile and a newly declared Monarch of Mount Hammer. A distinction exists between the Holemgar (Hill Dwarves) who live scattered and seek to re-take the Seven Hills (whose home base is the Fugitives Forge south-west of the Pillar Mountains) and the Karumgar (Mountain Dwarves) of the Iron Mountains. They can live together but never can agree on the feasibility of re-taking the homeland.

Technology

Dwarves excel in the extraction and working of metals and minerals (including gems), the carving and excavating of stone, and the construction of mechanisms to assist in such work. Many generations within a given family will specialise in the same skill and those professions that produce lasting works are the most respected. A mason is much more valued than a shepherd (even if these exist still in the foothills). However in more recent times newer skills of trading and investment have helped some Dwarves make a fortune. Both the old and the newer professions are deemed to be technical in nature and it is in technical matters that Dwarves focus.

Dwarvish design emphasises functionality over aesthetics. Houses are rambling stone structures of split-levels embedded into hillsides. All is rigid and precise angles inspired by the geometry of gemstones. Art is abstract and barely even noticed as it forms part of the objects into which it is incorporated. Dwarvish music is precise and premeditated and played using lithophones and gongs. It is composed in such a way that its reverberation in a cavern or hall produces the intended number of notes. The most amazing product of Dwarvish skill is the Golems constructed by the Spellsmiths who combine the talents of both mages and artisans.

Clothes

The Hill Dwarf militia wear chain mail and wield battle-axes (offensive) and twin throwing axes (defensive) - these axes have a characteristic twin-bladed design. The Mountain Dwarf militia of Mount Hammer wear scale mail and wield short sword and shield (offensive) and cross bow incorporating an imbedded dagger (defensive). Dwarvish military commanders wear plate mail and wield same weapons as the troops they accompany. Dwarven clergy accompanying the troops wear the same armour as the troops but wield war hammers or military picks (which are deemed holy). Civilians tend to wear practical and long-lasting clothes of thick cloth and enduring leather in browns and greys. Decoration is rare.

Food

Dwarves enjoy food and lots of it. Of particular importance are bread and beer which tend to be made by the same persons using similar skills and ingredients. For dwarves a bakery and a brewery are the same thing and one foodstuff is the perfect compliment for the other. Dwarves also enjoy the flesh of both goats and sheep and make a variety of stews and casseroles from these. They also make cheeses and yoghurts from goat or sheep milk. Dwarves seem to survive despite an absence of fruit or vegetables.

Reproduction

In Dwarves libido is very low and can be entirely sublimated to the pragmatics of the arranged marriages that are the norm in Dwarven society. Such arrangements are never challenged by demands of ‘true love’ that sometimes complicate things among humans. Love between Dwarvish spouses is very similar to the love of friends and comrades-in-arms rather than romantic love. However the love parents hold for Dwarvish children is among the most powerful of all races (in part because Dwarves tend to only have one or two children who are then as precious as any treasure – children literally are the ‘family jewels’).

Gestation takes 12 months and once born a baby is robust and can crawl immediately. Only one child is ever born at a time. Dwarves are monogamous and mate for life. Note that Dwarves living among humans will tend to adopt a bawdy sense of humour at odds with their lack of interest in sex. This they do as a way of both fitting in with and lampooning humans.

Note that while both male and female Dwarves can practice any profession there is still some discrimination as to combat - men become offensive troopers while women become defensive guards.

Half-Dwarves

Dwarves and humans can interbreed but this is a very rare incident (usually facilitated by far too much drink). Any resulting child (only one at a time is ever born) is effectively a Dwarf (of maximum Dwarish size and mimimum Dwarvish life expectancy) with only one additional characteristic - they are themselves sterile. Such Dwarves will tend to throw themselves into the work of creating the best items of craft since they cannot have children. Only half-dwarves can become Spellsmiths who make magical items for the nobility.

Races: The Orcs

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The race of Orcs is described here even if players customarily only take on Half-Orc roles. It is nonetheless important to understand both mixed and full blood Orcs to play such a character. The Orcs speak the language Uroch with many clannish variations.

Description

An Orc is - like all demi-human races - mammalian. Fully grown they are between 4'7" and 5'8" tall and weigh 76-200 pounds. They have dark brown to black hair that lends itself to forming dreadlocks. Their skin is beige but usually covered in clan patterns of ink-blot shaped tattoos in pigments of green, yellow and orange. Their irises are red. They can see heat. Jaws and canines are large and do much to give Orcs an animalistic visage which is enhanced by a naturally aggressive temperament. Ears are pointed and back-swept.

They can live as long as a human but rarely do. Orcs traditionally live in the caverns and crevices of rugged mountains but can survive in all sorts of settings. They have usually stayed away from lowlands because other races there cannot abide them.

Culture

Orcs live in many clans (Ugu). The clan is ruled by a chieftain (Kach) who is selected by contest of arms. Any pure-blood Orc can challenge to be chieftain at any time. Orcish shamans (Huguch) adjudicate at such challenges to ensure that both honour and life (if not limb) is preserved.

Shamans also serve the role of conveying messages between the clan and the spirits. Orcish religion is animistic - every cavern and ravine has its own spirit. Shamans are pragmatic and focus on offering loyalty to spirits in return for luck. Orcs hold that the spirits of the dead haunt homes and family members.

The Orcs of the Border Mountains are in a long-running war with the Goblins. As a result the clans have banded together and the chieftains choose from among them one Marshal (Gagokach) who holds the role till death.

Some Orcs are Boar-Keepers (Bochuroch). They care for and train wild boars to become Buck Boars (Boch) which act as guards and trackers. The boars also provide food and clothing for Orcs which are also prepared by the same Boar-Keepers.

A normal Orc is between one and three experience levels. Shamans and Boar-Keepers are between two and three levels. Chieftains have four levels while only the Marshal has five levels. Orcs cannot follow adventuring Callings but Half-Orcs can. As a result Half-Orcs (Iguroch) are now welcome for the contribution they can make to fighting Goblins. However any Half-Orc that exceeds fifth level will tire of the Orc-Goblin War and depart for more interesting human habitations.

Technology

Orcish technology is focused on warfare. They are resource poor however and most arms and armour are those stolen from other races that have then been adapted for Orcish use and passed from generation to generation. They favour spears, battle axes, maces, and scale mail.

Orcish music is produced by both percussion (using arms and armour) and growled vocals that echo menacingly in the mountain passes and caverns. They are expert at hastily constructing tunnels and basic fortifications. Mechanical skills are focused on producing traps defending the clan territory. The shamans are also skilled in concocting toxins.

Clothes

Orcs wear a mix of furs and hides and armour passed from parent to child. Orcish shamans wear head-dress made from boar skulls. Chieftains wear the best clothes and armour and a common trapping is a vest and gloves made from Goblin skin. Orcs also get tattooed. Half-Orcs tend to mix these traditional items with human clothing.

Food

The consuming of pork is the preference of Orcs. As a result of this association all other races shun that particular flesh. Orcs who live a traditional life eat wild boar. Half-Orcs living among humans have cultivated the much tamer breed of pig. Some humans actively seek this form of food but it is considered a dirty vice. Nonetheless those intent on shocking others will claim to enjoy the Half-Orcish meal of slices of roast pork with pickled cabbage and ginger ale.

Reproduction

Orcs are unusual in having an annual rather than monthly fertility cycle. Once every year orcs enter into a mating frenzy involving fighting over partners and travelling from clan to clan in order to find partners. Nobody can be sure of the parentage of children but as the whole clan care for them this is okay. Gestation takes only six months.

Half-Orcs

Half-Orcs were born in numbers during the time of Orcish migrations between the Border Mountains and Iron Mountains because some lost Orcs started to fill the ranks of human bandit gangs. Traditionally Orcish culture was prejudiced towards Half-Orcs and recommended infanticide for all mixed blood children. However in the War of the Orcs & Goblins they now deem Half-Orcs to be useful contributors to the war effort and welcome them into the clans. Adventuring Half-Orcs can be Warriors, Clerics, Mages of Thieves.

Half-Orcs are more likely to be found living among humans - the more humans to be lost among the better. They still face prejudice but rarely do they suffer violence (in part because they themselves have a violent reputation). They have introduced to humans the art of tattooing.

Half-Orcs have the same size and life expectancy as humans. They look very much like humans but with diluted Orcish characteristics. Hair will tend to dark brown and eyes will be orange-brown. Canines will be more pronounced and overall there will be an impression of robustness. Half-Orcs have monthly hormonal cycles but the attitude they have towards sex is similar – if they are attracted to someone then they should try to sleep with them. Like Orcs they have a particularly strong sense of smell for pheromones. They lack the ability however to see heat.

Races: Humanity

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In the Lands there are many races such as Elves and Dwarves and Orcs. As such the term ‘race’ is reserved for the distinction between these rather than to refer to any kind of differences found among humans. However there are different linguistic or cultural groupings among humans in the Lands and these are known as different ‘Kin’.

There are many different Kin among humans. For the purposes of game-play a number will be described:

The Narmantic (The Western Kin): The Narmantic have legends which tell that they came from the long-lost Island Nation which sank under the waters. For all of recorded history however they have predominated in the coastal and riverlands of Westara. They rule the nation-state of Port Grazia, the league city-states of Nartellfar, Delmisar, Orvilia, and the inland city-states of Traviata and Urbana. Personal independence is important in Narmantic culture.

The Erimanic (The Northern Kin): The Erimanic once ruled an empire across the central and northern parts of the Homelands. That Empire is long-gone now but the Eriman are still common across the Wandering Lands, Westara and the Eastern Expanse. They rule the nation-states of Rolania and Bordenia and the city-state of Kingshope. Family is very important in Erimanic culture, as are status distinctions made between aristocracy and commoners.

The Planavic (The Eastern Kin): The Planavic predominate in the plains of the Eastern Expanse. They rule the nation-state of Rovnara and the city-states of Ivana and Kelda. Planavic society is clannish. They became sedentary later than most of the other Kin and some aspects of Planavic culture still reflect a nomadic past.

The Lehenic (The Southern Kin): The Lehenic predominate in and beyond the Golden Plains. They rule the nation-state ‘Empire’ of Nerina and the city-state of Farport. The Lehenic have a most ancient culture that focuses on honour and tradition as important.

The Sinti (The Travelling Kin): Also known as the Neri to ignorant persons who think the Sinti originate in Nerina (a mistake never made by the Lehenic). The Sinti are a nomadic Kin who have wandered Lehenic lands for some generations and are now beginning to migrate into Narmantic and Planavic lands. They have a distinct culture much of which they keep as a secret only for themselves. An exception is Sinti music which they will happily share with others - this music is played on small string instruments like the mandolin and kit-and-bow and can express both the joy of community and the anguish of isolation. Another is the practice of wearing rings in pierced ears or other parts which is becoming popular among the youth of many Lands.

The Brethic (The Still Kin): The Brethic are known as the Still Kin because they seem to have always lived in the central lands of the Brethic Hills and the Deben Wood for all of time while other Kin have moved from land to land. They are generally regarded as backward and yet many of the finer aspects of other cultures can ultimately be traced to the Brethic - the music of many humans is of Brethic origin and played on the combination of fife and lute and drum.

One implication for game-play of these different Kin among humans is that the Lands lacks any kind of 'common' language. What tongue one uses to converse with others depends entirely on cultural geography and personal experiences. And even within a language there will be local variations in vocabulary and phrase (e.g. Goblin and Kobold are both Eriman words for the same thing).

For humans the most commonly grown crops are wheat and barley and rye which villages grow using a crop rotation method across three or four fields. This is supplemented by the growing of tubers in some areas. Fruit and nuts are also grown. Most common livestock are kine and foul but fish is also consumed environment permitting. Furthermore the nobility of Eriman lands enjoy hunting and consuming venison.

Humans can interbreed with Elves, Orcs, Dwarves and Halflings. For more information on such half-humans see under the respective entry on those other Races.

As adults humans are between 4'8" and 6'4" tall and weigh 95-250 pounds. They have a life expectancy of 72-100 years.

Much of the information in this site refers to humans unless otherwise stated. In the absence of specific information players can assume that humans are - well - only human.

Names & Titles

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In the Lands there are many differing and overlapping methods of naming persons and according them titles. This discussion will provide a framework in which characters (in particular human characters) can be named and titled depending on background and life circumstances.

A baby names book is a useful role-playing accessory particularly if it gives information on the linguistic origin of names. Particular human kinship groups in the Lands correspond for gaming purposes to particular linguistic groupings in this world as follows:

* Utilise Germanic or Nordic (German, Danish, Anglo-Saxon) names for humans of Erimanic kinship.

* Utilise Latinate or Romance (Italian, Spanish, French) names for humans of Narmantic kinship.

* Utilise Slavic (such as Russian) names for humans of Planavic kinship.

* Utilise Greek names for humans of Lehenic kinship and for the public names of humans of Sinti kinship.

* Utilise Celtic names (such as Irish Gaelic) for humans of Brethic kinship and also for the Hinnic (Halflings).

Names for other non-humans can be entirely invented names that have the right 'feel' for that race. This takes care of given names. But what of family and other designations? These also vary from kinship group to kinship group.

The Eriman utilise the formula 'Given Name then Given Name of same-sex parent then Son or Daughter' (Hayward Fenton Son or Amelia Garda Daughter).

The Narmantic use the formula 'Given Name then the name of ones profession or the profession of ones family' (Dominic Mariner).

The Planavic utilise the formula 'Given Name then of the then Clan Name' (Danika of the Popovski Clan).

The Lehenic utilise the formula 'Given Name then Surname of eldest parent' (Vassilly Nicolidas) which is also utilised by the Sinti for public names.

The Brethic and Hinnic (Halflings) utilise the formula 'Given Name then of then name of birth location' (e.g. Colin of Deben).

Naturally intermingling of cultures produces an environment in which these are only generalisations and characters can be named in any way players see fit. Kinship background affects how one is named but ones circumstances can change how one is named or titled. Frequently full names will be abbreviated such that connecting words are omitted.

If one is the priest or priestess of a particular god or goddess then ones name will follow the formula 'Brother or Sister then Given Name then of then Name of God or Goddess' (Sister Danika of Teloch). Druids utilise the same formula but omit any reference to particular gods or goddesses. If one is the most important-ranking cleric in a given church (defined as all the followers of a particular god or goddess within a particular state) then 'Brother or Sister' is replaced with 'Patriarch or Matriarch'. The most important Druid is the Grand Druid while lieutenants overseeing geographic areas are known as Druidic Cardinals.

Originally churches were characterised as family-like groupings and it is likely that the use of the titles 'Patriarch' and 'Matriarch' arose from the practice in extended family groupings of calling the eldest and most revered member of a family the 'Patron' or 'Matron'.

Within professional organisations such as guilds the most important office-holder is given the title 'Master' or 'Mistress' which then precedes ones given name. This practice has also been adopted by the practitioners of specialist magic (such as Illusionists) to refer to the most respected practitioner of any given magical specialist discipline whose reputation is such that they can attract apprentices.

Among generalist mages the older title of 'Arch Mage' is preferred for those whose reputation is such that they can attract apprentices. In addition to this mages of all ranks have a tendency to use the naming formula 'Given Name then fanciful descriptor' (Septimus the Splendid).

Among rogues there is a very common practice of changing ones name using the formula 'Self-Deprecating Descriptor then Abbreviated Given Name or Surname' (Sly Vas or Sly Nick). The most powerful rogue within a gang of rogues may be known simply by the title 'Boss'. However if that gang models itself on some other form of group then the titles utilised may change (if the gang characterises itself as a guild then the boss will be a 'Master or Mistress' but if it characterises itself as a family then the boss will be a 'Patron or Matron'). The Bards avow any such titles but do use particular words like 'Inspired' and 'Famed' to convey levels of esteem among themselves.

Among mercenary warriors it is popular to use the formula 'Given Name then favourite weapon then Surname' (Dominic 'Long Sword' Mariner). Among warriors in military roles the following titles are commonly utilised:

* General: The commander of an entire army
* Admiral: The commander of an entire naval fleet
* Commander: The commander of one unit of troops or one naval ship

These titles of rank are also utilised by specialist warrior groups such as Rangers and Paladins.

Any warrior whose reputation of prowess is such that they can attract warriors to follow them is given the title 'Lord' or 'Lady' which can apply to a person whether they are of common or aristocratic birth. Originally all ruling nobility had to be warriors but now there is a distinction between the most important of gentry and the most powerful of warriors. As such a 'Sir' or 'Dame' may be a very different person from a 'Lord' or 'Lady'.

All members of the gentry are referred to as 'gentlepersons' (gentlemen and gentlewomen) however this term is sometimes also be attached to anyone who cultivates the manners of the gentry. Any member of the nobility may have the terms 'Sir' or 'Dame' precede their given name. Other aristocratic titles only apply to persons in particular power-positions:

* A King or Queen is the hereditary ruler of an entire nation-state (or in some cases the direct legitimate descendent of Kings and Queens if territory has been lost). The spouse of a King or Queen is also a King or Queen. There are those who suggest that some title needs to be invented to distinguish between a ruling King or Queen and one that is merely the spouse. However this suggestion is considered very rude. One is expected to simply know who is the ruler and act accordingly. Furthermore it is accepted practice for monarchs to share decision-making with spouses so the distinction only becomes relevant in questions of succession.

* A Prince or Princess is the legitimate child of a King and Queen. A Crown Prince or Crown Princess is one who is in direct line to inherit the crown.

* A Baron or Baroness is the hereditary or knighted ruler of an estate within a nation-state or the spouse of a Baron or Baroness. Within the barony they are the ruler but within the wider nation they are a vassal to a King or Queen.

* A Duke or Duchess is the hereditary or knighted ruler of an autonomous province that owes nominal loyalty to a King or Queen but who in practice is independent. The Dukedom may have once been part of a nation-state that has crumbled or it may be a distant colony of a nation-state that cannot exert any power over the settlement. These titles also apply to the spouses of Dukes and Duchesses.

In all cases hereditary rule is passed to eldest legitimate child.

Gods & Goddesses

2006-05-08T04:51:00.063Z

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Herein the eleven gods and goddesses worshipped by humans (also Halflings) are described and some information on the churches of these powers is also given (note that Elves worship the Universe as a whole while Dwarves worship heroic ancestor spirits). Following that a long rambling description of how the gods and goddesses made the Lands will be offered.

Olorin
Lord of Day

Olorin is the god of light, warmth, hope, trust and forgiveness. He is depicted as a tall man of indeterminate age with intense blue eyes, long golden hair, a short-cropped beard shot with white, tanned skin and white toga-like robes. He resides in Paradise. His followers include the Golden Dragon, Fire Genie and Archons.

Churches of Olorin are made from stone of warm welcoming tones. Floorplans tend to be octagonal. Roofs are domed. Walls are lined with tall stained glass windows that let in much light. Alters are topped by the holy devise of a Golden Sun Disc.

Clerics of Olorin wear white robes trimmed with gold cord over golden-brown garments. The best armour worn is chainmail with shield. The sacred weapons wielded are mace (representing the fixed position of the Sun in the Universe) and rod (representing Midday).

Urala
Lady of Night

Urala is the goddess of darkness, coldness, despair, suspicion and vengeance. She is depicted as a tall woman of indeterminate age with dark eyes, semi-long dark hair, pale skin, a black lace dress adorned with stars and a white crescent-moon pendant. She resides in the Netherworld. Her followers include the White Dragon, Air Genie, Succubi & Incubi.

Churches of Urala are made from stone of dark or dull tones. A long hallway will connect two separate circular chambers - one is in permanent darkness and includes a depiction of stars on its domed ceiling while the other is an open courtyard only visited at night. Walls are lined with shadowy alcoves and dark drapes. Alters are topped by the holy devise of a Silver Tear.

Clerics of Urala wear black robes trimmed with silver cord over off-white garments. The best armour worn is chainmail with shield. The sacred weapons wielded are flail (representing the circling of the Moon) and rod (representing Midnight).

Garlomen & Marumi
Lord of the Land and Lady of the Sea

These two powers are spouses.

Garlomen is the god of earth, clay, stone, minerals and mining. He is described as a large mature-aged man with steely grey eyes, long brown hair, beard shot with grey, tanned skin, a coarse clay-coloured tunic with cord-belt. He resides in the Shadowlands. His followers include the Copper Dragon, Earth Genie and Shades.

Marumi is the goddess of all waters, wells, lakes, rivers and fishing. She is described as a large mature-aged woman moving as if underwater and with dark eyes, long blue-grey hair, grey-green skin, and shell held by a necklace of pearls. She resides in the Shadowlands. Her followers include the Blue Dragon, Water Genie and Shades.

Sacred sites of Garlomen & Marumi incorporate elements of both earth and water in concentric circles. A mote will surround a mound on which stands a ring of standing stones and a stone basin in the centre will hold water. It will always be open to the sky and always have grasses growing wild on it. Such a structure will be removed by some distance from the modest cottage of the local Druid.

Druids wear robes and cloaks of course cloth in faded shades of brown, grey, blue and green. The best armour worn is studded leather jerkin with wooden shield. The sacred weapons wielded are any of sickle, bow-and-arrow, mattock, trident-and-net, spear and stone sling.

Kandoth
Master of Storms

Kandoth is the god of rain, hail, fog, thunder and lightning. He is depicted as a young man of pronounced musculature with grey eyes, wild dark hair and beard, pale skin, course blue tunic, grey cloak and an iron spear coursing with electricity. He resides in The Netherworld. His followers include the Iron Dragon and the Gargorim.

Churches of Kandoth are made from grey stone of jagged and bulging forms on which gargoyles are carved which spew rainwater during storms. Walkways and chambers enclose an open courtyard. A bell tower is topped by iron vanes that hope to attract lightning.

Clerics of Kandoth wear grey tunics and blue hose or skirts. The best armour worn is chainmail. The sacred weapons wielded are spear (representing lightning) and stone sling (representing hail).

Nitara
Mistress of Growth

Nitara is the goddess of plants, animals, habitats, fertility and agriculture. She is depicted as a young woman with alluring curves, hazel eyes, long wavy honey-coloured hair, ruddy skin, a rustic green dress, yellow flowers in her hair and a wooden bow. She resides in Paradise. Her followers include the Green Dragon and the Forn.

Churches of Nitara are wooden stockades enclosing a garden with both decorative and food-growing yards. A cabin for the cleric at one end is linked by pergola to a pavilion at the other end for worshippers.

Clerics of Nitara wear green tunics and brown hose or skirts. The best armour worn is chainmail. The sacred weapons wielded are bow-and-arrow (representing hunting) and sickle (representing gathering).

The Deliverer
Bringer of Rest

The Deliverer holds sway over rest, death, aging, heritage and genealogy. Is described as a non-descript person of indeterminate age and gender (seems more masculine or feminine depending on the inclinations of the dying person come for) with grey eyes, semi-long silver hair, pale skin, fine features, grey tunic and hose, long grey coat. Sometimes can also appear as the traditional cloaked skeletal figure but only to those who are denying the death they must face. Resides in the Eternal Halls and is served by Ghosts.

Churches of the Deliverer are small village halls of stone and timber of rectangular floor plan. At the front is an entrance while at the back is lectern or pulpit. Behind that is a semi-circular bay in which alters to the other gods and goddesses are arrayed. The yard of the church holds the local graves.

Clerics of the Deliverer wear garments of grey and cloaks also of grey. The best armour worn is studded leather jerkin. The sacred weapons wielded are staff and walking stick (representing wisdom and age respectively).

Teloch
Master of Warfare

Teloch is the god of war, combat, skill-at-arms, strategy and competition. He is depicted as a tall athletic man with brown eyes, semi-shaven scalp and face, tanned skin, black studded leather tunic, red wrist and angle bands and a large steel battle axe. He resides in Discordia. His followers include the Red Dragon and the Discordians.

Churches of Teloch are in effect barracks in which itinerant warriors may stay and have the trappings of small fortresses. There is a chamber for worshipping but also a yard in which combat skills may be honed. Alters are topped by the holy devise of a Dented Helm.

Clerics of Teloch wear black tunics and red hose or skirts. The best armour worn is banded mail and shield. The sacred weapons wielded are the battle axe and the hand axe.

Bernali
Mistress of Law

Bernali is the goddes of justice, truth, contracts, law-making and enforcement. She is depicted as a tall athletic woman with blue eyes, long braided golden hair, fair skin, long white dress, silver chainmail tunic and a steel sword. She resides in Harmonium. Her followers include the Silver Dragon and the Harmonians.

Churches of Bernali serve as colleges for lawyers and are fronted with pillars and wide steps. Inside there are chambers for worship but also for debating implications of laws. Alters are topped by the holy devise of the Balancing Scales.

Clerics of Bernali wear white tunics and silver-grey hose or skirts. The best armour worn is banded mail and shield. The sacred weapons wielded are the long and short swords.

Elchemar
Master of Artifice

Elchemar is the god of crafts, masonry, smithing, construction and invention. He is depicted as a young man with blue eyes, sandy hair, fair skin, blacksmithing apron and workaday clothes. He resides in Harmonium. His followers include the Black Dragon and the Harmonians.

Churches of Elchemar are rambling low-slung constructions that would be mistaken for warehouses or guild houses but for the use of experimental shapes and materials. There are workshops in which artisans may gather and share a passion for crafts. Alters are topped by the holy devise of the Compass & Set-Square.

Clerics of Elchamar wear beige tunics and black hose or skirts. The best armour worn is chain mail and shield. The sacred weapons wielded are the war hammer and military pick (both adapted from tools).

Linesa
Mistress of Culture

Linesa is the goddess of art, poetry, music, dancing and festivity. She is depicted as a young woman with green eyes, ginger hair, fair skin, a brass harp and clothes and jewellery of ever-changing colour and design. She resides in Discordia. Her followers include the Violet Dragon and the Discordians.

Churches of Linesa are designed to be halls in which art and music can be displayed and performed. They may take the form of an amphitheatre or other structure of such function. A tavern is usually attached. Alters are topped by the holy devise of the Harp.

Clerics of Linesa wear clothes of varying colours and designs with a tendency to clash (purple with green and orange for instance) . The best armour worn is chain mail and shield. The sacred weapons wielded are cudgel and darts (both utilised in a tavern setting).

Scolls of Eternity

What follows is an excerpt from the Scrolls of Eternity concerning the origins of the universe and of the lives of gods. These scrolls were written in 1000CA by the eccentric Rolanian sage known in her writings only by the assumed name 'Perceptisha'. This writer took all the oral and written traditions of the many different churches along with mage-penned cosmology and blended them together into one document telling the story of how the world was made by the gods and goddesses. Anything contradictory was omitted so that one consistent story was told. Perceptisha was instantly demonised by many clerics from all churches but her work became very popular among scholars. Perceptisha was the target of many attempts on her life yet lived to the ripe old age of 101. Some see this fact as ratifying the accuracy of her version of the story of creation...

The Making

In the furthest forgotten past there was an eternity of moments in a moment of eternity. In that most distant past the Lands were as nothing and the nothingness extended forever. All was empty. All was still. All was uniform or so it seemed to the four beings that came wandering into this time and space of nothingness. Those four were natives of the elemental realms that are at once utterly divorced from the world and yet utterly entwined with it. As they came straying into this realm of nothingness all they noticed was the absence of things. The realms from which they came contort and flow with substance and power and as such they overlooked the shadows and echoes that even then filled the seeming nothingness.

Olorin came from the Realm of Fire. His heart and mind burned with a desire to discover new things and revelled in the finding of this realm even if it were a world of seeming nothingness.

Urala came from the Realm of Air. Her heart was timid yet her mind was intrigued by this new realm into which she had strayed. She wandered silently marvelling at the emptiness.

Marumi came from the Realm of Water. She felt there must be something here and hunted long in the vacant expanse. She wandered this way then that way and never stuck to one direction for long.

Garlomen came from the Realm of Earth. He felt that the emptiness was there to be filled and decided to start by settling in it himself. So he stopped and began to make an encampment.

In the emptiness two of these beings met – Olorin and Urala. She could see and hear him coming from some distance burning and blazing as was his wont. He however only sensed her the moment he passed her hiding still and silent. She felt sudden warmth fill her. He felt his flame expanding into his surrounds. From that moment a wild love formed between the two that threatened to meld them together so that any form of self was lost forever. Urala had never felt anything like it and was prepared to surrender to it. Olorin however craved his self still and resisted the melding by collapsing into himself and becoming a sphere of vibrant light. Urala expanded to fill the space in which Olorin sat so that she may envelop him and feel his warmth still.

In the distance both Garlomen and Marumi witnessed the radiance of Olorin softened by the light-filled haze of Urala. Both made for the new something in the infinite nothingness. On the way there Garlomen and Marumi met. They conversed. They considered the nature of this newly discovered realm and how they may have a role in it. As they talked a love grew between them milder than that of Olorin and Urala yet more at one with the ways of eternity. Slowly Garlomen and Marumi were entwined. As oceans enclose continents so Marumi embraced Garlomen. As hills surround a lake so Garlomen held Marumi.

Thus the contours of the world as we know it began with the sun in the sky and with lands among the seas. The four creators of the Lands walked together and at other times apart. Garlomen & Marumi always were together. But Olorin & Urala were frequently parted. Olorin was happy in spending time with Urala but was also content to wander alone. Urala felt differently. She had once known and accepted loneliness but now she knew and craved only the company of her beloved Olorin. So to placate her Olorin gave Urala the gift of stars so that she may enjoy his light even while he was away. While they were together it was day. While they were apart Olorin was as a solitary sun in an eternity of darkness while Urala was as a night sky filled with stars.

In time children came into the lives of the elder powers. Garlomen & Marumi had twin progeny - a boy and a girl. These two were of the same nature as their parents and yet they were also intimately attuned to the world into which they were born.

The son was named Kandoth and reveled in playing with the raw substances with which his elders had filled the world. Kandoth understood that in this world the four elements combined in infinite ways and he experimented with relish at producing new substances and forces. Earth with Water. Water with Fire. Fire with Air. Air with Earth. Earth with Fire. Water with Air. Of all his works the ones that filled him with the greatest excitement were lightning and thunder.

The daughter was named Nitara and was of a more careful and observant nature. She wandered far and wide simply looking and listening and feeling the things that were in the world. It was in this way that Nitara noticed the shadows and echoes that had always existed but had been overlooked by her elders. They were elusive however and she desired to capture them to better understand them.

Nitara and Kandoth began experimenting with forming vessels in which they may snare the shadows and echoes. For long they worked in making objects to hold their ephemeral quarry. Nitara contributed to the task her ability to sense and attract the shadows and echoes. Kandoth contributed to the task his skill with blending the elements. Nothing seemed to work so they made the vessels of more complex and intricate form and composition so that eventually they devised something into which the shadows and echoes would stay for a while. It was then that Nitara noticed that the shadows and echoes changed the objects into which she put them. They had the ability to grow and alter to better fit the world. And yet Kandoth knew that the vessels they inhabited were fragile because of the complex blend of elements. Thus the time in which a vessel was inhabited was short. However another thing they noticed was how inhabited vessels produced new vessels into which shadows and echoes instantly entered. This was how life was formed.

While some living vessels would stay still in slumber others would move and interact. Thus did the plants and animals come into the world. The shadows and echoes are what sages now call 'The Animus' and it is this ingredient that gives life to substance. The dormant Animus gives plants life while the active Animus gives animals life. Nitara loved and doted on life and tended to it so that it flourished and began covering the world. Kandoth loved to test and taunt life which only helped to scatter it across the world and make it more accustomed to the wild nature of the elements. Siblings always vex one another and it was over the plants and animals that Nitara and Kandoth bickered and became estranged.

Betrayal & Exile

As babes Kandoth and Nitara had spent much time with Garlomen & Marumi as is right for the children of parents. But as they grew to maturity they spent more time alone or just with one another. Now they had bickered and wanted to be apart. Kandoth played with the elements as was his sport. Nitara danced in the wild gardens of life. But both were lonely and in time came to keep the company of the other two elders. Kandoth was drawn to Urala whose cool reserve calmed him. Nitara was drawn to Olorin whose bold joy thrilled her. These meetings became more frequent while Olorin & Urala were parted. And over time the partings of Olorin & Urala became longer and longer. Kandoth would amuse Urala with storms to fill the still night. On day-long walks Nitara would show Olorin the plants and animals and talk long on the names and nature of these things. To start with these meetings were innocent but then furtive passion grew from the seeds of longing and neglect.

Urala flirted mercilessly but Kandoth seemed ignorant of her ways. Urala decided to force matters by making the air colder and colder but all this did was to make Kandoth pull his cloak of cloud closer to himself. Olorin too was tantalised by Nitara and one day made it so hot that Nitara removed all her garlands of vines and grass and once this was done he moved to seduce her. Olorin & Urala had an affinity which transcended immense distances and thus the ecstasy felt by Orolin was also felt by Urala. The betrayed spouse rushed to find her betrayers.

On a sunlit grassy hillside, filled with flowers and bees, Urala witnessed the carnal arts of Olorin and Nitara and was filled with a cold emptiness that turned to chill hate. She stood motionless and shed but one tear of ice. Kandoth had followed her and drew to her side. On seeing her condition, and then the writhing ardour of Olorin and Nitara, Kandoth flew into a rage and interrupted the lovers. As soon as Olorin and Nitara were once more aware of the world beyond themselves, they were filled with shock and remorse. This only seemed to enrage Kandoth further, and he rushed at them wielding his iron spear. Olorin rose to meet the onslaught open handed and did his best to overpower the wild Kandoth. Nitara stood by in a state of distress. She loved both Olorin and her sibling Kandoth, but she feared that the armed Kandoth would harm Olorin, and in desperation drew forth her bow and fired arrows at Kandoth. Kandoth was distracted by the volley which gave Olorin the chance to disarm Kandoth and throw the spear aside. Now however, the stationary Urala entered into the fray, lifting the spear and advancing behind Olorin. Once more Nitara loosed arrows, this time at Urala, who then turned to face her attacker, spitting venom and hateful words as she did.

The rumour of this violent clash reverberated to the far ends of the world and drew the attention of Garlomen & Marumi who rushed to the scene. They were appalled at what they discovered and demanded instant cessation of hostile acts. This they were granted. They then demanded to know what the cause of all this was. Kandoth told of the infidelity of Olorin with Nitara. Olorin admitted his fault and asked Urala to forgive him for his rash and impulsive act. Urala swore that she would never forgive him and would divide the world between them so that one half would have eternal night while the other would have eternal day. Nitara simply knelt there weeping onto the grass. Garlomen & Marumi noted all this and then declared with one voice that the other four had broken the peace of the world and must be prevented from tarnishing it further with acts of division and dissent.

Garlomen & Marumi were of united purpose while the others were all wanting different things which shifted with every argument spoken and every emotion expressed. This made Garlomen & Marumi all-powerful at that moment. They gave the others an ultimatum: All intimacy other than that of Olorin & Urala must cease and all hostility must be put behind them. The consequence for anyone defying this would be the banishment of all four from the world. Nobody could agree to all of this and as a result four were exiled by two. As they left the world they were commanded to hand over to Garlomen & Marumi much of the power they had over aspects of the world they had shaped. As such Garlomen & Marumi now had day-to-day control of all the elements and combinations thereof within the world.

Paradise & The Netherworld

Olorin left the world to find a realm for himself in which to contemplate the error or his ways and find peace in his heart. However Nitara followed him at a distance. Olorin came to a vacant realm at the very ends of all the many realms upon realms of existence and non-existence. It became a realm of eternal and infinite daytime sky with the Sun at its core. Encircling this were endless clusters of white clouds and every cloud was an island on which immortals may walk. On some cloud-islands Orolin wandered or sat and pondered and golden pavements and marble arches formed from his contemplations. On other cloud-islands however Nitara strayed and the top surface of these was covered with teeming life to which she tended. On discovering her presence Olorin was kind to Nitara but also reserved. Nitara accepted this distance between them and focused on her work with the growth and fertility of living forms. This realm is known to mortals as Paradise.

Urala left the world to find a realm for herself in which to brood eternally over the injury and insult she had suffered in the world. Kandoth followed her and together they came to a vacant realm at the very ends of all the many realms upon realms of existence and non-existence. It became a realm of eternal and infinite night. In its frost-tarnished and starlit wastes Urala dwelt. Over its storm cloud covered and ragged plateaus Kandoth wandered. At times they lived alone and Kandoth was satisfied with twisting and deforming the plateaus with his storms in endless variation. At other times however Urala summoned Kandoth to her obsidian mansions and they would rend and kneed one another in desperate abandon. For Kandoth these liaisons were simply for the sating of desire. For Urala however they were futile acts of vengeance on those at another end of the universe. This realm is known to mortals as The Netherworld.

The exiled immortals had had a hand in the shaping of the world and as such were still connected to those aspects of the world over which they had ruled. Aspects of those realms emanate into this one. The Sun that shines eternally in the realm of Olorin shines also into this world during the day. The stars that coldly shimmer over the realm of Urala also fill the night of this world. The densest concentrations of life in this world are also a part of the realm of Nitara. The wildest storms of this world are also storms in the realm of Kandoth. While the realms are distant they are also woven together with every aspect they have in common. But in this world the power of the Exiled is limited by the diluting power of Garlomen & Marumi who exist within it and across it and under and over it still.

The Visitors

Garlomen and Marumi would work long and hard to manage the world and would then retire together to a modest dwelling. They were comforted by the company each gave the other and yet they also secretly desired more company than they now had.

One misty evening Marumi was at the well drawing water when she felt a chill and saw a shrouded figure watching her from a safe distance. By the time she had summoned Garlomen to see, the figure had gone, and Garlomen dismissed it as merely the imagination of his over-tired spouse. However, the next morning, Garlomen was digging furrows in the garden in which to plant seeds, and he too saw a shrouded figure watching him from afar. This time it was Garlomen who summoned Marumi, and this time it was Marumi who came too late to see the elusive form, but she believed her spouse, as she had seen it herself the night before.

That day both Garlomen & Marumi were too busy to ponder the apparition over-much, but that evening they were visited, this time by five cloaked and hooded figures who came right to the front door. Garlomen & Marumi met with these figures and asked them to introduce themselves. It was at this that the central of the five figures stepped forward and spoke.

The five figures were immortals much like Garlomen & Marumi. They were looking for a world to call home. They had taken a liking to the Lands and wished to have permission to live in it. More importantly they knew a secret that would make the Lands change and grow to its fullest and best - a secret they were prepared to share if they could become part of the Lands. Garlomen & Marumi were wary yet curious. The Speaker told them of the secret:

The shadows and echoes that filled the Lands had always been there and were now populating the world as plants and animals. But some of the shadows and echoes were newer than the world and were themselves the emanations of the gods and goddesses that had shaped the Lands. Every movement of Olorin, Urala, Kandoth, Nitara, Garlomen & Marumi had cast further shadows and echoes into the world and they were as eternal and divine as those who had inadvertently produced them.

The Speaker went onto say that the native shadows & echoes of the Lands were the Animus that gave plants and animals temporary life but that the divine emanations would give them spirit and life of an eternal form. These fragments of Spirit could be attached to wakeful Animus and change animals into new and wondrous beings that would go onto make the Lands a truly spectacular world of never-ending change.

Garlomen & Marumi were fascinated and asked many questions. They were told that the quantity of Spirit was numerous yet limited in comparison with Animus and that only some animals would ever be imbued with such Spirit. They were told that the personality invested into the Spirit by experiencing a mortal life was then as eternal as the Spirit itself. They were promised that over time the gods and goddesses would be attended by an ever-growing community of eternal companions.

Garlomen & Marumi then asked why the strangers wanted to do all this. The answer came from the Speaker: They craved a world of growth and change. They desired companions beyond the handful they knew. They wished for a world in which to share all these things. And they desired to rule over aspects of such a world. It was then that the four other visitors threw away the cloaks that had hid them. The Speaker stayed shrouded but introduced the other four each in turn.

Bernali was a statuesque woman who desired to instruct the new living spirits in how to live together in peace and harmony. She would become Goddess of Law.

Teloch was a lean man who desired to show the new living spirits how to fight in those times that peace was beyond their grasp. He would become God of War.

Linesa was a petite woman who desired to show the new living spirits how to live together and sing and play and fill the nights with music. She would become Goddess of Culture.

Elchemar was a wiry man who desired to instruct the new living spirits in how to take raw substances and form them into tools with which to fill the days with work. He would become the God of Artifice.

Finally the Speaker was offered as the one who would gather Spirits that had detached from living forms and deliver them to whichever god or goddess was best suited to offer them care and guidance.

All of this excited Garlomen & Marumi but they needed time to think so they asked for another meeting the following evening. To this the Speaker - now known as the Deliverer - and the other four agreed. That night Garlomen & Marumi discussed the world-making proposition. They wanted what was offered but they still wanted the world to be as they had shaped it. Garlomen declared that together they held sway over the eternal forces of nature and that the temporary lives of those to be created must never surpass those forces. Marumi observed that the five strangers all had a common purpose but all had divergent desires and that only the softly spoken manner of the Deliverer held them together. With that in mind she proposed that the Deliverer be befriended over the others.

The next evening the five visitors met the two residents of the Lands. Garlomen & Marumi indicated that they would welcome the visitors and engage in the cause of investing life with spirit as long as some conditions were met. One condition was that they be present at the moment that every new vessel was invested with spirit. Another was that the visitors must maintain abodes beyond the world, that only Garlomen & Marumi would permanently reside in the Lands, and that they would welcome the visitors to their home, expanding it so that each visitor had a wing to themselves. Four of the visitors looked set to protest such demands but the Deliverer declared the offer more than generous and persuaded the others to agree. Garlomen & Marumi - united as always - invited the others to dine with them and to discuss the coming project. The seven gods and goddesses all ate well and drank too much that night.

The hosts observed the interactions of their guests. Teloch and Elchemar only conversed together on the topic of perfecting arms and tactics. Bernali and Linesa only conversed together on the topic of how custom and decree affect one another. Bernali and Elchemar conversed frequently and seemed to have a relaxed and well-practiced relation. Teloch and Linesa switched rapidly from bickering to jesting and this seemed to be how they preferred relating. As the wine flowed the hosts noticed that Teloch and Bernali had a tense argument over just how much aggression could be curbed in life. Likewise they noticed that Elchemar was annoyed by the way in which Linesa would taunt and flirt with him. They also noticed that The Deliverer could end any altercation with just a word or a look. Afterwards in private Garlomen & Marumi themselves had an argument as to the nature of The Deliverer - Garlomen insisted on a feminine visage but Marumi was sure of seeing a masculine face.

The Birth

The next morning they all rose to begin the work of making the men and women of the Lands. Garlomen and Marumi took the others to a distant valley which they felt was the safest locale for new life to begin. They summoned to them a few dozen animals of inquisitive and gregarious temperament. The Deliverer put them all to sleep. The Deliverer then showed the others how to find and capture fragments of Spirit and how to insert them into the animals. At once the Spirit would bond with the Animus and changes would be observed in the form of the body.

The first dozen enspirited forms rose and were so amazed by the world they experienced that they overlooked the gods and goddesses among them. Or if they did notice the creators it was only to assume that they were peers. They rushed with glee into the meadows and forests of the Lands to find paths and lives for themselves. The descendents of these flawed creations became the Elves of today.

The second dozen enspirited forms changed but continued to slumber. The visitors became impatient and so the Deliverer began work on the next dozen and set the sleepers aside in a safe gully. The sleepers persisted in sleeping and did so till the gods and goddesses departed and night fell. On waking the sleepers assumed that they had always been that way and went wandering into the hills and vales. The descendents of these flawed creations became the Dwarves of today.

The third dozen enspirited forms rose and responded to the presence of the gods and goddesses with fear and anger. They snarled and scratched more fiercely than they ever had as animals. They ran into the caves and catacombs that dotted the valley and hid away from the light. The descendents of these flawed creations became the Orcs of today.

The Deliverer went on like this till finally an enspirited form was produced which stayed and harkened to the words of the gods and goddesses. It was these satisfactory creations that became Humanity and it is only Humanity which truly follows the purposes intended them by the gods and goddesses.

Humanity has since followed the guidance of the gods and goddesses and formed bonds of loyalty with all of them - whether they are resident in the world or vistors or even with the exiles who still hold sway over aspects of the Lands.

And since the immortals had helped make mortals they then needed to rest just as mortals do. As such the visitors went to vacant realms at the very ends of all the many realms upon realms of existence and non-existence to find new homes that are nonetheless woven together with the world in which we live our lives.

Harmonium & Discordia

Bernali and Elchemar decided to both dwell in what became Harmonium. In it cogs and wheels the size of islands turn in intricate patterns across an eternal sky. Every wheel is a citadel dedicated to precision and predictability. Every wheel has a 'top-side' of silvery day and a 'bottom-side' of black lamp-lit night. Rules and regulations govern everything - even the pulses of those who reside there. Artifice develops in many a workshop and laboratory according to strict experimental procedures.

The Harmonians debate laws which only Bernali can ratify. Likewise the Harmonians develop new skills of craft solely arising from the inspirational directives of Elchemar. Only in the Lands can mortals dictate such things for themselves. In Harmonium everyone is content because that is the temperament that realm imbues in them. Every Harmonian has a precise rank and role and all tasks are done as they march the streets of steel and glass and etched stone.

Teloch and Linesa decided to both dwell in what became Discordia. It is an inverted world in which inhabitants walk on the inner surfaces of a twisting and ever-changing array of gigantic tunnels and chambers. The tunnels are a wilderness of capricious climate and habitat. The tunnels gather at chambers that are like provinces ruled over by tiny suns or moons that hang in the centre of those chambers and determine whether a chamber is of permanent day or eternal night. Every inhabitant can seek its own fate and over days whole nations can gather and scatter with the whims of those who comprise them.

The Discordians fight with one another for whatever cause or passion drives them. Likewise the Discordians sing new songs and tell new tales at a whim and customs are changed as quickly as garments. The will of even one Discordian can alter the way in which the realm in its vicinity behaves - Discordia is a world made of the moods of its inhabitants.

The Eternal Hall & The Shadowlands

The Deliverer needed a home in which to both work and rest and that realm more than any other realm sits between all realms and allows access to all realms. The spirits of the Lands pass into The Eternal Hall of the Deliverer on the way to serving whichever god or goddess has claimed them. The Eternal Hall seems to be a misty nothingness till one looks for a while in a particular direction and sees shaded walkways and gardens emerging from the greyness like a pencil drawing that slowly takes on shades and forms. There are many benches on which to rest and many arches accessing other realms.

The Deliverer visits the Lands more than the other Visitors and yet Garlomen & Marumi only met with that guardian of spirits sporadically. Garlomen & Marumi decided that they - like the others - needed to be connected to and yet distinct from the Lands. And as all of existence is an infinite multitude of shades and hues so they shifted their home to be only minutely removed from that of mortals. The Shadowlands are a hazy reflection of the Lands from all eras and none in which spirits carry on much as they did in life and tend to everyday chores and tasks like hunting and fishing and farming.

And so the Lands and the habitations of the Divine are intertwined in never-ending spirals. An eternity of moments in a moment of eternity confines us still and yet now the world which the gods and goddesses scrutinize is one of dazzling colour and movement from which the stillness and emptiness have been vanquished.

Gender & Sexuality

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What follows is something of a scholarly discussion of the nature of gender and sexuality within the context of a particular fantasy world. Natural and cultural factors in the mundane world are reconsidered within a somewhat different context - an alternative history of sexuality if you will. As such this chapter will be of most interest to those role-players who are also students of human nature.

Stratification & Specialisation

Will the natural differences between the genders result in differences of stratification (power) or specialisation (role) within society for the men and women of a fantasy setting? In the Lands the answer will be yes only to a limited extent and only in specific contexts.

The only natural gender differences that manifest in the D&D game mechanics utilised in The Lands are those of size and longevity: Average size is greater for men than women while average life expectancy is greater for women than men. One may expect these differences to also produce cultural differences but they are usually of a very limited nature.

A male warrior who assumes he is better than a female warrior simply by virtue of size soon discovers his mistake if she has as much talent with a sword as he. Furthermore the barbaric heritage of many cultures persists in the notion that if one can fight one should be prepared to do just that. At most the greater average mass of men may direct more of them into the lifting and carrying work of a labourer, but this specialisation would hardly convey greater status to men.

A woman will only have greater life experience than a man in her very old age, still this may be a sufficient difference for some cultures to accord to women a greater role in the transmission of oral traditions, but this will only convey to women a small status advantage, if at all. The small practical differences described may be exaggerated in some cultures and in one in particular they have been turned into a strict rule of life...

The Cavar and Magøsha of Rovnara

In the distant past of the nation-state of Rovnara there was a king and queen whose actions granted fame and prosperity to the Rovnarans. The king happened to be a master horse-riding warrior while his partner the queen happened to be a mistress of the magical arts. Together they forged a nation and routed its opponents. They became role-models for the Rovnaran nobility and over time this model came to be a rigidly enforced set of gender roles. Now any self-respecting Rovnaran man wishes to be a Cavar while and self-respecting Rovnaran woman wishes to be one of the Magøsha. Cavar must cultivate standard warrior skills including that of riding. Magøsha must cultivate standard mage talents and also perfect the brewing of the famed Red Rum of Rovnara. If spouses wish to rule a clan they must conform to these roles. Any woman wishing to be a warrior is ostracised. Likewise any man who aspires to be a mage is ostracised.

Why bother to be something if you can be better at another thing? Why defy the traditions that have served your nation so well? The closest any woman comes to becoming a warrior in Rovnaran society is as a priestess of Teloch the God of War. The closest any man comes to becoming a mage in Rovnaran society is as a Bard (since they have some arcane spell-casting ability). Such persons are rare. Those who object to these limitations tend to migrate to other nations.

While size and longevity are the only gender differences explicitly expressed in game mechanics, others will be relevant to game play. Males may tend to aggression moreso than women but cannot be assured of besting a calm and calculating opponent. Many women will spend some time in pregnancy and this will limit mobility. The life of a woman is likely to be more sedentary than that of a man. However, this only affects particular women at particular times, and in those cultures that are moreorless sedentary the difference will be hardly worth noting. Still, culture can exaggerate nature, and in one case this distinction between mobile and sedentary has been locked into cultural life...

Attack and Defence roles within the Dwarven Military

It is interesting that the race with the lowest fertility rates would be the one to most insist on the sedentary home-oriented role of women. In Dwarven culture women are associated with the defence and preservation of the home, while men are associated with the forward defence of the nation as a whole. In other words, among Dwarven warriors, men take on offensive roles while women take on defensive roles. Troops of male dwarves will rush into the fray with battle axes or swords slashing while female dwarves stand on the fortress walls hurling throwing axes or firing crossbows. Dwarven culture and institutions direct men and women into these kinds of roles and they develop particular skills accordingly.

The tendency for men to be more energetic and for women to be more enduring has become a self-evident truth among Dwarves: Only women are trusted to command a home-base and only men are trusted with leading an assault on an enemy stronghold. These traditions have had an interesting affect on the overall power-status of men and women in Dwaven society: Among the Mountain Dwarves, who live a secure life in the well-defended Iron Mountains, women are more important in military command structures, while among the Hill Dwarves, whose long-term mission is to retake the Seven Hills from its Hill Giant captors, men play a greater role in the network of exiles.

So far differences that derive from natural facts, even if they are then exaggerated by culture, have been discussed, but what of those gender differences that are wholly cultural in nature? One key concept that has some impact on the way that men and women behave and relate is the gendered identity of particular Divine personages. The characteristics of particular gods and goddesses are assumed by many to reflect the fundamental nature of the genders. So, all sorts of assumptions and characterisations are made of men and women, based on the 'portfolios' of the different gods and goddesses. A quick look at the roles and character of the gods and goddesses as described will show the numerous flaws in such assumptions. However those assumptions exist, and are prevalent in many cultures. These assumptions are regularly challenged, but those who challenge them may find themselves the subject of humour or dismissal. They will then have to make more of an effort to succeed in whatever walk-of-life or pasttime they have chosen to undertake. As such, gender differences 'derived' from Divinity are far from absolute, and while they may affect specialisation, they tend not to affect stratification, except in particular institutions...

The 'Glass Dome' within the Churches

The differences between the genders assumed to be characterised by the gods and goddesses are taken for granted within the churches themselves. A cleric must aspire to be as like the god or goddess they follow as they possibly can be and it is assumed that they will do this better if they are of the same gender. A cleric of Olorin will be assumed to have more of the characteristics of Olorin if they are male while a cleric of Urala will be assumed to have more of the characteristics of Urala if they are female. As a result of this assumption it is much more likely that the church of a god will be presided over by a patriarch while the church of a goddess will be presided over by a matriarch. There are never any rules to insist on this but there is firm prejudice within churches on this issue. In only two churches is there a lack of such discrimination: The Druidic Movement (which follow Garlomen and Marumi both) and the Church of the Deliverer (who has both masculine and feminine aspects). None of the prejudices existing in the rest of the churches have any particular affect on lay worshippers, only on clerics themselves.

So, nature plays a part in gender difference as well as culturally constructed phenomena. In the discussion just passed we can see that there is gender discrimination in The Lands, but that it is relative rather than absolute, and tends to affect specialisation moreso than stratification. In this sense, different aspects of power are vested to a greater or lesser extent in persons of particular gender, rather than having a world in which one gender is always and in all spheres the dominant one.

Sexual Orientation

In a world of some millions all manner of inclinations and practices will exist and saying there is only one 'natural' way is a bold statement indeed. However there will be practices that are deemed the norm due to the combined factors of economics and culture.

Gender Preferences

The economics of much of The Lands is one of subsistence. One of the key bulwarks standing between a village and its destitution is population. There is a strong imperative to reproduce therefore that is emphasised by traditional culture and is regarded as a vital contribution to the community. Infertility is a subject of pity but those who actively neglect the duty to reproduce well into adulthood are looked on with growing suspicion. Homosexuals must be very discrete lest they be exiled from the community. Those so exiled (sometimes thrashed and stripped of all possessions in the process) tend to move to larger population centres in which to start a new life.

In a city homophobia still exists but in the form of slurs and sneers. In a prosperous population centre only some ever need to reproduce and as a result the old punishments due to homosexuals lie dormant in the statute books. Someone at risk in a village can blend into the crowd and be relatively safety in a city. Furthermore they can find small pockets of society in which they are accepted - mages tend to be more accepting than most of different forms of sexuality (since ultimately they regard all sexuality as a mere frivolity compared with the exhilaration and fulfillment of magic).

Nonetheless heterosexuality is the majority inclination. The assumption of the normality of heterosexuality is also bolstered somewhat by religion. None of the churches condone homosexuality and one church - that of Nitara the Goddess of Fertility - actively promotes the virtue and joy of heterosexuality (even to the extent that some of its holy songs are practically bawdy tavern fare). They have an interesting solution to homosexuality however - such persons can be accepted into society if and only if they take on a profession that actively promotes fertility (such as animal-husbandry and midwifery).

Elvish culture is different however in its full recognition of sexuality as having a recreational and bond-forming aspect. The default among Elves is a form of bisexuality. Any human culture that has been affected by Elvish culture (specifically the Sea Cities) will likewise have taken on some of this perspective.

Dwarvish libido is so scant that it always needs some external factor to promote action of an amorous kind. Dwarvish culture emphasises the need to continue the family line or to promote alliances between clans. As such only heterosexuality ever gets that extra 'push' it needs and homosexuality stays dormant. One Dwarvish smith has commented that "sure men are cuter than women, but a well-forged sword is even cuter".

Full-blooded Orcs are only interested in sex during Springtime. The focus of sexuality is on reproduction so the other gender is always the target of attraction. However young Orcs will sometimes 'practice' with same-sex peers within the clan.

Monogamy or Polyamory

The same reproductive imperative that promotes heterosexuality also tends to support monogamy but only for the purposes of having children. It is deemed prudent to only have children with one partner even if one may have had other partners in life. It is normal for marriage to follow intercourse rather than the other way around. Still the desire to have one partner at a time is culturally entrenched (even if it is frequently altered to having only one public partner at a time). Open polyamory is rare except in the case (once more) of cultures affected by contact with Elvish society.

The clerics of the Deliverer are among the most stringent advocates of the incest taboo and adherence to monogamy. Critics joke that this is because they want to simplify the job of the genealogist (a role which many such clerics fulfill). Nonetheless this stance has an impact on culture and as such morality in many villages is particularly traditional and it is the local cleric of the Deliverer who is behind most 'bow-and-arrow marriages'.

Celibacy

Celibacy of a voluntary kind is regarded as peculiar in adults. Even among clerics it is unusual. Only in the church of Urala is it presented as a worthy life path for those who have been sufficiently injured by the torments of passionate love. Still there will be those who are so focused on a particular vocation or life-work that they eschew sexuality entirely. Some mages focus so much on magic as to find any other kind of activity utterly mundane. Likewise many Dwarvish artisans find that the fascinations of craft far exceed those of the limited Dwarvish libido.

The Calling of the Clergy

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The priests and priestesses of the Lands are the most numerous of the representatives of the gods and goddesses in the mortal world. They are normal mortals who have answered a calling to become followers and agents for one or more immortal and supernatural powers. In the course of this work they become both pillars of the community and holders of divinely inspired spell-like powers. Anyone interested in priests and priestesses will also be interested in the Gods & Goddesses.

From Druids to Clerics

In the ancient past all humans lived in small rustic villages or wandered in nomadic bands. At this time the only kind of clergy were the shamans of nature who represented all the elder gods and goddesses at once. For these shamans all the gods and goddesses were one close family grouping (much like the humans the shamans lived among) and all these powers together shared in ruling and preserving the forces of nature. In the ages since human populations have grown larger and more complex and with this there came a growing trend towards separate congregations with preferences for particular powers including the younger gods and goddesses (this trend seems to have started in Lehenic lands).

Nowadays the most common kind of holy person is the cleric who services one god or goddess and officiates to a particular community of worshippers. However among rural villagers one can still find nature clergy in the form of the Druids. Druids venerate Garlomen & Marumi in particular. However they also follow neutral aspects of Olorin, Urala, Kandoth and Nitara. One can find flourishing churches of all powers (except Garlomen and Marumi who are exclusively Druidic) in all major population centres. More can be known of the Druids by examining the tales of the Royal Dagger of the Brethic Overlord (see in Sage Scrivenings).

Relations with Warriors

After the common masses of labourers and artisans the most numerous class is that of the warriors. Clergy recognise it is important therefore to interpret Divine messages in a way that will resonate well with warriors. Some churches do this better than others. Druids connect well with the amateur militia of villages. The clerics of Bernali relate well to city guard while clerics of Teloch relate well to mercenary soldiers. There will however be warriors among the congregations of all the churches and clergy will recognise the need to employ some warriors to assist in defending the personnel and holdings of the church.

Relations with Mages

There is much suspicion of mages among clergy. For Druids the mages are renegades with the arrogance to try and control natural forces rather than serve them. For many clerics there is a sense of outrage that mages can cast spells while purporting to serve nobody but themselves. Some clergy deny that anyone can get magical power free from some form of commitment to a supernatural entity and these feel sure that mages are themselves a clandestine form of cleric who surely must serve some Wayward Spriits which aspire to Divine status. They disparagingly refer to mages as ‘warlocks’ or ‘witches’. Other clergy however have the sense to co-exist with mages and discover that some mages will even become members of their congregations. However the rivalry between these two classes is strong (in some cases particularly so as between Necromancers and Clerics of the Deliverer).

Relations with Rogues

For clergy most of the acts of a rogue are defilements of moral strictures. And for all clergy the presence of rogues is regarded as a danger to the congregations they care for. A survey of the portfolios of the various gods and goddesses shows that none of them specifically endorse secrecy or stealth nor do they admire notions of short-cuts to getting what one wants from life. However there will always be particular cases in which they recognise the worth of particular rogues (despite what they do) or even the value of roguish acts in extreme circumstances.

Races of Clergy

All races have characters who are deemed to be priests and priestesses. However a distinction needs to be made between human clergy who serve well-defined gods and goddesses and non-human clerics who venerate and draw inspiration from other more amorphous powers.

The Elves are pantheists and venerate ‘the Universe of which we are an integral part’. Elves think that the spirit becomes part of one eternal and infinite spirit. The most accomplished of Elvish clerics therefore also develop some magical talents.

The Dwarves preserve the memory of legendary ancestors from which they think they are reincarnated.

Some humans suggest that these non-humans are therefore godless but they still have among them persons who perform priestly roles and who can access divine spell-like powers.

Halflings worship Halfling incarnations of the same well-defined gods and goddesses as humans - The Deliverer is particularly popular.

Half-Orcs can become clerics of human gods and goddesses or they can be Orcish shamans.

Note that only humans and Half-Elves may be Druids.

Some Notes on the Churches

The characteristics of every church can be derived from the descriptions given in other documents of the gods or goddesses they follow. However a few comments can be made on the structural and cultural aspects of particular churches…

The Druids

The Druidic movement is unique in that it is organised on the basis of natural rather than political borders. As a result the power structures of the Druids transcend national identity. This makes the Druids the only transnational religious structure in the Lands (which wins them the resentment of some national rulers). There is one Grand Druid who resides in the ancestral homeland of the Deben Wood. That figure is served in turn by three Druidic Cardinals - one each for Westara, The Wandering Lands, and the Eastern Expanse. The institution of separate churches is so old in Nerina and its surrounds that unitary nature worship is all-but-extinct there (however the Sinti have a religion that seems practically Druidic if independent of the authority of Deben Wood). Note that Druids will only consume meat if they or those serving the meal have hunted and killed the giver of that meat.

The Churches of Bernali and Elchemar

These two churches follow very different powers but both are characterised by a very lawful disposition. As such the churches of both Bernali and Elchemar are very well organised and structured. Also they cultivate and preserve strong formal links between national church groups. So they conduct regular exchange programs in which every national church has representatives present in every other national church. Likewise both churches hold international conferences annually. The Conclave of Bernali allows its attendants to work towards common legal standards across the Lands while the Convention of Elchemar allows for the display and sharing of all manner of new technological developments from across the Lands.

The Churches of Teloch and Linesa

These churches are much more disparate in nature and every national church has developed over time in almost complete isolation from any others. This is in keeping with the chaotic nature of these two powers. As a result one will find marked differences between the clergy of both Teloch and Linesa from one nation to the next. Every national church of Teloch comes to identify with the military needs and characteristics of its own state. Every national church of Linesa comes to mirror the national culture of its home nation. There is a recognition and respect between clergy of the same power from different nations but rarely anything more than that.

Village Churches of the Deliverer

In urban areas the churches of separate gods and goddesses are most common. In rural areas the unitary worship of nature under the guidance of Druids is most common. However there are some villages in bordering territory between urban and rural areas in which there is a desire to follow separate powers exclusively but a lack of infrastructure to warrant having several separate churches. In such villages a practice has developed in which there is just one church – nominally of the Deliverer – at which small shrines are housed for every god and goddess. The village church will have just one cleric of the Deliverer but worshippers of other powers can also use the space. This development arises from the fact that the Deliverer has the best relations with all other gods and goddesses. Also the services of the Church of the Deliverer (graveyards and genealogy records) are ones most needed by any small community.

The Calling of the Warrior

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Warriors are the most numerous of all adventuring classes and are found in all strata of society from aristocratic knights to peasant militia. They are common in every culture from barbaric to sedentary. Many never exceed the lowest of levels and blend imperceptibly among the non-adventuring labourers of ordinary society. The roles to which warriors can apply themselves are numerous and include city guard, mercenary, bodyguard, prize-fighter, bandit and pirate.

Experts at Arms

What sets warriors apart from other classes is the extent to which they can become expert wielders of particular weapons. Members of other classes may become proficient over time in a number of weapons and a few exceptionally experienced ones may even become specialised in one weapon. Warriors however can be specialised in particular weapons from the very start and become specialised in many over time. A warrior using a specialised weapon fights faster and with more devastating effect.

Rangers

Rangers in the Lands are practitioners of a particular way-of-life that was originally developed among Planavic villagers faced with assault and oppression from numerically more powerful military opponents (even from rival Planavic clans). Rangers are warriors who eschew those notions of honour which insist that the warrior must always face opponents openly. If such conduct will allow a more powerful force to win and oppress peaceful non-combatants then Rangers will abandon it for other methods. Rangers have an affinity with others of that movement but are partisan and will always support the needs of their own community - at times they will even be found fighting on two sides of the same conflict. Most travel the Eastern Expanse but there are some scattered much further afield.

Rangers practice a blend of both bravery and shrewdness which allows for stealth and surprise in the service of defending ones freedom. As such they cultivate skills associated with wilderness survival and surprise attack – in particular tracking. They can use herbalism as an alternative to the curative powers of the clergy. In accordance with many generations of habit they become expert in ranged weapons such as spear or bow-and-arrow. They also favour the combination of long sword and hand axe. They tend to venerate both Nitara and Teloch. The movement to date has only ever counted humans and Half-Elves among its number.

Paladins

Paladins in the Lands are members of one of two sibling orders of knights. These two orders are associated with the Erimanic nation-states of Rolania and Bordenia respectively. Paladins are armed defenders of the honour and virtue of those nations and must be drawn from the aristocracy (whether by blood or elevation to knighthood) and as a result Paladins are always human. They were specifically formed to test the accuracy of claims to Eriman royal blood and some Paladins will travel far and wide in order to make such investigations.

As warriors the Paladins are expert in particular weapons – the bastard sword, the lance, and the mace. They are also proficient in such aristocratic skills as horse riding and etiquette. In addition to this Paladins study under the tutelage of clerics of the churches of Olorin and Bernali and over time can access some divine spell-like effects. Paladins must follow a knightly code which includes the virtues of hope, trust, forgiveness, truth, justice, and the reciprocal nature of the relationship between nobility and commoners. The two orders are independent of one another but keep in regular contact. These orders form a small but important part of the national militia to which they are attached.

Relations with Mages

In some ways mages and warriors are as different as can be. Many warriors are extremely suspicious of the spell-casting eccentrics who can best them in combat despite a complete lack of fighting prowess. However there are some warriors who recognise that the skills of the two classes compliment one another and who are prepared to work with mages. These warriors are likely to be receptive to evokers in particular.

Relations with Clergy

As has been noted, Paladins associate closely with particular clerics. Beyond that warriors may have any disposition towards the churches that they want. This will vary considerably depending on the particular warrior and also depending on which kind of clergy. Druids will be well received by any warrior who comes from the rural areas in which they serve. In more urban areas warriors will tend to gravitate towards particular churches depending on life circumstances. Both bandits and pirates are fond of Kandoth. Teloch is attractive to the mercenary while Bernali is more attractive to the city guard. The rivalry between the churches of Teloch and Bernali for the attention of warriors is well-developed.

Relations with Rogues

Warriors will tend to be wary of rogues particularly if they object to cunning and trickery as a way-of-life. As such Paladins denigrate the methods of rogues while Rangers will form a judgement based more on the objectives of a rogue. In the case of one particular kind of rogue – the Bard – warriors will tend to be much more receptive to these characters to the extent that they are fond of story-telling and music.

Races of Warriors

There are warriors among all races. Specific characteristics will differ however in relation to preferred arms and armour.

Important Groups of Warriors

There are two traditions that are so old as to have taken on the status of distinctive warrior callings - the Rangers and Paladins. However there are other groups of warrior in the Lands that are also worth noting.

The Crossed Blades Pirates

Pirates have existed for generations along the coast of the Great Ocean. They have utilised the Pirate Isles as the location of hideaways and safe ports for ages. But they have always acted independent of one another - every ship its own mobile nation. However recently many pirate ships are uniting under one banner. Rather than use the Skull And Crossed Bones they use a new Skull And Crossed Blades (representing the love they have of the combined attack of long-with-short sword). This new fleet is causing much difficulty and danger to merchant vessels.

The Battering Ram Mercenary Company

The existence of small groups of mercenary troops is common in the Lands but only one is regarded as rivalling national militia in its size and professionalism – the Battering Ram Mercenary Company stationed outside the walls of the free city of Ivana. The Planavic warriors of Ivana are more loyal to the fifteen separate ancestral clans they serve than they are towards the city itself. In response to this the current Duke of Ivana has seen fit to extend a long-term welcome to the Battering Ram in return for its services as overall city militia. In addition to this the Battering Ram provides all manner of military services big and small from armed escort for caravans to mediation services between rival clans.

The Cavar

The Cavar are the horse-riding warriors of Rovnara. In Rovnaran culture only men may be warriors and these warriors must as a matter of course develop horse-riding skills. The only infrantryman in Rovnara is one who has lost his horse. If he wishes to be the patron of a clan he must both be a Cavar and take a Magøsha as his spouse. This is all because the original king of Rovnara was of such a kind.

The Calling of the Rogue

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Practitioners of the skills of stealth and intrigue are known in general parlance as rogues. This vague coverall term hides within it a variety of many different roles and behaviours including robbery, burglary, espionage, reconnaissance, sabotage, smuggling, extortion, hustling, kidnapping and assassination. Many of the ‘thieving skills’ utilised in these roles are deemed criminal in most states but the purposes for which they are used can cover the entire gamut of morality. Many rogues are entirely self-serving but some serve particular causes whether for good or ill. Rogues are most commonly found in areas of concentrated population. One can find both men and women and even boys and girls in the many different roles of the rogue and at all levels of strata of society. They usually work alone but sometimes thieves are known to band together in underground gangs.

Bards

The term bard is frequently used interchangeably with other words like ‘minstrel’. However correctly the name Bard refers only to the members of a clandestine network of rogues who present themselves to the world as storytelling musicians but who have covert motives over-and-above those of garden-variety minstrels. They do look like minstrels however wandering and playing on lute or fife or drum. The Bardic movement has members in all nations and city-states. It lacks any formalized structure or written rules but rather is governed by an oral tradition preserved by all members of the movement. Many of its mores are preserved and conveyed in the form of songs and tales and the more experienced a Bard becomes the fuller a sense they will have of the purposes of the movement to which they belong. One common theme that seems to unite Bardic tales and songs is the dangers inherent in power. Many tales tell of the exciting but ultimately corrupting days of long-lost empires which have long since been replaced by a disparate array of nations and city-states. It is speculated that the Bards intention is to preserve the present world of many small powers.

The Bardic movement originated in the Brethic Hills and Deben Wood and as a result today Bards regardless of kin sport some trappings of the Brethic culture such as torcs and tartan. More can be known on the origins of Bards by examining the tales of the Royal Dagger of the Brethic Overlord (see in Sage Scrivenings). In addition to thieving skills the Bards also use mnemonic skills (utilised in memorising tales and songs) in memorising magic spells for later casting. This is something other Rogues cannot do (they depend on the haphazard use of spell scrolls). Bards count humans, Halflings and Half-Elves among them.

Relations with Warriors

Rogues sometimes dismiss the combat prowess of warriors in preference for the ‘dirty tactics’ of a street-fighting rogue. This they do however at their peril. Smarter rogues recognise the danger represented by an experienced warrior and do what they can to keep on the right side of warriors or keep away from them altogether.

Relations with Mages

Rogues tend to both respect and envy mages for the magical talent they possess. Many rogues regard magic as a kind of short-cut to power while others find its status as a form of secret knowledge enticing. As such many rogues play at studying the scrawlings on spell scrolls in the hope of using the power represented by them. They can only haphazardly cast spells and can never memorise spells (with the exception of the Bards whose movement has developed secret ways of tutoring its members in successful spell-casting mnemonics). Needless to say mages find this all very frustrating and are dismissive of rogues as hopeless try-hards. They also recognise, however, that the non-magical skills of rogues are sometimes as or more effective than magic in getting the job done.

Relations with Clergy

There is much resentment between rogues and clergy as rogues defy too many of the conventions of behaviour that churches tend to advocate. An exception to this is the clerics of Urala who can understand some of the motives of rogues (endorsing however is another matter). These are all generalizations as it will always depend on the particular rogues and clergy in question and the actions and interests of these characters. Needless to say rogues will worship all or none of the gods and goddesses as whim or need dictate but are particularly attracted to Urala. Some are also keen on Linesa and Elchemar.

Races of Rogues

Rogues can be found among all races in one form or another (except for Bards among whom one only seems to find humans, Halflings and Half-Elves). The skills of stealth and secrecy and the desire for the ‘quick path’ to wealth and power characterise members of all races.

There is a tendency for members of one race who live among members of a different race to fall into roguish ways (the Halfling thief among humans is more common than the Halfling thief among Halflings). One can speculate then that roguish behaviour is partly the product of isolation or anomie.

Important Groups of Rogues

The tradition of the Bards is so old as to have taken on the status of a distinctive roguish calling. However there are other groups of rogues in the Lands that are also worth noting.

Guild of Acquisitors

Many cities have thieves 'guilds' or 'clans' (usually there is only one such group per city but that guild can be riven with bitter factional rivalry). At one time the most rich and powerful of such over-blown gangs was the Guild of Acquisitors in Nartellfar. Recently however the Guild (which incidentally is not recognised as a guild of the city Assembly) has found itself squeezed between two other groups which compete for its secret territory. One is the Ratkin Clan who have taken residence in much of the City sewers. The other is a newly established Chimney Sweeps Guild (which is recognized by the Assembly) who actively thwart usage of the secret pathways over the rooftops of Nartellfar. The Guild of Acquisitors strongly suspects that this new guild is itself just a front for the Tapestry…

The Tapestry

The Tapestry is the secret service of the Sea Cities and is managed directly by the Council of Eight (the group who determine combined decisions of the league cities of Nartellfar, Delmisar and Orvilia). It draws on persons of thieving skills but puts those skills to use in ensuring the internal and external peace and security of the Sea Cities. It is likely that the Tapestry has agents placed in all key aspects of life in the three cities and knows many secrets.

The Adamantine Network

The power of the Warlord of Port Grazia is such that his government has succeeded in smashing any thieves guild in the capital. However many former thieves have been rehabilitated by involvement in a new body known as the Adamantine Network – the secret police of the Grazian Confederacy. These operatives use all the skills associated with thievery including the usage of spell scrolls (particularly important since the Warlord never succeeded in coopting former mages guild members into the state apparatus when all guilds of Port Grazia were abolished).

The Calling of the Mage

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Practitioners of the use of magic are known to themselves as mages but known to the rest of us as magicians. Mages are different from others and they know it. It takes a life of dedication to obscure and arcane arts in order to tap into magical phenomena and as a result mages are rare and tend to live a life apart. Mages tend to look on non-mages with pity or dismissiveness while non-mages tend to look on mages as worthy of respectful reserve (at best) or naked suspicion (at worse). In rural areas a mage that has the sponsorship of the local nobility is respected but is otherwise shunned by many. Some mages like to revel in how different they are and wear the trapping of mage-hood like robes and staves. Others however like to blend into the background by using ordinary clothes and items like daggers.

Generalists and Specialists

For most of history mages have drawn on all manner of magic. However there have always been those who had particular preferences for one brand of spell over another. These preferences have been formalised by recent generations of Narmantic mages particularly in the Sea Cities. Now there are specialist mages whose names are taken from the particular ‘schools’ of magic to which they are dedicated. Those seven schools of magic can be defined as manipulating and harnessing particular aspects of the Universe as follows...

* Illusion: Senses and Sensations
* Enchantment: Emotions and Sentiments
* Transmutation: The Four Elements
* Evocation: Forces and Energy
* Conjuration: Dimensions
* Necromancy: Animus and Spirit
* Divination: Information or Lore

As a result the term ‘mage’ now refers to generalist mages specifically. The most accomplished generalist is thus an ‘arch-mage’ while the most accomplished of specialists is known as a master or mistress. Advocates of specialisation refer to the additional power one can get within a given school of magic. Critics however note that specialists loose talent in all other areas of magic to some extent.

Wizards and Sorcerers

Both ‘wizards’ and ‘sorcerers’ are mages (whether specialist or generalist). These terms in the Lands refer to the distinction between those mages who prefer to work in conjunction with other mages (wizards) and those mages who prefer to work alone or in the company of non-mages (sorcerers). Thus one talks of ‘wizard guilds’ but ‘maverick sorcerers’. In practice a mage can be both at one time or another in life and many see the distinction as a spurious one. Others however see these distinctions as important ways of life.

The Doctrine of Rules and the Doctrine of Will

Mages have been having a long-running debate over the nature of magic-using. All agree that magic is derived from the natural forces of the universe. But there is division over how mages relate to these forces. Some argue that shaping forces into coherent spells involves profound understanding of the rules by which those forces operate – these mages adhere to the Doctrine of Rules. Others however argue that shaping forces into coherent spells depends on exercising ones will over them – these mages adhere to the Doctrine of Will. There is a tendency for wizards to prefer the Doctrine of Rules while sorcerers prefer the Doctrine of Will. Some mages however dismiss the entire debate by saying that one can only cast spells if one both understands and controls magical forces. And many mages give the whole issue scant attention – for them all that matters is that the magic works.

Relations with Warriors

In some ways mages and warriors are as different as can be. As a result many mages are utterly dismissive of the totally non-magical warriors. However other mages recognise that the skills of a warrior compliment those of the mage. Some wizards hire small groups of warriors to accompany them, while wandering sorcerers deliberately partner with adventuring warriors.

Relations with Clergy

Mages and clergy tend to be wary of one another. This wariness arises in part from confusion on the part of both classes as to what the other class is. Mages are aware that spell-casting talent is drawn from the universe directly yet the clergy insist that the spell-like powers they possess come directly from the Divine. Many mages are atheists (the only class among whom this position is at all common) and they think that clergy are therefore either deceivers or self-deluded.

Most mages however have the sense to say nothing of these arguments in the presence of the devout. Furthermore many mages do think there are gods and goddesses and even follow them - they may worship all or none as personal preference and circumstances dictate. Some have an interest in Olorin or Urala. Many more however worship Elchemar or Linesa. Those who follow Elchemar tend to favour the Doctrine of Rules while those who follow Linesa tend to favour the Doctrine of Will.

Relations with Rogues

Mages and rogues have in common the use of skill and secret information to further whatever objectives they work towards. As such there is a rarely-spoken affinity between many mages and rogues. This is reinforced by the fact that rogues can haphazardly use magical scrolls and some (the Bards) can even cast magical spells from memory. However there is another side to the relationship that arises from the fact that rogues are seen by mages as wanting to possess what the mage owns (whether it be spell books or magical devises). As a result mages are suitably wary of rogues.

Races of Mages

Only some races seem to come to the calling of the Mages. Humans can become mages including all specialists. Pretty much all specialists are humans as it was among humans that specialisation was developed.

Elves can and do become mages but in Elvish society it seems that the distinction between mages and clergy is blurred by the Elvish apprehension that “all the Universe is magical and we both participate in and venerate the Universe” and the most accomplished of Elvish mages also develop some clerical talents. Elvish culture has a preference for Divination, Illusion and Enchantment but only those Elves who live among humans ever become specialists of any kind. Half Elves can be both generalists and specialists.

Half-Orcs can become mages (always generalists) if they have lived in human society.

Dwarves of pure-blood cannot cast magic spells but those of mixed human parentage can become what are known as Spellsmiths who combine magical with mechanical skills. These Spellsmiths cannot produce spell effects themselves but can imbue objects with magic.

Halfings have immense difficulty in developing magic talents - whether due to cultural or natural factors - which (ironically) makes them attractive apprentices for some of the more miserly and selfish of human mages.

Important Groups of Mages

The distinction between different schools is a technical one but there are also some groups of mages defined by cultural or political distinctions.

The Nartellfar Guild of Magic

It is normal for a city to have its own wizards guild but most such guilds are only as powerful as the most powerful member of the guild. The Nartellfar Guild of Magic is different. As the whole basis of popular rule in Nartellfar is manifested as guild rule (the Assembly comprises the masters and mistresses of every recognised guild in the city) this instantly grants some power to the Nartellfar Guild of Magic. In particular it is given unto the Guild to police magical crime in Nartellfar and thus the guild has direct power over all mages within the City whether resident or visiting. This power is rarely abused. Nonetheless there are those among non-guild mages who resent this authority.

The Ancient Fellowship of Wizards of Farport

The thing that sets the Ancient Fellowship of Wizards of Farport apart from all other wizards guilds is the fact that its membership is open to non-mages! For a very significant fee non-mages may become associate members of the Fellowship. Many rich and powerful personages in exotic Farport have made such membership one of the things that marks one as rich and powerful. It is possibly this meeting of mages with rich and powerful non-mages that has made Farport the key workshop for the makers of magical items for the use of non-mages.

The Arcane Coterie

The ‘Coterie’ had been likened to a mercenary company but staffed by mages rather than warriors. Its only loyalty is to itself and to the temporary allegiances it undertakes. Its members allegedly reside in all nations. Membership is only open to mages who are sponsored by existing members. Everything from its membership and office-holders to its property and customs are guarded secrets of the Coterie. Anyone known to be a Coterie member is instantly the subject of much suspicion. Rarely if ever is anyone ever confirmed to be a Coterie member.

The Magøsha

The Magøsha are the sorceresses of Rovnara. In Rovnaran culture only women may be mages and these mages (always generalists) must as a matter of course develop brewing skills so as to make the Red Rum which inflames the warlike passions of the Cavar. If she wishes to be the matron of a clan she must both be a Magøsha and take a Cavar as her spouse. This is all because the original queen of Rovnara was of such a kind.

Personages of Fame & Infamy

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Non-Player Characters (NPCs) to be reckoned with whether they rule a nation or just themselves! These are presented in order of descending experience level.

...Between Eighteenth and Twentieth Level...

Larathina Feyeloni
Neutral-Good Elvish Mage

The Queen of Haven (the nation of the Ley Elves) is regarded as an arch-mage who is arguably as powerful as Magnus of Nartellfar but infinitely more subtle in her use of magic. Her great grandfather withdrew Haven to its present borders. Larathina still has a responsibility for all those of Elvish blood in both present and former Elvish territory. She closely monitors the wider world and uses her magic to aid her in her investigations. It is rumoured that she sometimes assumes the identity of an itinerant mage to experience life beyond her realm and as such some fancy that if one meets a particularly beautiful and regal Elvish women then it may well be Larathina. Larathina rides a unicorn as is customary for Elvish nobility. Also she has a Pixie familiar. She is cousin to her nominal vassal Ralarun Silfenir of the Woodland Realm. She has two spouses - one at home and another a roving envoy for her nation.

Magnus
Neutral-Good Human Mage

This Arch-Mage is one of the two Consuls of the City of Nartellfar (the two public figures selected by the Guild Assembly to rule over the city on its behalf). He is respected by many but dismissed by some as an eccentric has-been. Magnus is allegedly in his eighties but looks almost half his age so some have speculated that he has utilised magical methods of prolonging life (which he dismisses). Magnus spends much of his time travelling and is known to be well acquainted with the rulers of many other nations and city-states. Thus garishly-robed Magnus focuses on diplomacy while his colleague Noleta attends more to domestic matters. His tower in Nartellfar always seems to be the tallest despite the best efforts of rich merchants to construct taller ones. Magnus has a Mock-Dragon as his familiar

Rufus the Perverted
Lawful-Evil Human Warrior

The fifty-something year old Baron Rufus is ‘overlord’ of the nation of Port Grazia, which he forged from many smaller estates and townships to form a significant new military power. His nickname ‘Perverted’ was given him by his rival barons and baronesses at the time of his campaign to unite them together under his rule. Rufus shrugged off all such slurs, which may have had some effect of his standing among the nobility, but did nothing to lessen his popularity with the warriors under both his and rival banners. For over a decade now Rufus has ruled with an iron fist, allowing just sufficient freedom necessary to allow the Grazia Confederacy to prosper while preventing it from having the libertine character of the Sea Cities. Rufus eschews many of the trappings of nobility including the title of Duke that some have suggested he should use.

...Between Fifteenth and Seventeenth Level...

Yale the Wild
Chaotic-Neutral Human Warrior

Of all the barbarians of the Wandering Lands, Yale the Wild has won the most renown for his adventures. Every Summer the Eriman warriors of the far-northern Wandering Lands gather for several days of sports and feasting and Yale wins any contest he chooses to partake in. They say that Yale is the only warrior to have ever survived and escaped the test of the maze of Mount Fate. Yale looks like a hale and hearty forty-something but nobody knows his year of birth.

Torin Arcane
Neutral-Evil Human Necromancer

This Master Necromancer was once a student of the Arch-Mage Magnus. They are now known to resent one another and some even say that Torin established the Arcane Coterie merely as a way to elevate his reputation over that of his old mentor. Now forty, Torin manages the Coterie from one of several secret residences. Most recently it is rumoured that he has occupied the long-abandoned and derelict Tower of Mist – a remote site regarded as haunted. Torin is reputed to be a master of intrigue and thus his plans and plots are as opaque as his black cloak. Torin has a Homunculus as his familiar.

Adalard III
Lawful-Neutral Human Warrior

This hereditary Bordenian baron has been chosen by his fellow barons and baronesses to hold the office of Lord Keeper of Bordenia. He is respected as both an accomplished warrior and a wise councillor. Adalard is a close friend of Edward Peltonson of Rolania and an ally of Waldemar of Rovnara. The forty year old Adalard has a spouse and three teenaged children. He also has a hawk and hound which he loves to take hunting with him.

Ceara
Neutral Human Druid

This tall aging woman is the current Grand Druid. She monitors and directs the activity of Druids across all lands between the Erimer Sea and the Greatwood Forest. Her formal residence is set deep in the Deben Woods close to the largest concentration of Druidic religion in the Brethic Hills. She is often seen travelling in the company of a brown bear as she makes surprise visits on local village Druids. Her three Druidic Cardinals act as her representatives in Westara, The Eastern Expanse, and The Wandering Lands respectively.

...Between Thirteenth and Fourteenth Level...

Edward Peltonson
Lawful-Good Human Paladin

As the second child in an aristocratic family of Rolania, Edward followed the wishes of his parents and became a Paladin – a role in which he excelled. His elder brother went onto become baron of the Pelton Estate but then lost his life in a hunting accident. Edward reluctantly returned to take charge of the ancestral lands. However his sister-in-law (widow of his brother) recognised his restlessness in this role and suggested that he nominate for the office of Protector of Rolania at the retirement of the then incumbent. She would take care of the day-to-day running of the estate while he ruled it in name and otherwise lived the life of a statesman. Adelard retired from the ranks of the Paladins (while still holding the rights and obligations of that knightly order). The thirty five year old Edward is regarded as the best Protector Rolania has seen for some time. He is a close friend of Adalard III of Bordenia and – somewhat surprisingly – Briana Greengrass of Hinhome.

Baldarin Stonedelver
Lawful-Neutral Dwarvish Cleric

This Dwarvish priest is King of Mount Hammer. He proudly rules over a nation established by his ancestors which he says now rivals the Seven Hills in the days of its ancient glory. Naturally this has won him the resentment of his cousin Tharbadin who wishes to return to those glory days but the grumblings of an old Hill Dwarf hardly matter to this ruler of a rich and secure homeland who is very popular among the Mountain Dwarves. Baldarin works to preserve strong relations with the humans of Ivana. The eldest daughter of Baldarin is also the general of his army.

Noleta
Neutral-Good Human Warrior

This warrior so excelled in her military work that she became General of the Sea Cities at the age of twenty five. Now at thirty she is one of the two Consuls of the City of Nartellfar (the two public figures selected by the Guild Assembly to rule over the city on its behalf). She lets her colleague Magnus the Arch-Mage focuses on diplomacy while she focuses more on domestic matters of rule in consultation with the Assembly. Noleta is regarded as a rare beauty and yet to date has shunned all suitors.

Xanthus
Lawful-Evil Human Warrior

This mid-thirties warrior is Marshal of the Battering Ram Mercenary Company stationed alongside the city of Ivana. He began his life on the dangerous back-streets of Farport and became a prize-fighter. He then transferred to mercenary work and eventually became commander of the biggest mercenary crew in the Lands. He longs to become the new Duke of Ivana following the death of the present ruler. He has all the skills necessary to pass the Test of Rulership but lacks the basic qualification of membership of one of the fifteen ancestral clans. To get that he must marry into one of the clans but is yet to find a partner who will accept his advances despite his power and importance.

Ralarun Silfenir
Chaotic-Neutral Elvish Warrior

This Elvish warrior is lord of the Woodland Realm of the Wood Elves of the Greatwood Forest. His policy for his nation is a careful balance of formal isolation combined with practical contact with others. The only formal link the Woodland Realm has is with the Elvish Haven but in practice the Wood Elves are closer to the humans of Ivana. Ralarun sometimes wanders his woods incognito and reportedly has even inspected the borderlands currently under dispute with Grazia. Ralarun rides a griffon as do all members of the Wood Elves Cavalry. He is cousin to Larathina Feyeloni of Haven.

Waldemar IV
Neutral Human Warrior

This king is one of the few human hereditary rulers who has absolute power in the nation he rules. The late forties Waldemar loves horseriding and drinking as much as the next Cavar (horse-warrior) but he is also a shrewd politician who understands the importance of strong relations both within his nation and with neighbours. He has worked to preserve a bond with Bordenia that will give Rovnara an ally if ever it faces an incursion from the nomadic Kantharian across the Sundering Steppes. Waldemar has had five children with his Magøsha (sorceress) spouse. They say that Waldemar rides the greatest of all Rovnaran war-horses.

...Between Eleventh and Twelth Level...

Stanislas
Chaotic-Good Half-Elvish Ranger

This Half-Elf was born in Ivana to a wandering Wood Elf father and a local Planavic mother. He wandered widely in his youth and became a Ranger of note in and beyond the Eastern Expanse. His ability and character got him the attention of both Edward Peltonson of Rolania and (to some extent) Adelard III of Bordenia who both at one time or another went adventuring with Stanislas. On the death of the old Custodian of Allmeet (a fortress valley co-run by both Bordenia and Rolania which polices the overland way between Westara and the Eastern Expanse) the two rulers asked Stanislas to become the new Custodian and he agreed on the condition that he can still go wandering from time-to-time. Fortunately for Stanislas the community of Allmeet is relaxed and vibrant and allows him to be himself and dispense with the trappings and manners of his role. As the Custodian Stanislas is a vassal of both nations and deemed a Duke in both Rolania and Bordenia. Stanislas has tamed twin eagles which he uses to patrol his valley.

Briana of Greengrass
Lawful-Good Halfling Warrior

This Halfling warrior is Lady Mayor of Hinhome and rules her land with a blend of firmness and subtlety. She takes the vassal status of Hinhome to the larger Rolania very seriously and is on excellent terms with Edward Peltonson of Rolania. She also allegedly introduced Magnus of Nartellfar to the smoking of pipeweed and is one of a very select few who can influence the powerful arch-mage. Her spouse is the post-master of Hinhome. Briana is more than just a politician however and has won the Hinhome Pie Making Challenge for three consecutive years.

Tempest
Chaotic-Evil Human Warrior

The only child of Baron Rufus of Port Grazia is the Lady Tempest, who was allegedly born the bastard child of Rufus and a favourite serving wench. She was cared for by her father but ran away from home in her teens. A decade later she returned from obscurity as a pirate admiral holding sway over a small but growing fleet of vassal pirate ships - The Crossed Blades. Tempest has all the ambition of her father but none of his tact. Rufus is wary of her capricious nature but nonetheless dotes on her and as a result the Grazia Navy is under secret instructions to let all ships under her command pass unhindered.

Tharbadin the Exile
Neutral-Good Dwarvish Warrior

Tharbadin is the grandson of the last ruling King of the Seven Hills – the original Dwarvish homeland. He remembers the tales of his father who personally witnessed the Hill Giants over-running his homeland and plans one day to return to seek revenge and win back the Seven Hills. He is an honoured guest of the state in Mount Hammer but resents his cousin Baldarin (King of Mount Hammer) for feeling that the Mount Hammer homeland is the only one Dwarves could possibly want. What Tharbadin needs is military support but apart from the small network of Hill Dwarf exiles he lacks the force he needs to even contemplate a return. Tharbadin has an old raven that he uses as a personal messenger.

Patriarch Valdis & Matriarch Berdina
Neutral-Good and Neutral-Evil Human Clerics

The Court of the Lord Keeper of Bordenia comprises all the local barons and baronesses who rule the separate estates which constitute the nation of Bordenia. These gentry make the decisions but they are also advised by the patriarchs and matriarchs of the various churches in Bordenia. Recently controversy has arisen in Court from a most unusual source – two clerics of separate and even rival churches. Valdis is the Patriarch of Olorin in Bordenia – a wise and softly spoken figure who is widely respected at Court. Berdina is the Matriarch of Urala in Bordenia who till recently only ever spoke to contradict the utterances of Valdis. Recently however a truce has been observed in the behaviour of the two and rumours now fly that the two are conducting a secret affair with each other. Such cross-church liaisons are unusual and all the more so between the churches of the god and goddess who theology tells are estranged spouses. And, while those at Court are scandalised by this dalliance of two adults pushing forty, the clerics of both churches are reportedly fuming.

Lura Flanna
Neutral Human Bard

This retired Bard is publican of the Welcome Inn of the village of Overcrossing in southern Rolania. Of course Bards never truly retire and the Welcome Inn serves as a meeting hall for Bards from many nations as they travel along the Overland Road which passes through Overcrossing. Here they exchange both information and impart new skills to one another. The Inn is also an excellent place for any traveller to visit and the forty-something Lura will regularly amuse customers with her music and story-telling. Many a plot or counter-plot has been discussed in the shadowy corners of the Welcome Inn and Lura may well have been privy to all of them.

Orazio Girdler
Neutral-Evil Half-Orcish Thief

For a Half-Orc Orazio is surprisingly handsome (even by human standards) but his looks never saved him from a youth of persecution and violence in the slums of Port Grazia. The orphan Orazio got involved in crime and grew to become the most in-demand assassin during the factional brawling in the old Grazia Thieves Guild. During his accumulation of power and land, Rufus the Perverted made occasional use of the services of the assassin and so knew and respected him for his skill and discretion. Also Orazio had stayed carefully independent of all thieves guild factions (never knowing who he would be contracted to kill next) so he was well placed to survive the eventual dismemberment of the Grazia Thieves Guild by the new Warlord and, even better, was chosen by Rufus to oversee the operations of his new secret spy-ring the Adamandine Network. Now at thirty Orazio has all the respect and comfort that was denied him in his youth and guards it fiercely.

Damita the Swift
Chaotic-Good Human Thief

Damita was left as a babe on the doorstep of the Traviata Home For Eriman Orphans. In that rambling house she was made to work long hours but also instructed in etiquette (which the orphanage did on the off-chance that some of its wards were the bastard children of nobility). She escaped the home in her teens and fell in with a gang of thieves but by twenty decided that there was more to life than "the poor robbing the poor". She then got involved in the Traivatan Resistance as a spy. Now in her mid-twenties, Damita is one of the key heroes of the popular revolt in the free city of Traviata. In recent times the inland Narmantic city of Traviata threw off its oppressive nobility (originally exiles from the republican Sea Cities) and is in the process of establishing new and radical forms of popular rule. Damita played a pivotal role in discovering aristocratic corruption and depravity thereby helping to foment popular resentment of the rulers. She then provided revolt strategists with vital information on city guard movements. Now the charming Damita is a public hero and many wish her to take on roles in the new government. Damita however wants none of this and has recently disappeared from Traviata to find adventure in fresher pastures south. Rumours tell that Damita has recently had a tempestuous affair with Mala of Nerina.

Ivar Cutler
Chaotic-Neutral Human Thief

Ivar is the child of Planavic migrants who came to Delmisar seeking a better life but who had to live in an impoverished neighbourhood. Now this former hustler and extortionist has put his past life well behind him and has become leader of the Chaotics (one of the three formalised factions in the Forum of Delmisar) and is currently Chancellor of Delmisar (alongside his Temparates Deputy Jovita Weller). It is a testament to the charisma and conviction of thirty-something Ivar that he has succeeded in convincing the public that his shady past was the product of a foolish youth of which he has now repented. To date none of the old scandals his Lawfuls factional opponents uncover have diminished his standing with his faction or the citizenry.

Eldwin Lombard
Neutral Human Diviner

This very old Master Diviner is Governor of the Tower of Lore – a library and university town located in neutral territory and accessed by all who seek wisdom. Eldwin is both a mage and sage and is thus well placed to preside over the staff on non-magical sages and scribes that comprise the Trust of Lore. He is also popular among the university students who have come from far away to study in his citadel. Some say that Eldwin is the most perceptive and all-knowing person alive today. They also say his time left in the world is short. Eldwin has an owl familiar.

...Between Ninth and Tenth Level...

Jovita Weller
Neutral Human Mage

This mage is leader of the Temperates - one of the three formalised factions in the Forum of Delmisar. The Temparates are currently in alliance with the governing Chaotics (while the Lawfuls sit in opposition) making Jovita the Deputy to Ivar Cutler the Chancellor of Delmisar. Since taking on this role in her late twenties Jovita has impressed other powerful figures and is particularly well-liked at the annual Council of Eight (the league meeting of the three Sea Cities). Jovita has a cat as her familiar. Jovita is a renowned artist in her own right.

General Elroy & Admiral Gazella
Lawful-Neutral Human Warriors

On the selection of Noleta as Consul of Nartellfar, the thirty year old Elroy became General of the Sea Cities Army. He immediately developed a very close working relationship with the thirty five year old Admiral Gazella of the Sea Cities Navy. More recently rumours have been circulating that Elroy and Gazella have become lovers. There are those who are concerned that this relationship may compromise the decision-making ability of both officers in a time of military crisis. Others however reply that a military crisis involving the powerful and peace-loving Sea Cities is impossible nowadays. Members of the Council of Eight (who choose the General and Admiral) refuse to comment on the relationship.

Montague III
Neutral Human Cleric

‘Monty the Morbid’ is now the young monarch of Orvilia (the only one of the three Sea Cities to have preserved its aristocracy, albeit with only token powers). The hauntingly handsome yet impossibly reserved Montgomery has lived a life filled with both privilege and tragedy. At the age of twelve he lost his elder brother (first in line to the throne) to a boating accident that left Monty gloomy and brooding. At the age of eighteen he lost his elder sister (next in line) to a duel she had with a rival lady for a common suitor. At this time Monty resolved to explore and come to terms with death by entering into the clergy of the Deliverer (despite his parents insisting that he now had to focus his efforts on preparing for the crown). Monty became an exceptionally talented cleric but at the age of twenty four lost both his elderly parents to a virulent and rare infection. At this time he made the necessary decision to retire from the clergy (since the monarch must be independent of all churches) to ascend the throne. However Monty still worships the Deliverer in private and spends much of his time visiting the recently bereaved in his city while the day-to-day work of government is safely left to the Prime Minister of Orvilia.

Rafe Greygaze
Neutral Human (?) Illusionist

This traveling puppeteer enhances his shows with impressive illusions but is also a deft hand at the mundane art of puppetry. He is renowned and loved by both children and the young-at-heart. It is generally assumed that Rafe is of Brethic kinship, however he sometimes appears at shows as a Halfling, prompting speculation that one or the other, or even both, forms are phantasmal. Rafe is a character, and claims to be descended from Brethic nobility, despite his common circumstances. He is forever casting illusions on his familiar to alter its seeming nature from (say) salamander to sparrow to mouse as whim or circumstance dictate.

Mala of Nerina
Chaotic-Evil Human Thief

Mala is an artifact hunter whose renown as a collector of rare items is founded on her ruthless desire for status and recognition. She seeks items of power as well as riches in the hope of securing more respect for herself from those more important than her. Mala claims to be the child of the Emperor of Nerina and a Sinti concubine. It may be this background that gives her a desire for a life greater than her own. She has recently returned from an expedition to the Lost Hills with richecs sufficient to rent a small villa and hire servants. Rumour has it that Mala has recently conducted a tempestuous affair with Damita the Swift.

Bevan the Nightrat?
Chaotic-Neutral Halfling Thief

All the richest residents of Roburg, the capital of Rolania, have fallen victim at one time or another to the stealthy pilferings of a burglar known only as the Nightrat. The one exception to this record is the mansion of Edward Peltonson the Protector of Rolania himself. This is an omission the Nightrat one day hopes to correct. But who is this scoundrel? The city guard suspect a respected member of the Halfling community in Roburg called Bevan who works as a tinker. However nobody can prove that the daytime tinker is by night a burglar of legendary skill and daring.

Nations & City-States

2006-05-08T04:43:00.052Z

What follows is an A-Z of nations and city-states. In many cases the rulers of these states are named herein. For info on most of those characters see Personages of Fame & Infamy.

BORDENIA
The Convergent Estates of Bordenia

Ruler: The Lord-Keeper or Lady-Keeper of Bordenia

Subjects: All humans of Erimanic kin residing within Bordenia

History: At the end of the Age of Tumult the two waring factions of the former Empire of Erimania was left shattered. The royal family by this time was utterly extinct. Of the many scattered estates that survived most entered into two groupings for self-defence. The grouping east of the Border Mountains became the Convergent Estates of Bordenia. As none of the nobility could agree on a new ruling family it was decided to establish an elective form of monarchy.

Government: There is a Council of Bordenia with 27 members. 18 of the members are the barons and baronesses who rule the 18 separate estates (the nobility rule these estates and baron or baroness is an hereditary role passed to the eldest child). The other nine members are the patriarchs and matriarchs of the nine churches in Bordenia (dedicated respectively to Olorin, Urala, Kandoth, Nitara, Bernali, Teloch, Elchemar, Linesa, and the Deliverer). The Council of Bordenia meets once every twelve months to advise the Lord or Lady Keeper on matters of national significance. The Council can also meet more frequently if the Keeper calls it or a majority of the Council petition for it. On the death of a Keeper the Council must select a new monarch from among the eighteen barons and baronesses. Eligibility conditions include membership of the warrior class (which one must be as a lord or lady) and having a spouse also of the nobility. It is important for the Keeper to have a spouse because he or she (the Keeper Consort) must act as ruler in the absence of the Keeper (including absence resulting from death till a new Keeper can be selected). The current Lord-Keeper is Adelard III. The emblem of Bordenia is an heraldic eagle and a sword.

Notes: Bordenia has a Compact of Defence with Rolania (which includes co-ownership of the citadel of Allmeet). It also has a Peace Pact with neighbouring Rovnara. Bordenia is a land of wide pastures, rugged hills, woodland, villages and keeps. Its most famed products are timber and stone carvings. Its capital of Borfur sits within a vale formed by a horseshoe-shaped hill and the hill is lined with fortifications.

DELMISAR
The Republic of the League City of Delmisar

Rulers: The Chancellor & Deputy Chancellor

Governing Body: The Forum of Delmisar

Citizens: All residents of Delmisar who take the Declaration of Loyalty at the age of 20 or more (permitted races are human, Half-Elf, Elf, Halfling, Dwarf and Half-Orc)

History: The second largest of the three Sea Cities was also the second to have removed the rule of gentry. Following the successful revolt in Nartellfar the monarchy removed its capital to Delmisar and became more oppressive than it had been. Guilds were banned due to the key role they had played in challenging aristocratic power. As such the resistance that formed in Delmisar was an amorphous and clandestine association of residents and once they succeeded in ending aristocratic rule they established a form of government in which the citizen (rather than the guild) was the fundamental unit of political power. The emblem of Delmisar is a navigational star over a stone gateway.

The Forum: The Forum comprises 40 representatives elected once every five years from as many wards (25 in the city and 15 in the surrounding farmland). Citizens can vote and contest election from the age of 20. Technically all decisions of government are made by majority vote of the Forum. However in practice much power has transferred over time to two institutions – one is the factions and the other is the offices of Chancellor and Deputy Chancellor. Originally factions shifted and changed from issue-to-issue but nowadays there are three entrenched factions whose decision-making processes exist both internal and external to the Forum. The three factions are the Lawfuls, the Temperates, and the Chaotics (named somewhat pejoratively for how much they feel government can enter into the lives and livelihoods of citizens). The numbers of these factions in the Forum determines who holds power. Present representation is as follows:

Chaotics - 11 Urban Reps - 6 Rural Reps - 17 Reps Total
Lawfuls - 9 Urban Reps - 5 Rural Reps - 14 Reps Total
Temperates - 5 Urban Reps - 4 Rural Reps - 9 Reps Total

The Forum also preserves and collects books for public perusal and the Forum Library is a renowned destination for locals and vistors alike.

The Chancellor & Deputy Chancellor: The other practice that has taken power away from the Forum is that of the Chancellor and Deputy Chancellor. Both office-holders have become ex-officio members of the Council of Eight which manages the League of Lasting Peace & Prosperity (its membership comprises the two Consuls of Nartellfar, the Chancellor and Deputy Chancellor of Delmisar, the Monarch and Prime Minister of Orvilia, and the Admiral and General of the combined Sea Cities Navy and Army). It is this development that paved the way for making these two roles more important than all other Representatives. Once they were recognised as the executive officers of Delmisar by an international document they then came to be recognised as such in domestic practice too. In sittings of the Forum the Chancellor and Deputy may be seen as only facilitating debate and counting votes but in practice they have power between them to select all the ministers of government and more say than most in factional decision-making. Long standing practice sees the Chancellor drawn from the largest faction and the Deputy Chancellor drawn from whichever other faction chooses to support the largest faction to have a Forum majority. The current Chancellor is Ivar Culter of the Chaotics and the Deputy Chancellor is Jovita Weller of the Temperates.

Urban Geography: The city sits on a small inlet on the bayside of the Nar Peninsula on smooth even former pastureland. Even at the time of the revolt the city had long since exceeded the confines of its ancient walls and following the formation of republican rule the old wall and its towers were dismantled to use the bricks in the construction of new civic structures and public housing. However the Old Gate was left standing. It was under the Old Gate that the monarch at the time of the revolt was executed with a mob looking on. As such the Old Gate is both a revered site for the republican citizens of Delmisar but also for the very small minority of residents who wish for the return of the monarchy. On every anniversary of the revolt there is celebration in the Civic Square but at the Old Gate close by there are clashes between royalist and republican hotbloods which the City Guard must quash.

FARPORT
The Free and Prospering City of Farport

Ruler: The Triumvirate

Citizens: All human residing in Farport (including its peninsula)

Notes: This city is populated by humans of Lahenic kin as well as the many others who temporarily stay in this prosperous trading centre. Its permanent residents number fewer than that of Nartellfar but its total population during the Festival of Sails makes it the most populous known. During this month of celebrations and trading more money changes hands than in any other part of the Lands. The emblem of Farport is a sailing ship.

Government: Farport was once part of the Empire of Nerina till it refused to pay its taxes and put the funds thus saved into developing a military to ensure its freedom. The city is now ruled by The Triumverate – a three member body consisting of the three richest men and women in Farport. All one has to do to be in the Triumvirate is to be declared by the Farport Treasury as one of the three richest residents who is also recognised as a resident by the Census Office. One then must accept the position and swear an oath of service to the City of Farport. The composition of the Triumvirate changes regularly as the Treasury assesses wealth annually. Triumvirate decisions must be unanimous in cases of military emergency and by majority for all other matters. The richest merchants are considered the best rulers as they have the assets and connections to draw on in ensuring the prosperity of Farport. This incentive to be rich has fostered a very overt culture of civic responsibility among merchants who expect one day to become a ruler of Farport.

Urban Geography: Farport occupies the end of a long peninsula which ends in a steep hill. This hilltop is the location of the Villa District. Towards the base of the hill are more modest residential neighbouhoods. Away from the hill are located the docks and warehouse districts and (of most fame) the Bazaar which covers several streets and dozens of laneways - some of which are covered with translucent canvass rooves.

FUGITIVES FORGE
The Monarchy-in-Exile of the Seven Hills

Ruler: The King or Queen in Exile of the Seven Hills

Subjects: All Holemgar (Hill Dwarves) who recognise the King or Queen in Exile

Notes: The Dwarven homeland of the Seven Hills was lost to an incursion of Hill Giants many Dwarvish generations ago. Since then all survivors of that invasion have lived in exile. Many flocked to the younger Dwarvish homeland of Mount Hammer while others live scattered among humans. All the Holemgar (Hill Dwarves) are supposed to owe allegiance to the King or Queen in Exile. The present monarch is King Tharbadin who is descended from the last ruling monarch and is cousin of the Monarch of Mount Hammer. The royal family try to marry with both members of the Karumgar (Mountain Dwarf) nobility and with dedicated and useful commoners among the Holemgar. His only territory is the isolated Fugitives Forge in the foothills of the Pillar Mountains – nominal capital of the Holemgar movement and nothing more than a fortress-village and associated (dwindling) copper mine. It sits on a tiny craggy island in the junction of two rivers overlooking a waterfall. It can only be accessed by two bridges and secret tunnels under the rivers.

PORT GRAZIA
The Grazia Confederacy

Ruler: The Overlord of Port Grazia

Subjects: All humans residing in the territory of the Confederacy

History: Originally Grazia was simply the name of a busy port city. Now however it has become the name of an entire nation-state forged by a military dictator. Last decade Baron Rufus The Perverted embarked on a military campaign to unite all the neighbouring Narmantic rural estates and indpendent townships. Rufus has the 'common touch' and this resulted in both a fanatically loyal military and the defection of many combatants from rival banners to his. Both the Sea Cities and Farport have been observing with growing concern the slow but sure expansion of the Grazian army and navy. However so far the new nation has only been expanding into non-human territory and is currently moving farmers into the Many Hills which has resulted in skirmishes with the Wood Elves of the Greatwood Forest who feel that the marginal borderland is best left fallow for Centaur to graze upon.

Government: The Overlord is all-but-absolute and is only limited by his own acute sense of what the Grazian public and military will accept at any given time. Rufus allows conquered barons and baronesses to nominally 'rule' over ancestral estates but every one of them is shadowed by a member of The Inspectorate (themselves a part of the military). In practice it is the local Inspector who rules an estate. Within the capital itself Rufus is served by a Committee of personally selected advisors who replicate many of the day-to-day functions and appearance of a municipal council but can be dismissed at a whim. Rufus is served by a secret police known rather fancifully as the Adamantine Order. The emblem of Grazia is a Gauntlet. For more information see Rufus The Perverted, Tempest, and Orazio Girdler.

Urban Geography: In many ways Port Grazia the capital is a rather boring city of grey stone structures (as distinct from the more colourful selections of stone utilised in other cities from Nartellfar to Farport). However it still has some impressive structures which include the Ironhand Fortress (home of the Inspectorate and the Adamantine Order) and the Circus of Gladiators.

HAVEN
The Realm of Haven

Ruler: The King or Queen of the Elves

Subjects All Eldenari (Ley Elves) living in the present and former territory of Haven

Notes: Haven is the original homeland of the Elves. It was once much larger than now but has undergone a voluntary ceding of territory to humans of Narman kin. Any Elf who lives in former Haven territory and whose ancestry traces back to the days during which that territory was Haven is also a subject of the ruler of Haven. The present ruler is Queen Larathina of the Feyeloni Family who is the eldest child of the last monarch. The Ley Elves are defined by complex examinations of family history. The nobility of Haven are divided into dozens of family groupings and they all rule over separate estates. Rule of a family is hereditary and passes to the eldest child. Every such family sends its second oldest to an advisory council in the royal household. These important persons tend to be mages and clerics. The royal capital is located on the island off the shore of the rest of Haven and is ruled directly by the monarch. The ruler of the Woodland Realm is a nominal vassal of the ruler of Haven but this is merely a formality.

HINHOME
The Homeland of the Halflings

Ruler: The Lord or Lady Mayor

Citizens: All Halflings residing in Hinhome and all humans whose family have lived there since before independence from Rolania

Notes: Hinhome is the nation of the Halflings - a land of gently rolling hills and dales dotted with tiny woods and villages set into hillsides. They were once subjects of Rolania but last century were granted independence on the condition that Hinhome be a vassal state of Rolania and come to its assistance in times of military emergency. The military commander of Hinhome for the purposes of this relationship is the Lord or Lady Mayor of Hinhome (as such they must be of warrior class if even nominally). The Lord or Lady Mayor is elected by all Halfing residents of Hinhome to a decade-long term. Non-resident Halflings will frequently become residents specifically for this event. Huge celebrations are held at the declaration of the vote (whomever wins). In addition to this there are 32 Reeves elected by the residents of the 32 shire districts into which Hinhome is sub-divided. They are elected every five years. The Shire Reeves represent the needs of their constituents and are also allocated offices of state by the Lord or Lady Mayor. The current Lady Mayor is Briana of Greengrass.

IVANA
The Duchy of Ivana

Ruler: The Duke or Duchess of the Free City of Ivana

Subjects: All humans of Planavic kin residing in Ivana

Notes: Ivana on the Lake of the Shadow Water was established by ‘fifteen founding families’ of nomadic Planavic kin who decided to convert to a sedentary life in this rich land. The area provided oportunity to become rich by growing wine and extracting timber and granite. It also provided trading relationships with both Elves of the Greatwood Forest and Dwarves of the Iron Mountains.

Government: Rather than argue over which family was most important it was decided to establish a contest to choose the ruler of the new city on the basis of combat prowess (to which has since been added tests of courtly manners). Eligibility to enter the Contest of Rule is that one must be an adult member of one of the ancestral clans by blood or marriage. The patrons and matrons (titles for the hereditary ruler of a clan) are very selective in who they will allow to enter a clan by marriage. The Contest of Rule is held once following the death of every Duke. The title Duke was conferred on the winner of the first ever Contest of Rule by the then Queen of Rovnara who was visiting the event and was most impressed by the winner. The title has been used ever since despite the fact that Ivana lacks any formal relationship with Rovnara whatsoever. The emblem of Ivana is a star formed by fifteen spears.

Recent Developments: The current Duke is the elderly Igor of the Chenopov Clan who is now ill. Many young clansman and clanswomen are preparing for the opportunity that will soon come and the patrons and matrons are grooming them in earnest. However during his tenure Igor has diluted the power of the clans by contracting a neutral mercenary army to provide for the overal defence of the city and its interests.

KELDA
The Free City of Kelda

Ruler: The Municipal Council

Citizens: All property owners living in Kelda

Notes: This city sitting in the Eastern Expanse on the Everflow River is populated by humans of mostly Planavic kin and is ruled by a Municipal Council comprising ten aldermen and alderwomen who are elected to decade-long terms from the body of all property-owning humans in Kelda. The Council is presided over by the Mayor – one of its members – and the role of Mayor is rotated to all Council members during its tenure. There is an eleventh member of the Council however – the commander of whichever team wins the prestigious Gruntball Championship – a game that the Keldans are obsessed with and which draws in fans from across the villages and farms of the Eastern Expanse. The Everflow in the vicinity of Kelda has altered its course over time. As such the township proper is flanked on one side by the river itself and on the other side by the swampy fallow pastures left by the old river course.

KINGSHOPE
The Free City of Kingshope

Ruler: The Council of Elders

Subjects: All humans of Erimanic kin residing within the free city of Kingshope

Notes: Most of the Eriman living in the Wandering Lands returned to the ancient ways of wandering barbarians during the Age of Tumult. The exception to this is the city of Kingshope that is a thriving community on the shores of the landlocked Erimer Sea. This community has rejected the rule of gentry in preference for whomever is deemed wise. As such a Council of Elders is formed comprising the twelve oldest residents assuming they can also meet the following criteria: Eriman kinship, a minimum of three generations residence in Kingshope, sanity, willingness to be an Elder, acceptance by the existing Elders. Once an Elder is chosen they hold the role till death. Legends tell that it is in Kingshope that the ancient line of Eriman royalty will one day be rediscovered - hence the name of the town.

MOUNT HAMMER
The Monarchy of Mount Hammer

Ruler: The King or Queen of Mount Hammer and the Iron Mountains

Subjects: All Karumgar (Mountain Dwarves) and all Holemgar (Hill Dwarves) residing in Mount Hammer and the Iron Mountains

Notes: This homeland of the Karumgar (Mountain Dwarves) was established by an expedition of Dwarves from the Seven Hills. It is now the only homeland of the Dwarves and is therefore inhabited by both Karumgar and Holemgar exiles (Hill Dwarves) from the Seven Hills. The ruler is the eldest child of the preceding monarch. The current ruler is King Baldarin Stonedelver. His family only marry with members of the Karumgar or Holemgar nobility. The nobility however regularly marry with commoners so class distinctions are somewhat hazy (in fact one popular saying among the Karumgar is that “we are all gentry in Mount Hammer!”). Indeed it seems that pretty much every Dwarvish family in the Iron Mountains has members that fall into the several classes of labourers, artisans, merchants, military, clergy, and nobility. This makes for a cohesive society in which the ‘horizontal integration’ of societal class is intersected at all levels by the ‘vertical integration’ of family relations.

NARTELLFAR
The Republic of the League City of Nartellfar

Rulers: The Consuls of Nartellfar

Governing Body: The Consuls in conjunction with the Guild Assembly

Citizens: All residents of Nartellfar who also hold membership of one or more of the recognised guilds of Nartellfar – guilds allow members from the races of human, Half-Elf, Elf, Halfling, Dwarf and Half-Orc

History: 'Nartellfar' was once the Elvish name for the entire land surrounding the Bay of Nar. It was then adopted by human refugees as the name of their original settlement in the area following the natural disaster that destroyed the Island Nation. The oldest and largest of the three Sea Cities is also the first to have removed the rule of gentry. At the time of its successful revolt three centuries ago the most powerful opposition to monarchic rule came from the guilds. As ‘anyone’ can practice a profession and therefore enter a guild it was decided that the guild was the most effective unit of citizen representation. The emblem of Nartellfar is a navigation star over two flying fish whose paths intersect.

The Assembly: The Assembly comprises 50 guild representatives. A guild will have anything from one to five representatives depending on its membership levels. If a guild only has one rep it will usually be the guild-master or guild-mistress. If it has more then they will be separately selected representatives. Every guild has its own methods of selecting office-holders including who to send to the Assembly. As such the composition of the Assembly is constantly changing but efforts have been made in recent times to impose some sort of uniformity on guild rules relating to the Assembly. The Assembly makes most important decisions in Nartellfar but its most significant role is in selecting the two Consuls. Current representation in the Assembly by guild is as follows:

- Tailors & Cobblers Guild: 5 reps
- Servants & Cooks Guild: 5 reps
- Farms & Vineyards Guild: 4 reps
- Smiths & Jewellers Guild: 4 reps
- Masons & Potters Guild: 4 reps
- Mariners & Dockers Guild: 3 reps
- Guards & Troopers Guild: 3 reps
- Grocers & Shopkeepers Guild: 3 reps
- Carpenters & Cabinetmakers Guild: 3 reps
- Taverners & Innkeepers Guild: 2 reps
- Barbers & Herbalists Guild: 2 reps
- Diggers & Pavers Guild: 2 reps
- Scribes & Scriveners Guild: 2 reps
- Merchants & Traders Guild: 2 reps
- Tinkers & Beggars Guild: 1 rep
- Actors & Musicians Guild: 1 rep
- Sages & Scholars Guild: 1 rep
- Guild of Churches: 1 rep
- Guild of Magic: 1 rep
- Sweepers Guild: 1 rep

Guilds play a pivotal role in the lives of members and many provide lifelong services to those members (everything from babysitting to exclusive guild-specific graveyards).

The Consuls: The Consuls are the rulers of Nartellfar in consultation with the Assembly. During times of emergency the two Consuls become absolute rulers. They are chosen to be as impressive and imposing as any monarch of old. The Assembly is always mindful of who will be popular among the citizenry. The two serve overlapping ten-year terms – five years into the term of one Consul the other Consul retires and a new one is elected. The Consuls have veto power over one another. Government ministers are chosen by the Consuls from the Assembly. Both Consuls are ex-officio members of the Council of Eight which manages the League of Lasting Peace & Prosperity (its membership comprises the two Consuls of Nartellfar, the Chancellor and Deputy Chancellor of Delmisar, the Monarch and Prime Minister of Orvilia, and the Admiral and General of the combined Sea Cities Navy and Army). The current Consuls are Magnus and Noleta.

Urban Geography: The land on which Nartellfar grew is naturally swampy and this former marshland extends from the coast of the Bay of Nar twenty or so miles inland to Landward Lake. The original settlements were several hilltop villages but as the population grew marshland between those villages was converted into city traversed by canals. To this day neighbourhoods located on the old hills are still known as ‘villages’ and tend to be inhabited by the more affluent citizens who wish to be spared the occasional floods that afflict the city. So, rather than having one rich district, as is common for other cities, Nartellfar has many small pockets of affluence scattered across the city limits. Nartellfar is also unusual in that it has two city squares rather than one. The Old Square is the original city square and is still utilised for craft and produce markets. The other square is the Plaza, which came into existence with the razing of the Royal Palace during the revolt that established Nartellfar as a republic (the Guild of Masons possessed spare keys to secret tunnels they had inserted generations previously into the palace design). At the four streets entering the Plaza are small worn plaques that read "This Plaza shall be as open to us as the Palace was closed". The Plaza is the location of all key civic structures (including the Assembly) and the site of all major public functions.

Demographics: Nartellfar is considered to be the city with the largest permanent population in the Lands. A census was recently conducted in Nartellfar (The Inagural Census of 1305CA) and produced the following findings...

Total Population: 100,196

Permanent Residents: 86,675
Temporary Residents: 13,521

Population within the urban districts: 73,625
Population in the farming province: 26,571

Number of City Guards (including non-combatant staff): 1057

Residents registered as members of one or more guilds: 57,783
Number of Chartered Guilds: 20

Number of Churches: 10

Number of Inns (offering both foodstuffs and accomodation): 49

Males: 49,873
Females: 50,323

Total Non-Humans: 20,039
- Elves: 10,351 *
- Dwarves: 5,335 *
- Halflings: 3,342 *
- Part-Orcs: 1,001 **

Total Livestock: 520,430

* The Census deems anyone of "majority Elvish descent" to be an Elf. As such a Half-Elf is considered human while a person of "nine parts in sixteen Elvish blood" is considered an Elf. As such the number of both pure-blood Elves and the number of humans with some Elvish blood is completely obscured by these figures. For Dwarves and Halfling the "majority descent" interpretation is applied as it is to Elves.

** A different rule applies to anyone with Orcish ancestry than for other races. If anyone is known to have any Orcish blood at all they are then listed as Part-Orc. This policy derives from public concerns that any degree of Orcish descent may produce hostile behaviour.

Note that the inclusion of this Census was inspired by the website Medieval Demographics.

NERINA
The Empire of Nerina

Ruler: The Emperor or Empress of Nerina

Subjects: All human residents of Nerina

Notes: The Empire of Nerina is the only ‘empire’ to survive from the Age of Glory in tact but it is in size and power like many other nations. Its territory is now confined to the fertile flood plain between the Lost Hills and the Hills of Plenty. Its capital is Nerina City which is ancient and grand. Its harbour is particularly impressive and includes a spectacular light house that magically stores and emits sunlight. Nerina is ruled by an Emperor or Empress who is the eldest child of the preceding ruler providing that child is of pure aristocratic blood. It is customary for the Emperor to follow the advise of popular philosophers. The aristocracy are all of Lahenic kinship and it is they who staff the bureaucracy and military of the nation. The present ruler is the Emperor Omero.

ORVILIA
The Monarchy of the League City of Orvilia

Ruler: The Grand Majesty of all the Narmans

Governing Body: The Monarch sitting in the Parliament of Orvilia

Subjects: All adult humans residing in Orvilia for a decade or more and all adult Half-Elves, Elves, Halflings, Dwarves and Half-Orcs who were born in Orvilia

History: The smallest of the three Sea Cities is the only one to have preserved the oldest institution of Narmantic rule – the Grand Majesty of the Narmans. The Monarchy persists in Orvilia because it shares power with its subjects who are citizens in all but name. Following the revolt in Delmisar the new Monarch (the eldest child of the one that was executed in Delmisar) removed the capital to the royal summer mansion in Orvilia and set about reforming the institutions of government. A Parliament was hastily drawn together from all walks of life and then (amazingly) the Monarch submitted to that body the decision to extinquish or reinstate the Monarchy in a new constitutional form and (as amazingly) the subjects accepted the Monarchy. However some years later a revolt occurred with the purpose of overthrowing the Monarch. Ironically this revolt was from the disgruntled elements of the nobility. The city was riven with fighting from street to street. The Monarch took his would-be usurpers by surprise by calling for assistance from Nartellfar and Delmisar. With republican help the revolt was quashed and its perpetrators exiled. Following this event the Covenant of Lasting Peace & Prosperity between the three Sea Cities was established. Also following this the exiles and supporters at home formed the clandestine Aristocratic Alliance (based till recently in Traviata) which for generations vexed Sea Cities governments. The emblem of Orvilia is a navigational star set in a crown.

The Monarch: The Grand Majesty is the eldest child of the preceding King or Queen. The current ruler is his Grand Majesty Montgomery III. The royal family can only marry with Narmantic nobility but the nobility of Orvilia includes knighted commoners of differing kin (even some humans of quarter Elven blood have been knighted).

The Parliament: The Parliament of Orvilia is a body comprising 30 Parliamentarians (15 from the city proper and 15 from the surrounding farmland). These Parliamentarians are elected by the subjects every five years. Any subject over 20 can vote for or be elected to Parliament. Following every election the Monarch selects from among the Parliamentarians one to be the Prime Minister of Orvilia (this role guarantees imminent knighthood). Together the Monarch and Prime Minister then select all ministers who can be drawn from both Parliament and the nobility of Orvilia. Parliament makes decisions that are then ratified by the Monarch. Both the Monarch and Prime Minister are ex-officio members of the Council of Eight which manages the League of Lasting Peace & Prosperity (its membership comprises the two Consuls of Nartellfar, the Chancellor and Deputy Chancellor of Delmisar, the Monarch and Prime Minister of Orvilia, and the Admiral and General of the combined Sea Cities Navy and Army).

Urban Geography: The smallest of the Sea Cities sits on the most inward shore of the Bay of Nar. It has never had a city wall but the Summer Mansion sits on a particularly steep hill (itself a part of the Archer Hills) and to this day the City Guard practice both defending and storming the Royal Hill. The Summer Mansion is regularly thrown open to visitors so the public can admire its impressive art gallery. Locals regard the city streets and houses of Orvilia as possessing of a charm lacking in the larger Sea Cities and are very house proud.

ROLANIA
The Convergent Estates of Rolania

Ruler: The Protector of Rolania

Subjects: All humans of Erimanic kin residing within Rolania
and all third-generation Halfling residents of the city of Roburg

History: At the end of the Age of Tumult the two waring factions of the former Empire of Erimania was left shattered. The royal family by this time was utterly extinct. Of the many scattered estates that survived most entered into two groupings for self-defence. The grouping west of the Mountains became the Convergent Estates of Rolania. As none of the nobility could agree on a new ruling family it was decided to establish an elective form of monarch.

Government: There is a Chamber of Knights and a Hall of Commoners in addition to the ruling Protector. The Chamber has 24 members - the ruling baron or baroness of each of the 24 provincial estates. The Hall has 48 ‘attendants’ – one commoner from each of the provincial estates (selected by the lord or lady of that estate) and another 24 commoners drawn from the capital Roburg (who are themselves elected to decade-long terms by any subject of Rolania present in the capital at the time of the vote). The Chamber selects from among its members the Protector of Rolania on the death of the old one. This selection must be assented to by the Hall. At all other times the Chamber and the Hall are advisors only to the Protector and meet once every three months. In dire circumstances the Protector can be removed by a unanimous decision of both the Chamber and the Hall. The current Protector is Edward Peltonson. The emblem of Rolania is an heraldic lion and a sword.

Notes: Rolania has a Compact of Defence with Bordenia (which includes co-ownership of the citadel of Allmeet). Furthermore the Halfling nation of Hinhome is a vassal state of Rolania (having once been part of its territory). Rolania is a land of wide pastures, gently rolling hills, sparse woodland, villages and manor houses. Its most famed products are cheeses, crystal and homewares. The capital of Roburg nestles round a long hill, the top of which sports the fortress of the Protector.

ROVNARA
The Monarchy of Rovnara

Ruler:The King or Queen of Rovnara

Subjects: All humans of Planavic kin residing in Rovara

Notes: Rovnara is a rugged land of rolling hills and sweeping plains. The ruling family of Rovnara is the Dunothev Clan who united the other clans. The ruler is the eldest child of the preceding monarch. However they must also be a Cavar (horse-warrior) if male or a Magøsha (sorceress) if female. Likewise the ruler must have a spouse who fits the same gendered class restrictions. The current ruler is King Waldemar IV. The ruler resides in a hilltop citadel that also serves as the national capital and is located as the intersection of all estates. The nation as a whole is divided into twelve rural estates each run by a separate clan. A member of the nobility may marry any other member of the nobility from other clans but they may also marry commoners if they belong to the same clan (this convention is known as ‘affinity by honour or affinity by kinship’). Rovnara is wary of a future incursion from its nomadic kin - the Kantharians - across the Sundering Steppes and so has a Peace Pact with Bordenia. The emblem of Rovnara is a running horse.

TRAVIATA
The Free Citizenry of Traviata

Ruler: Yet to be determined...

Citizens: Yet to be determined...

Notes: In recent times the inland Narmantic city of Traviata threw off its oppressive nobility (originally exiles from the republican Sea Cities) and is in the process of establishing new and radical forms of popular rule. It had been ruled by a particularly oppressive and corrupt barony similar to that of neighbouring Urbana. The population is in the process of debating and exploring a new form of government and in the interim many are spontaneously managing the city as best they can. Critics say the city is now a swarming cesspit of crime and vice while supporters say that Traviata will be a new home for freedom and prosperity for all. Only the course of events will tell...

URBANA
The Barony of Urbana

Ruler: The Baron or Baroness of Urbana

Subjects: All human residents whose parents were born in Urbana

Notes: The rulers of Urbana are an aristocratic family who are distantly related to the Monarch of Orvilia. They are of Narmantic kin as are all the petty nobility of the city of Urbana. Only members of the nobility may marry into the ruling family however commoners can be knighted thereby becoming nobility. The ruler is the eldest child of the preceding Baron or Baroness. The Barony are very selective in who they knight as they are wary of the mercantile class and wish to keep power in a very small group. They are currently hunting for agents from Traviata sent to incite revolt among the commoners. They have also given refuge to all members of the nobility exiled from Traviata.

THE WOODLAND REALM
The Woodland Realm of the Greatwood Forest

Ruler: The Lord or Lady of the Woodland Realm

Subjects: The Evenari (Wood Elves)

Notes: The Woodland Realm was established by migrants from Haven who objected to human migration into Elvish territory and the voluntary ceding of territory that followed. The present ruler is Lord Ralarun of the Silfenir Family who is a cousin to Larathina Fayeloni (see the Realm of Haven). The ruler must be of warrior class. Society in the Woodland Realm mirrors most of the conventions described for the Realm of Haven. The Wood Elves are any Elves who choose to live in the Woodland Realm and the longer a family has been in the Greatwood Forest the more fully Evenari it is considered to be. Ralarun rules from an underground fortress deep in the forest.

The Bestiary

2006-05-08T04:42:00.122Z

Here is information on the habitat and nature of monsters exceptional and rare. The Lands have all manner of plants and animals in them. Most are what one would expect of a medieval setting of the climate and habitat described for particular areas. Such mundane animals are usually between one and three levels. Small swarming animals can even be deemed gestalts that cannot be harmed and only serve to obscure or hinder movement.

Herein are only described those that are truly of fantastic nature. They are listed by alphabetically by name (noting that particular related breeds are listed together). The number of Experience Levels for a monster is listed under name and for explanation of that and other aspects of rules look in D&D Game Mechanics.

BATKIN
Level Three Monster

The Batkin (or Werebats as others call them) are humans afflicted with the supernatural ability to become bats of the same mass. They can be a human of any experience level beyond the second. They look like normal humans with a vaguely feral visage. They can change into a massive bat at will in one round. However they also are compelled by their affliction to change form once every month on a particular date and during the hours of darkness (only particular Werebats must change during the Full Moon). The transmutation only affects the body rather than clothes or possessions.

The act of transforming has the happy side-effect of returning the Werebat to maximum life points. The only kinds of damage that resist this effect are wounds inflicted by silver weapons. Werebats can fly. They can also emit a shrill cry that somehow allows them to detect the location of prey to a distance of one mile. In bat form they can attack with claw (1d2) claw (1d2) and bite (1d4). As a bat they have a leathery hide. In human form they will attack as calling and experience level dictate. The leader of a group of Werebats can summon and command a swarm of ordinary bats (the attack of which can prevent effective action for one round).

Any human (including half-humans) and Halfling bitten or otherwise contaminated with the bolidy secretions of a Werebat must make a successful Constitution check or become a Werebat. If they are lower than third level they will suddenly rise to third level. They will change from omnivore to carnivore and develop a desire to hunt at night (which can be resisted by a successful Wisdom check). Only the most evil Werebats wish to hunt humans. They will experience the compulsion to transmute into bat form 30 days after infection and on the same day of every month thereafter.

Most Batkin are solitary in preference and seek to hide what they are by minimising the frequency of transmutations. Some will go live in the wilderness and spend most of the time as bats. Others will live among fellow humans. There is one unusual clan of Batkin in the wooded hills east of Urbana. That clan live in a cavern and have actively cultivated the legend of the Vampire in the area as a way of keeping meddlers away.

The Batkin and Ratkin afflictions are related phenomena and one can only contract one or the other. Study by Transmuters to understand this magic infection has proved futile. Efforts by clerics to cure it likewise have been useless. It seems to be a lifelong condition. Any child of two Batkin is also Batkin. However the child of a Batkin and a normal human is also a normal human (once they are born however they can be afflicted in the normal way).

BUCK BOAR
Level Two Monster

The Buck Boar ('Buck' is a corruption of the Uroch word 'Boch') are wild boars that have been domesticated by Orcs for use as guards and hunters. They are an important part of Orcish culture and serve as both pets and food. They hunt for hallucinogenic truffles in mountain glades. They guard the entrances of clan caverns. They are conditioned to smell and attack Goblins and Dire Wolves with fury. Once they die they become the centerpiece of Orcish feasts. Also their pelts are turned into clothes and their skulls are worn by Orcish shamans.

These thick-skinned hogs can charge an opponent for 3d4 damage. Once in hand-to-hand combat they can bite for 1d4 damage. Due to its sense of smell they cannot be surprised by anything with a scent.

More rarely lone relatives of the Buck Boar will be found in the wooded vales of the Brethic Hills and the Grey Hills.

CENTAUR
Level Five Monster

Legend says that the Centaur began as the experiments of the breeder-mages of Nerina for the Emperor Oryon to give him a perfect cavalry for his wars of conquest. Hydra blood was used to "loosen the bonds that hold life in set shapes and forms" to defy of the natural 'limit of limbs' and blend both rider and mount into one powerful warrior. Hydra blood however also produces a powerful sense of independence and the Centaurs escaped the Emperor and ran to the hills. Even to this day there is a royal decree in Nerina calling for the Centaur to be captured or killed. All Centaur however live well beyond the borders of present day Nerina. They wander the Many Hills and the Greatwood Forest.

The Centaur are a race of mammals that seem to combine aspects of both human and horse. The lower part of the Centaur looks like a draft horse but arising from its fore-quarters is something akin to a human torso (albeit a rather large and robust featured human with a covering of horse-like fur). Mammary glands are on the torso. They vary in colouration from brown to black to grey with mottled patterns in some specimens. They average 8' tall and 9' long.

They can attack with ranged weapons like bow-and-arrow. In hand-to-hand combat they can attack with handheld weapons like bastard sword while also hitting with both forelegs for 2d6 damage. Finally they can stampede an opponent for 4d6 damage.

Centaurs never allow anyone to ride them (since they are the riders of themselves). However they will sometimes ally with others for some common purpose. They presently have an alliance with the Wood Elves of the Greatwood Forest and have entered into conflict with Grazian settlers of the Many Hills. Centaurs live a nomadic life as hunter-gatherers and live in small clans. A clan will be ruled by a stallion (level seven) and a mare (level six).

DEMI-HUMAN
Level One to Twenty Monster

Demi-human is a generic term for a group of related sentient animals. Humans, Elves, Dwarves and Orcs are all demi-human. So too are the races derived from them - Halflings, Pixie, Giants, Ogres, Goblins & Hobgoblins. So are any half-breeds. They are all discussed in other parts of this site.

DIRE WOLF
Level Three Monster

These are huge wolves that have been domesticated by the Goblins to serve as mounts. They are the size of a pony. They are known to the Goblins as 'Worguni' and are a key element in the war with the Orcs. They take goblin riders into battle at speed and then can attack with claw (1d2) claw (1d2) bite (1d6) routine. Sometimes independent wild packs of these wolves will also be found in the foothills of the Border Mountains.

DOPPLEGANGER
Level Three to Five Monster

The Doppleganger were created by the legendary Arch-Mage Mons Tara as the ultimate spy and assassin. The war they were made for ended thousands of years ago and now the few that are left exist simply to have as nice a life as they can. They prefer to work alone and only work in groups if it is absolutely necessary.

A Doppleganger is a supernatural monster of human shape and size that can assume the identity of any human (including half-humans) or Halfling it kills. In its natural state it looks like a human bereft of any identifying characteristics of any kind whatsoever. It lacks any pigmentation or hair or even any apparent sexual characteristics. It never wears clothes in this state. Its hide is leathery. A Doppleganger is telepathic and can assess the life circumstances and personality of anyone it sees. This allows it to choose a target that will give the Doppleganger a life to its liking.

Dopplegangers attack with bare hands and legs with amazing speed - they can make three blows per round with all but one limb and each successful blow delivers 1d4 damage. They can also use weapons but must be touching a victim at the moment of death if they wish to successfully imitate that victim. Hence a common attack involves getting one or two hits in with a sword then throwing it aside to continue the job. Once a victim is killed the Doppleganger will make sure to dispose of the body as well as it can.

It is the killing blow that matters and a Doppleganger that does this can then perfectly assume the form of the victim. Its telepathy allows it to know everything that its victim consciously knew. It will then behave as its victim did or rather behave according the the self-image of its victim. This may allow close friends of a victim to notice something is different. Usually only Divination magic will tell the truth of the matter. The sucking of knowledge also allows the Doppleganger to have any mundane skill of the victim for which Intelligence is the prime requisite (including languages). This knowledge is cumulative over however many 'lives'.

A Doppleganger has the lifespan of a normal human. However it can prolong its life indefinitely by assuming different identities over time. The remaining lifespan of anyone it kills and mimics is added to its current life expectancy. Very few if any of the original Doppleganger survive today however. Rather they are the children of two Doppleganger parents (any child of a mixed Doppleganger and human parentage will be human in all respects). There are Dopplegangers living incognito scattered among the humans of the Lands. However there is also a concentration of them living in a natural state in the Ruins of Ringin.

The blood of a Doppleganger is the only known way of producing Longevity Potion.

DRAGON
Level Ten to Twenty Monster

There are only ever ten dragons in the Lands at any one time and only ever one of each breed. Also at any one time these ten dragons are all at different phases of life.

The dragons are inhabitants of the mortal world but they are also agents of the Divine. Every dragon is the vassal of one of the gods or goddesses of the Lands (with the exception of the Deliverer who it is told has no need for such an agent).

Following is the description of each of the ten Dragons. They say that the personality of a dragon is very much a reflection of the divine power it serves.

- The Golden Dragon is the servant of Olorin and can emit a sudden burst of sunlight from its maw which blinds all those it affects.

- The White Dragon is the servant of Urala and can emit a burst of frost from its maw which freezes all those it affects.

- The Silver Dragon is the servant of Bernali and can emit a spray of vapour from its maw which paralyses all those it affects.

- The Red Dragon is the servant of Teloch and can emit a blast of flame from its maw which burns all those it affects.

- The Blue Dragon is the servant of Marumi and can emit a sticky spray which slows all those it affects.

- The Green Dragon is the servant of Nitara and can emit a venomous vapour which poisons those it affects.

- The Iron Dragon is the servant of Kandoth and can emit thunder and lightning which electrocutes and deafens those it affects.

- The Black Dragon is the servant of Elchemar and can emit a spray of acid from its maw which corrodes or sublimates those it affects.

- The Copper Dragon is the servant of Garlomen and can emit a cloud of dust and sand which abrades those it affects.

- The Violet Dragon is the servant of Linesa and can emit a cloud of mist which puts all those it affects into a drunken stupor.

Damage done by the breath of a Dragon is 1d8 per every life-phase of the Dragon to all within the area of effect for the Green, Iron, White, Black, Copper and Red specimens. It is magical and can affect both the body and the animus (therefore it can harm even those immune to bodily attack like Spirits).

The ten life-phases of the Dragons are as follows: Hatchling – Very Young – Young – Adolescent – Lesser Adult – Greater Adult – Mature – Old – Very Old – Ancient

Each phase lasts a hundred years. Dragons grow as they age, from a size of 5’ to a full size of 100’. They grow also in experience and power as they age. Even at birth they have ten levels and grow to 20 levels. Furthermore they cast a shadow of awe and fear in an ever growing area as they age – from 10’ (even as a hatchling) to a mile as an Ancient one.

A dragon has the musculature of a mammalian predator (like that of a wild cat) but the scaly hide of a reptile. It has a long neck and tail. Its head is adorned with distinctive horns while its tail ends in horny barbs. As well as the normal compliment of four clawed limbs, a dragon has batlike wings (which scholars speculate are an extension and adaptation of the shoulder blades). Wings are disproportionally small in Hatchlings - allowing only gliding. Dragons are ferocious combatants and can attack several opponents all at once with jaws (1d12), claws (4d6), tail-slapping (1d10) and wing-buffets (2d4). They take half-damage from non-magical weapons.

A dragon will maintain a number of lairs which are both secluded and secure in a habitat befitting the temperament of that dragon.

All dragons have these additional powers which accumulate for each life phase and are as potent as level dictates.

Hatching: Summon Champion
Very Young: Fly & Swim
Young: Divination
Adolescent: Telepathy
Lesser Adult: Telekinesis
Greater Adult: Command and Muse
Mature: Teleportation
Old: Gate
Very Old: Transmutation
Ancient: Empower Champion

In its final days of life the dragon expire (its body consumed in a form of destruction akin to its breath weapon) and a clone of the 'parent' will emerge from the destruction. The name 'hatchling' is a misnomer since there is never an egg. The Champion must help the new dragon to remember the personality that it has also inherited from its parent.

The Champion is a human that is chosen by the dragon in its Very Old form. The dragon takes human form to go wandering among society till it finds one worthy to be its Champion. The Champion must willingly submit to the role and once this is done he or she is invested with powers such as longevity, immunity to dragon-breath, voluntary temporary giant-size, enhanced ability and greater level.

The dragons spend entire lives in simply hunting and slumbering. Legend tells that they exist as a last line of defence for the world if ever it faces destruction from other-worldly powers.

FORMANTI
Level Two to Four Monster

Oryan the Emperor of Nerina had a Queen named Akantha who he loved for her beauty but grew to hate because she was far more popular at court than he. Akantha was an astute negotiator who contributed much to the reputation of her spouse. She was known for her love of insects and the necklaces she wore which depicted such creatures. One Summer they both went on holiday to the Delta Swamps and one evening went rowing without any retinue. Oryan returned alone saying that Akantha had fell into the waters and sunk without trace. Others however suspected foul play.

The following Summer the island villa of Oryan in the Delta Swamps was attacked by a swarm of gigantic insects. All residents were killed and the biggest monster slew a look-a-like decoy of Oryan (the Emperor himself was off on his northward march of conquest). Those with a sense of poetic justice deduced that the spirit of Akantha must have returned in insect form and spawned her own avenging army.

The truth of this legend cannot be confirmed. However there is a race of gigantic insects in the Delta Swamps. They are ruled by a Queen and they do attack human settlements. They look like praying mantis but have a society more like that of ants and are divided into castes of worker and warrior and Queen of levels two and three and four respectively. They stand at 5' tall and are 8' long (add 1' to these dimensions for warriors and 2' for the Queen).

Hind limbs always function as legs while forelimbs always function as arms. However mid-limbs can be both arms or legs. This allows Formanti to move at twice normal movement rate or to attack with twice as many weapons as normal. They use weapons stolen from human victims. However they can also punch for 4d2 damage (workers) or 4d4 damage (warriors) or 4d6 damage (Queen). Also warriors and the Queen can sting opponents behind them for 1d2 damage and the injection of severe toxin. The Formanti can fly short distances (sufficient to enter or escape any melee in one round). They communicate telepathically via touch.

GELATINOUS MASS
Level Three Monster

The Gelatinous Mass is a cell colony of acidic jell that forms shapes that fit whatever space it moves in. It is found in caverns and abandoned catacombs and the like. The merest touch of its form delivers acidic damage of 1d4. However on a successful attack roll the monster will lurch forward at surprising speed and envelop a human-sized opponent. Once inside the victim will take 3d6 damage per round. They can only escape the mass on a successful Strength check. Some specimens can alter surface texture and pigmentation to imitate such things as doors or storage chests.

GENIE
Level Six to Ten Monster

The Genie are inhabitants of the Elemental planes of existence. As such they are extremely rare and usually only come into the world as the result of magical spells. The ancient mages of Nerina developed ways of conjuring and binding these to particular objects (particularly flasks) such that the owner of that object can command the Genie.

There is a specific kind of Genie for each of the elements of Air, Water, Earth and Fire. They are that substance in its purest form which is rather different from the adulterated forms found in the world. They can move with the most amazing fluidity and then hit an opponent with devastating solidity.

They tend to assume three forms. One is of a 10-12' tall amorphous mass. Another is 8-10' tall but of vaguely human shape. And yet another is a 12-16' long serpentine form. They communicate via telepathy and show themselves to be shrewd and witty. They attack once per round for 2d20 damage. They can only be damaged by magical weapons or spells that replicate the opposite element in pure form (Air versus Earth and Water versus Fire).

A Genie can only return to its native plane of existence if the object to which it is bound is destroyed. A Genie will offer to undertake any task in return for its freedom. In contrast a Genie in servitude will only follow commands in the most minimalist and legalistic way.

In some sense Genie are related to Spirits.

GIANT
Level Eight to Twelve Monster

The Giants are massive monsters of human kinship. There are two breeds of Giant - the Stone Giants and the Hill Giants. Both have the same legendary origin. The ancient Eriman Emperor Udolfo possessed an artifact known as the Sword of Conquest which conferred on him amazing powers of combat and command. One such power was to grant his rousing speeches a kind of truth. In one story Udolfo gathered his greatest warriors together and declared them to be giants in combat towering over all opponents. During the next battle they all grew to be between 12' and 18' tall and became much stronger as a result. The greatest of them was the ever-loyal Tremendous Tilda who was personal body-guard to Udolfo.

On the death of Udolfo the Giants formed two camps. The minority who loved Udolfo withdrew from the ensuing civil war despite all promises of power and riches. These 'stone-willed' Giants lead by Tilda migrated as a group to live a life of simplicity in the Pillar Mountains. They became the reclusive Stone Giants.

The majority who loved combat stayed on to fight on both sides of the civil war. They were separated and made the body-guards of particular generals. Once that age of warfare passed the surviving Giants scattered into the Grey Hills and became solitary hunters or bandits. The Hill Giants dwindled over time as they became the targets of heroic warriors. The savage life they lived also dimmed their intellect.

However something peculiar happened a few hundred years ago and one Hill Giant warlord - Garroway Goremonger - united many others to his banner and took them across land to invade and conquer the Seven Hills (thereby winning them the enmity of the Dwarves).

Both kinds of Giant have pale skin and blond to brown hair and blue-grey irises. The Stone Giants emulate the memory of Udolfo by shaving all body hair (a custom of the last Emperor). In contrast the Hill Giants grow hair long and wild. Both breeds wear clothes made of animal hides but the Hill Giants supplement these with decorative items such as the skulls of human victims.

Giants can make one attack per round with a punch or kick which does 1d8 damage. Alternately they can attack with something like a huge club for 2d6 damage. In both cases damage is enhanced by +1 to +5 depending on the level of the Giant. Finally they can hurl boulders (one every two rounds) as far as 200' for 3d6 damage.

Giants have a human lifespan. They can technically mate with humans but the process is a difficult one and Half-Giants are very rare. A Half-Giant is a human of maximum size and normal in all respects. It is rumoured that Garroway was advised and assisted by a human half-sister who was also a powerful mage.

GOBLIN & HOBGOBLIN
Level One to Five Monster

The Goblins were originally bred from captured Orcs by the legendary arch mage Mons Tara. She wanted to harness the ferocity and the night vision of the Orcs. To the natural Orcish ability to see heat she added the ability to detect even the palest glimmer of star light. A consequence of tampering made the Goblins smaller than Orcs and while they were nasty and sadistic they lost something of the wild bravery of natural Orcs. Mons Tara attempted to correct these shortcomings but never succeeded. Nonetheless the Goblins proved effective nocturnal combatants and in the civil war following the death of Mons Tara they served both sides and helped make warfare a round-the-clock event.

Following the Age of Tumult the Goblins returned to the Border Mountains of their ancestors and began a war with the native Orcs there. Goblin culture gave them military discipline and tactics which devastated the disparate Orcish clans. Eventually the surviving Orcs escaped to other lands. A few generations later however the Orcs returned in a more militant form and quickly re-took territory from the Goblins. Around this time however something amazing happened to the Goblins - Hobgoblins were born among them. It was as if the augmentation attempted by Mons Tara was suddenly activated by the pressure of the returned Orcish force. Hobgoblins are somewhat larger than Orcs and just as effective in combat. Every one in ten children is now born as a Hobgoblin regardless of parentage (Hobgoblin parents have as much chance as Goblin parents of producing Hobgoblins).

Both Goblins and Hobgoblins are vicious-looking relatives of the Orcs. They have pasty grey-green skin, black hair and red irises. The eyes of Goblins are large. The eyes of Hobgoblins are the same size but in a somewhat larger face. Goblins are 3'9" to 4'8" tall while Hobgoblins are 4'8" to 6'4" tall. They wear uniforms of black, grey and red. They keep hair short and somewhat spiky. Both Goblins and Hobgoblins can see and move perfectly at night but in daylight Goblins find the light affects them and suffer a -1 penalty to attack rolls. Hobgoblins work fine in daylight even if they prefer night. Goblins get jittery if facing a larger force. In contrast Hobgoblins relish the challenge.

Goblin infantry have one level. Infantry commanders have two levels. They use chainmail, shield and short sword. Goblin Cavalry domesticate and ride Dire Wolves known to Goblins as Worguni. Cavalry members have two levels while Cavalry commanders have three levels. They use chainmail, short bow and dagger.

The Goblins have an hereditary monarch - the Ar-Goruth - who has four levels - the maximum for any Goblin. The addition of Hobgoblins has made a difference to the effectiveness of the Goblin fighting force.

Hobgoblins have two levels while Hobgoblin commanders have three levels. Some Hobgoblins are given the role of acting as a bodyguard for both the Ar-Goruth and the Koruth and these elite troops have four levels. The Koruth is the general of the Hobgoblins and has five levels. All Hobgoblins use banded mail and bastard swords.

The relationship between the Ar-Goruth and the Koruth is a tense one. The Ar-Goruth is all-powerful by tradition but is finding that its power is limited to domestic matters while the Koruth is supreme military commander (which in wartime makes the Koruth more important).

Note that Goblins and Orcs can interbreed but resulting offspring are always Orcs. Goblins slay such infants at birth. 'Goblin' is a Rolanian word. The Bordenian variation is 'Kobold'.

GOLEM
Level Five to Six Monster

A Golem is an automaton made by a Dwarvish Spellsmith which is given the power of movement by a captured animus. Its construction can vary but a common description follows:

With copper sinew
And iron for bone
With flesh of clay
And hide of stone

The construct can take many forms but the most common is that of a dwarvenesque statue between 7' and 8' tall. This size provides for a forbidding and impressive form while minimising construction issues. Golems are usually inert but the magic in them can move it to action if triggered by particular events (such as intruders entering a secret chamber or treasury).

Many golem are enhanced by mechanisms such as a chest that opens to expose an automatic crossbow with magic arrows. The magic instructions that determine golem behaviour are usually located in a scroll or tablet set into a cavity in its upper back. Removal of the instructions renders the golem inert till given new instructions. Only a successful Backstab by a rogue can remove the instructions in combat conditions. The golem can attack with a punch (1d8) punch (1d8) routine or with such items as the imbedded crossbow described.

GORGON
Level Six Monster

The Gorgon are a reptilian race with a human-like upper body and a serpentine lower body. They live in isolated caves and abandoned keeps in the Southern Desert. Legend tells that they were wicked clerics exiled from the Empire of Nerina for attempting to overthrow the aristocracy and replace it with a theocracy.

They are covered with scales in shades of blue, purple and grey. They have a gem-like scale on the forehead which is sensitive to heat (effectively granting them heat vision). Males have four rather than two arms. Females have a somewhat more pronounced sternum like that of a bird. Another bird-like characteristic of females is a crest of rachis emanating from the scalp (which however lack the filaments of feather).

The Gorgon are solitary and only come together to mate. They fight with weapons and those with four arms attack twise a round. The most powerful attack of the Gorgon however is their mesmerizing gaze which - on a successful attack roll - renders the victim paralyzed for 2d4 rounds. Only females can paralyze. All Gorgons however can improve the Luck rolls of itself by a factor of one (or reduce that of opponents by a factor of one). They love to consume human flesh and collect the possessions of their victims (they will always use the best weapons themselves).

GRIFFON
Level Five Monster

The legendary arch-mage Mons Tara travelled in her youth and examined the magical breeding skills of ancient Nerina. Then at personal risk she acquired some Hydra blood which has the power to "loosen the bonds that hold life in set shapes and forms". The eagle and the lion were symbols of power in Great Erimania and Tara blended together the essences of both to breed a new mount for her rebel cavalry. The Hydra blood allowed this blending and also the defying of the natural 'limit of limbs'.

The Griffons were too wild to be dominated by Tara however and escaped to live in forest wildernesses. They are a beast the size of a pony covered in brown feathers of varying sizes from fully sized feathers at the front to a fine fur-like covering at the hind-quarters. The face and forelimbs resemble the beak and talons of a bird-of-prey. The hind-quarters are like those of a wild cat. The most distinctive characteristic of the Griffon is the bird-like wings that grow from its shoulder blades. The coloration of Griffons ranges from brown to tawny while its talons, beak and eyes range from golden to orange. They average 7-8' long and have a wingspan of 11'. They are more bird than mammal and lay eggs.

A Griffon can attack with bite (1d6) claw (1d4) claw (1d4). However they can also do other things like lift an opponent off the ground and then drop them from a great height (which can happen if it makes two successful hits with claws).

Griffons are rare and are now only found in the Greatwood Forest. There they have been domesticated by the Wood Elves (who seek partnership rather than domination) and become the mounts of the Wood Elf cavalry. An attack by such a cavalry is swift and devastating in its effect.

HYDRA
Level Eight to Ten Monster

The Hydra is a massive marine reptile with a propensity for mutation. At full size they are 30' long. Some are serpentine while others have two or four limbs (whether flippers or webbed feet). The number of heads also varies from one to three. The more heads they have the more levels they have. Scales are green or green-blue. They can attack small boats by ramming them from underneath - the Hydra will capsize a boat on a successful Luck roll. It then attacks with its jaws - 1d10 per head. The Hydra roam the sea between the Gaping Gulf and the Ragged Isles but some come as far north as Farport.

The blood of Hydra was a vital ingredient in ancient magics that permitted the blending of different races in the forming of new ones. Sages say that this is because of the way in which Hydra themselves can take many different forms.

ILKITHIRI
Level Three to Ten Monster

Long ago a star fell into a hillside close to the valley of Allmeet. It was excavated for meteoric iron but in the process a smashed 'sky keep' was discovered in the crater. Study of the site suggested that there had in fact been two forms (made of different kinds of stone). One was shaped like a starfish. The other like a twisted horn that was thrust into the starfish. Both were the size of galleons. Inside corpses of a most peculiar kind were discovered - the Ilkithiri and the Occu. Study by sages and Diviners tells us this of the Ilkathari:

The Ilkithiri is a cephalopod of alien origin that can assume a vaguely human-like form. This they do by decapitating human victims and attaching to the opening of the neck. Soon tendrils grow in numbers sufficient to replace all muscles and sinews. None have ever been met but it is speculated that they are powerful and cunning spell-casters.

JACKALRIE
Level Three to Four Monster

Two caravans meet at sunset in the Southern Desert. One group inform the other that a pack of jackals was seen a few dunes away and they suggest camping together for better defense. That night the two groups of merchants drink and carouse together. Suddenly the camp is attacked by many jackals and the members of one of the two caravans also take jackal-form and together slay all true humans...

Many such tales are told by travelers of the Southern Desert regarding the treacherous and vicious Jackalrie. These are jackals that can temporarily assume human form (for as much as six hours per day). They work in packs ruled by a Sire (a level four male). In human form they can attack with weapons while in jackal form they can attack with one bite of 1d6 damage. Also anyone who survives an attack of Jackalrie may also have contracted a severe infection as they are dirty animals. They will eat humans and keep the best possessions for the pack.

In human form Jackalrie are most convincing however one difference from normal humans is that they have four nipples (a fact they are careful to conceal). Jackalrie are the children of Jackalrie - in this sense they are very different from the Ratkin or Batkin who carry a supernatural affliction. Nonetheless Sinti tales of Jackalrie have transformed into the legend of the Werewolf in Narmantic and Planavic lands.

MANTICORE
Level Five Monster

The Manticore is the oldest product of the magical breeders of ancient Nerina - an experiment that was rejected by its makers. This monster has a body like that of a large tawny lion but huge brown bat-like wings protrude from its shoulders and its tail ends in a spiked club-like tail. It has human rather than feline eyes with brown irises. It is utterly wild and will kill anything it meets. It can attack with claw (1d2) claw (1d2) bite (1d6) routine at anyone forward of it and with its tail attack someone behind it for 1d8 damage.

The Manticore roam the hills of Demona and live very much as do lions. However there is a legend which tells that Manticore love to engage in riddling - this legend is a fiction which has caused many adventurers to try to talk to a Manticore rather than run away from it! The Manticore is the only native of Demona to be left alone by the marauding Wyvern.

MERKIND
Level Three to Four Monster

Legend tells that some of the humans of the Island Nation survived its destruction by becoming the Merkind. This legend is supported by the fact that the Merkind congregate in the lagoons of The Remnant. The Merkind are a mammalian marine race with a vaguely human-shaped upper-body and a dolphin-like lower body. Fur is non-existent. Mammary glands are on the torso. They are of greyish-beige coloration. They can make a clicking call that allows them to sense and hone in on moving objects as far as a mile away. They can likewise communicate with one another under water. They must surface once an hour to breath.

They attack with weapons (tridents are popular) or with a whack of the tail which inflicts 2d4 damage. Despite this Merkind are peace-loving and only fight if threatened. They live in caverns within coral reefs and a clan will be overseen by a bull (a level four male). This bull serves as the shaman of the group and can improve the Luck rolls of its fellows by a factor of one (or reduce that of opponents by a factor of one).

MISTLETOE
Level One Monster

Mistletoe is a parasite that grows on trees in the Grey Hills and Brethic Hills. It alters its form to look like a branch of its host tree and slowly sucks sap via its intrusive roots. However if ever Mistletoe comes into contact with blood its Animus will then become active rather than dormant and it will seek to graft itself to an animal (including demi-humans). A blood-thirsty Mistletoe will fall from a tree onto an animal on a successful attack roll. The grafting causes 1d2 damage and thereafter sucks 1 life point of damage per day. However if the host rests during the course of a day they negate that loss.

On the first day of grafting the Mistletoe will still look like a branch. On the second day it has a 50% chance of becoming a nondescript and non-functional animal extremity. On the third day it has a 50% chance of becoming a functional limb specific to the host animal. It will be of flesh and blood but cartilage will substitute for true bone. The limb will mimic limbs as well as it can according to host form and part of body to which it is anchored but variations (like fewer than standard fingers on an 'extra arm') do occur. The host can make use of this limb as normal on a successful Wisdom check (for every action willed). Mistletoe can be removed by killing it but the host will take as much damage as the parasite.

If ever a blood-thirsty Mistletoe returns to a tree-host (as in the case of its animal host perishing) it will then have the ability to make that tree move so as to help it capture future animal hosts. Legend tells that Druids have a way of using Mistletoe to safely and permanently replace lost limbs.

MOCK DRAGON
Level Two Monster

A Mock Dragon is a Wyvern that as a hatchling has had its growth magically retarded as it matures. Even as an adult a Mock Dragon is never larger than a cat. It develops an affection and affinity for its owner and is prized by mages as a familiar. The Mock Dragon can fly well and can also attack with a bite for 1d4 damage or with a stabbing of its tail for 1d2 damage and the application of severe toxin. They say that if ever a Mock Dragon sees a wild adult Wyvern it will suddenly become wild itself and turn on its owner.

OCCU
Level Five to Eight Monster

Long ago a star fell into a hillside close to the valley of Allmeet. It was excavated for meteoric iron but in the process a smashed 'sky keep' was discovered in the crater. Study of the site suggested that there had in fact been two forms (made of different kinds of stone). One was shaped like a starfish. The other like a twisted horn that was thrust into the starfish. Both were the size of galleons. Inside corpses of a most peculiar kind were discovered - the Occu and the Ilkithiri. Study by sages and Diviners tells us this of the Occu:

The Occu is an echinoderm of alien origin. It has a spherical form with ten eyes distributed across its five body segments (five set into the segments and five set on stalks). It has a tooth-lined maw at the opposite end from the cluster of articulated stalks. The body can levitate at will. It has a ravenous hunger and its gaze can cast a number of magical attacks on its victims from paralysis to instant death.

OGRE
Level Five Monster

The arch-mage Hakon (apprentice of Mons Tara) bred the Ogres in the opening days of the Age of Tumult. They were sterile and none of the originals survived. However new ones can be forcibly bred and there are persistent rumours of Ogres living in the vicinity of Mount Fate. Ogres are the product of forced breeding of Orcs and Hill Giants. They stand 8' to 10' tall and look like oversized Half-Orcs (which effectively they are).

Orgres can make one attack per round with a punch or kick which does 1d8 damage. Alternately they can attack with something like a huge club for 2d6 damage. Due to the extreme rarity of these monsters all sorts of variations in description have been developed over the ages. These descriptions include everything from having just one eye to having two heads.

PEGASUS
Level Four Monster

Oryan the Emperor of Nerina desired the perfect mount for his army of conquest and once Centaurs were found wanting he commanded his mage breeders to make him something better. The result was the winged horse Pegasus. This served as both the personal steed of Oryan and also as the template for more such mounts. Dozens were bred but history tells that all were killed in the war between Oryan and his enemy Vareck. However legends persist that say a small herd of Pegasi survive to this day and hide in the deepest parts of the Eldarwood. If they exist Pegasi can fly faster and further than even Griffons. A Pegasus can attack from above with all four hooves for 4d6 damage.

PIERCER
Level One Monster

These gastropods are uniquely adapted for life in caverns in that they have shells that look like stalactites. These stone-hard shells nonetheless allow the Piercer to detect movement and if they sense something moving below them they can let go of the cavern ceiling and fall. On a successful attack roll they will impale a victim for 2d10 damage. This one blow kills most victims - which are then eaten - but if the victim survives it can then more effectively attack the Piercer as its soft belly is now exposed.

PIXIE
Level One to Three Monster

During the Age of Tumult legend tells that some Elvish rogues volunteered to be made into the ultimate messengers and spies. The result was the Pixie which live to this day in the Greenwood and are still loyal to the Ley Elvish aristocracy. They look like tiny mauve-pigmented Elves lacking hair and standing at 10" to 1'2" tall. They can become invisible and inaudible at will and can climb like a squirrel. They cannot fly but gossamer membranes stretching from arm to leg allow them to glide from a height. In other ways they are like Elves. They have the core thieving skills. They can bite for 1d2 damage and the application of Pixie saliva has the same effect as Lethargy enchantment. Whether they can breed with Elves is a matter of utmost secrecy and delicacy. They are revered as familiars by Elvish mages.

RATKIN
Level Three Monster

The Ratkin (or Wererats as others call them) are humans afflicted with the supernatural ability to become rats of the same mass. They can be a human of any experience level beyond the second. They look like normal humans with a vaguely feral visage. They can change into a massive rat at will within one minute. However they also are compelled by their affliction to change form once every month on a particular date and during the hours of darkness (only particular Wererats must change during the Full Moon). The transmutation only affects the body rather than clothes or possessions.

The act of transforming has the happy side-effect of returning the Wererat to maximum life points. The only kind of damage that resists this effect are wounds inflicted by silver weapons. Wererats are excellent swimmers. They also have a sense of smell that allows them to locate prey to a distance of one mile. In rat form they can attack with claw (1d2) claw (1d2) and bite (1d4). As a rat they have a leathery hide. In human form they will attack as calling and experience level dictate. The leader of a group of Wererats can summon and command a swarm of ordinary rats (the attack of which can prevent effective action for one round).

Any human (including half-humans) and Halfling bitten or otherwise contaminated with the bolidy secretions of a Wererat must make a successful Constitution check or become a Wererat. If they are lower than third level they will rise to third level. They will change from omnivore to carnivore and develop a desire to hunt at night (which can be resisted by a successful Wisdom check). They will experience the compulsion to transmute into rat form 30 days after infection and on the same day of every month thereafter.

The Ratkin are very socialized and prefer to live in contact with others. Some will live in sewers and spend most of the time living among rats. Others will live among fellow humans. The largest number of Ratkin live in Nartellfar. Historically they were a gang that would capture and turn humans they were attracted to into Wererats or kidnap and sup on infants. Such action however would draw attention to them and would result in mass Wererat extermination. In present times the Ratkin have been united under one inspirational if ruthless community figure (Marcelus Algernon) who has imposed a new code of conduct that ensures that the Ratkin can survive quietly in Nartellfar. One rule of the new community is to only prey on those who will never be missed (such as vagabonds and petty criminals).

The Ratkin and Batkin afflictions are related phenomena and one can only contract one or the other. Study by Transmuters to understand this magic infection has proved futile. Efforts by clerics to cure it likewise have been useless. It seems to be a lifelong condition. Any child of two Ratkin is also Ratkin. However the child of a Ratkin and a normal human is also a normal human (once they are born however they can be afflicted in the normal way).

RAVEN
Level One Monster

The Ravens are crows that have been domesticated by Dwarves as messengers. They are intelligent and can communicate in M'gar. They can memorize precise messages or even compose their own in dire circumstances. It is due to Ravens that the Hill Dwarf Monarchy-In-Exile survived at all following the conquest of the Seven Hills by Hill Giants.

Ravens mate for life and tend to travel in pairs. If pressed such a pair can attack for 2d2 damage or drop stones on opponents for 2d4 damage. A pair is deemed to be one monster for calculation of life points. Sometimes they are known as 'Winged Omens'.

SELKIE
Level Three To Four Monster

In its natural habitat the Selkie blends aspects of the fur seal and the otter. It has golden-brown fur. It has useful forelimbs with opposing thumbs but its hind-limbs are more flipper-like. However the Selkie has the supernatural talent to assume comely human form for as much as twelve hours in every two days. Selkie crave both company and the decorative and functional objects that humans can make.

The Selkie live in hidden huts woven from grass and weeds that they construct among secluded stony reefs in the Bay of Farnorth and the westernmost reaches of the Erimer Sea. However from time-to-time they go visiting the fishing villages of humans in those areas. Many songs tell of visitations by suspected Selkie:

The stranger came in need of shelter
I welcomed him that sunset hour
He partook of my open larder
And more we shared in bed together
At dawn I rose to find him gone
My jewels I'd lost yet still I'm warm

The implication of such songs is that those visited are perfectly happy to loose the odd trinket in return for a night of passion and many a young widow or widower whispers of having had the love of a Selkie. Skeptics suggest that any stranger may do the same thing but others reply that one can tell a Selkie from other humans by the presence of four nipples. Selkie are the children of Selkie - in this sense they are very different from the Ratkin or Batkin who carry a supernatural affliction. Only Selkie of four levels ever go visiting humans. They are placid but if pressed can bite for 1d4 damage (if in Selkie form) or attack as a human otherwise.

SHRIEKER
Level One Monster

A Shrieker is a massive mushrooms 3' tall that can both exude a mild toxin if touched and - of more concern - emits a shrill call that can attract whatever other things are wandering in its cavernous habitat. It is only found in the largest of caverns and cannot be eaten by anything. However it can slowly move and consume any corpses in its vicinity. Hence the innate desire of this fungus to have battles happen in its presence.

SPIRIT
Level Six To Fifteen Monster

A spirit is an immortal from the planes of spirit. Some of them may be natives of the spirit planes (much as the Genie are natives of the Elemental Planes). Many more however are the immortal form of mortals who have perished and gone onto serve a particular god or goddess. Most reside forever in the spirit planes but some very rarely are sent to the mortal world for some divine purpose.

Spirits start at the same level they were in life and can then advance further. Those between first and fifth level will always stay at home as the inhabitants of eternity. Those between sixteenth and twentieth level stay at home so as to help manage the spirit planes for the gods and goddesses. Those however between the levels of six and fifteen are the ones sometimes sent into the world as guardians or envoys (such visits are extremely rare). Note that at home they are pure spirit and cannot be destroyed.

Once they enter the world however they become both spirit and animus and the connection between these two component parts can be severed by magic or magical weapons (they are totally immune to any mundane attacks that affect the body). Likewise any attack of a spirit is deemed magical. Severing the link between spirit and animus vanquishes the spirit back to its home plane. However some powerful Necromancy can allow them to be captured.

The combat statistics of a spirit (including Defence Rating and Attack and Damage rolls) are never worse than the best statistics of those they are combating. They cast spells as a cleric of the same level. They also have the following powers: Divination, Telepathy, Telekinesis, Teleportation and Gate.

A spirit can project a sense impression of itself such that it can interact fully with the world. All spirits can present as a somewhat hazy form of the person they were in the prime of life. However they also can assume forms specific to the origin of the spirit encountered.

The Archon

The Archon are servants of Olorin in Paradise and can take the form of a beautiful human with golden complexion and white wings like those of a bird-of-prey emerging from the shoulder blades. If closely observed the feathers are seen as tufts of fur. Garments tend to be basic and only the minimum demanded by the modesty standards of the culture visited. They give off a golden glow and any weapon wielded will be lined with flame. One of the few things that will provoke a visitation by Archon is the harassment of mortals by the Gargorim.

The Forn

The Forn are servants of Nitara in Paradise and can take two forms. One is of a vaguely human-shaped levitating cluster of plant matter such as flower petals and fluff. The other is of a naked almost-human form that has the horns, cloven hooves, fur and characteristics of a dear. In this form they can both burrow and climb at speed. They occasionally facilitate the conceiving of children for infertile couples. A Forn will assume the likeness of the woman and mate with the man and take his seed and will then assume the form of the man and mate with the woman thereby transferring the seed. Conception is assured. The 'Changeling' children of such Forn arranged matings are comely and bring joy to those who know them. They say that the crops will never fail if such a child was born and continues to live in ones village.

The Succubi & Incubi

These are the servants of Urala in the Netherworld. They take the form of attractive and seductively attired humans but have feline pupils and pronounced canines. They also have small horns and batlike wings. If attacked they can employ spells of cold and darkness. Succubi and Incubi are sent to the world to test secure relationships and to provide solace to those who have lost such relationships. A visit from these spirits is usually interpreted as a particularly vivid dream. They occasionally facilitate the conceiving of children who will go onto act as the mortal agents of Urala in this world. A Succubi will mate with a man and take his seed and will then transform into an Incubi and mate with a woman thereby transferring the seed. The children of such matings are granted particular powers that manifest in adolescence. One of the key tasks such mortals are given is the hunting and slaying of ghouls and wights (which deprive Urala of spirit followers in her land of eternal gloom) - these are known as 'Dispatchers'.

The Gargorim

These are the servants of Kandoth in the Netherworld. They look much as they are depicted in statuary on the walls and rooves of Kandothic churches – as ‘gargoyles’. They have large muscular forms covered in smooth grey hide. They have the faces of some dire carnivore with small horns. Eyes glow electric blue. Shoulder blades sprout large bat-like wings while tails end in arrow-like points. They have the power to make a thunderclap by snapping their wings suddenly. They can emit electricity at will. Visits to the mortal Lands by Gargorim are very rare but on occasion they may storm into some large undercover locale like a rooved arcade to “let the weather back in”…

The Ghosts

These are agents of The Deliverer sent to the world from the Eternal Hall to thwart those who try to evade death by use of magical spells or potions granting longevity. Its key form of attack on those it has been sent to collect is the power to cause rapid aging (ten years per touch). A Ghost is one of the few things feared by a Lich.

The Shades

The Shades are followers of Garlomen & Marumi and reside with them in the Shadowlands. There they live 'lives' much like those they had as mortals in rural settings. Some however are sent into the world of the living for some errand and will generally take on standard spirit form. The Shades of one-time Druids will sometimes visit those they mentored. They can also assume the form of a vaguely human shaped monster of mud whose bones are stone and whose sinew is the gnarled roots of trees. In this form they can swim and burrow swiftly.

The Harmonians

The Harmonians are followers of Bernali and Elchemar. In Harmonium they all have strict roles and routines and once sent to the world they follow precise instructions as well as circumstance will allow (and as spirits they can alter circumstances in significant ways). They can take the form of human-like statue of obsidian and silver with military uniforms that mirror those of the culture they are visiting. The precise function of such a form will be altered to fit its specific mission.

The Discordians

The Discordians are followers of Teloch and Linesa (except the relationship they have is more like that of a fan and they cannot exactly be controlled by those they worship). In Discordia itself they can alter themselves at will to fit the ever-changing environment there. Whatever form they were last like in Discordia is the form they will also have on visiting the world. The warlike followers of Teloch may have a hide like that of an Armadillo or they may have arms that end in bony blades. The followers of Linesa fancy all kinds of movement and presentation and may have anything from the gaudy plumage and song of an exotic bird to the form of a human body sprouting musical instruments.

Wayward Spirits

Also known as The Fallen or Demons. Very occasionally a spirit will consider that the gods and goddesses themselves were once of the same kind as Spirits or Genie. Even more rarely such a spirit will decide that it is in essence as important as its ruler and desire independence. Such a wayward spirit will depart the spirit planes and hide in the Ether. There it will form a tiny pocket realm for itself. Some are content with that but others will aspire to the status of Divinity and will therefore make contact with the mortal world and seek worshippers.

These spirits will do so carefully lest they attract the attention of the existing gods and goddesses - the result will be clandestine cults. They will also find that the tiny numbers of worshippers they find are too few to grant them the power they seek and be much more demanding of those worshippers they do have. While a Divinity only asks for small regular prayers a Demon will demand blood sacrifices to feed it. This need for blood will lumber the spirit with a fleshy body (like that of many Undead) and a consequence of this is that they can take half-damage from non-magical attacks. It is just as well that they are incredibly rare as they are also incredibly dangerous. The hunting of wayward spirits is one of the few tasks that are assigned to the Dragons...

TERROR SPINNER
Level One to Two Monster

The Terror Spinners are huge intelligent spiders that reside in dark thick woods - particularly in the Twisted Forest. Females are 3' in diameter while males are 2' in diameter. They weave webs which hold anyone prone who touches them and fails a Strength check. They can bite for 1d2 damage. This bite also injects a severe toxin. Females carry young inside them. Rumors persist that in the Twisted Forest there are one or more hermit spell-casters who can control these gigantic spiders and who think and act like them.

TROLL
Level Four to Six Monster

Trolls are huge vaguely human-shaped carnivorous amphibians that come in both Freshwater and Saltwater breeds. They are vicious and cunning predators who love to wallow in small pools and streams and take prey by surprise. Female are more intelligent than the males.

They are solitary and only come together to mate. They spawn in flooded caves and the young hatch from clusters of soft eggs in such caves. Infant trolls cannibalise one another as they grow. As infants they have external gills and tails however as they grow they loose the tail and gills become vestigial. From then on they must surface to breath but only need to do so a few times an hour. They have mottled grey-green hide that is both silken and course in patches. Eyes are blank black. Mouths are lined with tiny sharp teeth while limbs end in claws. The vestigial gills gather moss and give the impression of trolls having hair around the back of the head from earhole to earhole.

The male freshwater troll is the smallest troll standing at 7' to 9' tall. The female freshwater troll and the male saltwater troll stand at 8' to 10' tall. The female saltwater troll is the largest troll standing at 9' to 11' tall. It must be noted however that trolls rarely stand erect and if on land prefer to crouch and crawl. They much prefer swimming.

Level (4-6) is allocated according to the three sizes described. They attack with claw (1d4) claw (1d4) bite (1d4). Also if both claws make a successful hit and both they and their opponent are standing in or alongside a body of water then the troll will take hold of their prey and take them under the water till they drown. A Strength check on a d30 is required to escape their grasp. 1d8 life points are lost for every round underwater. Injured trolls can regenerate 1 life point per round per level if fully immersed in the right kind of water (salt or fresh).

Saltwater Trolls are native to the Erimer Sea while Freshwater Trolls can be found on both the shores of the Erimer Sea and in the rivers and ponds of the Wandering Lands, the Grey Hills, and the Brethic Hills. Those that live in the Brethic Hills sometimes develop a relationship of convenience with the legendary Will-O-Wisp there.

UNDEAD
Level One to Ten Monster

The Undead are a variety of monsters that are the result of one or both of the Animus or Spirit continuing to be attached to a body or to one another beyond the normal duration of a natural life. To be deemed truly Undead a monster must have two of the following three components: (i) A corpse (ii) an Animus (whether dormant or active) and (iii) a Spirit (some comprise all three while others comprise i and ii or ii and iii).

Destroying Undead involves severing the body from the animus or the animus from the spirit. They are only fully damaged by magical weapons (which can affect the animus as well as flesh and bone) and take half-damage from mundane weapons (if they have a body) and none at all (if they lack a body).

Magical Undead

Magical Undead are those that are deliberately made by use of particular magic spells and procedures.

Spectral Amulet

Some mages attach a dormant animus to an amulet and then attach their own spirit to that animus. This is done to preserve the owner of that spirit if they are facing dire attacks from the spirit world (if your spirit is safely stored in an amulet then you cannot become a ghoul or wight even if you are evil). Following the bodily destruction of its owner an amulet can project a sense impression of its spirit - this apparition is known as a Spectre and is functionally similar to a Haunt. It is vanquished only if the amulet is destroyed. The amulet will usually be made of iron and include a skull image in its design.

Homunculus

The Homunculus (also known as an imp or gremlin) is an artificial familiar - a companion for a mage. Like all familiars the Homunculus shares the spirit of its mage. But as an artificial body it also needs its own animus to be attached to it. This involves the casting of many spells over its form. The most popular 'recipe' for a Homunculus body lists the following ingredients:

- The skeleton and internal organs of a monkey
- The sense organs of a cat (teeth and claws can be a mix of monkey and cat according to preference of maker)
- The muscles and skin of a piglet
- The wings of a large bat
- The blood of its maker

Spells are cast over the resulting work of taxidermy to (i) transmute the construct into an organic whole, (ii) attach an animus to the new body and (iii) link the animus with the spirit of the maker. To effectively operate two separate forms a mage with such a familiar must be of significant mental agility. Can bite for 1d4 damage. Many mages frown upon the creation of a Homunculus and ask what is the matter with contracting a natural familiar.

Animus Skeleton

An animus skeleton is produced by casting Attach Animus on a skeleton (usually human). The spell attaches an animus to the skeleton and the absence of a spirit ensures that the animus skeleton is totally controlled by the will of the spell caster. They will eventually decay to nothing. Damage of attacks is by weapon wielded.

Animus Corpse

An animus corpse is produced by casting Attach Animus on a corpse (usually human). The spell attaches an animus to the body and the absence of a spirit ensures that the animus corpse is totally controlled by the will of the spell caster. They will eventually degrade into an animus skeleton. Damage of attacks is by weapon wielded.

Lich

Some very powerful mages who wish to stay in the mortal world will defer death indefinitely by using an arcane and powerful combination of spells to lock both the animus and the spirit permanently to the body. The lich is similar in form to an animus skeleton or corpse but has the memory and skill of a powerful mage. They are extremely rare. Only one is named in the legends of the Lands - there is a lich known as the Castellan who rules the maze of Mount Fate.

Mummy

A mummy is similar to a lich in that it is a corpse (preserved by embalming) to which an animus and spirit have both been attached. It is different however in two key respects. One is that the mummy in life was a powerful aristocratic warrior who had mages cast the necessary spells on themselves. The other is that the mummy only occasionally has an active animus and spirit attached to it under very specific circumstances (its tomb has been invaded). The rest of the time it is a corpse with a dormant animus attached. The only known accounts of mummy encounters come from the Lehenic aristocracy of Nerina. They attack with the skill of a powerful warrior (so just punches will include attack and damage bonuses).

Supernatural Affliction Undead

Supernatural Undead are those that have been produced by some form of supernatural curse which propagates in a similar way to a mundane infection. The affliction holds both the animus and the spirit in the body. However in some cases a spirit can resist the power of the affliction. Any spirit deemed 'good' automatically resists the curse. Any spirit deemed 'neutral' (including lawful and chaotic) has a chance of resisting (a successful wisdom check). Any spirit deemed 'evil' automatically succumbs to the curse. Any instance in which the spirit resists will produce a 'stillborn' form of the undead breed which has only an animus and for game purposes can be regarded as an animus corpse. Fully fledged undead will usually destroy any 'stillborn' undead on sight.

Ghouls & Ghasts

A ghoul is the product of a fatal attack by an existing ghoul in which the corpse of the victim is left in tact and revives the following night as a new ghoul. The animus is imprisoned in the corpse by the ghoulish affliction as is the spirit which is distorted into a most savage condition. What they lack in smarts is compensated for by a predatory cunning. Ghouls are nocturnal and resent sunlight but can survive it. They must regularly consume living human flesh and blood in order to stay 'fresh' and as long as they do this ghouls only look like days-old cadavers with an inhumanly feral visage and a ruddy compexion. The teeth and claws of a ghoul cause paralysis for 1d4 rounds if a Constitution check is failed and ghouls enjoy consuming victims while still alive. Ghoul numbers are almost always low because very few whole corpses are left behind by existing ghouls. Usually found in graveyards and catacombs.

If a ghoul is deprived of fresh flesh and blood for long it will then become a ghast. It starts to putrefy and exudes a powerful stench which makes mortals gag and loose initiative in combat. Its sheer desire to feed makes a ghast more powerful. Both ghouls and ghasts attack with claw (1d2) claw (1d2) bite (1d4) routine.

Wights & Wraiths

They say that the original wights were aristocrats who were so greedy for everything including life that they made a compact with Fallen spirits to allow them to stay in the world of the living. The affliction of the wights produces a desiccated pale-grey corpse that can last many generations of mortals in a preserved condition. A wight can produce new wights by sucking all the life energy from a victim in the form of a fatal kiss. A kiss deducts life points by as many dice as the victim has levels. This they do rarely however as they are very snobbish and only wish to turn the most 'worthy' of victims into minions. As a result wights are careful to utterly destroy the corpses of all 'rejects'. They are more likely to simply attack with weapons as a warrior of the same level.

Eventually the body of a wight will turn to dust and once that happens the disembodied animus and spirit become a wraith. It then focuses on just its kiss attack. Both wraiths and wights have only been reported in Erimanic or Brethic lands and are located in barrows. One Wraith is usually attended by 2 to 4 Wight followers. They only take full damage from magical weapons or those made from meteoric iron (deemed magical in this case). They are incapacitated by sunlight - loosing Initiative and suffering -1 to attack rolls and taking one life point damage for every round exposed. They even detest starlight.

Sheer Will Undead

In extremely rare and unusual cases undead can form from the sheer will alone of the deceased person. There are only two known kinds of the sheer will undead and in both cases they only exist for as long as is needed to accomplish a task.

Revenant

A revenant is a fresh corpse with both the animus and spirit intact. The person is the innocent victim of a particularly abhorrent murder in which both victim and murderer were familiar. The Deliverer has given permission to the spirit of the victim to stay in the world in order to exact vengeance and once that vengeance has been taken the revenant becomes an ordinary corpse once more. Its attack will be identical to the kind it could make in life.

Haunt

A haunt is a spirit which lingers in the world in order to complete some important task it had while alive. Once more the permission of the Deliverer has been granted. The spirit is attached to a dormant animus which itself is attached to a locale important to the spirit. Usually the task is of vital importance to persons still living but only the deceased has information necessary to its completion. The haunt must use the living to do its work by telepathically communicating with them. Haunts are frequently confused with Ghosts.

Monsters Sometimes Confused With The Undead

These are immortal spirits that reside in the Afterlife and serve particular gods and goddesses. From time-to-time they are sent into the mortal world to perform particular tasks and are frequently confused with the Undead. In particular the Fallen or Demons are frequently regarded as Undead.

Also the mortal but magical Doppleganger are also sometimes mistakenly regarded as Undead while the Will-O-Wisp is regarded as Undead even if it only comprises animus.

The Legend Of The Vampire

The vampire is a case of a legendary tale which grows even in a fantastic world. The vampire is the product of a mingling of the telling and retelling of different tales of spirits and the Undead. The key ingredients of this fabrication are as follows:

- The natural vampirism which is a form of criminal insanity and is usually punished with the same forms of destruction as are known to slay the undead.

- Ghouls provide the vampire legend with its wild and deranged killer aspect complete with the consumption of blood.

- Wights provide that aspect of the legend involving mortal-hating life-sucking aristocrats.

- Succubi and Incubi provide the vampire legend with its elements of erotic temptation and seduction.

- Werebats are the source of the story of a race of nocturnal carnivores who can take both human and bat forms (despite the fact that they are living rather than Undead). There is a particular Batkin clan in Urbana which has actively promoted this legend as a way of keeping strangers away from the clan cave.

Undead Level

Undead have the following Levels:

* Haunt - NA
* Spectre - NA
* Homunculus - 1
* Animus Skeleton - 1
* Animus Corpse - 2
* Ghoul - 3
* Ghast - 4
* Revenant - Any
* Weight - 8
* Wraith - 9
* Mummy - 10-20
* Lich - 10-20

Revenants, Mummy and Lich will have the Level attained in life.

UNICORN
Level Four Monster

Humans think of Unicorns as a kind of 'elvish horse' but in truth the gracile Unicorn is more closely related to dears. It has cloven hooves and its horn has developed from the twisting together of two separate horns. They average 8' long. Generations of controlled breeding by the Ley Elves have produced a distinct and semi-magical steed.

Unicorns have the longevity and intelligence of a human. They develop a telepathic bond with the elf who rides and cares for them. The horn of a Unicorn can both cause and cure injury at a touch at a value of 1d8 and this attack can affect those only affected by magical weapons. They can also attack with forelimbs for 2d4 damage. They come in shades from white to mottled grey with dark to blue eyes and pearl to silver horns.

WILL-O-WISP
Level Three Monster

The Will-O-Wisp looks like a hovering glowing sphere of misty light. Sages speculate that they are something very concerning indeed - Animus gone feral. They cannot move fast but rather seek to lure victims - any kind of animal - into the bogs and marshes of the Brethic Hills. Any stuck victim is then touched by the Will-O-Wisp which delivers 1d8 damage. This supernatural damage is severing the Animus from the body and this is how Will-O-Wisp 'reproduce' - by 'freeing' active Animus attached to live forms. They can only be harmed by magical weapons or attacks. The Will-O-Wisp never attack Trolls - rather they follow them at a distance and assist in the killing of larger victims (the Troll consumes the flesh while the Will-O-Wisp takes the Animus).

WYVERN
Level Seven Monster

A Wyvern is a huge winged reptile with a stinging tail. They have rusty-brown scales and orange eyes. Decorative back-sweeping horns adorn their heads. Fully grown they are 15' long and have a 20' wingspan. Small feathery tufts grow behind the ears and at the base of their wings. They nest in the remote and difficult-to-reach heights of the Wyrmway Mountains and prey on animals in Demona (all except the Manticore which they stay away from). At a distance flying Wyverns are frequently confused for the legendary Dragons.

A Wyvern can attack from above with claw (1d6) claw (1d6). If both claws hit then it can lift its victim off the ground and then drop them from a fatal height. If landed they can attack with a bite (1d8) or sting with the scorpion-like stinger that inflicts 1d6 damage and injects severe toxin. The eggs and hatchlings of Wyvern demand a handsom price from mages who use them to produce Mock Dragons. Capturing such a prize is one of the most dangerous tasks ever as Wyvern parents stay together till such time as a hatchling can fly and therefore eggs or hatchlings are always guarded by one adult as the other is hunting.

The Vault of Artifacts

2006-05-08T04:31:00.030Z

What follows is a selection of legendary items of alleged power and portent. None of them are unique but all of them are rare due to the rarity of spell-casters of sufficient talent and circumstance to make such items. Ones that are made are never sold but rather are passed from generation to generation. The exception to this rarity are potions and scrolls which are of temporary use.

There may well be many other magical items in the Lands than just those described here. These are simply the more well-known and useful of such items. Rarely are they labeled as magical and the finder of an artifact is lucky indeed if that item is marked in some way such as with the Arcane Sigil (an equilateral triangle the points of which touch a circle enclosing it). Note the 'owner' of a magic item is usually understood to be whomever has touched it last but there may be much more to it than that...

For information on spells see under Arcane Powers and Divine Powers in D&D Game Mechanics.

Items of Temporary Use

This items are the most common of magical items. They produce spell-like results but only a limited number of times.

Magical Potions

Magical Potions are those that replicate particular spell-effects because they have had that spell incorporated into them. The maker of the potion must have had both the capacity to cast that spell and also the skill of Alchemy. A flask of potion will have 1 to 4 useful doses in it. The potency of the spell-effect will be anything from that of a first to fifth level caster. The spell-effect of a found potion can only be discovered by sampling it. To take effect it must usually be imbibed.

Longevity Potion

This elixir is made from the blood of a Doppleganger and allows the person who imbibes the entire potion to have their life-expectancy extended by 10%. Those consuming the elixir but failing a Constitution check will find that it effects them as a severe toxin.

Red Rum of Rovnara

An alcohol made by the Mogøsha and usually only found in the possession of Rovnaran drinkers. This brew acts as a mild toxin but it also grants a +1 to attack and damage rolls for an hour following imbibing of this robust drink.

Magical Scrolls

Magical Scrolls are those that replicate particular spell-effects because they have had that spell incorporated into them. The maker of the scroll must have had the capacity to cast that spell. A scroll will only have one spell-effect in it following which the text fades. The potency of the spell-effect will be anything from that of a first to fifth level caster. To cast the spell the reader must pass an Intelligence check. A warrior does this with a -2 penalty. Others do so with a penalty of -1. However if the spell is Arcane then a mage is spared any penalty while if it is Divine then clergy are spared any penalty.

Gem of Permanency

This item is an precious gem (ruby, emerald or sapphire) that if crushed at the time a spell is cast grants that spell Permanency.

Magical Weapons

There are all kinds of arms that has been magicked. Most will confer a +1 to both attack and damage rolls for a proficient wielder of that weapon. However there are also a few more unusual and powerful magical weapons as follows.

Sword of Orc Slaying

In a rare instance of Elf-Dwarf amity these swords were made by a Wood Elf mage working together with a Mountain Half-Dwarf spellsmith during the time of the Orcish migrations. They have the followings powers:
- They will glow if any orc-like monster is within a mile.
- They can change at a word from the wielder between the forms long sword and short sword.
- They grant a +3 to attack and damage rolls versus Orcs. Versus Goblins or Hobgoblins or Ogres or Half-Orcs the bonus is +2. Versus any other opponents the bonus is +1.

Star-Iron Sword

These bastard swords are made from meteoric iron and were intended by those that made them to assist in the slaying of Undead. As they are of Erimanic origin they do the most harm to Weights and Wraiths for whom a +3 adjustment to hit and damage rolls is suffered. Versus other Undead the bonus is +2. For other opponents it is +1.

Silver Arrow of Ridding

These silver-tipped arrows were made during the Wererat Pogroms in the Sea Cities. They affect a number of races who possess innate Transmutation capability. As such Wererats, Werebats, Jackalrie and Selkie all suffer sorely from this weapon. Versus such monsters it grants a +2 to attack and damage rolls. Any damage so delivered cannot be removed by the act of transmuting as with mundane injury. In all other cases they are +1 weapons.

Spear of Reptile Rending

These spears were made in ancient times for Lehenic hunters of such diverse monsters as Hydra, Gorgon and Wyvern. They grant a +2 to attack and damage rolls versus any reptilian monsters. Versus any other opponents the bonus is +1. They also will fly back to the hands of whomever own them if called by name.

Magical Armour

Items such as helms or shields or leather jerkins can be enhanced by magic to grant an additional +1 to Defence Rating for those who wear them. However there are some armour items of greater magic than that.

Elven Chainmail

The Ley Elves make a fine chainmail that is as strong as steel but as light as glass (which is indeed what it is made of that is then magically turned into steel). This chainmail is magical and grants an additional +2 to Defence Rating while having the same encumbrance effect as a leather jerkin.

Champion Banded Mail

This banded mail has been imbued with magic granting an additional +2 to Defence Rating. It also halves any damage taken from area-effect magical attacks like those of Evocation spells or Dragon breath.

Arcane Objects

These items are made by mages for mages and can only be fully utilized by such arcane spell-casters.

Cloak of Illusion

This item is a cloak of velvet. It allows its user to cast Illusion spells with the same level of experience as a caster of between sixth and tenth level (including number of spells cast per day). Only the wearer can be the focus of the Illusion (so only the wearer can become invisible using the cloak).

Mask of Enchantment

This item is a leather mask. It allows its user to cast Enchantment spells with the same level of experience as a caster of between sixth and tenth level (including number of spells cast per day). The wearer is always the focus of the Enchantment.

Talisman of Transmutation

This item is a copper necklace. It tends to be decorated with images of animals or plants. It allows its user to cast Transmutation spells with the same level of experience as a caster of between sixth and tenth level (including number of spells cast per day). The wearer is always the subject of the Transmutation.

Wand of Evocation

This item is a wand of iron. It allows its user to cast the Evocation spells Shock, Magnetism, and (in some cases) Lightning with the same level of experience as a caster of between sixth and tenth level (including number of spells cast per day).

Staff of Conjuration

This item is a staff of ash that can only be fully utilized by a mage. It allows its user to cast Conjuration spells with the same level of experience as a caster of between sixth and tenth level (including number of spells cast per day). One end of the portal or gate must always be the holder of the staff. For non-mages it is simply a +1 staff.

Dagger of Necromancy

This item is a bone-handled magical steel dagger that can only be fully utilized by a mage. It allows its user to cast Necromancy spells of Telepathy, Telekinesis and Life Transference with the same level of experience as a caster of between sixth and tenth level (including number of spells cast per day). For non-mages it is simply a +1 dagger.

Cup of Divination

This item is a ceramic goblet decorated with gold inlay. Once filled with any fluid It allows its user to cast Divination spells with the same level of experience as a caster of between sixth and tenth level (including number of spells cast per day). The need to be in the presence of a person or object that is the subject of enquiry is circumvented by this item.

Divine Objects

These items are made by clergy for clergy and lay worshippers who are the only ones that can fully utilized them.

Holy Water

A kind of potion which replicates the effect of the Divine spell of Turn Undead.

Rod of Gathering

This rod if stuck into the ground standing vertically will then cast a Sanctuary spell as if it was a caster of fifth level over an area with it as the centre. Can only be used by a cleric or lay worshipper of the Divinity to which the rod is dedicated.

Arm of Demon Vanquishing

This mace or flail was made by clerics of Olorin and Urala (respectively) to assist in combat with Wayward Spirits (which seem a particular problem for those two churches). Versus any Wayward Spirit they grant a +3 to attack and damage rolls. Versus other Spirits or Genie or Undead the bonus is +2. Versus any other opponents the bonus is +1.

Axe of Giant Felling

These battle axes was made by Hill Dwarf clerics to assist in intended re-taking of the Seven Hills. They grant a +3 to attack and damage rolls versus Hill Giants. Versus Stone Giants or Ogres or Half-Giants the bonus is +2. Versus any other opponents the bonus is +1. Anything beyond the attack on 'other' opponents can only be utilized by a cleric or warrior dedicated to the cause of freeing the Seven Hills.

Magical Garments

These are garments of one kind or another that have been imbued with magical effects for those who wear them.

Ring of Binding

This item is a set of two identical rings that will bind two wearers in the same way that a mage and familiar are linked. If they are both demi-humans then mood will be shared. Likewise if they both have spirit then those spirits will be linked and if one body suffers death then both spirits will thereafter reside in the body that is still alive.

Lingerie of Swimming

These magical silk undergarments once worn will blend imperceptibly with the wearer and grant them with the ability to swim as well as a dolphin and to hold their breath for an hour.

Cape of Flying

This cape functions like the wings of a bat and grants its wearer the ability to fly at will for as much as an hour at a time.

Belt of Engendering

This belt once worn alters the gender of its wearer. The belt can only be removed on a successful Luck roll.

Boots of Swiftness

These leather boots allow the wearer to move at twice normal speed both over the course of a combat round and an entire day of hiking. It also doubles jumping distance.

Gloves of Arrow Snatching

These velvet gloves grant the wearer the ability to catch any missiles fired at them. If that projectile is successful in hitting the wearer then it is harmlessly snatched from the air and then can be used by the wearer as they please. To work the character cannot be holding other items in both hands.

Braces of Defense

These arm bands improve the Armour Rating of the wearer by +2.

Magical Instruments

These are musical instruments of a magical nature which are particularly useful for Bards.

Fife of Following

This wind instrument casts a Loyalty enchantment over those who hear a full tune played on it within the limitations of a tenth level caster. The player must be proficient in that instrumemnt. Wisdom checks to resist this enchantment are adjusted by -2 if the player is a Bard.

Lute of Calming

This string instrument casts a Lethargy enchantment over those who hear a full tune played on it within the limitations of a fifth level caster. The player must be proficient in that instruemnt. Wisdom checks to resist this enchantment are adjusted by -1 if the player is a Bard.

Marching Drum

This percussion instrument grants as many as ten allies of the player (who must be proficient in that instrument) a +1 to Initiative rolls if they are entering into a fray for which surprise is never a consideration.

Magical Oddments

This is an assortment of queer items that do all manner of supernatural things.

Trick Rope

This magical hemp rope can be instructed by its holder to put itself in knots or climb surfaces or even jump over spaces. It is very useful in allowing access to difficult to get at locations. Likewise it can restrict the movement of opponents who fail a Luck roll. The rope has a temperamental persona however and will misinterpret its owner on a failed Luck check. Somehow Rogues are spared this vexation however - it seems the rope takes well to scoundrels.

Silken Portal

This silk cloth of five foot diameter is one end of a Conjured portal lacking a specific destination. It provides an extra-dimensional space in which a 'room full' of objects can be stored or persons can hide. Anyone entering into it must succeed in a Luck roll or they will find that the Silken Portal has become the habitation of a Wayward Spirit.

Elemental Flask

This magical flask of Lehenic origin has a Genie captured in it and if its inscription is deciphered then the Genie will emerge and follow the instructions of its new owner. A Genie can only return to its native plane of existence if the object to which it is bound is destroyed. A Genie will offer to undertake any task in return for its freedom. In contrast a Genie in servitude will only follow commands in the most minimalist and legalistic way.

Traveling Gnome

In the gardens of well-to-do merchants of Bordenia and Rolania there is a trend to decorate such gardens with ceramic 'Gnomes' - figurines which combine exaggerated characteristics of Dwarves, Halflings and Elves in a comical and (for those races) insulting way. These Gnomes are the epitome of kitch. Some clever and witty mages have decided to turn these into the subject of a magical prank. Such Gnomes will once every week teleport to another garden in any part of the Lands at random. The following week they will return to the original garden but with re-moulded garments that reflect the nation that has been visited. If anyone is touching the Gnome at the time of its teleportation then they too will go traveling...

Deck of Fortune

There are six suits in this set of playing cards - Clubs, Spades, Arrowheads, Diamonds, Crowns and Hearts. Each of these corresponds to the abilities of Strength, Constitution, Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma. Within each suit are seven ranks of card. Each card drawn will permanently adjust one of the six ability scores of the player drawing it. The adjustment made will be any one of: -3 | -2 | -1 | 0 | +1 | +2 | +3

Enthralling Chess Set

With this chess set the user can designate each piece to correspond to a particular person known to them. For it to work the desired subject must be tricked into holding that piece. Furthermore they must only give particular pieces to particular kinds of person. The King and Queen must be given to a male and female of aristocratic birth. The Bishops must be given to clergy. The Knights must be given to warriors. The Rooks must be given to mages. Finally the Pawns must be given to non-adventurers. Once designated the user can command those so enthralled but only once a full set has been designated. To date nobody has ever succeeded in getting a full set of pieces designated and indeed very few complete sets are known to exist.

Appendix: Sage Scrivenings

2006-05-08T04:23:00.014Z

Legend of the Royal Dagger of the Brethic Overlord

The following passage has been taken from the book that is commonly known as The Betrayal of the Bards. It is so named because it contravenes the Bardic Code which states that Bardic lore can only be transmitted orally.

Some of its content is considered apocryphal, such as the alleged origins of the Halflings (which is vehemently disputed by Halflings themselves). Other aspects of the tale, however, are considered historically accurate, such as the foundation of the Bardic tradition.

The Bards are particularly angry at the inclusion of this tale in The Betrayal of the Bards because it reveals that they are far more than just the minstrels they claim to be…

The Tale of Brennan

In the last days of the Age of Glory a young Brethic nobleman by the name of Brennan left the home of his ancestors to seek adventure in the wider Lands beyond the Brethic Hills. Then as now the Brethic Hills were a cluster of independent estates ruled by many petty warrior lords and ladies. Brennan was to inherit the rule of one such estate but while in his youth wished to see if the tales of massive empires beyond his homeland were true.

Indeed they were true. Brennan discovered that his homeland was surrounded by empires so huge that they extended beyond the horizon! There was an Elven Empire and a Dwarven Empire. But of most interest to Brennan was the human empire of Erimania the Great. The Eriman were similar to the Brethic in most respects and as a brave and well-spoken warrior Brennan soon found himself in the court of the last Emperor Udolfo. Soon the two were fast friends and Udolfo asked Brennan to become one of his adventuring companions, an offer which Brennan accepted with much joy born of honour and glory. Soon Brennan was as renowned a follower of Udolfo as his bodyguard Tilda The Tremendous.

Udolfo of Erimania the Great was an adventuring emperor who had done much to expand his territory at the expense of other human nations. While away on military adventures Udolfo left domestic rule in the hands of his trusted advisor the arch-mage Mons Tara (herself a person of Brethic descent). Mons Tara understood better than Udolfo that Great Erimania was a fractured empire held together by a complex web of greed and corruption. Mons Tara despised this state-of-play and secretly coveted the ultimate power only the Emperor had to reform the rotten institutions of the Empire. To this end she formed a secret alliance of followers who – at the right time – would effect an overthrow of Udolfo and his closest supporters (who Tara discovered were relatively few and far between). Thus while Udolfo was away campaigning Tara succeeded in taking command of the ancient capital of Rinuglarin (now the legendary Ruins of Ringin).

On receiving news of the rebellion, Udolfo returned home to lay siege to his own royal city. Udolfo had a much bigger and better army than Tara the Usurper. Tara however had a magnificent city with its own fresh water springs. Also Tara and her apprentice Hakon produced a host of mongrel warriors born of the magic-induced blending of different races (these warriors of Mons Tara were given the nickname ‘Monsters’).

The siege lasted 12 months and all the while the empire began crumbling as the border provinces took the chance to declare independence. In the end it was Brennan who conceived of a daring small-party foray into the City with the aim of locating and killing Tara herself. Udolfo lead the foray and came face to face with his Usurper. Tara challenged Udolfo to one-on-one combat, which naturally the Emperor accepted. Tara had powerful spells at her disposal, but Udolfo had the Sword of Conquest, which bestowed on him many talents both in combat and in the domination of others. The melee was fierce. Udolfo was the most brilliant swordsman to walk the Lands. Tara was terrifying as she shape-shifted from form-to-form. Eventually Udolfo got in a killing blow at Mons Tara. Some magic in her body shattered the sword into three shards and the smallest of those three shards was blasted into the heart of Udolfo. Brennan was with Udolfo at his last living moment. Sages declare the deaths of both Udolfo and Tara to be the moment at which the Age of Glory gave way to the Age of Tumult.

Brennan had hoped that the death of the Usurper would allow for a return to the rule of the Emperor. But the death of the Emperor was the final death-blow to the Empire of Erimania the Great. Tara had been right in understanding just how fragile the Empire was. Udolfo lacked living children or siblings and several members of his extended household from cousins to concubines made claims to the throne. Thus war was waged in the capital as in the border provinces. Within weeks the millennia-old Empire was utterly shattered in a war of all against all.

Of the three shards of the Sword of Conquest, the two larger ones would fall into the hands of what became the two most powerful of the factions warring for control of the lost Empire. The third and smallest shard however went missing along with Brennan of the Brethic Hills.

Brennan had been feted by all key factions at the start of civil war. Offers were made to become a mighty general or even a partner in rule but Brennan refused all enticements in disgust at what had become of the once powerful Eriman. Brennan returned quietly to his homeland and with him he took in secret the smallest shard of the Sword of Conquest – the shard that had killed his chosen lord and master.

Brennan secreted the shard in his fortress home, which was now his to rule. The war that affected the former provinces of Erimania the Great was spilling into the Brethic Hills and Brennan was instrumental in forging an alliance of Brethic estates so as to repel all foreign incursions. In such wars of defence Brennan became something of an overlord to the Brethic and all other gentry turned to him in times of need. But in times of peace Brennan never coveted rulership of the Brethic Hills but allowed all the others to rule as they always had. Thus Brennan lived a long life away from the madness of the wider Lands beyond his home.

The Tale of Fenella

Fenella was the eldest child of Brennan. She loved her father but never understood his reluctance to become permanent overlord in both times of war and peace. For her the Brethic kin could only be safe and strong if they were united under one throne. On his death, Fenella took over the family estate and that very night opened a locked chest in his chambers. In it she found the blade shard. Brennan had never told her about his possession of this third shard of the Sword of Conquest, but Fenella was well-versed in the history of the Lands and guessed correctly at what she now held. Fenella made the shard into a talisman worn round her neck in place of the traditional Brethic torc.

At this time the Brethic Hills were once more subject to incursions from warring Eriman factions and Fenella – a fearless warrior and superb charioteer – united the estates to repel the trespassers. But once that had been accomplished Fenella demanded that all Brethic estates bow to her rule. Some agreed but many others resisted. Fenella thus waged war on her own kin in battles that turned the green hills red.

The troops of Fenella were more numerous than those of the ‘rebels’ but dissenters entrenched in hilltop keeps can be very difficult to remove. Some sieges lasted months and looked like lasting forever. At this time however some of the powers of the Sword of Conquest seemed to manifest in the Talisman-Shard. Legend tells that Fenella would make defamatory speeches outside the walls of her rivals and her belittling words would become horrific fact as her victims in the keeps shrunk to the size of children. Her shrunken victims would flee the Brethic Hills for Eriman lands in which they became servants and slaves for a time. It is commonly held that this is how the race of Halflings were born (which they say is why the Hinnic have so much in common with the Brethic).

It was by a combination of military prowess and fell curses that Fenella thus became overlady of all the Brethic Hills. With peace established Fenella then began making changes to the way in which her subjects lived. Dirt tracks became cobblestone roads. Mud hovels became stone houses. Iron replaced copper as the preferred metal of smiths. Fenella also contributed to a growth in art and literature in her realm that elevated Brethic culture over all others at the time. Singers and storytellers flocked to her court and it was there that the original Bardic College was established under the sponsorship of Fenella. This group drew its members from lands far from the Brethic Hills (which is why the present day bards are a movement which transcends nations yet still keeps the trappings of Brethic dress and manners).

Fenella also looked to religion to help unite her realm. The growing trend among the Eriman at that time was towards having many separate churches dedicated to separate gods or goddesses. Among the Brethic however there was still a sense of one Divine family and this was something that Fenella wished to cultivate for her ‘nation-as-family’. It was to this end that Fenella invited the Grand Druid Conroy to shift his home from the Deben Wood to her court in the Brethic Hills and help him establish the Druids as the national clergy. Conroy was advised by his three closest followers to decline the invitation as they felt the power of the Druids was better served by independence from all nations. Conroy however was temped by the prospect of having an entire nation served exclusively by Druidic religion. Thus the most important Druid between sunrise and sunset came to the court of Fenella and became her most trusted advisor.

Fenella, assisted by wise advisors like Conroy, made the Brethic Hills a nation to be reckoned with. For the rest of her long life her nation was at peace while wars raged here-and-there in the Lands beyond.

The Tale of Galvin

Conroy was with Fenella at her death-bed. She asked him to pass on the Talisman-Shard to her eldest child Galvin as his mark of rulership. Conroy took the artefact and sensed in it awesome powers that directed its owner towards acts of conquest and domination over others. He surmised that its will was lesser than that of Fenella but greater than that of the youthful Galvin. Thus the Grand Druid was torn between keeping his promise to pass on the heirloom and hiding it from the young Galvin. He decided on a compromise and got his Druids to work on fashioning a hilt and scabbard for the blade-shard that would make it into a ceremonial dagger. The hilt was charmed by Conroy to inhibit the powers of the blade. The two portions and the magic in them were fitted together by Conroy himself. It was this new Royal Dagger that Conroy intended to give unto Galvin.

Galvin had been on a three-day hunting tour at the time of his mother’s death and on his return he discovered of her death and whispers around court that she had given something to Conroy. Galvin always regarded Conroy as meddlesome. The quick-tempered Galvin rushed to the chambers of the Grand Druid intent on demanding what he guessed was the Talisman-Shard. On seeing the rage in Galvin, Conroy hesitated at handing over the Royal Dagger and asked for calm. This only outraged Galvin further and he forcibly grasped the Royal Dagger from Conroy. On seeing that his mother’s prized possession had been tampered with by the scheming Druids, Galvin flew into a wild rage and stabbed Conroy in the gut. In an instant however he came to his senses and was struck with horror at his violent act. He was also filled with fear at what others may think and do if he was discovered. They were alone at the time and Galvin locked the doors to prevent any witnesses from coming upon them. All the while Conroy lay on the floor slowly loosing his life with the dagger in his gut. His last hazy thought was to wonder at why there was no blood pooling around him. In his panicked state Galvin overlooked this mystery entirely but once Conroy was dead he took the Royal Dagger and fit it into his belt. That night Galvin got some trusted friends to help him dispose of the body by throwing it down a pothole into flooded caverns known to be inhabited by Trolls. They also fabricated a story that the Grand Druid had been so attached to Fenella that with her gone he had decided to return to his home in the Deben Wood.

At the funeral of Fenella, Galvin was seen to wear a new dagger with a marvellous brass hilt. Then at his own coronation as overlord Galvin held it aloft for all to see its glittering steel blade and declared that it was the new standard of his household and the proof of his right to rule. All who saw him that day were filled with one of two feelings. Most members of court were struck with how wonderful the new ruler was. Some however felt a nagging sense that something was very much amiss.

The Druids were the first to become suspicious of Galvin because they never succeeded in confirming his flimsy story of the return of Conroy to the Deben Wood. They declared him missing and a new Grand Druid was selected till such time as Conroy may return.

The Bards at court were also suspicious of Galvin as they can tell better than anyone the difference between a story that rings true and one that stinks of fabrication. They began carefully disseminating among all bards the possibility that something was amiss but for now this stayed within Bardic ranks only.

Galvin marked his assent to the throne with a tournament of arms to which he invited the rulers of neighbouring Eriman lands. At this contest Galvin discovered that he was a better warrior than all his neighbours. One such guest was killed by Galvin in a joust and in the furore that resulted Galvin made the rash decision to hold all of his other guests hostage. He then made a stirring speech to his fellow Brethic gentry to say that all neighbouring nations and estates were pathetic weaklings compared to the glory of the Brethic Nation and that it was time to bring Brethic civilisation to the wider Lands.

Preparation was made for war and very quickly the Deben Wood was annexed. The scattered villages of the Deben Woods succumbed quickly to the rule of Galvin and did so happily since they were of Brethic kinship themselves. The Druids however resented this act as they were traditional custodians of the Deben Woods. They protested this and other expansion and in response Galvin dismissed all Druids from court. An edict was issued stating that Druids would be banished if they dared comment on matters of state. Many a village was deprived of its resident Druid as a result. This was hardly noticed however as the population of all villages reduced somewhat as the young flocked to the army of Galvin, intent on conquest and booty.

The army of Galvin took neighbouring realms by surprise. The Eriman were still regularly at war with one another and many an independent province would change hands between the two dominant warring factions from year to year. Galvin added a third force into this state of play. Some welcomed the new force as better than those they had suffered under till then. But many others resisted and the resulting battles were bloody.

It was at this time that some adventurers discovered the bones and identifying possessions of Conroy after hunting and slaying a troll. This was only twelve months after the disappearance. Among the adventurers was a bard who naturally informed other bards of the discovery. The Bards immediately began telling throngs gathered in taverns new tales of a ruler whose rule was begun with the murder of a trusted mentor and advisor. In these tales the Bards warned that a rule born in the bloodshed of one was destined to end in the bloodshed of entire nations. They never named names but those who could think for themselves filled in the gaps and pondered this cautionary tale.

Also the new Grand Druid immediately returned to the Deben Wood and there began forming an open armed resistance to secede from the Brethic Hills. She swore that never would the Druids attach themselves to a nation as Conroy had done.

Galvin became aware of the damaging tales of the Bards and declared the whole Bardic movement a network of spies working for Eriman foreigners. Many Bards were put to death. Many others however escaped and wandered the disparate fractured Eriman estates. Yet others stayed in secret and perfected skills of deception and concealment.

The tales of the Bards had done damage to Galvin by opening the minds of those with a mind to the truth of his bloody ways. Over weeks and months a secret resistance formed united by a web of whispered conversations. This resistance included lords and ladies whose estates were deprived of farmers to till the rich valley soil, Druids restricted to only speaking on religious topics, subjects who were losing loved ones to war in foreign lands.

Galvin returned from several months of campaigning with much booty and many important prisoners from other lands. He invited all the gentry of his realm to a ceremony at which a new Brethic Empire would be declared with him as Emperor. The ceremony was to culminate in the execution of all political prisoners – the sons and daughters of the rulers of Eriman provinces still resisting his rule. The Brethic gentry present were shocked by both the bloodiness of this proposed act and by what may happen to the mood of their many neighbours if their future rulers were murdered.

Among those assembled were several members of the resistance and they acted then with one purpose and rushed at Galvin with swords drawn. Others till that moment loyal to Galvin were torn between defending or attacking him. Some rushed to help him while others decided to help kill him. Yet others fled the chamber or looked on in horror. Galvin killed many but was finally killed himself. The skirmish ended with the resistance holding the field but they soon fell to arguing over everything. Who should become the new overlord? Should there be any overlord at all? Should the war of expansion continue or come to an end? Nothing was decided for sure. Most present left to secure their own estates in the face of what may happen to the Brethic Hills.

A handful of the resistance members took the body of Galvin and the Royal Dagger to the barrows in which his ancestors (including Fenella and Brennan) were interred and conducted a funeral there with the help of a hastily acquired Druid. Galvin had never had children and his siblings were still engaged in wars in bordering provinces. The rebels forced the evacuation of the ancestral estate of Galvin and destroyed his keep. They filled his barrows with lethal traps and set guard upon the borders of his estate so that in time it became wild and overgrown. They hoped to never let anyone follow in his footsteps or take possession of the Royal Dagger which they felt sure had driven him mad.

The Fate of the Royal Dagger of the Brethic Overlord

The Age of Tumult lasted five hundred years. The first hundred years were the time of Brennan, Fenella, and Galvin, a time in which the Brethic Nation was an island of unity in a sea of war. But at the end of that century the Brethic Hills and Deben Wood were swept with the same war and division as affected surrounding Eriman lands.

In the following four hundred years the many tiny Eriman estates and factions resolved themselves into two distinct and powerful forces (both of which held a shard of the Sword of Conquest). Many of the Brethic were drawn into the war between these two foreign forces but most Brethic lords and ladies did all they could just to keep their estates intact. However they never found anyone with the presence of will to become another national ruler. If the siblings of Galvin survived it was only by marrying into other estates. And the location of his barrow was quickly lost to history.

The Age of Tumult came to an end in very peculiar circumstances. Two massive armies met on an open field set for one last battle. But the few witnesses of that event all say that the two forces literally disappeared as if they had never existed without the firing of even one arrow. There were Brethic warriors in the ranks of both those forces and some say that the only surviving descendents of the siblings of Gavin disappeared with those two armies. Some also say that the two larger shards of the Sword of Conquest left the world at that moment.

This singular event happened over 1300 years ago. Much has changed since then. New nations (never empires) have formed and different human kin have migrated into the former lands of Erimania the Great. But the Brethic still live as they always did in small rival estates in the hills and woods of their ancestors. And none now know the location of the Royal Dagger – the only surviving fragment of the Sword of Conquest to be located in the Lands.

Appendix: Scenarios

2006-05-08T04:17:00.020Z

A glance at this site will suggest all manner of adventures that can happen in The Lands. What follows is just a few suggestions. All these adventures are rated M for Mature players.

The Fox And The Hare

The characters are partaking of some rest and recreation in the sprawling Decapitated Orc Inn of the valley of Allmeet. They notice someone putting a poster on the wall close by. It entices adventurers with the promise of travel and generous reward in return for finding the lost Dagger of the Brethic Overlord. It has been issued by one Ackerley the Sage. The party decide to investigate further and so travel to Roburg to meet Ackerley.

On the way they stay in the Overcrossing Inn and there listen to the Legend of the Royal Dagger as told by the local bard and publican Lura Flanna. Once in Roburg they meet with Ackerley who thinks he knows the location of the lost artifact because of his interpretation of an old verse:

The fox chases the hare
The hare seeks the setting sun
The setting sun shows the way
To trinket best unsung

Ackerley mixes all sorts of lore together to present a case for how to find the tomb in which this ancient treasure hides. The party - filled with a desire for adventure and riches - set off for the village of Muddy Gully in the Brethic Hills in a festive mood. But - as the verse says - some things were never supposed to be celebrated.

Gruntball Murder

The characters have come to Kelda for the annual Gruntball Championship. Travelers from Rovnara to Ivana and beyond are gathering to both play in the competition and cheer on their sporting heroes. The adventurers enjoy a show by the puppeteer Rafe Greygaze and then go to watch the game. At the start of the last round of the final game something happens that is new even in the history of the dangerous game. The most controversial player - Ziv Vaderkov - falls dead a moment after catching the ball - his heart simply stopped beating. The final is postponed a week to allow for mourning.

Ilona Vaderkov - the widow of Ziv - is convinced he fell to foul play. Ziv came from Ivana and was deemed by many to be the most likely winner of the next Contest of Rule once the current Duke of Ivana dies. Ilona also thinks the city guard of Kelda are incompetent. She was in the stalls with the party and approaches them that evening to request help in discovering the truth. She offers generous remuneration and eternal gratitude from the Vaderkov Clan.

That same night the umpire who threw the ball to Ziv is killed in his sleep. This murder happens at the very same inn that Ilona and the party are staying at. Do the adventurers wish to investigate a murder? If so do they think it was politically motivated or was it just a case of overzealous sports fanaticism? And which of the two is more deadly?

Chocolate Piracy

The characters go to the Hill Street Coffee Shop to see what all the fuss is about. This particular coffee shop has become the talk of Nartellfar because of a sensational new product served there - hot chocolate! Is it the ambrosia that everyone says it is? On arriving they find the shop is the site of a riot. The proprietor - Milo Mocha - had been running low on chocolate and has been mixing it with coffee but now all the exotic powder is gone. The party help quell the crowd and, once the dust has settled and the city guard have taken away the hot bloods, Master Mocha asks the characters to stay behind to meet with an associate of his.

Nadina is commander of a merchant vessel in port that was supposed to bring more chocolate from Farport. However on the way she was raided by a ship flying the banner of the Crossed Blades Pirates who took all the cargo for themselves. It was only because Nadina had once been friends with the Crossed Blades Admiral Tempest that her ship and crew were spared. Now that the popularity of chocolate has been proven, Milo wants more to both serve at his own shop and on-sell to other shop-keepers, and is prepared to pay plenty for its return. For her part Nadina is furious at the Crossed Blades and has been fomenting resistance among other merchant mariners, who have agreed to gather a small privateer navy to assult the Pirate Isles.

To do this properly Milo and Nadina need information, and the party are offered a generous reward, and free passage to the Pirate Isles, if they will visit and assess the defenses of the pirate capital of Whistling Cove. Locating the chocolate store would also be useful. Do the adventurers dare get involved in the dangers of piracy and economics? The alternative may be never getting a chance to try chocolate for themselves!

Note: Forming A Party

Sometimes an adventuring party can seem a motley crew and some background as to why the characters are working together is useful. Existing relationships are an interesting and rewarding explanation in terms of characterization and story. A party of four may be connected by four relationships such that each character has an existing connection with (say) two of the others and only needs to become more familiar with one of the others. Circumstance and ambition will do the rest in bringing the party together. Here are a few kinds of relationship to put into character background...

* Traveling Companions - Two adventurers were part of a small caravan of merchants and travelers who had banded together for safety in the wilderness between nations. That caravan was attacked by bandits and it was only by working together that the two characters survived. They went separate ways but on meeting in the present are drawn to one another to regale others with the tale.

* Cousins - Two adventurers are related. They played together in childhood but then were separated because of some petty argument that divided the extended family. They have differences but also recognise that blood is thicker than water and find it comforting to have someone familiar with them now that they have met in foreign parts.

* Past Lovers - Two adventurers have met in the past and shared a bed. That was some time ago and different temperaments or desires drove them apart. But there is still an attraction and a degree of fondness there. Despite misgivings they find that they want to work together even if it is to make sure that the other is safe.

* Housemates - Two adventurers have been put in the same room by an inn-keeper. In the big city it is difficult for a former villager to make new friends but the face once sees every day may become the face one turns to for company or advise. And if they have shared a room for even a few days they will have some sense of how to get along.

Many other such relationships can be developed as part of a character back story and can be a lot of fun to devise.

Note: GM Gift Giving

Generally characters will start with an economical set of personal possessions and a modest standing in the world. However the GM can carefully give each character something to set them apart from others. A few such gifts to start an adventuring life may be as follows...

* A loyal and clever pet (that effectively gives the GM a role in the party).

* Magical arms or armour of at best +1 game mechanic bonus.

* A limited use magical item such as a potion or scroll.

* A personal connection with someone of importance in The Lands.

Other such markers of fortune will hopefully be won during the course of adventures.

Note: Static Scenarios

I am also thinking of writing some static scenarios (aka short fiction) set in The Lands from time-to-time and here is one such story...