The Cities of Gilon

This book is a sourcebook for the world of Gilon. This sourcebook assumes that you are going by Advanced Dungeons and Dragons: 2^nd edition rules. It also assumes that the reader has access to the following books: Dungeon Master’s Guide, Player’s Handbook, Monstrous Manual, Legends and Lore, Player’s Option: Spells and Magic, Player’s Option: Combat and Tactics, Player’s Option: Skills and Powers, The Complete Fighter’s Handbook, The Complete Ranger’s Handbook, The Complete Paladin’s Handbook, The Complete Wizard’s Handbook, The Complete Priest’s Handbook, The Complete Thief’s Handbook, and The Complete Bard’s Handbook. The vast majority of the information contained herein can be used without most of these books by simply ignoring the sections that mention specific books. If you do not have Legends and Lore, simply have all priests use the generic cleric template presented in the Player’s Handbook and have their worship of their specific gods cause no change in their abilities.

The following is a list of cities, countries, provinces, and other populated centers of importance. They are divided into areas and each specific city has several entries as follows:

Population – This represents roughly the number of sentient creatures who call the place home followed by a percentage of what specific races that can be found. If there is an entry listed as other, this represents sentient races who individually make up less than 1% but when lumped together form 1% or more. If an insignificant number of other races can be found, the other entry is of course omitted.

Alignment – This represents the general alignment of the local government. The citizens of the government may or may not vary widely from this alignment, though they tend to be most tolerable towards this alignment as it is what they are most accustomed to.

Local Language – The most widely used language or languages are listed here. Some areas use common languages that are spoken freely throughout the region while others are far more insular and speak languages specific only to their people.

Gods – Most cities have worshippers of gods. The most influential gods are listed here. Some of these gods may have large, well funded temples while some may only have a following with no formal temple at all. A listing here merely states that a significant number of the population follows that god and priests of that god may be readily found. Most of the gods listed here are taken straight from Legends and Lore, though there are a few that are specific to Gilon. World specific gods are listed at the end of the book.

Thief guilds – Where ever there are large sums of people and money, organized crime tends to form. This listing shows any thieves’ guilds that may be acting in the area. If there is no thieves’ guild, crime is committed by freelancers and no organized guild has been formed as of yet.

Magic – This listing describes how much arcane magic can be found in the city, how regular it is used and how many people are able to use it. Listings are as follows:

None – Wizardly magic is almost unheard of. If one wishes to gain the benefits of magic they will likely have to turn to priests for aid. The locals tend to disdain magic and reactions to such displays vary though may include distrust, persecution, or outright violence.

Low – Magic is rare, though not unheard of. There may be a handful of local mages in the entire city. Magical items of any sort will be almost impossible to find though it may be possible to get a scroll or potion from one of the local mages if they can be contacted. Such mages are rarely higher than about fifth level at any rate, most are between first and third.

Moderate – Magic is common, though still only in the hands of a few elite. Magic shops can be found with low powered (and often unreliable) magic items. Just about any common potion or scroll can be found about 50% of the time, though supplies are usually very limited, only one or two of any given item in a shop. A sizeable number of mages exist among the population, many of which make their money running magic shops or offering to tutor other prospective mages, though they rarely take on more than a couple of apprentices at a time. Mages are rarely higher than tenth level though the majority is about fifth level or less.

High – Magic is a part of daily life. The majority of the population knows at least some basics of magic, though they may not be all able to practice it. Magical conveniences are common such as extra planar servants, self-filling bath tubs, magical hangover cures, extra-dimensional closets, and so forth. One will have no problem finding common scrolls or potions and can reasonably expect that any magical items they purchase will work as advertised. One may also be able to have custom-made magical items, potions or scrolls created if enough gold and the right connections are handy. There is likely a local magical academy willing to take on any with the money and desire to study the craft. Mages of all levels can be found. The government is often run or at least heavily influenced by a handful of mages of eighteenth level or higher.

Restricted – This is listed next to magical entries if there is some sort of law in place restricting the use of magic. This does not include such things as murder which would be prosecuted whether the person used magic or not. This would include such things as requiring permits to cast specific or general spells, registering one’s spellbook with the government, required work for the government or paying a tax on any spells cast or magical items brought into the city. Punishment for breaking such restrictions vary from fines, imprisonment, death, or worse. If magic is not restricted, a magic user can generally cast in the streets so long as he is careful not to cause damage to the people or infrastructure.

Organization – The type of government (if any) that is in power.

Description – A brief description of the city.

Role-playing – How typical citizens behave.

Special Abilities – Any special abilities that adventurers born and raised in that city gain the benefit of. An adventurer may only choose one home town. This is chosen at character creation and may never be changed.

Special Disabilities - Any special disabilities that adventurers born and raised in that city gain are penalized with.

A Word on Gilon

The world of Gilon is shaped something like a giant compact disc. It is round, flat and has a hole in the middle. Due to its unusual shape, directions are handled a little differently than other worlds one might be accustomed to. The world does have magnetic poles by which compasses work essentially how one would expect them to work, but rather than these poles existing as points at the top and bottom of a sphere, they are the inner and outer edges of the world itself. When one refers to south, this refers to the inner edge of the world or the hole in the compact disc. When one refers to north, this is indicating the outer edge of the world. Therefore east and west would be the directions one travels as they travel clockwise and counterclockwise around the world. If this sounds confusing, it is perhaps best understood if you take a look at the world map of Gilon on the next page.

Beyond this somewhat different phenomenon, the world exists much like any other. The sun rises and sets, the seasons pass, and gravity keeps everyone from floating away. Of note, however, is the use of teleportation in the world. Normally, such spells are efficient means of traveling to distant lands. For reasons unknown, however, the waters of Gilon completely halt such magic. This means that teleportation does not work if one wishes to travel from continent to continent and castles can be protected from such magical intruders relatively easily with a simple, water-filled moat. Those who wish to hide something from magical hands usually do so by sealing it in a waterproof container and dunking it in water.

Planar travel is also difficult. Those who enter Gilon have a very difficult time leaving it using simple planar methods such as plane shift. Such spells are rarely learned by locals as they have little or no desire to explore other planes. Those who do learn such spells find that they only work about 1% of the time per their level. Therefore a 20^th level magic user casting planeshift would have a 20% chance of the spell succeeding. Failure indicates the spell fizzles and fails. If a 95 or higher is rolled on the d% roll, the caster is sent off to the plane of choosing, completely naked of any equipment or clothing. This often means death for the caster, or in the very least means he has become stranded on that plane as he has lost his spell components and spell book. This danger serves as a great deterrent to those wishing the leave Gilon. Still, some have tried and succeeded in leaving the world, bringing back fantastic tales of other planes and creatures.

The world itself consists of seven continents floating about in the Arenic Ocean. These continents are the Eluvian Continent, Dagmar, Greatwood, the Spirit Continent, the Desu Island Chain, Victoria, and the Dark Continent. Over the years, the denizens of these various continents have had almost no with one another. Recent advances in navigation and ship building are beginning to change that as people from many of the continents strike out into the ocean for their various reasons. This is leading to various reactions. Some are peaceful and allow trade and culture exchange to flourish. Others are violent and range from minor raiding and pillaging, to all out war.

The Cities and People of Ahanu

The lands of Ahanu consist of vast open plains and rolling, grassy hills which take up roughly half of the Spirit Continent. Wild game of many types is very common and many of the people who live in the lands of Ahanu are nomadic people who hunt the plentiful game. These people build very few lasting structures, and those that they do build tend to be minor shrines to their spirits and gods. Still, three tribes of people have built towns. They are Ehawee, Galilahi, and Kachina.

The people of Ahanu are organized into tribes which have very little to do with one another. They are all more than capable of making anything they might need, so they have little desire to trade with one another. Most tribes speak languages unique to that tribe and very few learn the languages of other tribes so communication is difficult at best anyway. There is no common language among Ahanu’s people, though a rare few have learned the common languages of other lands, especially Oceloxichitl. The populations listed under each tribe represent the entire tribe, which is scattered across Ahanu. Each tribe meets together regularly to discuss important matters at hand as well as to trade with one another and otherwise interact. Unless they are joining together for war, however, they rarely are found traveling together in such large numbers as it is easier to find game if they split up in different directions. At any one time, a group of 50-100 at most would be traveling together. Some tribes travel in smaller numbers than that.

Organized crime is unknown to the people of Ahanu. While criminals do exist, they rarely form groups, and those that do, do not form a group of more than a couple of friends. As such no thieves’ guilds have yet formed in Ahanu.

Ehawee

Population: 20,000 (Human 100%)

Alignment: Neutral Good

Local Language: Ehaween, Eastern Common

Gods: Moon

Magic: Low

Organization: Matriarchy/Tribal

Description: Also known as the “Laughing Tribe”, Ehawee is home to the tribe of the same name. The people are a very happy one, laughing in the face of adversity. This cultural trait has made them somewhat hated by their enemies, which are many. The Ptaysanwee and Keezheekoni tribes often come through and attack the town by land. Occasionally a warship from Nopaltzin might make its way far enough to attack the city as well as the occasional foreign pirate. Despite these setbacks, they are fervent in the belief that Moon will protect her children and thus far they have persevered against many far more warlike tribes and people.

The Ehawee are mostly fishermen, though they do grow corn and other fruit as well as raise livestock. Their town is largely built of adobe brick buildings with thatch roofs. When they are not being attacked, they spend much of their time swimming and laughing. In fact, one of the first things one tends to notice when entering the town is the laughter. They are of course fond of jokes, though they will laugh as a response to many other things. They take particular joy in the moonlight and many of the people are nocturnal.

Important matters are looked over by the high priestess of Moon who they call “Medicine Woman.” She trains other priestesses in the ways of Moon and makes any decisions for the tribe. Men are viewed as too rash to make the decisions of the people so they are never allowed to be trained as priests. They do not possess the motherly instincts needed to watch over the Ehawee.

Role-Playing: The Ehawee are just about always happy and ready to laugh. It takes a great deal of tragedy to bring one down. This might be irritating to some, but nothing lowers morale more than knowing the Ehawee is not happy.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – The majority of Ehawee warriors are rangers, the rest are fighters. There are no paladins. The minimum requirements for Ehawee rangers are: Strength 9, Dexterity 10, Constitution 9, and Wisdom 9. Since they are often attacked by enemy tribes, fighters and rangers begin play with one of the local tribes as a tribal enemy, gaining a +4 to attack against them. This is in addition to any species enemy a ranger may get.

Priest – There are no male priests among the Ehawee. The priestesses of Moon are largely nocturnal in nature, preferring the night to the day. They can see under moonlight the same as a normal human could see in full day. They gain no particular ability to see in total darkness however.

Wizard – There are no wizards among the Ehawee. The only arcane spell casters are bards. See below.

Rogue – There are no thieves (well at least class wise) among the Ehawee. The only rogues are bards. Story telling is a favorite pastime among the Ehawee. Their stories are very powerful and the source of their magic. They do not have a written language, so they pass on their magic orally from generation to generation. Ehawee need never worry about carrying a spell book. They also do not need to worry about selecting their spells in advance, instead casting them as needed. They must still spend the normal time preparing spells to gain their casting slots. Rather than studying a spell book, however, this consists of them reciting their stories in their heads. The process takes the same amount of time. They learn new spells through other bards orally. It takes them one day per spell level to learn the spell. They otherwise follow all the same restrictions of a bard as far as casting is concerned.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – Warriors confronted with their tribal enemy have a hard time dealing with them. They receive a -4 penalty to encounter reaction rolls. They also always actively seek out their enemy to the exclusion of others.

Priest – Priestesses of Moon are uncomfortable during the day. Proficiency checks are made at a -1 penalty.

Wizard – There are no wizards among the Ehawee, therefore they receive no disabilities.

Rogue – Bards of the Ehawee do not receive the ability to read languages. It is not often used among their people since they have no written language. Their biggest disability, however, is they must learn their spells from other bards. They cannot learn from spell books or scrolls. Nor can they ever make use of such things. While they can learn read magic, it serves them little purpose.

Galilahi

Population: 18,000 (Human 100%)

Alignment: Neutral Good

Local Language: Galilahi, Eastern Common

Gods: Thunder

Magic: Moderate

Organization: Tribal

Description: The Galilahi are the children of fortune. Or at least so they call themselves. They believe that those who live good lives can expect good fortune follow. As such they tend to be fairly adamant about hunting down evil when they find it.

The patron spirit of the Galilahi is Thunder and they worship him in everything they do. They also have a great affinity for eagles, which they see as representatives of Thunder. None of the Galilahi would ever harm an eagle and many of them keep such animals as pets and train them for hunting. Even those who do not often keep eagle feathers as good luck charms.

The community typically runs itself, with people working together to better the community. When disputes arise, they are typically resolved by the village elder. As such, there is no formal government in particular.

The city of Galilahi is built along the coast and spreads out from a single spot which is considered a holy spot to the Galilahi. It is said the first Galilahi were told to settle here when Thunder sent a bolt of lighting from the heavens to mark the spot where they would prosper. The bolt left a scar in the earth that is shaped like an eagle and has remained there to this day.

Role-Playing: The Galilahi are always sure to do what is right and believe not doing so will cause misfortune to follow. They are never of non-good alignment, though they do not necessarily follow laws. In fact, they do not always understand written laws of larger cities, instead thinking the laws of nature are far more important.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – There are no paladins among the Galilahi, but rangers are highly common. All warriors begin play with the animal training nonweapon proficiency. They also begin play with a trained eagle. The eagle is capable of performing up to six tricks. Typical tricks include: attacking an enemy, catching arrows (which requires the eagle to hit AC 10), following a target, capturing small game, fetching small items and scouting for other people. The eagle always has maximum possible hit points. Should it die, the warrior may train another in 4 weeks. The warrior may not have more than one eagle however.

Priest – Galilahi priests are all priests of Thunder. They may speak with birds of all types, though this does not give them any particular ability to control them. They may also choose to see through the eyes of any bird within a 1 mile radius. When they are doing this, they cannot see through their normal vision until they stop seeing through the bird’s eyes.

Wizard – At 5^th level, wizards of Galilahi gain the ability to polymorph themselves into an eagle once per day. This lasts 1 turn per level, or until the wizard chooses to assume human form.

Since they do not have a written language, Galilahi wizards do not use spell books. They prepare and learn new spells through meditation. The process takes the same amount of time and money as a standard wizard (the gold is spent on special incenses needed for meditation when learning a new spell).

Rogue – Thieves are unknown to the Galilahi (at least by class, crime does happen). Bards are fairly common. They, like wizards, do not use spell books and gain the same abilities described above.

Special Disabilities:
Warrior – Warriors suffer no particular disability.

Priest – Priests are expected to protect eagles at all costs. Should they willingly allow one to be harmed, they lose all magical abilities permanently.

Wizard – Galilahi wizards may only learn spells from the Players Handbook. They can never learn spells from spell books or scrolls, nor can they make use of such things in any way.

Rogue – Bards do not receive the read languages skill as the Galilahi have no written language. They suffer the same disabilities as wizards as listed above.

Kachina

Population: 38,000 (Human 40%, Half-elf 30%, Elf 30%)

Alignment: Neutral

Local Language: Kachina

Gods: Great Spirit

Magic: Moderate

Organization: Tribal

Description: The Kachina are the only tribe in Ahanu to contain elves. There are roughly the same amount of half-elves and elves with a very slightly higher number of humans. The people here have built a fairly elaborate town built into the rocks cliffs overlooking the ocean. The three races (well, two and a half really) blend together completely and do nothing to segregate one another.

The Kachina believe that they were once from some distant land beyond the stars and that they were banished here for some crime against the gods themselves. Whether this is true or not is hard to say, but it is central to much of their thoughts and beliefs. They are sure that one day the gods that banished them will come down and test mortals of all races, though the nature of that test is unclear.

The Kachina all worship the Great Spirit. It is he who created all and it is he who shall watch over the final test from the gods when the time comes. A great tree grows nearby which holds a temple devoted to the Great Spirit. The people call it the tree of light and believe it to be a magical relic. There, continual light torches light the way day and night. A great telescope and orrery also can be found here, something unknown to any of the other people of the Spirit Continent.

Magic is a very deep part of the Kachina. Everyone knows at least something about magic, and it is believed that the most powerful of magic must always stem from nature. This core belief has fueled their advancement in magic, and their magic has kept them largely untouched by any of the more warlike tribes that would otherwise wipe them out.

Role-Playing: The Kachina are always looking to the stars and nature for guidance. Before doing anything important they pause a moment to focus their thoughts and allow any whispers from the Great Spirit to be heard.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – All Kachina have at least some knowledge of magic. Warriors may select proficiencies from the wizard list at base cost. In addition, when they are created, the DM randomly selects a first level spell. The warrior may cast that spell once per day at the warrior’s level.

Priest – Priests of the Kachina are assumed to be priests of the Great Spirit. They gain all the abilities and penalties of a druid (with the exception of druid spheres).

Wizard – Kachina wizards are all preservers as described in chapter 6 of Player’s Option: Spells and Magic. They receive all the benefits that such spell casters receive.

Rogue – Like warriors, Kachina rogues may select proficiencies from the wizard list at base cost. In addition, when they are created, the DM randomly selects a first level spell. The rogue may cast that spell once per day at the rogue’s level.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – While the warrior can cast a spell, he cannot do it while in armor. If he attempts to cast his spell while in armor, it automatically fails.

Priest – Priests of the Kachina suffer the same disabilities of a druid, specifically the restrictions on armor and weaponry.

Wizard – Kachina wizards suffer the penalties described for preservers.

Rogue – Like warriors, rogues cannot cast their spell while in armor. Attempting to do so causes the spell to automatically fail.

Kaliska

Population: 4,000 (Human 100%)

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Local Language: Kaliska

Gods: Coyote

Magic: None

Organization: Anarchy

Description: The Kaliska tribe roam all along Ahanu, though most of them tend to stick around central Ahanu unless game is scarce. The Kaliska are largely considered to be scoundrels and rarely meet in large numbers (a typical group of them consists of about five to fifteen at most), unless something very important is happening. Many roam the lands alone, only occasionally meeting with someone else in their travels. They are something like the gypsies of other lands and most other people who know of them do not trust them.

They are adept scavengers and thieves, taking what they will of other tribes. It is a very uncommon practice among most tribes of Ahanu, who prefer to either hunt things down on their own or take what they will with strength in battle instead of stealth and trickery.

All Kaliska follow the ways of Coyote. Large portions of the Kaliska are priests of Coyote. The trickster god is very much in line with their way of thinking and the people tend to think of themselves as Coyote’s children. It is not uncommon to see one or two of these creatures following along behind the Kaliska.

Role-Playing: The Kaliska are very aloof and chaotic in nature. People can rarely count on one of them to keep a promise unless it is in their very best interest to do so as they will always take the easiest way out of any situation. The one exception is their relationship with coyotes. They will always do everything in their power to aid a coyote if they find one in trouble or injured. Even if it means they have to risk their lives. Anyone who does this as well will find a trusted ally in the Kaliska.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – Warriors begin play with any three thief skills of their choice with a base equal to that of a first level thief. At first level they have 20 points to split among them and 10 points every level thereafter.

Priest – Kaliska priests are all priests of Coyote. In addition to the benefits they get from their god, they also gain a coyote familiar, much like a wizard’s familiar. See the wizard spell find familiar for details on such things.

Wizard – The ways of magic require effort and study, something the Kaliska do not care for. They much prefer easier roads through life. As such, there are no Kaliska wizards.

Rogue – There are no Kaliska bards, but thieves often train coyotes to sniff out things of value for them. All thieves begin play with the Animal Training nonweapon proficiency. They also gain a +2 bonus to any checks for this proficiency. Such trained coyotes always have maximum hit points and an effective wisdom of 10 for purposes of tracking. They will never send these coyotes into obvious danger unless they plan on being in the danger as well. For example, having the coyotes fighting for them is acceptable only if the thief is in the fight as well. Sending the coyotes to fend off some beastie while the rogue sits back or escapes is not acceptable. Those who purposely endanger their coyotes eventually become marked by Coyote. When this happens no coyote will ever obey the rogue’s commands unless it is to attack the rogue.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – For various reasons including availability, personal preference and general lifestyle, Kaliska warriors never wear armor heavier than studded leather. Of course few Kaliska ever even bother with that much armor as they do not typically make such things on their own and rarely interact with those who do long enough to get some of their own.

Priest – Should the coyote die, they suffer all the same drawbacks that a wizard would suffer if his familiar died.

Rogue – The Kaliska have no written language and a Kaliska rogue never gains the read languages skill.

Keezheekoni

Population: 6,000 (Human 100%)

Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Local Language: Keezheekoni

Gods: Fire

Magic: Moderate

Organization: Tribal

Description: Of all the tribes in Ahanu, none is as feared as the Keezheekoni. Traveling in groups of about forty to a hundred, the Keezheekoni spread death and destruction wherever they go. Tribes of Ahanu know to either move on or prepare for battle whenever they see the trail of smoke approaching that always follows the Keezheekoni.

The Keezheekoni are worshippers of fire. They delight in using it to burn everything in their path. In battle, they use torches and burning arrows primarily. Most also carry around pouches of concentrated alcohol which they either blow into their torches, creating an explosive attack, or spread about to allow the fire to spread easier. The few prisoners they capture are ritually burned alive. They typically laugh at the victim as he or she screams in agony.

None are as respected among the Keezheekoni as the priests of Fire. It is their job to watch the fires and ensure one is always burning. Should the priest fail at this, he is typically burned to death to appease the god. It is also their job to seek guidance from Fire as to where they should go next. This is decided through a ritual in which the priests gaze into a fire, warm coals or ash to see what Fire wishes to tell them. Once the priest gives word on what needs to be done, everyone moves out and does it immediately.

Role-Playing: It is rare for one of the Keezheekoni to leave their people. One who has typically has failed at something and managed to flee before he could be killed. All Keezheekoni have an innate love of fire and delight in the destruction it spreads. They are happiest when things are burning around them and saddest when things are too wet for fire to burn.

Special Abilities: All Keezheekoni begin play with a set of flame retardant clothing which they always wear. It provides a +4 bonus against any flame based attacks and a base AC of 9. The AC does not stack with armor of any kind. They never allow their clothes to fall into the hands of a non-Keezheekoni. They do not wish others to find ways to resist the flames they love so much in combat.

For obvious reasons, all Keezheekoni begin play with the fire-building proficiency at no cost.

Warrior – Warriors use fire-based weaponry almost exclusively. They know how to create sufficiently strong alcohol that will burn and they know how to build weapons that can use the alcohol effectively without burning apart. All warriors begin play with the brewing and weaponsmithing nonweapon proficiencies at no cost.

A warrior will always try to have some alcohol on hand for battle. They pour the alcohol onto their weapon, and light it aflame (a process that takes a round if they have a fire burning already). The weapon burns for 1d10 rounds thereafter and deals 1d6 points of additional fire damage on a successful strike. The victim must also save vs. paralysis or burn for an additional 1d3 rounds or until they can put out the flames, whichever comes first. Weapons so used must save vs. fire or be ruined. If they use weapons that they have crafted, the weapons gain a +6 bonus to this item save as they know what methods and materials to use to make weapons that avoid destruction.

Priest – Keezheekoni priests of Fire are favored among Fire’s worshippers. They may treat any spell from the sphere of Elemental Fire as though it were one level lower for purposes of casting them. First level spells are unaffected.

Wizard – Wizards, in the traditional sense, do not exist among the Keezheekoni. They have no written language and their obsession with fire would not be very good for the average wizard’s spell book collection. However, there are those among the Keezheekoni who do use arcane magic. Such casters use the rules for Channelers as described in chapter 6 of Player’s Option: Spells and Magic. They need never worry about actually owning a spell book however. This does not change their limit for spells based on intelligence, nor does it waive their requirement to prepare their spells (at least not beyond what is described in the Channeler listing). For all purposes treat them as though they normally had a spell book but do not need it. Preparation times and spell research are done through meditation. Research costs reflect the burning of special incenses and oils required to learn new spells. They may choose to learn any spell from the Player’s Handbook as though they had a scroll, failure of course meaning they lose any gold they put towards it and cannot try again until they level again. To learn spells beyond that, they must use the spell research rules.

For obvious reasons, such mages tend to focus more towards fire based spells, but there is no particular restriction to learning anything else. It is just a cultural preference.

Rogue – Bards treat their casting abilities the same way wizards do. All rogues know a little bit about fire magic though and as they grow in level they gain a few spell like abilities once a day. In the case of bards, this is in addition to any spells they normally know and do not fatigue them the way their normal spells do. Each spell has a casting time of 1 but otherwise follows as described for the wizard spell. At first level they may cast burning hands. At fourth level, they gain flaming sphere. At eighth level they gain fireball. At twelfth level they gain wall of fire. Finally at sixteenth level, they gain conjure fire elemental.

Special Disabilities: Any one who takes the special clothing of a Keezheekoni will be hunted down and killed, even an ally. Only Keezheekoni are allowed to wear the clothes and should they be taken away, the Keezheekoni must retrieve them for fear of facing the wrath of Fire.

Warrior – Warriors don’t usually bother with armor. Such things get uncomfortably warm when around so much fire all the time. While they CAN wear it, they receive a -1 penalty to hit for every 2 points of protection the armor would have provided (rounded down), excluding magical pluses. Thus, leather armor would provide a -1 penalty while full plate (assuming they somehow managed to get their hands on some) would provide a -4 penalty.

Priest – Like warriors, priests don’t usually bother with armor. Of course their priesthood restricts the use of armor to nonmetal armor, but even when they do wear armor they suffer the same penalties warriors do.

Wizard – Since they have no written language, wizards may never make use of any scrolls or spell books.

Rogue – Rogues never gain the read languages skill, nor are they able to use scrolls of any type.

Kiwidinok

Population: 6,000 (Human 100%)

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Local Language: Kiwidinok

Gods: Wind

Magic: Moderate

Organization: Tribal

Description: The Kiwidinok are somewhat strange among the Ahanu tribes. While they do move about the plains of central Ahanu, they also do settle down for periods. Their behavior is ever-changing like the wind they worship. They travel about the plains until the priests say the winds have told them to stop. When they stop, they setup a community and farm crops. These communities last no more than a couple of years before they up and move again, traveling for another year or so.

The Kwidinok worship Wind and are always ready for change. They grow restless when things become routine for them. They always look to the priests for guidance, however, because while anyone can feel the wind, only the priests can truly read it. They are also in charge of ensuring the weather cooperates with the crops so the people may prosper.

Since they do settle and farm, the Kiwidinok tribe tends to gather in larger numbers than most other tribes do. Any given group of Kwidinok might contain between 500 and 1000 members. Their superior numbers and minor magical abilities have allowed them to prosper in peace against other warlike tribes.

Role-Playing: While most of the Kiwidinok keep together, it is a fairly regular occurrence for one of their number to head out on his own to see where the wind takes him. All Kiwidinok are always looking for change and new things. They are always open to new ideas and tend to ignore history as they see looking at such things as against change. It is therefore quite usual for someone to become a Kiwidinok’s mortal enemy one day, and be completely forgotten about the next.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – Kiwidinok warriors are known for being swift of foot. The wind seems to part before them and blows them where they wish to go. All Kiwidinok warriors have a base movement rate of 15. In addition, they may create an effect similar to the wizard spell haste once a day. This takes a round of concentration on their part to invoke (which can be disrupted like any normal spell, though it can be done in armor), and then lasts a round per level. The magical speed is due to winds blowing about them in such a way to aid their swings by pushing their limbs and breaking normal air resistance. It is beautiful to watch and does not age them like the normal spell would.

Priest – All Kiwidinok priests are considered to be priests of Wind. In addition to the abilities granted by their god, they are a bit more versatile in their casting methods than other priests. They gain spell points as shown on table 26 in chapter 6 of Player’s Option: Spells and Magic. They also gain spell points based on Wisdom as listed on table 27.

Rather than slots, they use these points whenever casting a spell. The spell cost for any of their spells is always the cost listed under Major Fixed magic on table 29. The exception to this are orisons which cost one point each. Spells are considered to be fixed for purposes of spell cost only. The priest treats all of his spells as free magic, therefore not needing to choose them in advance.

Such priests are therefore not restricted to have all their spells spread out among their spell levels and may instead choose to cast many low level spells or few high level ones.

Wizard – Wizards, in the standard sense, do not exist among the Kiwidinok. They have no written language and little desire to devote the time and study that a wizard must put forth for even the smallest of cantrips. However, the Kiwidinok do possess great amounts of magic. Those who focus on such pursuits are called Windseekers.

Windseekers use the points method of spell casting as described in chapter 6 of Player’s Option: Spells and Magic. Use Table 17 to determine how many points they receive to cast with. For purposes of point cost, however, all of a Windseeker’s spells are considered to be fixed magic. None of their spells are fixed though. They do not prepare spells in advance (though they must rest to regain spell points), and all spells they cast can be cast on the fly, drawing upon their points as necessary. They may not exceed their spell limits, but they can cast at greater effect or reduced effect as described in that chapter. They also receive bonus points based on their Intelligence scores as shown on Table 19.

Windseekers never need to have spell book. Instead, they gain their spells through whispers in the wind. At first level, they begin play with 4 randomly selected spells from the PHB. Every level thereafter, they gain 2 more randomly selected spells. The Windseeker may choose what spell level the spell they learn will be from, but they cannot choose what that spell will be. Therefore, a third level Windseeker could choose to learn two first level spells, two second level spells, or one of each, both of which would be randomly selected by the DM.

Cantrips are an exception to this. Windseekers automatically know and may create any sort of cantrip at the cost of 1 point.

For example, a third level Windseeker would have 15 points. He could cast two second level spells (at 6 points each) with enough points left over for 3 cantrips. He could also cast three first level spells (at 4 points each) with enough points left over for 3 cantrips. Finally he could also cast two first level and one second level spell with enough points left over for 1 cantrip.

Rogue – Kiwidinok thieves have learned to move with and vanish like the wind. Their base movement rate is 15. In addition, they can use their hide in shadows skill even when someone is looking directly at them. As long as they succeed in their check, they are considered to be invisible, though they must make a check every round and attacks or noise (such as talking) make them automatically visible.

Bards are highly praised among the Kiwidinok. They are revered for their ability to adapt and change with things. They may cast as Windseekers do, using all the same benefits and restrictions as described in the wizard section. Of course, they use Table 36 instead to determine their spell points. They also do not gain their initial four spells until second level, gaining two new spells every level thereafter.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – To be carried by the winds, Kiwidinok warriors must be light of foot and load. If they are lightly encumbered, they cannot gain any of their benefits. The same applies if they are wearing armor heavier than studded leather. Of course heavier armors are almost unknown in Ahanu, so it is rarely an issue for them.

Priest – Kiwidinok priests suffer no particular disability beyond those inherent with their priesthood.

Wizard – The biggest weakness of Windseekers is their spell selection. Since their spells are randomly selected, there is no telling what spells they might end up with. They also do not have the ability to learn as many different spells as a normal wizard would. They cannot make use of scrolls or learn spells from other sources. Nor could they research their own spells. The spells they gain are completely by chance and whisperings of the wind.

Rogue – The Kiwidinok do not have a written language and so rogues may never make use of scrolls, nor use the read languages skill.

Maka

Population: 20,000 (Human 100%)

Alignment: Neutral Good

Local Language: Maka

Gods: Earth, Morning Star

Magic: Low

Organization: Tribal

Description: The Maka are a largely peaceful people who settle along the north and western coasts of Ahanu. They settle into farming communities of about 500 to 1,500 members and stay put as long as the earth supports them. There are about 23 different Maka communities and they meet together in the spring for fertility rituals as well as courtship. Such things are very important among the Maka and a couple is largely judged by the number of children they have.

Ceremonies are overseen by the priests of Earth. These priests and priestesses typically have the most children of any in the community. At any one time they have at least 4 to 8 children living within their lodges. The inability to bear children is largely considered to be a sign of disfavor from Earth, though this hardly ever happens. Even the oldest among them are able to bear children.

While they are largely peaceful, the realities of some of the less than peaceful neighbors have forced them to learn the ways of war. They are not exceptional warriors, but they live in sufficient numbers that they are able to fight off most attacks. Protectors among them are the Geomancers. These magic users use the earth to defend their communities.

Role-Playing: The Maka place most of their importance on fertility and children. They will always see to the wellbeing of children everywhere. They are happiest when around children and will fight to protect any child in danger.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – Warriors are often called upon to defend children or Geomancers while they complete their complex invocations. When defending either, they gain a +1 to their ac per three levels. They also gain the same bonus to both their to hit and damage rolls.

Priest – Maka priests are often called upon to take care of the sick and wounded. They begin play with both the healing and herbalism proficiencies at no cost. Furthermore, those priests who devote themselves to Morning Star gain an additional casting of the highest level healing spell they are currently able to cast per day.

Wizard – While there are no wizards among the Maka, there are Geomancers. These magic users call upon the earth itself to protect their communities. As they level up, they gain a variety of powers and spell like abilities. They also are hardier than wizards, using a d6 hit die. Geomancers have no spell slots or spell books like a wizard would. As they level, they gain the following abilities, none of which require spell components:

1^st level – The geomancer can call upon the creatures of the land for aid. The geomancer’s level worth of hit dice of natural animals make their way to the geomancer, arriving to fight or otherwise aid him. It takes one turn to summon them and they stay for an hour per level or until the geomancer dismisses them. The geomancer may do this once per day at first level and may do it an additional time per day at 5^th and 10^th level.

2^nd level – The geomancer may call upon the strength of stone to protect him. It takes one turn to finish the invocation, but when he is done, his body strengthens like that of stone, though he loses no mobility. It essentially mimics the effects of an armor spell and can be done once per day per five levels.

3^rd level – By manipulating the earth, the Geomancer gains the ability to cause stone spears to erupt from the ground, impaling enemies. This can be done just about anywhere as all things of the earth (such as metal and wood) respond to this ability. Creatures that are not within 5 feet of the ground because they are either in the air or in the water cannot be harmed by this ability. The Geomancer must succeed in a to hit roll, the spear then deals 1d8 points of damage plus the Geomancer’s level up to a maximum of 1d8+10. It takes one full round to invoke this ability and the Geomancer may perform it one time per day per level of the Geomancer. It has a range of 10 yards per level. Note that once the spear erupts, it stays out, possibly causing a bit of a barrier in tight quarters.

4^th level – The Geomancer learns to manipulate the ground to grasp at his enemies. He gains the ability to cast Maximilian’s Earthen Grasp once per every two levels to a maximum of 5 at level 10.

5^th level – The Geomancer becomes able to form ditches and pits in the earth, creating an effect equivalent to the wizard spell dig. It takes one turn to invoke the ability and the Geomancer may invoke it once per every five levels. This is sometimes used for farming purposes (such as digging new wells) or defensive purposes (such as digging defensive ditches around a community).

6^th level – The Geomancer learns to better manipulate the ground to grasp at his enemies. He gains the ability to cast Maximilian’s Stony Grasp once per every five levels to a maximum of 4 at level 20.

7^th level – By increasing the density of his defenses, the Geomancer manages to create an effect like the wizard spell stoneskin. It takes one turn to invoke this ability and the geomancer may invoke it once per day per six levels.

8^th level – Calling forth on the spirits of the earth, Geomancers learn how to conjure forth earth elementals once per day. This ability takes three rounds to invoke and the Geomancer need not worry about controlling the elemental as it always comes willingly. The elemental that comes has a 50% chance of having 12 hit dice, 40% chance of having 16 hit dice and 10% chance of having 21-24 (20+1d4) hit dice. The elemental helps the Geomancer for 1 turn per level of the Geomancer then returns to its home plane.

9^th level – The Geomancer becomes adept at the fine manipulation of earth to create anything they might wish. After an invocation which takes 1 round to complete, the Geomancer may create an effect that duplicates stone shape. This effect may be invoked once a day per every 6 levels of the Geomancer.

10^th level – The Geomancer learns to create barriers with the earth. He often is called upon to make walls around communities to keep out invaders and repair existing ones. Once per day per three levels the Geomancer may create either a wall of stone or wall of iron as described in the wizard spells of the same name. A 10^th level Geomancer could therefore create 3 walls of iron, 3 walls of stone, or any combination thereof. The invocation required to create these walls takes 1 round to invoke.

11^th level – At this point, the Geomancer has become a master of the earth. He can melt into it and move along it at great speeds. With a one round invocation, the Geomancer melds with the earth. He may stay within the earth, immune to any form of attack short of an earthquake, for as long as he wishes to remain. Once he wishes to emerge, he may appear at any point within the range of a dimension door spell cast at the Geomancer’s level. He must obviously emerge in a point that his connected by the earth. Should the earth have large gaps in it (such as a deep crevasse or some similar obstacle), the Geomancer must travel along the surface of the earth, avoiding the gaps within the spell’s distance allowed.

12^th level –The Geomancer improves his damaging spear attack to incorporate a wide area. Once per day he may cause several spears to thrust from the earth, impaling everyone in a 40’ radius. The Geomancer may attempt 2d6 attacks on everyone in the area of effect, each successful strike dealing 1d8+10 points of damage. The spell does allow some control of where the spears emerge so the Geomancer may select to avoid striking a target in the area. This applies a cumulative -2 penalty to the to hit rolls for each person avoided by this invocation. The invocation has a range of 10 yards per level and takes 1 round to invoke. The Geomancer may do this once a day at 12^th level and an additional once per day every two levels thereafter. Note that since these spears of earth remain in the area after the invocation, they might block passages or otherwise hinder movement. Those within the area of effect must make a saving throw vs. paralysis. Success indicates they are able to make their way through the stony protrusions to an edge of the area of effect. Failure indicates they are trapped until someone can manage to smash their way to the victim. Every round, a trapped victim may attempt a bend bars/lift gates check to snap away some of the stone and move five feet.

13^th level – The Geomancer may manipulate the earth in all beings, becoming able to create an invocation that mimics the effects of either stone to flesh, or flesh to stone. It takes 1 turn to complete this invocation and may be done once per day per six levels of the Geomancer.

14^th level – The Geomancer may speak an invocation that mimics the effects of the priest spell animate rock. It takes 3 rounds to complete and may be done once a day per seven levels of the caster.

15^th level – The Geomancer once again learns to further improve his body with the strength of earth. He may make an invocation that creates an effect similar to Iron Body one time per day per eight levels. It takes one round to complete this invocation.

16^th level – The Geomancer can shift plates of earth to cause massive earthquakes. This invocation requires 2 turns to complete but otherwise mirrors the effects of the priest spell earthquake.

17^th level – The Geomancer learns how to place the souls of others within bodies of rock. This ritual requires 1 hour to perform. Once completed, the recipient is permanently transformed into an earth elemental, gaining all the abilities of such a creature. Since they are not summoned creatures, they are unaffected by spells, such as protection from evil, that hedge out creatures of extra planar origin. The recipient also becomes unable to use any magical abilities it once had. The hit dice of the recipient change to 16 if he had fewer than 16 hit dice or levels, 18 if he had fewer than 16 hit dice or levels, or 20+1d4 otherwise. Guardians for the Maka have been created in this manner. While this ritual can be performed on an unwilling subject, it is considered an evil act to do so. It is also rather unwise as this ritual does not grant any particular control over the elemental that is created. The Geomancer may complete this ritual once a week.

18^th level – The Geomancer becomes at home in earth and may invoke an effect similar to the wizard spell elemental aura. It takes three rounds to complete this invocation and may be done once a day.

19^th level – The Geomancer may transform himself into an earth elemental at will. While in this form, he is unable to use any of his other abilities, but he gains all the abilities of an earth elemental. The invocation required for this change take 2 turns to complete.

20^th level – The Geomancer has become a conduit of the elemental plane of earth. Once per day he may invoke an effect that mimics the priest quest spell elemental swarm. This invocation always summons earth elementals and requires one turn to complete.

Rogue – Thieves are largely unknown among the Maka. While there are always those who choose to steal and be dishonest, they are not of the thief class per se. Bards on the other hand are very common. Story telling is an important part of Maka life. Most bards are especially good at entertaining children. Bards never use a spell book as they have no written language. They otherwise prepare their spells normally. Maka bards are exceptionally good at influencing the reactions of people. They are considered to be enchantment/charm specialists, gaining all the benefits such casters have.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – The biggest disability of a Maka warrior is he does not receive his benefits when not fighting in the defense of children or Geomancers.

Priest – A Maka priest can never turn away anyone who asks for healing. Such priests would even heal an enemy if the enemy asked for it. Failure to do so attracts the ire of Earth or Morning Star, possibly withdrawing any powers granted.

Wizard – As many as their powers are, it typically takes more time to complete a Geomancer invocation than a similar wizard spell would. They are also very much set on specific powers, unable to learn anything else. Occasionally, powerful Geomancers are called to the plane of elemental earth to aid creatures there. Whenever a Geomancer gains a level, he must roll a d100. If the roll happens to be the Geomancer’s level or less, he has been called to the plane of earth for some duty. Geomancers without the ability to survive on the plane will be provided means to do so for their stay.

Rogue – Bards never bother to learn the pick pockets or read languages skills. Such skills are of little use to the Maka. In addition, they can never make use of scrolls.

Oota Dabun

Population: 6,000 (Human 80%, Dwarf 20%)

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Local Language: Oota

Gods: Sun

Magic: None

Organization: Tribal

Description: The Oota Dabun are one of the stranger tribes in Ahanu. This is due in part to the fact that a good portion of the tribe consists of dwarves, and also partly due to the god they revere most, Sun. All of the Oota Dabun are worshippers of Sun and they are constantly attempting to appease this fickle spirit. This might consist of rituals of pain, attacks on other tribes or extended dancing rituals.

The Oota Dabun are largely a good people, but their constant attempts to appease their god has made them an enemy of most other tribes. Some other tribes also have issue with the dwarves that make up the Oota Dabun, but that is definitely their most pressing issue with the tribe. It cannot be denied that the Oota Dabun hate the darkness, and all things of it. When not performing some ritual to appease Sun, they often are out scouring the countryside for creatures of the night such as undead and lycanthropes. They especially despise the people of Oceloxichitl, who they view as dark magic worshippers.

The Oota Dabun travel in groups of about 100 to 200 and they gather together during the summer solstice, when the sun shines longest. It is during this day that they discuss any particular hot spots for dark activity where their people should focus their efforts. It is also the time that all marriages are performed. Those who wish to become married stand in a circle as the priest recites the ritual of bonding when the sun is at its highest point.

Life is not all about appeasing Sun and destroying darkness for the Oota Dabun, though it may quickly seem like it to an outsider. Birds of prey are trained, raised and eaten. These birds are used to find and hunt game for the tribe as well as send messages to Sun. A cloud of circling birds usually marks the approach of their people.

Role-Playing: The Oota Dabun are very hard to get along with. They tend to insist to sleep with bright lights around them, always get up to pray to the dawn and are zealous about everything they do. Their never ending supply of energy often grates on companions, though some do find it strangely uplifting.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – Warriors are absolutely tireless in everything they do. They can endure ordeals that would kill most people. They all begin play with the endurance proficiency at no cost and a +1 bonus to their constitution scores. This could potentially raise them beyond their racial max. Warriors may be fighters, rangers or paladins. Even dwarves could potentially be any of these classes.

Priest – Priests are in charge of banishing the darkness and their devotion to Sun makes them better at doing such things. They treat all sun sphere spells as though they are one level lower for purposes of casting them. First level spells are unaffected.

Wizard – There are no wizards among the Oota Dabun.

Rogue – There are no thieves among the Oota Dabun. Sneaking around in the darkness is something that just isn’t done. There are also no bards among the Oota Dabun. They rarely have the time to listen to stories.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – The zealotry that warriors put forth towards any of their goals makes them highly shortsighted. Some are just downright stupid beyond belief. They all suffer a -2 penalty to their wisdom scores. This could potentially lower their wisdom beyond racial minimum.

Priest – Priests are exceptionally uncomfortable in the darkness. Double any penalties they suffer due to darkness.

Pauwau

Population: 2,000 (Human 70%, Gnome 25%, Other 5%)

Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Local Language: Pauwau

Gods: Raven

Magic: Moderate

Organization: Tribal

Description: The Pauwau are seen as omens of death and deception. When they are spoken of, it is in hushed whispers. If one listens to those whispers they will hear tales of dark arts, demon worship and necromancy. Most tribes are uncomfortable when a raven is nearby as they are believed to be the eyes of the Pauwau. It is true that many ravens congregate around the Pauwau, as their patron god is Raven. Some of the priests are even able to converse with these creatures, so there is some truth in the fear.

The tribe consists primarily of humans, though a decent number of gnomes also make up their number. Undead are also attracted to the Pauwau. Some of them are intelligent, though most are not. All of them seem to protect the Pauwau, and give them the feared reputation they have. Typically, a group of them numbers between 25 and 100. All Pauwau meet at central Ahanu on the winter solstice. During this time, rituals are performed to strengthen their connection with Raven and their other benefactors.

Every group of Pauwau has a patron demon. The demon is typically in the form of a human at all times and never reveals itself, except to enemies. Most Pauwau are completely unaware of the demonic presence, though a few do worship such powers. These demons collect together and discuss matters with each other during the winter solstice. They often perform rituals to strengthen their powers, away from the eyes of the Pauwau.

Role-Playing: The Pauwau are dark, grim and tainted with evil. Even the most benevolent of them has a streak of evil that sticks to their soul. None of them are of lawful alignment and very few are of good alignment. Divinations that reveal such things always sense the taint of evil, even among the good aligned ones. They are corrupted from a young age, and very few can turn away from that. They do not see themselves as evil, however. They just see themselves as a superior people and it is their job to weed out the weak minded.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – Most of the warriors are of the standard variety, but a few among them are of a special breed. These select few are called Nights. Nights are able to call upon demonic powers to aid their combat prowess. Nights all are of exceptional Constitution and must possess a minimum score of 16. They are all of Chaotic alignment.

As the Night grows in level, he gains an ever stronger connection to the Abyss. He does this by allowing such creatures to possess him, gaining their powers. To do so, he must simply spend a round opening his body to the Abyss. Possession lasts as long as the Night chooses to endure it. To end the possession, the Night must make a constitution check and spend a round banishing the demon. Failure indicates the Night suffers damage as indicated in the individual entry and the demon leaves. Success indicates the Night suffers half the damage. This damage reflects the toll that the possession puts on the body. Stronger demons are harder to banish and extract greater tolls upon the body. See the individual entries for more details. The powers they gain are as follows:

1^st level – The Night attracts least demons to inhabit his body such as a dretch or mane. He becomes essentially mindless, attacking all enemies in sight without fear. He is immune to any mind effects such as fear or charm. Sharp claws and teeth grow, allowing him a claw/claw/bite attack for each attack the Night would normally be allowed (excluding extra attacks for specialization or two weapon fighting). Each claw attack deals 1d4 points of damage while the bite deals 1d4+1. While in this form, he is unable to make use of weapons. He immediately drops anything he is carrying to attack with tooth and claw. When the demon is banished, the warrior suffers 1d8 points of damage.

4^th level – The Night attracts lesser demons such as an alu-fiend (50%) or a cambion (50%). If possessed by an alu-fiend, the Night gains a base AC of 5 and becomes immune to weapons of less than +1 enchantment unless they are made of cold iron. He may strike with both of his fists for each attack he would normally get (excluding extra attacks for specialization or two weapon fighting), dealing 1d8 points of damage, half of which heals the Night. If possessed by a cambion, his base AC becomes 6 and he gains stealth abilities like that of a thief. He can climb walls (95%), hide in shadows (80%) and move silently (80%) in even bulky armor without penalty. When the demon is banished, the Night receives a -2 penalty to his Constitution check and suffers 4d8 points of damage.

7^th level – The Night attracts a succubus or incubus to inhabit his body. He becomes immune to weapons of less than +2 enchantment unless the weapon is made of cold iron. His body becomes immune to natural fire and poison. He may also attempt a kiss which drains a level from a willing participant. Those who are reduced to 0 levels die and have their souls taken to the Abyss. When the demon is banished, the Night receives a -4 penalty to his Constitution check and suffers 7d8 points of damage.

9^th level – The Night attracts a Babau. His strength increases to 19 (or +1 if his natural strength is already 19 or higher for some reason). He also becomes immune to weapons of less than +1 enchantment unless they are made of cold iron. Natural fire and poison also cause the Night no harm. Once per round, the Night may meet the gaze of an enemy within 20’. The victim must save vs. spell or suffer the effects of a ray of enfeeblement. When the demon is banished, the Night receives a -5 penalty to his Constitution check and suffers 9d8 points of damage.

10^th level – The Night attracts a wastrilith. He may breathe underwater and swim at a movement rate of 15. Lightning attacks have a 50% chance of reflecting upon the caster, dealing maximum damage. Their base AC is -1 and they may choose to unleash a blast of boiling water from their mouth three times a day. All within a 30’ long cone suffer 3d10 damage. The Night gains two claw attacks and a bite attack which deal 1d8 and 1d12 points of damage respectively. He may do these attacks as many times as he would normally have attacks (excluding extra attacks for specialization or two weapon fighting). When the demon is banished, the Night receives a -6 penalty to his Constitution check and suffers 10d8 points of damage.

12^th level – The Night is known in the Abyss and begins to attract the attention of True demons. At 12^th level he may attract a vrock. His strength increases to a 19 and his base AC becomes -5. He also gains a 70% magical resistance and may only be harmed by weapons of +2 enchantment or higher unless they are made of cold iron. Once every three rounds, the Night may eject stinging spores from his body. All within a 5’ radius take 1d8 points of damage. The spores then implant themselves and begin to sprout. Victims suffer 1d2 points of damage a round from spore growth. The spores continue to grow for 10 rounds, at which time the victim is covered in thick, vine-like growths. The spores can be killed by a bless, neutralize poison, or similar spell, or by being sprinkled with holy water. When the demon is banished, the Night receives a -7 penalty to his Constitution check and suffers 12d8 points of damage.

16^th level – The Night attracts a marilith. Four additional arms sprout from his body, allowing him to use up to six weapons at a time with no penalty. He also gains a 70% magical resistance and may only be harmed by weapons of +2 enchantment or higher unless they are made of cold iron. His base AC becomes a -9. When the demon is banished, the Night receives a -8 penalty to his Constitution check and suffers 16d8 points of damage.

18^th level – The Night attracts a balor. When he becomes possessed, his body bursts into flames and becomes immune to both magical and nonmagical fire. His strength increases to 20 (or +2 if for some reason the Night’s strength is already 20 or higher) and he also gains a 70% magical resistance and may only be harmed by weapons of +3 enchantment or higher unless they are made of cold iron. The Night may grapple with an opponent, dealing an automatic 4d6 points of fire damage for every round he remains grappled. He may also punch an enemy, dealing 2d6 points of damage. The victim must save vs. spell at a -6 penalty or flee for 1d6 turns. His base AC becomes a -8. When the demon is banished, the Night receives a -10 penalty to his Constitution check and suffers 18d8 points of damage.

Priest – All Pauwau priests are priests of Raven. They can see perfectly in darkness of any type.

Wizard – Gnomish magic users among the Pauwau may choose to be either illusionists or shadow mages. Human magic users may choose to be either necromancers or shadow mages. Regardless of which they are, victims of their spells receive a -1 penalty to their saving throws. This is in addition to penalties they would already have from the specialist’s specialty. This reflects the fear that the reputations of Pauwau spell casters tend to invoke, which makes their victims more susceptible to their spells.

Rogue – Thieves are common among the Pauwau. Their closeness to darkness allows them to see perfectly in complete darkness. They may also create an effect that duplicates darkness, 15’ radius once a day. There are no bards among the Pauwau.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – Calling demons into one’s body is not without its price. Of course there is the damage to the body that occurs when the demon is banished, but there is more. While the Night may allow the demon to possess his body indefinitely, doing so for extended periods of time becomes dangerous. For every half hour the demon possesses the Night, the Night must roll a d100. If he rolls a 10 or less, he has become tainted and his alignment shifts one level closer to Chaotic Evil. Once the Night becomes fully Chaotic Evil, he no longer chooses when a demon enters or leaves him, demons may do so whenever they choose.

In addition, possessed Nights may be stopped by any means that would stop a demon. Protection from evil, for example, is very effective against a possessed Night.

Priest – Pauwau priests feel vulnerable in bright light. When in sunlight or its equivalent, thieves suffer a -1 or -5% penalty to all die rolls.

Wizard – Pauwau wizards have no particular disabilities, though few non-Pauwaus are willing to interact with one.

Rogue – Pauwau thieves feel vulnerable in bright light. When in sunlight or its equivalent, thieves suffer a -1 or -5% penalty to all die rolls.

Ptaysanwee

Population: 3,000 (Human 70%, Halfling 30%)

Alignment: Neutral Good

Local Language: Ptaysanwee

Gods: Snake

Magic: None

Organization: Tribal

Description: The Ptaysanwee are efficient hunters who consist mainly of humans but also include some Halflings among their numbers. They travel in groups of about 10 to 30 members and are among the most efficient trackers, perhaps in the world. They are experts at reading the signs of nature and should they wish not to be found, they won’t be.

Central to their belief system is their worship of Snake. Snake is a benevolent god and they strive to live up to Snake’s good moral standing. It is believed that those who do not will age prematurely and die.

The Ptaysanwee meet near the eastern edge of Ahanu in the fall. There they discuss migration patterns as well as any wars that may be currently happening between other tribes. War scares the animals they hunt so the Ptaysanwee know to avoid such areas. It is also done of course to avoid becoming caught up in one of those wars. The Ptaysanwee rarely become involved in any war as such killing without purpose ages one’s soul.

Role-Playing: The Ptaysanwee are quiet and contemplative, though they generally try to do good. They avoid fighting unless they know it is to defeat evil. They know that wars happen between good people and they wish never to be involved in such clashes.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – Halflings may choose to become either rangers or fighters, assuming they meet all the requirements. All warriors begin play with the hunting and tracking nonweapon proficiencies. Furthermore, rangers double the bonus they gain to their tracking skill as they level. Fighters are considered to be rangers when making tracking checks so they do not receive the -6 penalty most non-rangers receive.

Priest – All Ptaysanwee priests are priests of Snake. They gain not particular abilities beyond those granted by Snake.

Wizard – There are no wizards among the Ptaysanwee

Rogue – Thieves are unknown among the Ptaysanwee as they hold little value in material possessions. Their desire to always do good also clashes with the thief mentality. Bards are common, however. They are as good at hunting as they are at story telling. They gain the thief’s move silently and hide in shadows abilities at a base 15% each. They are also tougher than most bards, using a d8 for hit dice and a priest’s THAC0. Halflings may choose to be bards if they wish, though they must meet all the normal requirements.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – Warriors are expected to protect snakes from harm. They are aged one year for every point of damage they deal to one. When confronted with a hostile snake, Ptaysanwee warriors simply avoid it. If they know someone else is harming a snake and do not attempt to stop the offender, they age a year.

Priest – Ptaysanwee priests gain no particular disabilities beyond those imposed by Snake.

Rogue – Bards have no magical abilities, nor do they gain the skills to read languages or read scrolls. They also have no access to the pick pockets skill.

The Cities of Amsha

Amsha is a desert land where fate is the rule of law and genies are lords. The people in general are fairly peaceful in nature. Races of all types are fairly widespread among the people and they get along without many of the racial prejudices and hatreds that are common in other lands. The people of Amsha see an elf to a human the same as one might see someone with brown eyes to someone with green. This utter lack of racial tension leads to some rather diverse populations and circumstances. The city of Bahira, for example, has been under the rule of a steel dragon for the better part of a millennium. Many cities have genies as officials or other strange creatures.

Genies are highly revered among the people of Amsha. It is believed that Amsha is their land and that they are always watching. They may not be ALWAYS watching, but you never do know when they are. Genies have gained a reputation of placing the evil eye on those who are overly boastful. There is little worse than being cursed by the evil eye.

Among the people of Amsha are two major groups: the Al-Badia and the Al-Hadhar. The Al-Badia live in the most hostile regions of Amsha and constantly move with the sands. They are nomads with little belongings, but they consider themselves wealthy beyond measure. This is because above all, they value their independence. The Al-Hadhar consist of all who live within city walls. These people take up formal farming and enjoy the comforts of stationary living. They measure wealth through riches and station. They consider the Al-Badia to be somewhat backwards. Obviously neither of these people see eye to eye, though they are generally peaceful towards each other. This is likely due to the fact that they have very little interaction with one another as well as the necessities of trade which brings about the little contact they DO have with one another.

Even though Amsha’s people do not tend to clash with each other all that much, there is little unity among them. Yes they consider themselves all to be of Amsha. Yes they call themselves the enlightened people. Still, they do not have any unifying government. While Al-Ahmar has long been the heart of Amsha and is as close to a capital as any city is, the desert is simply a collection of largely independent city-states. Most cities offer some loyalty to Al-Ahmar and the Grand Caliph, but they are independent enough that they do not absolutely need its support. They do keep a fairly unified view of outsiders however. In their opinions, everyone outside of Amsha is barbaric and dangerous. Many religious groups drive out the “infidels” from time to time. This has given Amsha a reputation of being inhospitable to foreigners.

This is actually a misconception put forth by the zealots. The people of Amsha are actually very hospitable and many merchants go by ship to see far off lands. In fact, they are often judged on their hospitality. When someone shows up at their home, they are honor bound to offer a place to stay. When this is done, the host shares coffee or salt with the guest. This is a sacred tradition. From then and for the duration of the stay, the host will protect the guest from any harm, and the guest is supposed to reciprocate, even if they are bitter enemies. The guest, however, is expected to stay no longer than three days. This is supposedly how long it takes for the salt to pass through the guest’s system. This is illustrated by the saying, “Guests are like fish, after three days, both stink.”

Religion is very important to the people of Amsha, though the specific religion one follows isn’t as important as the fact that someone HAS a religion. The vast majority of priests are not devoted to a specific god, but to a general pantheon. Pragmatists, ethoists and moralists are the most common among them. Among nomadic tribes and small villages, hakima and khanin are somewhat more prevalent. In the minority are various groups who worship the Egyptian and Indian deities. The people who worship these gods never have terribly large followings or expansive temples. They are not persecuted in any way, they just don’t have enough of a following to gain much power.

Al-Afyal

Population: 130,000 (Human 40%, Half-elf 10%, Dwarf 8%, Elf 8%, Halfling 8%, Gnome 8%, Djinn 2%, Other 16%)

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Local Language: Enlightened Common

Gods: Enlightened, Shu, Geb, Nephythys, Siva, Kali, Soma, Indra

Magic: Low

Thief Guilds: The Jungle Spirit

Organization: Monarchy

Description: Al-Afyal is built on the edge of the Amsha jungle. The thick jungle sits untamed outside the city’s walls with wild creatures lurking in the wilderness, practically at the city gates.

Al-Afyal is the only major city to be built within the Amsha jungle. Because the jungle yields rich woods that are the city’s main export, a few minor villages dot the jungles nearby, all of them heavily guarded. A few craftsmen dwell in these villages, but most are harvesters who bring the wood to Al-Afyal. There, the finest woodcrafters do their work, creating furniture and objects of art in which the wood appears to be almost fluid, flowing in elegant, graceful curves. Elephants are also a key export and it has been made law that anyone who kills an elephant in Al-Afyal is killed in turn.

Al-Afyal is different from other Amshan cities architecturally. For the most part, it lacks the blue tiles common to other cities in Amsha. Yet, it is no less impressive, because the city’s architects have made liberal use of polished marble and gleaming hardwoods. The city is flanked by its greatest structures, the Great Mosque of Al-Afyal and the Palace of Al-Afyal.

The city has been fairly blessed in wealth, yet cursed in leadership. It has had a long history of mad rulers and the current one, Alad bin Alaq bin Alonka, is a certifiable loon. Rumors abound as to the reasons for his insanity, but whatever the cause, the padisha is known for his eccentricities and whims. He has appointed peasants and adventurers as ambassadors to far off lands, simply because he liked how they looked. He has exiled or killed long loyal courtiers as punishment for the weather. He has even ordered buildings destroyed, just so they could be rebuilt in a week.

Despite these failings, he is a fairly sweet and friendly man and is loved by his people. When he rides through the city, people cheer, though this is al likely due to the magical pots that spew forth copper and silver pieces as he goes as anything.

Of deep importance to the padisha is his vizier, Anwar al-Makruh. He is a half-elf sha’ir who tutored the padisha in his youth. He constantly marvels aloud at the fact that men (meaning humans) could manage to accomplish so much, especially given his liege as an example. His honesty results in regular exiles, at which point he retreats to his palace in the jungle for some quiet research while the padisha cools his heals.

Role-Playing: The people of Al-Afyal range from the richest merchants to the poorest beggars. The concept of station (that each person has one chosen place in the universe, which is decreed by Fate) is extremely strong here. A person may never rise above his station, regardless of action. Even the most successful adventurer from a beggarly background is expected to defer to a less talented or less worthy individual of a higher station. Marriage outside one’s station is strongly (and often violently) discouraged.

Special Abilities: Those who take up the adventuring life usually begin doing so in the jungles surrounding Al-Afyal. All adventurers from Al-Afyal begin play with the survival (jungle) proficiency at no cost.

Special Abilities: The biggest disability in Al-Afyal is the inability to rise above one’s station. This is only really a limitation in Al-Afyal however. Adventurers who travel to other cities may rise above their station.

Al-Ahmar

Population: 800,000 (Human 40%, Half-elf 10%, Dwarf 8%, Elf 8%, Halfling 8%, Gnome 8%, Other 18%) though on holy days this swells to over 1,500,000

Alignment: Lawful Good

Local Language: Enlightened Common

Gods: Enlightened, Varuna, Mitra, Agni, Nut, Ra, Ptah

Magic: Low

Thief Guilds: The Sands of Fate

Organization: Monarchy

Description: Al-Ahmar is known far and wide for its beautiful architecture and is considered to be the heart of Amsha. Its domes and minarets are clad in gold, tile, and inlaid glass, all reflecting the sun. In the midday heat, it shimmers like some golden mirage. As the sun sinks towards the horizon, the light blazes off the golden tops, making the entire city look as though it is aflame. Through the centuries, craftsmen and artisans of Amsha have made the city their showcase. Their hand painted tiles, intricate mosaics, gilded surfaces and carved plaster and stonework can be found throughout the city.

The people of Al-Ahmar are by nature as tolerant as they are diverse. Racial and religious differences do not present a problem. Even far-removed faiths and ideas are treated more with amusement than fear. Every style of fashion in Amsha can be found in the city’s streets. Every type of product in the enlightened world can be found here too, along with a vast array from the lands beyond. The populace of Al-Ahmar are confident in their good fortune, and cannot believe that anything evil would happen to the city or their Grand Caliph.

Grand Caliph Khalil al-Assad al-Zahir is a wise ruler and has ruled for many years. His court consists of a vast group of courtiers, retainers, servants, and a harem comprising more than a hundred women of various races and nationalities. The most important among them are Grand Vizier Alyana al-Azzazi (his vizier), Tanya bint Perijan (his most valued wife, for the time being anyway), and Jiraad (a noble marid who serves as ambassador to the genie races).

Role-Playing: The people of Al-Ahmar are highly tolerant of other peoples and tend to get along with most anyone. They often make good merchants, and many of them are skilled artisans.

Special Abilities: The people of Al-Ahmar each begin play with the artistic ability proficiency at no cost. Those who choose to spend another slot in artistic ability may either select another art form to be proficient at or may choose to be exceptionally good in their specific field. Such artists create masterpieces of truly lasting value on a roll of a 1 or 2 instead of just a 1.

Special Disabilities: The people of Al-Ahmar have no particular disability other than perhaps being more trusting of new people than they should.

Bahira

Population: 750,000 (Human 40%, Half-elf 20%, Elf 12%, Dwarf 8%, Halfling 8%, Gnome 8%, Other 4%)

Alignment: Lawful Good

Local Language: Enlightened Common

Gods: Enlightened, Varuna, Ushas, Brihaspati, Set, Isis, Bast, Horus

Magic: Moderate

Thief Guilds: The Sands of Fate

Organization: Monarchy

Description: Also called the City of the Dragon, Bahira is one of the largest and most successful cities in all of Amsha, second only to perhaps Al-Ahmar. The city gets its nickname from its ruler, the Great Dragon. The Great Dragon is a female steel dragon that took residence in this city about a thousand years ago. No one knows where she came from before that, but she appeared when the city was under attack by another dragon. She drove the dragon off and the people asked her to stay. She has been the leader and protector of Bahira ever since. Over the years several other dragons and similar creatures have attempted to attack Bahira. All have been driven out and a few have their lairs a few hundred miles from the city limits, waiting for the day that they can swoop in and attack.

On the first of every month, the city pays tribute to the Great Dragon, offering livestock and well wishes. During this time anyone who brings an offering of some sort has the opportunity to speak with the Great Dragon, though usually through her vizier, a djinn named Alaria. During any other time it is almost impossible to meet the Great Dragon. Alaria is something of a prankster and few ever manage to get one over on her. Rumors speak of a gnomish illusionist named Keapon Laffin that runs a local magic shop. He and Alaria have a fairly long history of playing pranks on one another. Some of these pranks have spilled out onto the streets. In one such incident, half the population was green with red polka dots for a week.

The city itself is largely based on trade and fishing, though there is a decently large population of pearl divers. Merchants from all over the world come here to trade, so many exotic goods can be found. This rich trade has made Bahira the beacon of wealth it is today.

Role-Playing: The people of Bahira are generally well off. More so than most, the people of Bahira are quite familiar with the sight of a dragon. They therefore are more than willing to speak with one given the chance.

Special Abilities: Since the sight of a dragon is so common to the people of Bahira, natives receive a +4 bonus to any fear checks normally caused by the dragon’s aura.

Special Disabilities: The people of Bahira suffer no particular disability.

Esmak Al-Dinar

Population: 600,000 (Human 60%, Half-elf 10%, Dwarf 8%, Elf 5%, Halfling 5%, Gnome 5%, Other 7%) though if transients are accounted for the figure would be closer to 900,000

Alignment: Neutral Evil

Local Language: Enlightened Common

Gods: Enlightened, Bast, Nephythys, Tefnut, Indra, Siva, Ratri

Magic: Low

Thief Guilds: The Sands of Fate and hundreds of small operations

Organization: Monarchy

Description: A few hundred miles up the Dinar river from Bahira, lies the gray, industrious city of Esmak Al-Dinar. The city itself is cloaked in the smoky stench of foundries and kilns. The shroud seems to nurture the illicit, for within the city’s alleys and back rooms, many deals of smugglers, thieves, and unscrupulous power brokers are made.

The ruler, Sultana Alurah bint Asrah, took to power after her husband died suddenly at a state dinner, collapsing unceremoniously in his meal. In the brief chaos that ensued, Alurah played the factions against each other until she could seize control from them all. She has since proven herself to be a competent, industrious, and wise ruler. She is also a dark-hearted schemer, maintaining her power through stealth and guile.

Her court consists of her three sons and two daughters. With the exception of one of her daughters, each of the children constantly vies for the mother’s affections in hopes of being named the next heir to the throne. It is difficult to say which is the most dangerous, though all who consider themselves close to the sultana are someone to be feared. Her personal servant Tocka is just as feared as any of her children. He is a gnome who was once a member of a local assassin’s guild which was eradicated by the sultana’s husband. The sultana somehow managed to rescue Tocka and he has been unquestionably loyal to her ever since. The populace stands aside in fear whenever he walks through the streets on some mission assigned by his mistress.

The city is known for its smoky skies and unpleasant odor. The city is literally capped with a cloud of pollution. Its buildings are various shades of gray and covered in dirt and grime. Only the sultana’s palace is an exception, because it is continually and rigorously cleaned by slaves.

The people of Esmak Al-Dinar have a reputation for being untrustworthy and sharp in their business dealing with each other and outsiders. For the most part, this is untrue, but the reputation attracts less-than-honest individuals to the city. In addition to legitimate business, Esmak Al-Dinar is often the site for underground dealings, covert transactions, smuggling, and other illegal activities – most of which are carried out by transients with permanent connections to the city.

The major products of Esmak Al-Dinar are coal, iron, steel, weaponry, armor, metalwork, pottery, slaves and information. The last two are obviously black market industries, but they are wide spread enough that they contribute to a substantial amount of the city’s wealth.

Role-Playing: The people of Esmak Al-Dinar are largely connected with the black market and have little reason to leave the city (and more importantly their connections) behind. Those who do leave the city for the adventuring life have few connections, but are comfortable dealing with the black market. In fact, most choose to deal with underground powers before any sort of legitimate ones.

Special Abilities: Everyone from Esmak Al-Dinar begins play with the information gathering nonweapon proficiency at no cost. Non-thieves may choose to purchase thieves’ cant as a language for one nonweapon slot. In addition, they know the right things to do and say among the dregs of society so they receive a +2 bonus to any reaction checks by any such people.

Special Disabilities: The people of Esmak Al-Dinar always look suspicious, even when they aren’t doing anything wrong. Perhaps it is in the way they eye authority or just that their reputation precedes them. Whatever the reason, whenever they are outside of their home city, the local guards tend to keep an eye on them and when things go wrong they are likely to be among the first suspects. In addition, they receive a -2 penalty to any reaction checks by any guards or other representatives of the law.

Eyab

Population: 60,000 (Gnome 50%, Human 23%, Dwarf 8%, Elf 5%, Halfling 5%, Half-elf 5%, Other 4%)

Alignment: Neutral Good

Local Language: Enlightened Common

Gods: Enlightened, Rudra, Thoth

Magic: Low

Thief Guilds: The Sands of Fate

Organization: Monarchy

Description: The waters off the coast of Eyab are teaming with swordfish, turbot, grouper, drum, and croaker; and the shallows are alive with skates, mullets, and small blue octopi. The scales of the larger fish are often as big as silver coins, symbolizing the great wealth they bring to Eyab.

The ruler, Sultan Magar al-Asim is the fifteenth gnome to sit on the throne since his family first came to power. He spent his boyhood working with fishermen, as his ancestors did before him and as his children do now. The training taught the sultan the value of work, honesty and fellowship. He is a popular ruler, and when he appears in the streets, he is often swept up in crowds of well-wishers. Ten ogres serve as his bodyguards, protecting him at all times.

The sultan has a harem of many beautiful women, all of which are gnomes. Between them, he has 20 children. He came from a large family himself and his relatives handle much of the paperwork and bureaucracy in the city. His son, Prince Jeygar, is the current heir to his throne and heads up the fishing fleet when it takes voyages to other cities such as Bahira and Al-Ahmar.

The people of Eyab live from the sea. Dress is informal and suited to their occupation. Men usually go bare-chested and wear loose, lightweight pants. Even the female crew-members wear little more than a light blouse and billowing pantaloons. This carries over into the city itself, where there is little cause for pretense or ostentation, save for great feasts.

Role-Playing: The people of Eyab are very informal and outgoing. They all are comfortable at sea and understand the importance of a hard day’s work. They are somewhat thin-skinned when it comes to insults however, especially in regards to their way of life. The worst things one could possibly say to them are that they smell like the fish they catch or that they sell anything less than the freshest fish. To insult a native of Eyab is to insult his family, boat and entire people and they tend to react accordingly.

Special Abilities: All people of Eyab are familiar with fishing and the sea. They begin play with the fishing, seamanship and swimming nonweapon proficiencies at no cost.

Special Disabilities: The biggest disability of Eyab natives is their lack of patience for insults. Even the most benign among them will go into an uncontrollable rage once insulted. At best this means he will be unable to speak coherently with the person who insulted him while at worse he will simply kill the insulter.

Fajer

Population: 60,000 (Human 50%, Half-elf 19%, Elf 12%, Dwarf 5%, Halfling 5%, Gnome 5%, Other 4%)

Alignment: Neutral

Local Language: Enlightened Common

Gods: Enlightened,

Magic: Moderate

Thief Guilds: The Sands of Fate

Organization: Monarchy

Description: Despite its isolation, Fajer is a bustling little city, serving as a chief trading post between the settled cities of Amsha and the desert-dwellers of the Al-Badia Kingdom. Both city and wilderness people mingle in the streets and many of Fajer’s merchants have relatives in the desert tribes.

Fajer’s ruler is Caliph Hava al-Garil. He is a well-meaning, but insolated ruler. He often cloisters himself with his favorite scribes, writing (and rewriting) his past exploits as a young warrior, dwelling on those days before he took his father’s place as caliph. Al-Garil delegates most of his duties and responsibility to his chief vizier, a sha’ir named Zarad.

In general, the caliph is permissive, allowing all activity that does not bring disgrace upon his wise and beneficent rule. An underground slave trade thrives here and many adventurers or would-be heroes use the city as a starting place for expeditions into the Al-Badia Kingdom, where many a man and woman has perished in search for legendary riches.

Role-Playing: As a group, the people of Fajer are known for their haggling skill and sharp–witted dealing. “Never give what can be sold” is their motto, and that applies to favors and information as well as camels and figs.

Special Abilities: The people of Fajer are excellent hagglers and begin play with the haggling nonweapon proficiency at no cost. When outside of Amsha, a Fajer native can reduce his costs for any goods by 20% with a successful proficiency check. Within Amsha, treat the proficiency as normal.

Special Disabilities: Some people are put off by the constant haggling and just don’t want to deal with it. If the haggling check rolls up as a natural 20, the merchant simply refuses to ever sell to the Fajer native.

Ibtihal

Population: 90,000 (Human 50%, Half-elf 13%, Elf 8%, Dwarf 5%, Halfling 5%, Gnome 5%, Other 14%)

Alignment: Neutral Good

Local Language: Enlightened Common

Gods: Enlightened, Shu, Geb, Puchan, Tvashtri

Magic: Moderate

Thief Guilds: The Sands of Fate

Organization: Monarchy/Theocracy

Description: The coastal city of Ibtihal is ruled by the Caliph and Most Revered Mother Sajah al-Munsif. She is the only woman to guide the faith of any city in Amsha in this generation. She is known as the Quiet Caliph, for she rarely acts or speaks directly. Instead, she leads by example and talks in parables that may at first seem to wander from the point, but, in the end, reveal a basic truth that allows the listener to attain enlightenment.

Sajah has proven herself to be a wise and capable ruler. Her people are well fed and, on average, better off than many of their cousins across Amsha. The caliph will frequently don her chador and go out to mix with the people, hearing their needs and interests and using them to guide city policy.

Ibtihal has the greatest university in all of Amsha. Many leaders, viziers and notable thinkers throughout the land have studied here as children. The university is for the most part moralist in nature. It is quite open, however, and will tolerate members of other faiths as well as pragmatists, ethoists, and even free priests. The sciences, particularly optics and alchemy, are the university’s strong points, followed by the subjects of magic and poetry. In fact, some excellent poets and rawuns have studied at Ibtihal’s university.

Caliph Sajah has made the city of Ibtihal a safe haven for travelers of all walks of life (not a difficult task for such an enlightened populace). Ibtihal still has its perils, often around the docks or in the university, where differing ideas may clash with violent results.

Role-Playing: The people of Ibtihal are very pragmatic and accepting to new ideas. This might require a bit of argument before it happens, but they generally will at least listen to them. Most who are taking up the adventuring life do so after attending the university or in order to save up some funds to go to it.

Special Abilities: Natives of Ibtihal are taught how to read and write at an early age. They all begin play with the read/write proficiency in enlightened common at no cost. In addition, they may select another proficiency group to purchase proficiencies from at base cost.

Special Disabilities: The natives of Ibtihal suffer no particular disabilities.

Lahthan

Population: 70,000 (Human 60%, Half-elf 11%, Elf 5%, Dwarf 5%, Halfling 5%, Gnome 5%, Other 9%)

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Local Language: Enlightened Common

Gods: Enlightened, Vayu, Rudra, Horus, Anhur

Magic: Low

Thief Guilds: The Sands of Fate

Organization: Monarchy

Description: Surrounding the largest oasis in the Al-Badia Kingdom is the city of Lahthan. It is ruled over by the warrior-queen Caliph Halima al-Wahsi. Her unearthly beauty is matched only by her mind and sword, both of which are razor sharp. She is active in the day-to-day rule of her city and takes all decisions (and comments) personally. However, she is a warrior at heart and she would much rather ride out to battle than handle the duties of leadership.

The two most important members of her court are a noble dao named Zaheb al-Zidq and a priest named Imam Mojos al-Yunqani min Selan. Zaheb is Halima’s personal confidant and bodyguard. He is apparently smitten with Halima’s beauty, which is strange considering the typical attitude his kind has towards humans. He is constantly at her side in court “protecting” her from the advances of suitors. Imam is an old priest who acts as Halima’s advisor. He balances her passion and sense of adventure with a voice of reason and would rather stop any of the caliph’s desires to ride out into battle.

Lahthan is known throughout Amsha for its coffee. The coffee of Lahthan has a dark, rich, powerful flavor and is one of Lahthan’s chief exports. Frankincense is also farmed here. Were it not for these exports, Lahthan would likely be dead as it is rather cut off from the rest of Amsha.

Since it is situated in the center of the Al-Badia Kingdom, Lahthan is something of a frontier town. Surrounding it are miles of nothing, where bandits, mad mages and savage tribes call home. The Al-Badia have long roamed this area as well and many of the tribes consider it an insult that a town would be built around the largest oasis in the area. For this reason, many Al-Badia attack caravans going in and out of Lahthan. In the past, a few tribes have united and attacked the city, but thus far it has stood and such direct attacks are very rare.

Role-Playing: The people of Lahthan are proud of their frontier nature. They are independent, strong-willed, and opinionated. Rich colors are common in their dress, though herders, coffee growers, and resin-gatherers prefer a duller and more utilitarian dress. Women and men may be veiled or not; this is a matter of personal choice as opposed to a community standard.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – The people of Lahthan are tougher than most. Warriors use d12’s when determining hit dice.

Priest – The people of Lahthan are tougher than most. Priests use d10’s when determining hit dice.

Wizard – The people of Lahthan are tougher than most. Wizards use d6’s when determining hit dice.

Rogue – The people of Lahthan are tougher than most. Rogues use d8’s when determining hit dice.

Special Disabilities: The people of Lahthan have little tolerance for brigands, savages or Al-Badia. They are constantly plagued by these people so they tend to react violently against them. When confronted with such people, they will always attack first if at all possible. Conversation is only possible if they are horribly outnumbered or somehow treated to great kindness. Even then they will always be on their guard.

Laziz

Population: 300,000 (Human 40%, Half-elf 14%, Elf 10%, Dwarf 10%, Halfling 10%, Gnome 10%, Other 6%)

Alignment: Lawful Evil

Local Language: Enlightened Common

Gods: Enlightened, Nephythys, Bast, Mitra, Yama, Rudra, Vayu

Magic: Low

Thief Guilds: The Sands of Fate

Organization: Monarchy

Description: The costal city of Laziz is a thriving city of merchants and pearl divers. The ruler, Sultan Kara al-Zalim, is cunning, ruthless, and highly praised by the moneyed classes. In his younger days, he roamed the seas as a corsair, raiding the fleets of other Amshan cities. He has no love for any other city but his own. Kara is only the nephew of the previous sultan, yet he was chosen as heir over the sultan’s many children. This has proven a wise choice as he has brought much prosperity to the moneyed classes of Laziz.

Laziz is a large, rather unattractive city that depends on pearls for trade. A small minority of wealthy nobles, merchants, and townsmen live comfortably off the wealth of the pearl trade. The majority of Laziz is reduced to poverty and indebted heavily to the merchants that control the trade. When the pearl season has ended, Laziz has the greatest number of beggars of any city in Amsha.

Pearl harvesting comes five months of the year. By decree of the sultan, harvest season begins as soon as the monsoons subside. During the next five months, pearl divers work daily to bring the pears to the surface, often in dangerous conditions. While the risks are great and the rewards for the divers few, it is through their lung-power and blood that the Laziz survives.

Role-Playing: The few adventurers that come out of Laziz are typically pearl harvesters who seek a better life for themselves and their family. Very few nobles have reason to leave their comfortable lifestyle to risk their lives on an uncertain path of adventuring. Those pearl divers who do make their way in the world are often desperate for anything better and highly willing to take any job that promises them riches.

Special Abilities: Years of working as pearl divers have made the people of Laziz fairly hardy. They begin play with a +1 bonus to their Constitution (up to racial max) and the swimming nonweapon proficiency at no cost. In addition, when forced to hold their breath for any reason, they get a +4 bonus to any saves or checks and can hold their breath twice as long as normal.

Special Disabilities: Most pearl divers are in debt, have families to support or both. At least 10% of the treasure they acquire must be sent back home to Laziz to either pay off a debt or support any family they have there. The DM may set an actual goal to pay off (with interest) so the player could pay off more than the 10% if he wished, or it could just be simply a flat 10% that always applies.

Liham

Population: 120,000 (Human 33%, Dwarf 16%, Elf 10%, Half-Elf 10%, Halfling 10%, Gnome 10%, Efreet 5%, Other 6%)

Alignment: Lawful Evil

Local Language: Enlightened Common

Gods: Enlightened, Kali, Agni, Indra, Osiris, Horus, Anhur

Magic: Moderate

Thief Guilds: The Sands of Fate, The Hands of Kali

Organization: Monarchy

Description: The city of Liham has a particularly strong military force and is considered one of, if not the, most militarily powerful cities in all of Amsha. The ruler is an efreeti by the name of Sultan Hamad al-Mufoi. He is strange among his kind, but he makes an effective ruler and has a large following of fellow efreet. His palace is a sweltering inferno of constantly burning coal pits and braziers and only efreet and a handful of magically protected slaves (who are sure to keep the fires burning under threat of becoming firewood themselves) live there on a regular basis. Those who choose to deal with the sultan are sure to do so with at least some magical protection or they are likely to collapse in the heat.

The city itself is covered in bronze and brass. The metal surfaces reflect light into the city, making it far hotter than it would normally be. Those not accustomed to it often pass out in the heat or worse. During the hottest hours of the day, many of the people take shelter underground, where the cooler air provides some shelter to the sun’s rays.

Red and orange are the unofficial colors of Liham. Men and women all wear red and orange clothes and accessories. Fezzes, turbans, sashes, gowns, shirts, and pants, all create a sea of red and orange. As the people mill about town, it looks as though the streets are aflame, which is why the city has gained the nickname “The Burning City”.

The large military force of Liham constantly patrols the streets. Justice is swift and harsh. The worst offenders become slaves at the palace. There they are outfitted with cursed magical collars that protect their body from the dangers of flame without protecting them from the pain of it. Such slaves can be continuously burned alive without fear of ever killing them (and they often are). Many eventually go mad and kill themselves before long.

Role-Playing: The people of Liham are typically hotheaded and quick to anger. It does not take much to convince them to go to war and they often choose violence as their solution to most problems.

Special Abilities: The people of Liham are accustomed to extremes in heat beyond what most could stand. Any damage due to heat or fire is reduced by 1 point per die of damage (though this cannot reduce the damage below 1 per die), and any required saving throws are made with a +4 bonus. They also receive a +4 bonus to any rolls involving heat exhaustion or dehydration. In addition, most of the people of Liham are accustomed to battle and receive at least some combat training. They each begin play with one additional weapon proficiency slot.

Special Disabilities: The people of Liham have a hard time going with the peaceful solution to things. When given the choice between a peaceful solution to a problem and a violent one, they will always go with the violent one. When in battle, they must make a Wisdom check to break off from a fight before finishing it. They receive a +4 bonus to this check if they are outnumbered or otherwise have little hope of winning.

Mahfouza

Population: 100,000 (Human 70%, Half-elf 7%, Elf 5%, Dwarf 5%, Halfling 5%, Gnome 5%, Other 3%)

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Local Language: Enlightened Common

Gods: Enlightened

Magic: Low, Restricted

Thief Guilds: The Sands of Fate

Organization: Theocracy

Description: The city of Mahfouza is far stricter than most other cities in Amsha. Where most cities are relatively accepting of outsiders, Mahfouza has become a closed society under occupation by its own military forces. The ruler, Caliph Ma’mum al-Sahnan, is a half-elf with a graying, well-trimmed beard. He first established himself as a warrior, fighting in many battles before entering the priestly orders. He is first and foremost a disciplinarian and his strict rule is reflected in his city.

Ma’mum is kind and fatherly to the devout, but merciless to the misguided and unenlightened. The caliph’s operatives are everywhere, crushing any cults that may form in his city.

The military makes frequent patrols and checkpoints throughout the city. The city’s strict curfew begins at nightfall. These strict measures are due to very real uprisings that have happened in the past among other religious sects. These sects have burned mosques, destroyed supplies and assassinated prominent people in the city. The caliph is sure to stop any such uprisings from ever happening again.

The people of Mahfouza are fearful of strangers and, to some degree, their own rulers. While Ma’mum remains popular with his people, the presence of his chief judge Othmar ferreting out the guilty makes many people nervous, and most feel that Othmar mixes personal feelings (and enjoyments) with his persecutions. To speak out, however, is to attract Othmar’s unwanted attention.

Mahfouza has been recently dubbed the City of Silence. Since the occupation began, music (except for martial bands) is rare. It is by music that the shadowy sects are said to spread their evil. Bards in particular are unwelcome in Mahfouza. Rawuns and other singers who visit the city may wish to report to the local guard and acquire a personal moralist bodyguard for the duration of their stay.

Role-Playing: The people of Mahfouza are untrusting of strangers and very few of them would ever venture beyond the city’s walls for this very reason. The very few who do are highly suspicious of everything, especially the unenlightened masses and prefer not to deal with them at all.

Special Abilities: With the exception of the rebellious sects within the city, everyone in Mahfouza is effectively a moralist. Priests from Mahfouza may only be moralists, though they begin play at one level higher. All other classes have the abilities of a first level moralist in addition to any other abilities granted by their class. Hit points and saves are treated as though the priest was multi-classed, but the moralist class never rises in level.

Special Disabilities: The people of Mahfouza are reluctant to deal with the unenlightened. Those who follow other religions are seen as heretics while those who do not follow any religion are fools. This makes them very difficult to play as a player character as they are likely to spend more time arguing with the other party members over their faith (at least those who are not enlightened) than actually adventuring.

Nabihah

Population: 250,000 (Human 81%, Half-elf 5%, Elf 3%, Dwarf 3%, Halfling 3%, Gnome 3%, Other 2%)

Alignment: Lawful Good

Local Language: Enlightened Common

Gods: Enlightened

Magic: Low, Restricted

Organization: Theocracy

Description: Tucked away in the center of Amsha, at the edge of the Dragon Mountains, is the city of Nabihah. Nabihah’s people take pride in living in one of Amsha’s most moral and upright settlements. This is not to say that evil or misguided men and women are not found here. However, once such people have been revealed, they are quickly punished, reformed, or (most likely) both. Ferreting out such undesirables is one reason why the city is known as the City of Right.

Emir Rimaq al-Nimar is the ruler of Nabihah. He is also the head of the Enlightened Church. The emir is the dominating religious and secular force among all who follow the teachings of the Enlightened. His word is law. This makes him one of the most powerful men in Amsha.

Rimaq lives simply in a small manor adjoining the Great Mosque of Nabihah. He rarely appears in public, and when he does grant audiences, the only priests who may be present are moralists. “One of the few benefits of rank,” he is quoted as saying, “is refusing to meet with fools.” Outland priests and free priests are forbidden to enter his court. Moreover, even ethoists and moralists are banished from his presence.

The people look to the emir and their other religious leaders for guidance. To find success here, one must take on the mantle and the creed of the Enlightened Church. Traders, craftsmen, and merchants within the city walls prefer to deal with other moralists. Caravans from far-off lands experience (at best) a cold reception and (more likely) a large amount of duties and taxes.

Life in Nabihah revolves around the Great Mosque of Nabihah. This mosque is one of the largest structures in Amsha. One of the most beautiful structures as well, it is made of polished blue stone excavated from the Dragon Mountains, inlaid with gold, and set with precious and semiprecious gems. Mamluks guard the mosque. This is a holy site in its own right and pilgrims from all over Amsha gather here.

Role-Playing: Nabihah’s residents are staunchly moralist, extremely lawful, and exceedingly gracious; at least to one another. Veiled men and women conduct their business with little fear of beggars, thieves, or rogues. They believe that all people who come from outside the Enlightened Church’s territories are nothing better than savages. It is folly to argue about this point, for Nabihah’s citizens are confident in their beliefs, and argument only confirms their opinions on the rudeness and quarrelsome nature of “misguided” people.

Special Abilities: All of the natives to Nabihah are effectively moralists. While other types of priests can be found here, they are not typically native. Priests therefore may only be moralists, though they begin play at one level higher. All other classes have the abilities of a first level moralist in addition to any other abilities granted by their class. Hit points and saves are treated as though the priest was multi-classed, but the moralist class never rises in level.

Special Disabilities: The people of Nabihah are reluctant to deal with the unenlightened. Those who follow other religions are seen as heretics while those who do not follow any religion are fools. This makes them very difficult to play as a player character as they are likely to spend more time arguing with the other party members over their faith (at least those who are not enlightened) than actually adventuring.

Naga

Population: 100,000 (Human 37%, Half-elf 15%, Elf 10%, Dwarf 10%, Halfling 10%, Gnome 10%, Other 8%)

Alignment: Lawful Good

Local Language: Enlightened Common

Gods: Enlightened, Nut, Tefnut, Thoth, Surya, Rudra, Ratri

Magic: Moderate

Thief Guilds: The Sands of Fate

Organization: Monarchy

Description: Naga is something of a sister city to Laziz, devoting five months of the year to the pearl harvesting industry. Because the land surrounding Naga is particularly fertile, its inhabitants can turn to frankincense harvest when the pearling season has passed. Its people are generally wealthier than the residents of Laziz. Even the lower classes of Naga are proud to call Naga their home.

Sultan Yusef bin Ahmad al-Wadi is known for his wisdom in matters of the law. This venerable ruler encourages trade and industry in his city. He discourages power from concentrating in anyone else’s grasp for an extended period of time. As a result, talented individuals, adventurers, and merchants continually pass through his court, with few of them remaining for long.

The only permanent member of the sultan’s court is his chief vizier, a human sea mage named Al’ia bint-Hazir. She has served at the sultan’s side for several decades. According to a well-known rumor, the sultan once proposed marriage to her, but she responded that she would rather serve at his side than at his feet. The sultan has never married, nor has he officially recognized any of the sons and daughters from his harem (a matter many find disgraceful). Rumor also says that Al’ia has secretly borne the sultan several sons over the years, and that she has spirited them away for training in far lands. Now as old and wizened as the sultan himself, Al’ia continues to rule at his side. She often advises compassion over harsh justice.

Naga has looser control over its pearl trade than Laziz. Its captains are more independent and its merchant class larger. The quality of captains ranges from fair to average (instead of harsh to horrid, as in Laziz). Most of Naga’s captains practice the type of economic slavery that is common in Laziz, but Naga also has a few progressive captains who practice more humane methods of pearl diving. There are even several cases in which Naga’s captains have retained a sea mage to cast airy water around the divers, allowing them to remain beneath the surface for prolonged periods without ill effects.

Such regular use of magic is not cheap. As a result, the independent captains often break (or at least severely bend) the vow that keeps them out of the pearl beds seven months a year. Naga’s ships and divers are sometimes caught by the sea elves and locathah that migrate into the pearl beds from the south. Such divers work at their own risk.

At the end of the pearl season, Naga holds a three day celebration known as the Festival of the Pearl. This is the time when accounts are settled between the pearl divers and captains, and a great feast is distributed among the people by the sultan and mosque officials. The celebration is marked by dancing in the street and the occasional breaking of the Law (such as public insobriety and lewdness), giving Naga a reputation as a wild city. Once pearl season is officially over, a number of ships and their crews become available for hire to adventurers and merchants. Still poor, most divers join such crews or migrate to harvest frankincense. A handful will have saved enough money to support themselves until the next pearl season. Very few will have saved enough to afford a small boat and become a captain themselves.

The end of the Festival of the Pearl marks the official beginning of an annual challenge or contest conducted by the sultan: the Great Task of the Pearl. The “task” is to bring some wonder or marvel from abroad to the city and present it to the sultan. Those interested have seven months to complete the task before the inauguration of the new pearl season. During this period, a number of adventurers and other wonder-workers pass through the court, bringing all manner of strange beasts, fantastic treasures, and mighty and unique magic. The chief judge verifies that the items are safe and secured before presentation. Whoever produces the most wonderful item is awarded with great treasures, magic, positions in courts, or favors from the sultan. For example, one noted pirate gained a full pardon upon delivering the head of a sahuagin queen. All other items become property of the sultan, regardless of their value. That’s the price one pays for participating in the Great Task of the Pearl.

Role-Playing: The people of Naga are generally well enough off (if not overly wealthy), and tend to have a fairly good outlook on things. They are shrewd with their money and make excellent entrepreneurs.

Special Abilities: An adventurer from Naga is assumed to have managed to save enough wealth so as to not have to worry about financial concerns, at least for a while. This can take the form of a small ship and crew or some other business. The adventurer gains benefits specific to the business (such as discounted prices on related goods, or access to a ship and crew) and also makes a small living. The living is about 100 gp per level of the adventurer per month.

Special Disabilities: While owning a business does have its benefits, leaving it behind to go adventuring leaves much to chance. The adventurer must see to managing his business at least once a month, otherwise there is a 5% chance each month of the business going bankrupt. If this happens, the owner cannot gain any of the benefits until he restarts the business. It costs 1000 gp per level of the adventurer to restore the business to its former glory.

Nazeem

Population: 20,000 (Human 95%, Other 5%)

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Local Language: Enlightened Common

Gods: Fire idol (see below)

Magic: Low

Organization: Theocracy/Tribal

Description: Nazeem is more of an oasis than it is a city. A few decades ago, the Nazumi tribe of Al-Badia settled their tents around the oasis and though many of their people do travel across the sands, most tend to stick around the oasis. The tribe has swelled since settling here. Where at one time the entire tribe consisted of about 2,000 people, the population has swelled to about ten times that.

The people are ruled over by Shiek Mazhum Al-Fahd. He is both their political and spiritual leader and is solely responsible for his tribe’s prosperity. He has done this through proper worship of a fire idol that he found buried near the oasis. Yak men are common in this area of Amsha and they used to attack and enslave the people of the Nazumi tribe constantly. Since finding this idol, the sheik has managed to drive off the yak men. The idol demands worship and sacrifices to maintain its protection however. The sheik is therefore constantly on the lookout for rare woods and incenses to appease the idol.

Other tribes and some wizards (mostly elementalists) have coveted the idol and seek to either steal or destroy it. Such attempts have all failed, but this has caused the Nazumi to be constantly wary of attacks. Luckily such attackers have had little ability in driving off the fire elementals that the fire idol summons to protect the Nazumi.

Priests among the Nazumi are all free priests, though most of them tend to be Kahins. The fire idol often speaks to these priests and they are considered to be favored among the Nazumi.

Role-Playing: The people of Nazumi are Al-Badia at heart and often take to wandering. None can tolerate staying in one place for too long, though the importance of the Nazeem oasis is not lost on them. In their travels they usually keep a lookout for interesting woods or other burnable materials to offer the fire idol and gain its blessing as well as that of the sheik.

Special Abilities: Nazumi who offer a sufficiently valuable offering to the fire idol can expect the aid of a fire elemental one time after that. The offering must be something flammable, yet rare. Once it is burned, the Nazumi may invoke the favor and summon forth a fire elemental. Nazumi may only have one favor owed to them at a time. Further offerings are simply lost until they call upon the favor.

Special Disabilities: The Nazumi are despised among other Al-Badia for controlling the Nazeem oasis as well as the fire idol. Al-Badia will kill Nazumi on sight.

Nisria

Population: 50,000 (Human 35%, Dwarf 15%, Half-elf 15%, Elf 10%, Halfling 10%, Gnome 10%, Other 5%)

Alignment: Lawful Good

Local Language: Enlightened Common

Gods: Enlightened, Ra, Ptah, Anhur, Varuna, Ushas, Vayu, Tvashtri

Magic: Low

Thief Guilds: The Sands of Fate, the Golden Corsairs

Organization: Militaristic

Description: Nisria is Amsha’s bastion against the uncivilized realms beyond. The city’s defenses have been built over the course of centuries in response to pirate raids and barbarian attacks. Today, Nisria is the best-fortified city in all of Amsha.

Many years ago, the emir at the time oppressed his people and taxed them unjustly until they rebelled. The mamluks overthrew the emir, defeating an overwhelming number of troops and mercenary barbarians. When the emir was defeated, a new emir was chosen among the troops. He was one of their bravest leaders and ruled until his death.

A tradition was born, and so it continues today. Each of Nisria’s emirs has been chosen by the generals of the city’s mamluk units. Emir Hatit Abd al-Wajib is the most recent of these mamluk-emirs. The term of office is life or 20 years, whichever comes first.

A clean-shaven dwarf, Hatit wears the tattoos of his mamluk organization on his cheeks and forehead. He is a master of fortification and redoubts, a rarity in a land that boasts little in the way of siege machinery. He has spent much of his tenure examining and shoring up the walls of Nisria, looking for holes in her armor.

The city itself is a mass of gray, heavy, brooding, stone overlooking a deep-water harbor. The harbor itself is protected by a great chain pulled across its mouth. With a few exceptions, the city lacks the graceful spires and domes typifying Amsha architecture, as well as the ornate gilt and tile work. Instead, the city’s builders borrowed techniques of other lands to produce the massive battlements that ring the city. Within the stalwart outer wall, smaller interior walls divide Nisria into defensive quarters. These interior walls have never been tested, since the great outer wall has never been breached.

Role-Playing: The people of Nisria are by and large obedient, hard-working, and honest. Surprisingly, they are not warlike, for that role is taken up entirely by the mamluks. The mamluks are both slaves and rulers of Nisria, and they form their own elite rank within the city population. The remainder of the population works hard to support its military organization.

Special Abilities: Adventurers from Nisria tend to be corsairs or other types of adventurers comfortable at sea. They are capable seamen and get the seamanship nonweapon proficiency at no cost. They also tend to clash often with pirates and know how best to use the rocking of a ship and other subtleties of terrain to their advantage. When dealing damage to a pirate, they gain 1 point of damage per die of damage they are dealing. This applies to both weapons and spells used against pirates.

Special Disabilities: While it is not really a disability, it should be noted that the people of Nisria are particularly loyal to their home town. If they ever hear that it is under attack or otherwise in trouble, they will go out of their way to return and lend what aid they can.

Rabbani

Population: 50,000 (Genies 90%, Other 10%)

Alignment: Neutral

Local Language: Enlightened Common

Gods: None

Magic: High

Organization: Quadrarchy

Description: It is said that the walls that separate the elemental planes from the prime are thin in the lands of Amsha. If this is true, Rabbani must be its breaking point. While genies of all kinds are known throughout Amsha, only in Rabbani to they make themselves home. Dao, djinni, efreet, marid and jann make up the majority of the population of Rabbani. Various tasked genies go through the streets, constantly working on whatever task they do.

It is here that the Genie Court can be found. The Genie Court consists of four genies, one each representing the dao, djinn, efreet and marid. These four both rule over Rabbani and make all decisions about genie kind, as well as settle any matters regarding sha’irs. Many sha’irs make pilgrimages to Rabbani with their gen familiars and request aid or strike deals with genie-kind.

The four heads of the Genie Court are the dao Caliph Baha al Din, the djinni Caliph Nasim bint Nada al-Murjanah, the efreeti Caliph Nuwairah bint Kifah, and the marid Caliph Ghayth bin Hadad. Caliph Baha al Din is a shrewd businessman and typically rules with an eye towards profit. If there is a way to make money in a decision, he will usually find it.

Caliph Nasim bint Nada al-Murjanah is the most compassionate of the four. She loves things of beauty and her estate consists of elaborate gardens with fantastic birds of all kinds. It is said that her prized pet is a roc. When making decisions she tends to lean towards compassion and beauty.

Caliph Nuwairah bint Kifah is as fiery as her nature. She despises mortals and always tends to assume that a mortal is in the wrong first unless there is overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Even then she often rules against them out of spite. It is said that in her younger years she was once imprisoned and forced into servitude by a sha’ir and that she has been taking it out on mortals ever since. There may be some truth to this as all of her servants consist of mortal slaves. Very few survive the extremely hot confines of her manner for very long.

Caliph Ghayth bin Hadad is a glory seeker. He constantly urges other genies into battle and adventure and has a special place in his heart for adventurers. He controls the oases of Rabbani and somewhere beneath one of them is his palace. It is said to be built entirely of pearls of all sizes and colors.

While the population of Rabbani is predominantly genie, other humanoids do call Rabbani home. The majority of them are sha’irs who have either offended the genies and are now serving a sentence as a slave, or wish to spend more time around genies to forge bonds and learn secrets. Very few mortals are born in Rabbani, but it does happen. Those who grow up in Rabbani and manage to make it to adulthood without insulting a genie (a task which is much harder than it sounds) usually have a bond with genies for life. Those who choose to become sha’irs are among the most powerful sha’irs in all of Amsha. Even those who do not choose the life of a sha’ir tend to make bonds with genies that will last their entire lives. These very few are perhaps the luckiest people in all of Amsha.

The buildings and architecture vary widely throughout Rabbani. The efreet tend toward brass buildings with metal and fire very central to their designs. The djinn prefer floating palaces, built from the clouds themselves and filled with the finest rugs and tapestries. The dao prefer solid, earthy tones. They are responsible for the walls that surround Rabbani and their homes are often studded with precious gems. The marids prefer turquoise and pearl accents to their homes and close proximity to the oases is ideal.

The city is built around three large oases. While the Al-Badia tribes in the area would love to have control of the oases, they do not dare challenge the genies for control of them. Such an attack would be suicide at best, damnation for both them and their family for generations at worst. With little in the way of possible enemies to challenge them, the people of Rabbani lead fairly peaceful lives.

Role-Playing: The few mortals who are native-born to Rabbani are highly respectful of genies and the power they wield. Where most people in Amsha fear the possibility of the evil eye, Rabbani natives expect it as punishment for the foolish. They expect others to be the same, and are absolutely shocked whenever someone isn’t.

Special Abilities: A native mortal of Rabbani who manages to survive into adulthood without angering a genie is a lucky one indeed. He is given a special item, which can take any form the player wishes. Once per month, he may invoke the power of the item to request a boon of any single type of genie. The genie and the mortal must negotiate the terms of the agreement, including such things as the length of time required for the task, payment for the task, and of course what the task entails. If the mortal and the genie cannot come to an agreement, the genie simply returns from whence it came and the mortal must wait a month before calling for aid again.

Sha’irs who are native to Rabbani may reduce the times it takes for a gen to retrieve a spell by 1 unit and gain a +10% bonus to any rolls they make to see if the gen successfully acquires the spell.

Special Disabilities: The biggest problem with calling a genie for aid is that his aid always comes with a price. For simple matters, the price may be trivial while for more complex assignments, the price could be astronomical. It is up to the mortal to come up with a price and the genie decides whether or not he will accept it. Those who use means to coerce genies into service, or those who force their genies to take unnecessary risks will soon find that genies no longer respond to their calls. In fact, they may be taken before the Genie Court to face judgment.

Sana

Population: 80,000 (Human 37%, Half-elf 23%, Elf 18%, Gnome 10%, Dwarf 2%, Halfling 2%, Other 8%)

Alignment: Neutral

Local Language: Enlightened Common

Gods: Enlightened, Soma, Puchan, Isis, Thoth

Magic: High

Thief Guilds: The Sands of Fate, the Jackals

Organization: Monarchy

Description: The first thing one would notice when approaching Sana is its unique metal spires which soar toward the sky, gleaming in the sun. Some visitors have likened the towers to exotic mushrooms. The bizarre towers are found nowhere else in Amsha. They are the legacy of whatever inhabitants ruled the city long ago, in a forgotten time.

The elven ruler, Sultana Samia al-Sa’id, has been in power for the past 100 years. She has ruled in an enlightened, progressive manner that has endeared her to both the common people of the city and to those who dwell in the towers. A powerful wizard in her own right, Samia has gained wisdom over the years and acquired mighty magical items. The sultana helps settle the squabbling between the tower-lords (also called amir al-burj). She also fends off the acquisitive tendencies of nearby Nabihab.

The sultana is aided in all things by Akyar al-Awasif, a female noble djinni. The sultana herself freed the djinni from imprisonment many years ago and she now serves by choice. Akyar is fanatically loyal to the sultana. If the djinni perceives a threat, she will stop at nothing to aid her liege. She is on good terms with the other genies who live in Sana’s towers. Though (as might be expected) her relationships with dao and efreet are somewhat strained, Akyar speaks for all the genie peoples in court.

Sana is actually two cities, one built ages ago by unknown, seemingly inhuman hands, the other having grown up around its base during the modern, enlightened age. The Old City comprises metal spires that tower over the area. The towers are constructed from a unique steel alloy. About 50 of these towers are in evidence, though fully half of them are shattered or toppled. The surviving towers stand almost 100 feet tall. The tops and bottoms of the towers are slightly flared, with a long stem in between. The interior of each is an open stairway, spiraling up the inside without a rail to a great single floor perched at the tower’s summit.

Three of the intact towers, arranged like points in a triangle, have been claimed by the sultana for a palace. All three towers have been connected by a fortified wall, which adjoins and links their fluted bases.

The sultana provides grants for use of the remaining intact towers. Wizards and priests inhabit them, using the towers as research laboratories or sanctuaries. A number of wizards have blocked or removed the interior stairs and provided their own methods of egress. There are only 22 towers (not counting the palace), and they are always full, though turnover is regular.

These towers are considered to be Sana’s great mystery. It is assumed that they were created by some magical, possibly divine race from the heavens. A few surviving inscriptions from this race are in an archaic tongue seen nowhere else in Amsha. The sages say they speak of a war between the city dwellers and “those above.” The natives evidently lost and abandoned their city. The nature of these original inhabitants is unknown, except that they were humanoid. All humanoid races have been suggested, but common thinking leans toward the burned elves (drow).

Sana is considered by many to be one of the most magical cities in Amsha, second to perhaps Sihr. The city’s strange towers attract sha’irs, sorcerers, and elemental mages, as well as pragmatists, kahins, mystics, scholars and researchers seeking the advantages of both privacy and city living. The sultana has set down rules governing the behavior within the spires (e.g., no inter-spire warfare, no experiments that affect the spires or the city), and violating those rules may be cause for expulsion. Sana has lost three towers to such activities.

The New City of Sana is clustered at the base of the towers, a collection of white-washed, mud-brick houses, much like those found elsewhere in Amsha. This is the home of the poor and of the middle class, consisting of traders and artisans. Sana has a thriving business of craft and art, catering to the wizards who often require the finest materials for their research.

The New City also produces excellent weapons and armor, using metal from the city’s fallen towers. As noted, this metal in an unusual alloy of steel. It tarnishes instead of rusts, melts at a lower temperature, and may be drawn thin to make durable metal cords. Otherwise, it is just as strong and light as steel, and can be used in the same fashion. Weapons produced with this steel function as normal weapons of their type. The metalsmiths of the city pay 2 gp a pound for this material. A single fallen tower produces several tons. The existing stock has already been claimed by the city’s metalsmithing houses however.

Role-Playing: Most adventurers that come from Sana are magic users of some sort. The few there who aren’t are usually content with their work as artisans or traders, while magic users are always in need of funding and rare components for their churches or spell research. The people of Sana are fairly knowledgeable about magic on average and even the lowliest of commoners could probably tell you something about spells.

Special Abilities: Everyone in Sana knows the basics of magic and begins play with the spellcraft nonweapon proficiency at no cost. In addition everyone begins play with a handful of magical trinkets as detailed below.

Warriors – Warriors begin play with a either a +1 weapon, +1 piece of armor (or shield), a random ioun stone, an eversmoking bottle, a ring of mind shielding, 1d8 random potions, a ring of sustenance, a figurine of wondrous power, or a wind fan. At the DM’s option, other magic items of similar value could also be selected. They should be worth no more than about 500 xp.

Priests – Priests begin play with either 1d6 random priest scrolls of levels 1-3, 2d4 pieces of incense of meditation, a pearl of wisdom, a random ioun stone, an eversmoking bottle, a ring of mind shielding, 1d8 random potions, a ring of sustenance, a figurine of wondrous power, or a wind fan. At the DM’s option, other magic items of similar value could also be selected. They should be worth no more than about 500 xp.

Wizards – Wizards begin play with either 1d6 random wizard scrolls of levels 1-3, a pearl of power (either the first or second level version), a random ioun stone, an eversmoking bottle, a ring of mind shielding, 1d8 random potions, a ring of sustenance, a figurine of wondrous power, or a wind fan. At the DM’s option, other magic items of similar value could also be selected. They should be worth no more than about 500 xp.

Rogues – Rogues begin play with a either a +1 weapon, +1 piece of armor (or shield), +1 thieves’ tools (provide a +5% bonus to any open locks or find/remove traps checks), a random ioun stone, an eversmoking bottle, a ring of mind shielding, 1d8 random potions, a ring of sustenance, a figurine of wondrous power, or a wind fan. At the DM’s option, other magic items of similar value could also be selected. They should be worth no more than about 500 xp.

Special Disabilities: The people of Sana are somewhat less capable of dealing with the natural hazards of life due to their dependence on magic. All Sana natives receive a -1 penalty to their Constitution scores.

shallah

Shallah

Population: 70,000 (Human 59%, Half-elf 13%, Elf 7%, Gnome 7%, Dwarf 6%, Halfling 6%, Other 3%)

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Local Language: Enlightened Common

Gods: Enlightened, Soma, Puchan, Isis, Thoth

Magic: Moderate, Restricted

Thief Guilds: The Sands of Fate

Organization: Monarchy/Theocracy

Description: At the base of Mount Si’Tresha, a few hundred miles east of the Dinar River sits the city of Shallah. Shallah is the most common starting point for those who wish to enter the Dunes of Ruin and seek out what adventure they may find there.

Caliph Kia al-Sadid is a mousy, stoop-shouldered bureaucrat whose appearance does not suggest the great power he wields within the city. His voice is soft, yet his words convey his wisdom. He was installed as an interim caliph by the Enlightened Church, following the assassination of his predecessor. The murder was allegedly performed by a group of holy slayers based somewhere in Mount Si’Tresha. Caliph Kia has proven to be a capable administrator, and he does not interfere with the traders and merchants. Though he is rarely seen in public, the force of his pronouncements is felt throughout the city.

Without the work of men, Shallah could not survive. The city’s water is brought from wells and oases in the surrounding desert as well as the Dinar River through underground conduits. The impressive man-made conduits lead to Shallah’s reservoir, which is the source for the fountains throughout the city. This water is the lifeblood of Shallah. A mamluk organization known as the Parched is charged with protecting the reservoir and its conduits. They have no other duty but this, yet they are fiercely proud of its importance.

A healthy slave-trade has sprung up in the city, and if enlightened men are locked in shackles, Kia’s men look the other way. Caliph Kia’s predecessor rigorously persecuted illegal slaving, and this may have led to his demise at the obsidian blade of the holy slayers.

Shallah is the site of a major university, staffed by moralist barbers and other Enlightened priests. The university is devoted to theology, priestly magic (Enlightened of course), and healing. Many of Amsha’s most knowledgeable minds on these subjects were schooled at Shallah’s university.

Role-Playing: The natives of Shallah are insular and secretive. They keep private matters private and show a public face of reserved concern. Of late, outlying areas have suffered numerous raids, and Shallah’s citizens are particularly suspicious of desert tribes and their raiders

Special Abilities: Slaves are common in Shallah and most of the people there have at least one. Adventurers from Shallah begin play with a 1^st level slave. The slave is typically of a warrior class, though he may be of any class the owner wishes to train the slave in. This slave does not count towards the character’s henchmen (who willingly join the PC), but slaves are as loyal as they are treated. They gain experience as they adventure with the master, but do not typically expect a share of any treasure found. Any treasure given is completely due to the master’s good will.

Special Disabilities: While slaves are common in Shallah, they are not necessarily as common in other cities or countries. Someone who openly travels with a slave will have to deal with the cultural differences of other countries and governments.

Sihr

Population: 80,000 (Human 20%, Half-elf 19%, Sea Elf 11%, Locathah 10%, Elf 9%, Merfolk 8%, Gnome 7%, Triton 4%, Dwarf 2%, Halfling 2%, Other 8%)

Alignment: Neutral

Local Language: Enlightened Common

Gods: Primarily Enlightened, though many racial gods are worshiped in small numbers. The Egyptian and Indian gods all have small followings here too.

Magic: High

Thief Guilds: The Sands of Fate, the Jackals

Organization: Diarchy

Description: Somewhere within the Amshan Sea is the floating city of Sihr. The city itself consists of two halves, one above the waters and one below. It is in this city that peoples from both of these worlds meet and trade magical secrets the likes of which are unheard of anywhere else in the world.

The city is ruled by two genies. Sultan Akbar al-Ladin, a djinni, rules the surface half of Sihr while Sultana Ariana bint Rajah rules the underwater half of Sihr. These two genies have ruled over Sihr for about as long as it has existed and they will likely continue their rule forever. Akbar is a firm leader who emphasizes trade and is highly popular among the merchant classes who tend to deal in magical goods, shipping them throughout Amsha and as well as to many peoples below the seas. His chief advisor and wife is an elf by the name of Miraja bint Soma al-Shien. She has been at his side for three hundred years and always offers sound advice. It is said that he asked her to be his wife once every five years for a hundred years until she finally accepted about one hundred years ago. She is a powerful sha’ir, originally from Rabbani, who has always had a good relationship with genies. She is highly respected among the genie world and their marriage was fully endorsed by the Genie Court.

Ariana is a lover of the sea and all her decisions are made based on what is in the best interests of the various peoples of the sea. She has never married, though she does keep a fairly extensive selama (equivalent to a harem) full of males from many races. Most of them are sea-based such as sea elves, mermen, locathah, marids, and tritons, but she does also have a wide variety of land based men such as ogres, orcs, humans, dwarves, elves and others. It is rumored that her prized male slave is a sahuagin prince, though none have actually seen him to verify this. Occasionally she takes to the ocean currents, secretly leaving Sihr behind for months or even years at a time as she seeks some adventure in a far off land. While she is gone, her vizier rules in her stead. The vizier, a middle aged jann named Jibril bin Muhib, usually makes any public appearances and announcements for Ariana anyway, so when he does this in her absence, none really question it and assume any decrees he gives are from the sultana.

The city is highly magical and is considered to be one of the biggest magical centers of the world. In Amsha, only Sana comes close to having as large a concentration of magic. Sihr is hard to find because of an ancient enchantment which protects the city. Enemies of Sihr always seem to point their ships in the wrong direction when they wish to sail for the city. Those who do not know where to find Sihr are similarly directed elsewhere. All forms of divination when used to find Sihr lead the scrier elsewhere, usually somewhere dangerous. Those not specifically allowed to teleport into the city find their spells fail (at best) or possibly go disastrously wrong. Only with the guidance of one who is a friend of Sihr that knows here he is going can one ever make it to the city.

Once someone arrives they are greeted to a vast city with creatures flying back and forth on carpet transports. One can always find magic carpet transportation within the city. They need only stand outside with a hand up and within minutes a person will land a carpet and offer a ride to anywhere in Sihr for a reasonable fee.

The police force of Sihr consists primarily of imps. Small, invisible and capable of flying around anywhere, these imps make a highly effective police force. They rather enjoy the power this position gives them so they take their job VERY seriously; putting away their normally evil agendas for the power and prestige that being in control of the law allows them. They are also required to submit to a geas stating that they will uphold the law to the best of their ability. This is mostly a formality as most of the imps do this anyway. Nothing escapes the eyes of the imp patrol.

While the imps make effective police, they are relatively small and weak so they do have trouble dealing with some larger, more dangerous threats. A mamluk division consisting primarily of ogres (though many other humanoids also are part of it as well as several golems) forms the enforcement arm of the law. These trained soldiers are rarely needed, but when they are called upon they are specially trained in defeating magical threats.

The current head of the guard is Captain Qutb Ra’id al-Rushdi. He is an illithid who has held the post for the past twenty years. While no one particularly likes him, none can say that his methods are not effective. He has personally trained an elite group of illithids, diviners, mentalists and other studiers of the mind. This group is known as the Eyes of Truth. They are the top investigators of corruption and misdeeds in Sihr. When whispers of wrongdoing come to their ears, they always find the truth of the matter and settle it quickly. They are a force that is both highly respected and highly feared because even if you are innocent, these investigators quickly learn every secret you have ever held dear. Often the Eyes of Truth find out about crimes in their investigations that they were not initially aware of.

The biggest trade in Sihr is magic. There are several magical schools and hundreds of magical groups. Magical shops of all types are fairly common, though scrolls and potions are by far the biggest sellers. Such things are shipped out all over Amsha, though some do make their way to other lands as well. Food is largely imported or created magically, though there are some who fish or tend their own gardens. Those who garden often do so through magical aid such as magical fertilizers and spells that make their food grow faster, larger, and tastier. The people of Sihr often complain about the blandness of food abroad and few natives ever have any desire to move away or even travel.

Role-Playing: Magic is second nature to the people of Sihr as they are always surrounded by it. Perhaps their biggest problem is that they have such a constant, overwhelming stimulus of sensations. Even the most fantastic of creatures and impressive magic seem as commonplace as the rain to them. Almost nothing can impress a native of Sihr. Reactions to such things range from absolute boredom to politely feigned interest. This often grates the nerves of most other cultures.

Special Abilities: Everyone in Sihr knows at least a little bit of magic. Adventurers from Sihr can cast either cantrip or orison once a day at their level. Those who normally have access to priest spells get orison while those who normally have access to wizard spells get cantrip. Those who normally never get any access to spells may choose either, reflecting their understanding of magic more from a spiritual view or from a studied one.

In addition, at third level and every three levels beyond any non-casting class gains a single casting of a first level spell. The spell is randomly assigned or chosen by the DM but those who know cantrip always get wizard spells while those who know orison always get priest spells. Casting classes gain spells as well, though at a slower pace of every five levels.

Special Disabilities: The people of Sihr are highly capable around magic, but they are somewhat at a loss when it comes to physical combat. Warriors advance in THAC0 as a priest, priests advance in THAC0 as rogues, rogues advance in THAC0 as wizards and wizards are considered to be three levels lower for purposes of calculating their THAC0s. Note that this means a first level wizard begins with a THAC0 of 21. A wizard does not gain a THAC0 of 20 until level 4.

Also note that those who cast wizard spells must follow the normal armor restrictions to casting and must have a minimum Intelligence of 9. Those who cast priest spells must have a minimum Wisdom of 9. Characters not meeting those requirements are unable to cast spells.

Tajar

Population: 180,000 (Specifics vary constantly) though only about 10,000 are permanent residents

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Local Language: Enlightened Common

Gods: Varied

Magic: Moderate

Thief Guilds: The Sands of Fate usually, though many guilds come and go through town

Organization: Monarchy

Description: The oasis of Tajar is a gathering place for Al-Badia to meet and trade. Rare spices, strange condiments, richly woven carpets, gleaming swords, and all manner of other goods are gathered in this one location to assault and delight the senses. Very little exists here in the way of permanent structures, just an oasis and a gathering of tents that come and go like the wind.

Tajar’s ruler is Sheikh Ali al-Hadd. He is the ruler of the largest Al-Badia tribe in the area and has full control over the oasis and all who use it to drink or trade. The sheikh has proven himself to be valiant and wise, capable of dealing with Tajar’s many factions of merchants, traders, and tribes.

The bane of Sheikh Ali’s existence is his only son, Afzal. Afzal’s mother died in childbirth. The sheikh did not remarry, and he has not recognized any other heir. Afzal is foolish and pompous and surrounds himself with men and women who speak of little other than his greatness. He has just reached the age of majority, and is honorary commander of the cavalry. The sheikh has assigned a dao and a djinni as his son’s personal servants and bodyguards. The sheikh hopes that direct contact with the people may teach his son wisdom. So far this has failed.

Sheera bint Tanar serves the sheikh as a magical advisor. She is his unrecognized daughter, born to him by an elven courtesan in his court. Sheera is responsible for overseeing genie activities in the city, and for maintaining a good relationship with the jann.

Tajar is a major trading site in Amsha. Here many caravan routes stop to restock on water and supplies, though the majority of the people who are here at any time consist of Al-Badia. The permanent population consists primarily of the sheikh and his court, as well as the military. This creates a constantly shifting and melding of cultures. This results in a mixing of peoples from all over so any given dress, or culture that can be found in Amsha can likely be found here at some point. The riches are fairly abundant however and even the poor of Tajar are better off than most. The need for labor is so great that anyone capable of work can find it if he or she looks.

Role-Playing: The Tajari are proud, boisterous people, quick to take offense. Street music is common here, and volume outweighs proficiency for most minstrels. Merchant haggling often leads to drawn swords, and daggers are driven into goods to underline a point. People of Tajar regard the colder, more cultured natives of other realms as repressed and unfeeling.

Special Abilities: The majority of the people of Tajar are nomads and wanderers. Most are natives to other cities and therefore can gain the abilities and disabilities of any one Amsha city. If they wish, they can choose to not gain any abilities or disabilities at all.

Special Disabilities: The people of Tajar gain the disabilities of any Amsha city they choose to gain the abilities of.

Taleb

Population: 90,000 (Human 60%, Half-elf 13%, Elf 9%, Gnome 7%, Dwarf 5%, Halfling 5%, Other 1%)

Alignment: Neutral Good

Local Language: Enlightened Common

Gods: Enlightened, Bast, Geb, Vayu, Puchan

Magic: Moderate

Thief Guilds: The Sands of Fate

Organization: Monarchy

Description: Located between the twin pearl diving cities of Naga and Laziz, as well as along the major trade routes, Taleb is poised for great trade connections. Despite its location, however, Taleb is a rather sleepy town with none of the hustle and bustle of the cities that flank it. Taleb is but a quaint port town and its residents are content with their position.

Caliph Haroun al-Raqqas is a bleary eyed, bureaucratic courtier. He traded his independence for a soft, secure position, and has come to regret it. The blood of the very first caliph runs through his body, though it is very thin. That blood, coupled with his quick wit, garnered him his position following the untimely (and apparently accidental) death of the previous caliph and his family.

Most of Taleb’s money stems from its business as a way station for merchants, who stop only briefly. The city produces little on its own right beyond what it needs to feed and clothe itself. Even the architecture is rather bland and dull in comparison to many other cities in Amsha.

Role-Playing: The people of Taleb are neither lazy nor diligent, fanatical nor unholy. Their most notable aspect is a refusal to be surprised, regardless of the situation. Located between two large cities, they seem to exist in a dreamlike and magical world. What does it matter if a flaming fountain should suddenly appear in the bazaar? As long as the goods (and the merchants) aren’t scorched, it matters little to the nonchalant people of Taleb.

Special Abilities: As noted before, the people of Taleb are never surprised. Whenever they are checked for a surprise roll, they are assumed to have succeeded.

Special Disabilities: While they are not surprised by anything, they are also slow to react to quick happenings. The people of Taleb therefore receive a -2 penalty to any initiative rolls.

Thara

Population: 80,000 (Human 60%, Half-elf 13%, Elf 9%, Gnome 7%, Dwarf 5%, Halfling 5%, Other 1%)

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Local Language: Enlightened Common

Gods: Enlightened, Bast, Osiris, Indra

Magic: Moderate, Restricted

Thief Guilds: The Sands of Fate plus a few minor guilds that sprout and die off constantly

Organization: Elected Monarchy

Description: Located on a broad plateau on the eastern edge of Amsha, Thara is a popular debarkation point for those seeking fame and fortune in either the Dunes of Ruin or the wastelands of the forgotten city. It is something of a last stop for caravans as very few would venture into the wastelands to get to the barbarian territories beyond.

The ruler of Thara is an elected emir or emira who is selected from among the merchants of Thara for a period of five years. Emira Hassana Alim al-Gaib is the current emira, though she seems more concerned with hiding away her riches than ruling. The emira operates a wide-open town, the sort favored by adventurers (especially foreigners). Interpretation of the Law is loose and usually to the advantage of the emira and her cronies.

The Ministry of Secrets registers and catalogs all ruins and treasure sites found throughout the Dunes of Ruin and the wastelands to the east. It is headed up by the emira’s long-time associate, an unenlightened Al-Badia native named Amin Nur. By insisting on continual reorganization and review, Amim guarantees that the Ministry of Secrets is always in shambles. Scrolls and reports are frequently lost, misfiled or stolen, but suitable amounts of gold always seem to bring the needed document or information to light. Individuals who visit the ministry in hopes of obtaining a map or a license to plunder often bring dinars instead of a scribe.

The Ministry of Riches is responsible for detailing and applying a minor tax to all treasure extracted from the ruins. The ministry is run (and fairly responsibly at that) by another of the emira’s companions, Jel al-Galiz, who holds the title “Minster of Riches.” She realizes that most of the treasure hauled from the areas disappears overland or is smuggled out of the area, with no reports made whatsoever. She focuses her attention on ancient magic, striving to control (or at least regulate) their flow. In particular, she watches for useful or dangerous magic items. Her bureau imposes only a 1% tax on monetary treasure, and the ministry pays full price (5 times xp value) for most of the rare magical treasures that are brought to it. Further, individuals who work with the system (and with Jel al-Galiz) often receive grants to explore newly discovered ruins (or to investigate other, nonpaying tomb-raiders).

Given its physical location as well as its politics, Thara is a frontier city, uncivilized when compared to other Amshan settlements. It is the clearing house for goods looted from the surrounding ruins. In theory, each ruin or site of treasure is registered with the Ministry of Secrets, and the treasure removed from those sites is registered with the Ministry of Riches. In reality, however, plunder flows as freely from the ruins as a river. Those who register with the ministries do so to create a thin veneer of legality (obtaining some protection) and to avoid arousing the suspicion of city patrols, who might then discover the most valuable (and truly secret) treasure vaults.

The buildings of Thara are a collection of baked brick and distinctive stone. The stone was hauled from a distant temple, or so it is claimed, for the city radiates a low level of magic, sufficient to scramble most detect magic spells. The palace and ministries, made of stone from elsewhere, are exempt to this effect. Other divination spells, including identify and legend lore, are not affected by the temple stone.

Role-Playing: The people of Thara are energetic, curious, progressive and, above all, acquisitive. Those who visit Thara should heed the following recommendations: keep your eye on your equipment, your hands on your valuables, and a short leash on members of your household.

Special Abilities: The adventurers of Thara have little reason to travel to other cities because there are more than enough adventuring opportunities nearby. Some do however. Tharans are noted for their eagerness for adventure and amazing luck in the face of certain doom. Whenever they have to make a save or other roll that would mean the difference between life and death for the character, he may make two rolls and choose the more beneficial of the two. This applies to resurrection rolls, saving throws (even those that might mitigate direct damage, though only if the character would die from the full damage), system shocks or possibly enemy attack rolls (though only if the attack would have killed the character).

Special Disabilities: Any good adventurer in Thara has made a few enemies along the way. At any given time, such a character is assumed to have a foil that will constantly be making attempts on the character’s life or otherwise make his life miserable. Should the foil die or is otherwise disposed of, another takes his place.

Yunis

Population: 50,000 (?) Population records for Yunis are sketchy at best. Bad weather also causes the population to swing wildly. Most inhabitants have outlaying holdings to which they flee during emergencies

Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Local Language: Enlightened Common

Gods: Enlightened, Bast, Set, Kali, Ratri

Magic: Low

Thief Guilds: The city is pretty much a chaotic mix of thieves’ guilds, too numerous to mention

Organization: None/Council

Description: The island town of Yunis is a haven for seamen, pirates, and chaos. It is completely surrounded by water with very little land to go around. In fact, nearly half of its buildings are built directly on the water.

Currently, no single man or woman rules Yunis. Occasionally, a self-proclaimed “pirate king” has achieved power, ruling for a handful of years (which is as long as he can bully or bribe the city’s council, the city’s only stable governing body). Years ago, Yunis was ruled by a pirate queen, whose reign outlasted that of those who have succeeded her. According to rumor, the council arranged her unlikely death: she drowned.

The council consists of the most powerful corsair leaders, some of whom have retired from life at sea. Active corsairs with a seat on the council aid in policy only when they are in port, and their concerns are primarily along the lines of protection rackets and policy splits. Retired corsairs (who have grown land legs) run bars and inns on Yunis, or own ship-building and repair facilities. Some also manage protection rackets. The concern of these “retirees” is keeping Yunis afloat both financially and militarily. They have been successful in this regard largely due to their slave troops.

Yunis is a sprawling city built out over a small atoll. Half the city is on stilts and it is completely surrounded by coral reefs, making navigation for outsiders nearly impossible. Even seasoned sailors have difficulty, for sea-elf magicians regularly move the razor-sharp tropical growths through their wizardry. The city proper is a hodgepodge of different buildings. Often one structure is built upon the rubble of the previous one, so rumors of sunken and flooded treasure chambers abound. Beyond the city walls in small outlaying islets are the retreats of many retired corsair captains, each controlling a small, well-fortified (and often concealed) refuge.

Role-Playing: The people of Yunis are independent, self-reliant, and dangerous. The people of Yunis welcome newcomers, but they are not so foolish as to trust them. Strangers who cross a man or woman of Yunis have a price to pay, for once betrayed, Yunis’ citizens are as savage as a hungry shark, doggedly seeking revenge.

Special Abilities: Regardless of their actual class, the people of Yunis all gain the abilities of a corsair (aka two weapon fighting and access to rogue proficiencies without spending an additional slot). If the character is already a corsair, then he gains the swimming proficiency at no cost.

Special Disabilities: Regardless of their actual class, the people of Yunis all gain the disabilities of a corsair (starting armor restriction and a -2 penalty to reaction checks). If the character is already a corsair, he is assumed to have made an enemy who will doggedly hunt him across the world. Should this enemy be disposed of, a new one always takes his place.

The Arawaki Islands

Just south of the Eluvian Continent is the seemingly endless number of tiny islands known as the Arawaki Islands. The tropical climate, vast waterways, dangerous reefs and many uncharted islands make this area a haven for pirate activity. Several groups of pirates have been known to form a base of operations in one of the smaller islands where natural hazards make it far too dangerous for officials who might wish to hunt them down to follow.

Though the full count is unknown, there is estimated to be about three thousand islands in the area that range from small plots of land some thirty feet across to sizeable islands some two hundred miles long. About forty of the three thousand islands are known to be inhabited, not counting those that serve as secret pirate lairs. The inhabited islands are the largest ones and the individual populations of each of these islands range from about five thousand to fifty thousand. The locals tend to stick to their islands, though a few of the more warlike ones do take canoes across the water to other islands where they attack other tribes and kidnap a handful of the people for various uses such as slavery, torture, or cannibalism.

The people who live on these islands are very tribal and unsophisticated in nature and vary greatly in attitude towards foreigners. Some early explorers were revered as gods, others were killed and eaten. People who land on these islands do so at their own risk.

While the people are risky to meet on these islands, they are by far not the only danger for the would-be explorer that would dare sail through the Arawaki Islands. The chief concern is the coral reefs that cover the area and make navigation treacherous at best. Many a ship has met an end after shattering its hull on the razor sharp coral. This has lead to many tales of pirate or cargo ships that sunk beneath the waves carrying huge loads of treasure as well as other tales of ghost ships. These tales often lure treasure seekers to their deaths.

Sharks, sahuagin, sea elves, and many other sea creatures also make the waters treacherous. Such creatures usually have specific territories that can be avoided if one knows where they are. The trouble, of course, is actually knowing where these territories are. Captains that frequent the area, especially pirate captains, highly prize such information.

If that were not enough, there is also the constant threat of disease. The tropical climate of the Arawaki Islands breeds all manner of strange diseases. The locals are largely immune to them, but many who travel to these islands are not. Some are nothing more than a nuisance, causing diarrhea, nausea, or fever for a short period of time before going away (assuming the victim is given rest and nutrients). Some of these diseases are far more sinister with symptoms that include death, undeath, loss of limbs, loss of senses and transmutation. Even those normally immune to such things, such as paladins, have fallen victim to some of these diseases, leading sages to speculate that they must be magical curses rather than diseases, perhaps remnants of evil worship long since forgotten. Whatever reason for it, ships known to have traveled through the Arawaki Islands are typically quarantined for at least two weeks to ensure they have not brought back any of these diseases. Even the less reputable ports are sure to follow this guideline because they know full well the consequences that could follow should they bend the rules for a bribe. In fact, since the less reputable ports tend to have more ships that come in through the Arawaki Islands, they are even less likely to bend than some other ports which receive far less traffic through those areas.

The people of the Arawaki Islands are often abducted by ships all across the Eluvian Continent and forced into slavery. Views of the local governments on such actions vary from disdain to acceptance. In larger cities where such slavery is frowned upon, the natives of the Arawaki Islands are sold to brothels and deviant nobility as sex slaves, amoral magic users for all manner of human and demi-human experimentation, and illegal gladiatorial pits where they are forced to fight, often to the death. In areas where slavery is more accepted, the slaves are usually put to work as servants, body guards, or occasionally farmers. Their naturally high resistance to disease also makes them excellent medical workers.

People of the Arawaki Islands

Population: Unknown

Alignment: Varies

Local Language: Varies

Gods: Varies

Magic: Varies

Thief Guilds: None

Organization: Tribal

Description: Little is known about the actual people of any of the Arawaki Islands. They are of all races, though they tend to have much darker skin on average than most of their race. Clothing tends towards little or none and tattooing is common among them. Once they are taken from their home islands, they are usually dressed as is appropriate to the area they are taken to.

Role-Playing: Adventurers from the Arawaki Islands are either escaped or freed slaves as the people of the various islands do not have any desire to leave their islands. Depending on how they were treated, they view the rest of the world with wonder or disgust.

Special Abilities: The people of the Arawaki Islands are exposed to many different diseases and are effectively immune to them (though some magical afflictions may still be contracted). They know herbal remedies to cure most ailments, but only in their home. If they are in a tropical setting, they can find plants to cure any disease on a successful Wisdom check.

The training that people receive is usually from their masters and those who become adventurers can be of any class common to the area and receive all the benefits that locals of that class would receive.

Special Disabilities: The appearance of the people of the Arawaki Islands is very distinctive and they are instantly recognized for who they are no matter where they go. Reactions of the local populace can vary. In areas where slavery is outlawed, criminals may attempt to abduct them for black-market slavery. In areas where slavery is accepted or encouraged, they may be apprehended by the local law enforcement or possibly even attacked by locals. In any case, this makes travel in urban centers difficult.

The Cities of the Blade Coast

The Blade Coast lies north of the Sylvan Woods. The summers are warm, the winters are cold and the waters are filled with Vikings from Dagmar. Many of the cities along this coast are constantly raided by Vikings and have built up many defenses against the invaders. Of course with each new defense comes a new offense so a cycle of rebuilding for both sides is constantly in motion. The biggest downfall of the cities along this coast is a lack of a unified nation. Each city operates independently, so where they could otherwise unite against the Vikings and drive them off, perhaps even take the fight to Dagmar, they become individual targets and victims of the occasional raid.

Bricriu

Population: 90,000 (Human 60%, Half-elf 15%, Elf 10%, Gnome 10%, Other 5%)

Alignment: Neutral

Local Language: Draconic, Western Common, Elvish, Gnome

Gods: Math Mathonwy, Hecate

Magic: High

Thief Guilds: The Glow

Organization: Mageocracy

Description: This small town is ruled over by a tribunal of mages, each elected by the other mages of the city. Non-mages do live in this city, but generally have few if any rights and are not allowed to vote. It is generally believed that those without the mental talent to use magic do not have the mental talent required to vote properly. Therefore, most locals who do not have any magical talent either move away or acquire magical items that let them duplicate magical effects so they can at least give the appearance of having some sort of magical talent. The most common of which are rings or amulets that allow the wearer to cast cantrip. The level of magic the person has is not as important as the fact that the person can use magic is.

The mages of Bricriu are powerful, perhaps the most powerful casters in the world, though Moonshade and Sihr are close rivals. While it may be up for debate as to which is the most powerful magically, there is no question that each of these cities wield considerable magical power. The people of Bricriu are so familiar with magic that most of them are infused with some degree of magic and the most commonly spoken language is Draconic, though most do speak Western common as well. The faces of its people are seldom seen, for they typically keep their cowls drawn forward, masking their features. Those who have looked upon their faces have reported that they have no eyes; or rather their eyes are glowing orbs of magical energy. No one is sure why the people have developed these eyes, but they are almost all born with them and they rely heavily on magic. These mysterious eyes fail when dispelled or negated.

The Glow has a strong influence here, and some claim its roots stem from Bricriu. Of course many say the same of Moonshade, though either way it is clear that the thief guild has not only access to magic but a strong appetite for it as well.

Role-Playing: The wizards of Bricriu are an aloof and snobbish lot. By the time they attain 2^nd level, they know more about magic than most of their peers in other lands could ever hope to. Their knowledge, however, is never passed along to outsiders. Players running such characters should simply assume a superior air and chuckle occasionally at the lack of knowledge displayed by other spell casters in the group.

Other natives tend to be fairly subservient to other spell casters, and mages in particular. They have had the idea that they are inferior beaten into them for so much of their lives, they have come to believe it. No amount of reasoning can convince them otherwise.

Special Abilities:

Warriors – In addition to the eyes mentioned in the wizard section, warriors of Bricriu may choose to be multi-classed fighter/illusionists, ranger/illusionists or paladin/illusionists. Even races that normally do not allow multi-classing (such as humans) or those that do not allow an illusionist multi-class (such as elves) may choose to become one, though races that do not allow rangers or paladins may not choose the ranger/illusionist or paladin/illusionist multi-class. They gain all the abilities listed in the wizard section.

If they choose to not be multi-classed, they still have the same eyes and the powers associated with them

Priests – Priests of Bricriu, like all of its other citizens have the same eyes listed in the wizard section. The only temple is devoted to Math Mathonwy (though many worship Hecate, there is no formal priesthood) and all priests from Bricriu are assumed to be of that faith. While they all must perform their prayer in solitude each year, they do not begin at first level if they have not attained a level that year.

Wizards – The wizards of Bricriu have mastered skills the like of which no other culture has even contemplated. These skills involve illusions and spells of that type.

All wizards of Bricriu are specialist illusionists. They have the normal advantages of that class, including a +1 bonus to their own saving throws against illusions, a -1 penalty to the saving throws of those they employ their spells against, and the ability to memorize extra illusion spells each day.

Because of the great knowledge of these people, however, there powers go far beyond those of normal illusionists. These characters have full access to the spells of Necromancy, Invocation/Evocation, and Abjuration, schools normally closed to illusionists.

The wizards of Bricriu receive bonus spells, just as priests do, for high ability scores. The number and level of bonus spells they receive are determined by consulting Table 5 in the Player’s Handbook. Instead of using their Wisdom score, however, they use their Intelligence. As the minimum Intelligence score for a wizard of Bricriu is 16, even the lowers of these folk receive two bonus 1^st level and 2^nd level spells.

The glowing eyes that every such character hides beneath his hood are themselves magical. They grand the character infravision with a range of 120 feet and allow the wizard to see magical auras (eliminating the need for a detect magic spell) and invisible things.

Finally, all wizards of Bricriu begin play with a hooded robe woven of strands of some unusual silver thread. These robes gleam and shimmer like moonlight and provide the wearer with a base AC of 7.

Rogues – In addition to the eyes mentioned in the wizard section, rogues of Bricriu may choose to be multi-classed thief/illusionists or bard/illusionists. Even races that normally do not allow multi-classing (such as humans) or those that do not allow a thief/illusionist multi-class (such as elves) may choose to become one, though races that do not allow bards may not choose the bard/illusionist multi-class. They gain all the abilities listed in the wizard section.

If they choose to not be multi-classed, they still have the same eyes and the powers associated with them.

Special Disabilities:

Warriors – Warriors choosing to multi-class suffer all the restrictions as listed in the wizard section including the requirement of an Intelligence score of 16, plus any other requirements needed of their classes. Those who do not multi-class retain all the penalties associated with their eyes.

Priests – Priests suffer all the penalties associated with their eyes as listed in the wizard section.

Wizards – The intensive mental training that wizards of Bricriu receive leaves them physically atrophied. As a result, they employ three-sided dice when rolling for hit points. They never receive bonus hit points for exceptional Constitution scores. In addition, all such mages must have a minimum Intelligence score of 16 (in addition to the normal requirements for an illusionist). Those with lower Intelligences do not have the mental strength to keep up with the training and never seek to learn any other method of magic. They all end up pursuing some other career.

Not only do Bricriu wizards begin play without any weapon proficiencies, they are never able to attain them later in life. As a result, they always suffer the nonproficient weapon penalty when engaging in any form of physical combat.

Although the glowing eyes of these unusual people do provide them with excellent eyesight, they have their weaknesses as well. The most important of these is because of their magical nature. If such a character is hit with a dispel magic, he must make a successful saving throw vs. spell or be blinded for a number of rounds equal to the level of the caster. If the character enters a magical dead zone, his eyesight instantly fails.

A secondary disadvantage associated with the unusual eyes of Bricriu’s people involves attacks by creatures employing gaze weapons. Whenever a character makes a saving throw to avoid or lessen the effects of meeting another creature’s gaze, he suffers a -4 penalty. Attacks of this type include the petrifying visage of a medusa or the charm ability of vampires. Gaze attacks that do not require the victim to look into the eyes of the caster, such as the death ray that flashes forth from the eyes of a catoblepas, gain no advantage from the unusual eyes of the character.

Rogues – Rogues choosing to multi-class suffer all the restrictions as listed in the wizard section including the requirement of an Intelligence score of 16, plus any other requirements needed of their classes. Those who do not multi-class retain all the penalties associated with their eyes.

Bricta

Population: 200,000 (Human 40%, Halfling 25%, Half-elf 10%, Elf 10%, Gnome 10%, Other 5%)

Alignment: Neutral

Local Language: Western Common, Halfling, Elvish, Gnome

Gods: Halfling, Gnome, Elven, Brigantia, Hades, Joan

Magic: Moderate, Restricted

Thief Guilds: Blades of the Wood, the Really Good Thieves’ Guild, the Rock Throwers, the Rusted Knives

Organization: Democracy

Description: On the eastern edge of the Sylvan Woods lies Bricta, a peaceful community (at least most of the time) far enough inland that the Viking attacks that plague most other cities on the Blade Coast are at a minimum. The community houses a wide variety of races, including a large Halfling population. The races mingle with each other somewhat but do tend to segregate themselves to different portions of the city as far as where they live.

The city is ruled by a mayor who is elected every three years, though there is nothing stopping a particular candidate from running indefinitely. The position of mayor is one of absolute power over the city, not unlike that of a king. The only difference being at the end of three years, unpopular leaders can be kicked out in place of another leader, at least in theory. Throughout the history of Bricta, a few powerful leaders have taken to office and commanded such power that even though no one particularly liked them, no one would dare to run against them. Typically a human wins the position, though other races are not unheard of. Election years are marked with slander, accusations and occasionally assassination, so running for mayor’s office is not for the weak of heart. Once the election is over, however, things tend to cool down until the next election year.

The city is guarded by an organized militia that everyone is required to join when they reach adulthood. The age of adulthood varies from race to race, but they are all required to join for 3 years. Once they leave the militia, they typically keep their weapons and training and it is assumed they will be called upon to defend the city, should it need it. Such a need is extremely rare and only happens when Vikings happen to roam inland as Bricta does not have many other enemies.

Role-Playing: The people of Bricta are exposed to many different peoples of other races and are accustomed to dealing with strange people. They are usually willing to talk things through, though they know when talking needs to be backed up with a blade.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – Since all of Bricta’s people are required to join the militia for 3 years, warriors are fairly common among its people. They are taught a variety of fighting methods and weapons, though most of them end up settling on a preferred one. Warriors from Bricta begin play with a fighting style of their choice. The fighting styles include: weapon and shield, one-handed weapon, two-handed weapon, two weapon, missile or thrown style or weapon specialization. This costs the warrior no slots and reflects his extensive training in the militia.

Priest – Like everyone else, the priests of Bricta do serve 3 years in the military. During which they are taught a variety of wartime skills they would not otherwise have learned. Priests of Bricta begin play with one additional nonweapon proficiency slot which must be devoted to a proficiency in the warrior group. They may select additional warrior proficiencies without paying an additional slot beyond the normal cost.

Wizard – Wizards are rarely trained to be on the front lines, instead they are typically trained to be generals and other leader types. As such they begin play with the tactics nonweapon proficiency at no cost.

Rogue – Rogues are usually trained to work alone either as scouts or other special operations. Thieves receive a +15% bonus to both their hide in shadows and move silently skills while bards receive access to both skills with a base 15% in each.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – Though it has not happened, it is possible the city may go to war. Should that ever happen, the warrior is expected to return home and join the militia in whatever capacity is needed. They are typically found through scrying methods and message is sent, usually through some magical means. Refusing to return in a timely manner is treason and traitors find bounties placed on their heads, with no requirement for it to be attached to the shoulders

Priest – Priests have the same disability as warriors.

Wizard – Wizards have the same disability as warriors.

Rogue – Rogues have the same disability as warriors. Bards lose access to the pick pockets skill as well as read languages. They are trained to sneak stealthily into camps and have little use for such skills.

Calder

Population: 400,000 (Human 80%, Halfling 5%, Half-elf 5%, Elf 5%, Gnome 4%, Other 1%)

Alignment: Lawful Evil

Local Language: Western Common, Thieves’ Cant

Gods: Arawn, Hades, Hermes, Ula, Erevan Ilesere, Garl Glittergold, Brandobaris

Magic: Moderate

Thief Guilds: The Lucky Lady, the Sea Princess, the Grand Royale, Valhalla

Organization: Organized Crime

Description: Calder is a lively place filled with lights and casinos. People travel from far and wide to try their luck at the many casinos within the city. There is no formal government per se, and things are more or less kept in line by the four thieves’ guilds that run the four largest casinos in town: The Lucky Lady, the Sea Princess, the Grand Royale, and Valhalla.

Everyone native to Calder owes allegiance to one of these four guilds, though a few smaller casinos are allowed to exist as long as they do not cause trouble for the others. When one seems to get too successful, the owners tend to disappear and the troubles with them.

The Lucky Lady is a casino that specializes in card and dice games. The members behind it own the northwest quarter of the city and typically tend to let things go more than most. They prefer to let others handle the dirty business of starting a new business, then swoop in and collect “taxes” from them.

The Sea Princess sits upon the docks to the northeast and is widely known for its glass sculptures and fountains. People come to the casino to make bets on various aquatic games and races. They have slightly more power than the other guilds as they control the port and therefore all traffic through it. They would probably outmuscle the other three if they were not also the first ones to be attacked when Vikings strike. Their need to fend off sea attacks has split their attention enough to keep them from fully taking over.

The Grand Royale is a magnificent palace fit for royalty. Enjoying a prominent place in the southeast quarter, the casino is popular among the wealthy and it is seen as something of a status symbol to be able to stay there. They are fairly well equipped magically, and their casino is filled with various different magical constructs and games through which those with the money and will to do so can test their luck.

Valhalla is the place for the common man. Or so they say. People of all walks of life come to see the gladiatorial games. The casino consists of three arenas which hold the three brackets of competition: Man, Beast and Monster. The Man bracket is a battle royal between any who wish to join in, up to 8 people. The last person standing wins. The Beast bracket pits a single contestant against ever more challenging animals. The contestant fights 10 fights. In between fights the contestant may choose to stop, though the further along he gets, the more he wins. Finally, the Monster bracket, which is similar to the beast bracket, pits the contestant against progressively stronger monsters. None has managed to complete the Monster bracket, but should one do so, he is required to defend his title against any one challenger. The type of people Valhalla attracts are thuggish types with more brawn than brains.

Role-Playing: The people of Calder all owe allegiance to some guild and have little or no desire to have things run by an official government. They are relatively prosperous and peaceful and see other governments as hindrances to the law. That is not to say they will attack officials or incite anarchy, so much as they tend to find ways to thumb their nose at such institutions while avoiding trouble. Those who choose the adventuring life usually do so to pay off debts, escape creditors, or test their luck.

Special Abilities:

Warrior, Priest, Wizard – All people of Calder have a guild they owe allegiance to and may call on them for protection (albeit usually at a cost unless it is against an enemy guild) or other aid. In addition, Thieves’ Cant is spoken so often, that just about everyone knows it. Such characters may choose to learn it by spending a nonweapon proficiency towards it.

Finally, many work in casinos and those who don’t either play in them or otherwise fairly familiar with the various games of chance. They each begin play with the gaming proficiency at no cost, though they may spend additional slots to increase their chances of success when using the skill.

Rogue – Rogues (thieves in particular) are full members of one of the guilds. They may of course train at no cost and begin play with the gaming proficiency at no cost. They are so skilled at gambling that their chance when using the gaming proficiency increases by +1 every three levels.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior, Priest, Wizard, Rogue – Owing allegiance to a guild in Calder has its own disadvantages. The guilds are very suspicious of treachery and assume that there are spies from other guilds seeking to bring them down (which is somewhat true). One never knows when they are about to fall out of favor with the wrong person and be accused of being a spy. Once that happens, there are few places one can run to that are safe from the assassin’s blade. If a character from Calder is unable to report to their guild at least once a day (as is the case with most adventurers, though this does not apply to those on special orders by the guild itself), there is a 1% non-cumulative chance per week of the guild sending out an assassin to hunt down the missing person.

Drudwyn

Population: 100,000 (Human 90%, Halfling 5%, Half-elf 3%, Elf 2%, Other 1%)

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Local Language: Western Common

Gods: Poseidon, Manannan mac Lir, Gareth

Magic: Low

Thief Guilds: The Rock Throwers, the Rusted Knives

Organization: Mayor

Description: Of all the cities on the Blade Coast, Drudwyn suffers the most from Viking attacks. The people are largely fishermen with little in the way of combat training (other than what they get from Viking attacks). The town rarely puts up much of a resistance to the attacks, and many are slaughtered. This happens regularly enough that it is something of a routine for the people of Drudwyn. Many have built hidden rooms beneath their homes, usually made of stone to resist fire.

The town itself is run by a mayor, who is usually killed whenever there is an attack. The office is obviously a dangerous one that almost none want, so typically anyone who steps up to take it has little opposition. More often than not, no one does and the office is chosen by lottery, the loser taking the office.

The city guard is something of a joke and really the only defensive forces the city has are its thieves’ guilds. The members of these guilds are typically better trained in combat than the guards (though this is something akin to being the world’s brightest goblin), and they tend to value their property more than others. They do not go out of their way to attack, instead relying on traps and ambushes to defend their guildhalls. The Vikings have quickly learned where these guilds are and know to avoid them when raiding.

Not surprisingly, builders make a fairly good living here. The attacks are frequent enough and do enough structural damage that they cannot even keep up with the demand. Due to the need for such skills, most people have learned at least some modest amount of construction skills.

Role-Playing: The people of Drudwyn are extremely glum. A lifetime of loss at the hands of Vikings has created a people who come to expect loss and death. In fact, they are almost unaffected by it. Their expectation for the worst makes them extremely depressing to be around. For example, when confronted by a small force of goblins, a typical thing one might say is, “Oh… Here come some goblins… I suppose we should fight them, though they’ll probably kill us anyway.”

Special Abilities:

Warrior – The warriors of Drudwyn typically would rather run than fight. Years of running away from Vikings has given them a slight edge on speed. Their movement rate is 15 instead of 12. In addition, when wearing no armor and unencumbered, they double their AC adjustment from high Dexterity scores.

Years of rebuilding the city has given the native people a working understanding of construction. They all begin play with the engineering nonweapon proficiency at no cost.

Priest – Constant attacks of course mean constant need for healing. Priests of Drudwyn begin play with the healing nonweapon proficiency at no cost. In addition, their skilled knowledge of healing allows them to heal twice as much when tending wounds as described in the proficiency description.

Wizard – Wizards are often called upon to use their magic to rebuild walls, mend broken doors and so forth. When determining the amount of manpower the wizard contributes to construction (as listed under the Heroic Characters entry on page 61 of the Castle Guide), double the final number. In addition, they begin play with the engineering proficiency at no cost.

Rogue – Serving as the only defense against invading forces (albeit only as so far as their guild is concerned), has given the rogues of Drudwyn extensive knowledge of traps and ambushes. All rogues begin play with the set snares nonweapon proficiency. Bards are able to create mantraps in much the same way thieves are.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – Warrior is probably a bit of a stretch for what these characters are. Those who have raised a weapon against a Viking and are still breathing probably were backed into a corner where they had no choice, and even then they probably did not intend to swing the weapon to begin with. Such characters never specialize in a weapon. Their choice of weapon training was by pure chance and they never put the effort to perfect a weapon skill that a specialist would.

Priest – Priests suffer no particular disability.

Wizard – When selecting their initial spells, they must select at least one that has some building application to it. Examples include: mending, Tenser’s floating disc, unseen servant and so forth. In addition, whenever they train for new spell levels, their first spell must also be a spell that has some building application to it. The DM has final say on which spells do or do not have use in building.

Rogue – Rogues suffer no particular disability.

Littleton

Population: 540,000 (Halfling 79%, Gnome 20%, Other 1%)

Alignment: Neutral Good

Local Language: Western Common

Gods: Halfling, Gnome

Magic: Low

Thief Guilds: The Rock Throwers, the Really Good Thieves’ Guild

Organization: Mayor

Description: Traveling east along the Blade Coast one can find Littleton, a town home largely to Halflings. In recent years a significant number of Gnomes have also called Littleton home. Since the majority of the people are of the smaller races, the buildings reflect this. Few human sized races can be bothered to make extended stays due to the constant head bumping.

Most of the people live in burrows with warm fireplaces often burning to keep out the cold air. Wooden buildings are not uncommon, but they tend to usually be places of business instead of homes. The tiny nature of these buildings makes them fairly easy to defend against the much larger Viking raiders (after all, swinging an axe isn’t very easy when you have to kneel to get around). Many of them have been designed with all sorts of bizarre gnomish contraptions which work fantastically as traps and ambushes against invading forces.

The military is fairly informal. Training consists of dart competitions and that is about it. The need for a formal military is minimal. When Vikings attack, most just defend the town using what structural defenses they already have in place. This is usually enough to drive off the invading forces without too many casualties.

The chief cash crop among the natives is tobacco. The crop is dried and gathered onto ships which then transport it up along the Blade coast. They also love smoking tobacco and just about everyone has a pipe. The pipe craftsmen of Littleton are well known for their elaborate pipe designs. Most of these pipes are made of wood, though a few of the craftsmen are known to use more exotic materials such as ivory, bronze, or precious stones.

The government (for lack of a better word) is run by the mayor. His position is very informal and generally serves to arbitrate disputes. He is also in charge of the prison. The prison is not exceptionally large, and is just about hell for human sized prisoners. The guards are exceptionally nice and cheery, more than happy to help you in any way necessary, except to let you out of the annoyingly small cell. For this reason, most thieves know to keep far away from Littleton.

Role-Playing: The average citizen of Littleton is laid back and always in good spirits. They can be cheery in the worst of situations, and while this is annoying at most times to others, it can be comforting, raising morale when others might lose all hope.

Special Abilities:

Warriors – The warriors of Littleton are typically those who have served in the military, such as it is. When using thrown weapons, they gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls. For Halflings, this is cumulative with the +1 bonus they already have.

Priests – Littleton priests typically cultivate tobacco and as such begin play with the agriculture nonweapon proficiency at no cost.

Wizards – Since Halflings do not use magic, wizards from Littleton are assumed to be gnomish illusionists. They typically use illusions to create false traps that slow down (and possibly kill) invading Vikings. When using a spell to create an illusion of a trap, victims receive a -4 penalty to their attempts to disbelieve it. This is in addition to the penalty they receive from the gnome being a specialist and reflects the detail they put into such illusions.

Rogues – The rogues of Littleton are not the most vicious of thieves. They typically are more mischief makers than criminals. Still, they are extremely good at what they do and receive ten additional skill points at first level as well as 5 more every level after that to be distributed among their skills.

Special Disabilities:

Warriors – Warriors tend to prefer thrown weapons over any others. They may only select one melee weapon in their careers and they cannot specialize in its use. They may specialize in any thrown weapon however.

Priests – Littleton priests suffer no particular disability.

Wizards – Littleton wizards suffer no particular disability.

Rogues – As good as they are at causing trouble, they are not particularly dangerous. Thieves never bother to learn how to backstab and may never attempt to.

The Cities of Dagmar

Dagmar is a northern continent with harsh winters and abundant populations. Much of the continent consists of highlands with the shores appearing as a fortress of fjords, cliffs, and jagged rocks. Approaching the continent is dangerous to all but those who are most familiar with its terrain. The jagged rocks are enough to tear a ship apart, though to make matters worse, the land is often obscured by fog. Dagmarians who approach their home use either horns to signal people on land that they approach or they use bows with burning arrows to determine where the water ends and the land begins. For this reason, people from other continents have yet to make any successful attempt at landing upon Dagmar. The other reason is the Viking warriors who call Dagmar home.

Dagmar is fairly large, but so is its population. The land simply does not have enough resources to support the natives. To help support their people, many Dagmarians become Viking warriors and attack nearby lands to loot whatever supplies they can find. This also serves to cull their population somewhat as warriors die in battle. They are feared by all nearby coastal towns for their relentlessness and ferocity.

The coastal towns of Dagmar are where most of the population dwells. There are many such towns and they are the backbone of Dagmar’s people. As one moves inwards towards the center of Dagmar, one comes to a forested and mountainous region known as the Woode. Here only the bravest of warriors can survive as trolls, ogres, giants and wyrms are common. The wyrms of Dagmar are known as linnorms. They are flightless versions of their dragon cousins of other lands. Despite their lack of wings, they are equally ferocious and also far more numerous. Several are known to inhabit the Woode and a few are rumored to live within the seas surrounding Dagmar. None have lived to actually see one of the sea wyrms so their presence is completely unconfirmed.

With such dangerous creatures inhabiting the lands, it is no wonder that most of the people of Dagmar have been trained to be powerful warriors. Those who have managed to form towns are among the strongest. There are only four towns that have managed to stay standing within the Woode. They are Folkvar, Guthbrandr, Jarl, and Vithar. Folkvar is the capital of Dagmar and home to the King of Dagmar, a warrior without peer.

Religion is very strong among the Dagmarians. They follow the Norse pantheon of Gods, though most priests are encouraged to be as fervent in battle as they are in their faith. Arcane magic is almost unheard of however. While the Dagmarians respect magic and understand its usefulness, they see it more as something that should be in the hands of their priests rather than in the hands of normal mortals. They typically treat mages as villains who wish to bewitch noble warriors with their trickery and illusions. Mages are therefore not typically native to Dagmar. The few mages who have appeared on Dagmar are clearly foreigners; though where they come from none know.

Crime is just about unheard of in Dagmar. Most of their goods are pillaged from other people, so there is little reason to steal from one another. Disputes are settled in combat. Depending on the specific dispute this may be by wrestling or in armed combat to the death. They do not mint their own money, but they see value in gold and other things. So while some do have gold (minted elsewhere), most prefer to barter.

The Coastal Cities

Population: 11,000,000 (Human 89%, Dwarf 10%, Half-ogre 1%)

Alignment: Neutral

Local Language: Dagmarian common

Gods: Norse

Magic: None

Thief Guilds: None

Organization: Monarchy

Description: The coastal cities of Dagmar consist of 18 different cities, each ruled by a chieftain who is second only to the king in Folkvar. Most of these cities are built on deep fjords where the thick fog that floats off the coast obscures them from potential enemies most of the time and causes any enemy ships to crash against rocks. It is an effective natural defense that has kept all enemies at bay so far.

No matter which one you go to, each of these costal cities is filled with ship builders and weaponsmiths. The Dagmarians were the first people to create long range ships and they are still the most skillful at their craft. Their ships are made to last and can withstand attacks the likes of which make seamen the world over highly jealous. A Dagmarian ship would be a prize to any seaman, though the Dagmarians are typically more than a match for any would-be thieves.

Their weapons are equally prized. Even dwarves have been known to cast a respectful eye over the weaponry of Dagmarian warriors. Dagmarian warriors, also known as Vikings, live for battle. It is not simply something that happens for them. It is something that they actively seek out and must do so not only for their survival but the survival of their people, so an impressive weapon is an absolute necessity. It is said that one who manages to break a Viking weapon in battle need never fear death. When Vikings see that one of their own weapons have been broken in battle, they usually take it as a very bad omen and immediately break off from battle (with the exception of berserkers who would likely not even notice such a thing).

Role-Playing: The people of the coastal cities of Dagmar are very warrior like and at home in battle and at sea. If they are unable to be near at least one of the two for more than a week or so, they quickly grow irritable.

Special Abilities:

Warriors – Warriors are by far the most common profession to be found in any of the cities of Dagmar. Warriors of the coastal cities are skilled seamen and begin play with the seamanship nonweapon proficiency at no cost.

The elite warriors of Dagmar are known as berserkers. These are described in the Complete Book of Fighters. They are highly common among the people of Dagmar and also highly respected. They do not receive the normal -3 to reactions when dealing with other Dagmarians. This is not the case when dealing with other people however.

Priests – Priests often make excellent warriors, but their key strength lies in their ability to incite berserkers. When around a berserker, the berserker can go berserk in five rounds instead of ten. The priest doesn’t need to do anything for this, his presence is enough. If the priest actively chants and prays for the berserker, he can go berserk in one round. Is requires the full attention of the priest as though the priest were casting a spell. The range for this ability is 50 feet.

Wizards – There are no native wizards in Dagmar.

Rogues – Thieves have no place among the people of Dagmar. Trickery and stealth is shunned in the face of a strong sword arm. The idea of stealing is also rather silly among a people who make their living by killing other people and taking their belongings.

Bards on the other hand are very important. Their ability to tell stories that depict the glory of powerful warriors is highly prized among Dagmarians. Bards of Dagmar are considered to be Skalds, gaining all the benefits described in the Complete Book of Bards.

Special Disabilities:

Warriors – Warriors receive all the penalties described under the berserker kit in the Complete Book of Fighters.

Priests – Priests tend to rub most people the wrong way when they are outside of their own culture. They do not respect authority and when dealing with such people, they receive a -3 penalty to their encounter rolls.

Rogues – Bards of Dagmar are considered to be Skalds, gaining all the hindrances described in the Complete Bard’s Handbook.

Folkvar

Population: 500,000 (Human 98%, Dwarf 1%, Half-ogre 1%)

Alignment: Lawful Good

Local Language: Dagmarian common

Gods: Norse

Magic: None

Thief Guilds: None

Organization: Monarchy

Description: Folkvar is located in the very center of Dagmar amidst the Woode. It is here that the very first Dagmarian king, known as King Anundr, defeated the great two headed linnorm. From the bones of his defeated enemy he built his home, the first Castle Folkvar. The city of Folkvar sprung around that castle into the great capital city it is today.

The current king, King Anundr XXI, is a rugged man who spent many of his younger years split between raiding other countries and roaming the Woode. He is a half-ogre berserker and it is said that he has no rival when it comes to battle. He can outwrestle giants, single-handedly slay wyrms, and cut down ancient trees in a single stroke of his axe. Lately he does not get to do that sort of thing much. He knows his duties to his country and does not risk himself in unnecessary combat. Still, he longs for battle. He always wears his suit of chain mail, a belt and the crown, all of which are magical. His axe, which is named Wyrmcrusher, is also always at his side. This axe is far larger and heavier than most and it is said that only he can wield it effectively. When people challenge him, he tosses the axe to the feet of the challenger and dares them to swing it at a target. If they manage to destroy the target in one swing, he agrees to fight the challenge. As of yet, none has managed to succeed so his reign has gone unchallenged.

His wife, Signy, is the high priestess of Sif. She is a golden haired human with more than enough strength to take on even the most powerful of warriors. In a battle that lasted a week, she was defeated by Anundr and agreed to marry him. She is completely loyal to the king and would do anything for him. She has given birth to two sons, twins by the names of Liulfr and Ormr. These sons follow in the footsteps of their parents and are powerful warriors in their own right. They get along very well, though they tend to rough house with each other fairly often. Each is in charge of a sizeable force which they lead against various threats in the Woode.

The city consists of buildings made of wood and hide with a thick wooden wall surrounding the perimeter. Guards are constantly on patrol due to the very real threat of monsters constantly surrounding them. Surrounding farmlands usually have watch towers to quickly sound an alarm should one of them be attacked. Guards are dispatched to the location, directed by the people in the towers. The most common threats are ogres and trolls, though occasionally other threats do come up. This constant need to fight off enemies has made even the most benign farmer a fairly strong warrior.

Role-Playing: The people of Folkvar are strong and boisterous. They enjoy good food, good drink and a good brawl. They are truly at home when in battle and will often cheer on a strong opponent for challenging them so.

Special Abilities: The people of Folkvar are stronger on average and receive a +1 bonus to their Strength scores. This cannot raise their strength beyond racial maximum however.

They are also experts in combat. Warriors and other characters normally able to specialize in a weapon receive one free weapon proficiency to put towards specialization in any given weapon. Characters who are otherwise unable to specialize in a weapon do not gain the free weapon proficiency, but they can specialize as if they were a single classed warrior.

Special Disabilities: As adept as they are in combat, the people of Folkvar are completely inept at social interaction. For purposes of interacting with anyone who isn’t from Dagmar, their Charisma score is halved and many will try to avoid the Folvarian as much as possible.

Guthbrandr

Population: 400,000 (Human 98%, Dwarf 1%, Half-ogre 1%)

Alignment: Neutral

Local Language: Dagmarian common

Gods: Norse

Magic: None

Thief Guilds: None

Organization: Monarchy/Theocracy

Description: While Folkvar is definitely the political capital of Dagmar, Guthbrandr is the religious capital. The vast majority of the population consists of priests devoted to the various Norse gods. While most choose to devote their efforts to a single god, a special few dedicate themselves to all of the Norse gods. These priests, called Valkiers, often are generals and leaders in battle and are highly sought after for raiding parties. After all, while it is good to have a god on your side, it is much better to have all of them.

The ruler of Guthbrandr is the head of the Valkiers. The current head is a man by the name of Golonar. Golonar is a powerful spiritual leader and an excellent warrior. He has lead men into battle many times and has always returned successful. Now he is getting on in years and does not often get to fight anymore. Still, he is very healthy and strong for his age and could easily best all but the greatest of Dagmarian warriors in battle.

The people of Guthbrandr are mostly priests from the surrounding lands who have been sent to Guthbrandr for training. Each god has a temple and many priests willing to teach the ways of their god to the next generation of priests. Almost every priest of importance in Dagmar was trained here and it is seen as something of a mark of honor to make the trip to the city. Most die on their way to the city. Most that are strong enough to make it there are typically strong enough to make it back to their homes after they have completed their training.

Role-Playing: The people of Guthbrandr are strong and fiercely devoted to their gods. They were raised on battle with creatures the likes of which would tear apart an average man so most are well above average physically. They know this and constantly strive to test themselves in battle.

Special Abilities:

Warrior - Raised around the teachings of the gods as they are, even those who do not take up the calling of priesthood tend to pick up a few prayers here and there. Warriors begin play with 20 points worth of priest spheres selected from the list in Players’ Option: Spells and Magic. They cast spells from these sphere as though they were a priest of equal level.

Priest – Priests from Guthbrandr may select to either be a Valkier or a specialty priest devoted to one of the Norse gods. Those who select to be Valkiers must have a minimum Wisdom and Charisma score of 15 and may select 100 points worth of priest spheres selected from the list in Players’ Option: Spells and Magic. They may then choose between being able to specialize in a weapon like a single classed fighter, being able to benefit from exceptional Strength and Constitution scores, or turning undead. They may become proficient in any weapon, though axes are preferred.

Those who do select to be a specialty priest of one of the Norse gods are particularly well trained in their prayers and are considered to be one level higher for purposes of spell acquisition. Their casting level is unchanged however.

Wizard – There are no wizards in Guthbrandr.

Rogue – There are no thieves, and bards are uncommon. The few bards in Guthbrandr are considered to be Skalds, gaining all the benefits described in the Complete Book of Bards.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – Warriors of Guthbrandr are strong, but their split focus on prayer and combat leaves them somewhat less able than most warriors. Such warriors advance their THAC0’s as a priest of equal level.

Priest – The priests of Guthbrandr are powerful magic users, and mighty warriors. They are expected to lead war parties into battle and do not fight well when given orders instead of giving them. Unless they are given orders by someone of greater rank than they are, they fight at -2 penalty to initiative and -1 penalty to hit when implementing a plan that isn’t of their own design.

Jarl

Population: 350,000 (Human 98%, Dwarf 1%, Half-ogre 1%)

Alignment: Neutral Good

Local Language: Dagmarian common

Gods: Norse

Magic: None

Thief Guilds: None

Organization: Monarchy

Description: The city of Jarl is a quiet town that has little to do with much of the rest of Dagmar. While they are part of the country, the rest of Dagmar consider the people of Jarl to be cowards and do not much like dealing with them.

The reason behind this attitude is the general belief among its people. Rather than attacking surrounding countries and taking what they need, the people of Jarl would prefer to trade with them. The leader of Jarl, King Jomgar, is considered to be something of a madman and a coward by the rest of Dagmar for his strange ideas about setting up trade routes with and talking to their enemies rather than attacking them. If there is any city in Dagmar that would be able to form diplomatic relations with another country, it would be Jarl. Unfortunately, since Jarl is landlocked, they do not have the ships to go and form these ties. They likely would not last very long at any rate as the rest of Dagmar would wish to attack. This attitude has frustrated King Jomgar to no end and turned his hair an ashy grey.

Role-Playing: The people of Jarl are the least warlike of any in Dagmar. Dagmarians found abroad that are not in a raiding party are likely from Jarl as they are at least willing to talk first. They do not get along much with other Dagmarians however as they find the constant fighting to be distasteful. That is not to say they are cowards or would not fight if they had to, they just prefer it to be their last choice instead of their first.

Special Abilities: The people of Jarl are well suited to talking and diplomacy, at least far more so than other Dagmarians. They begin play with the diplomacy proficiency at no cost. Warriors and priests are the most common adventurers though skalds and thieves (the people of Jarl do not have the same distaste for stealth and misdirection that other Dagmarians do) are fairly common as well. There are no wizards in Jarl.

Special Disabilities: The people of Jarl do not get along with other Dagmarians. Whenever another Dagmarian meets a person from Jarl, they will automatically discount anything that person says as wrong.

Vithar

Population: 100,000 (Human 98%, Dwarf 1%, Half-ogre 1%)

Alignment: Neutral

Local Language: Dagmarian common

Gods: Norse

Magic: Low

Thief Guilds: None

Organization: Monarchy

Description: Vithar is a small wooded community, hidden deep within the Woode. While Dagmarians know of its existence, few have visited it. This is partially due to the fact that the people tend to keep their town less visible than other towns in the Woode and partially due to the people of Vithar themselves.

Of all the people of Dagmar, the people of Vithar are the only ones known to practice magic outside of a priestly context. They do not openly display their abilities and such abilities are nothing more than rumor to the rest of Dagmar, but they are enough to keep most Dagmarians from wishing to travel to Vithar. Of course it is also these magical abilities that keep other creatures from attacking Vithar.

The spell casters of Vithar are known as Runemages. Their spell abilities are similar to those of wizards only in that they do not call upon a divine power for their spells. That is about where all the similarities end. These Runemages do not create showy effects like fireballs or summon creatures from other planes to destroy their foes. Instead, their magic is far more subtle, which is why other Dagmarians have tolerated them at best. They prefer to ignore Vithar’s existence completely however.

Beyond their unique brand of magic, the people of Vithar are excellent trackers and one would be hard pressed to find another group of people who would make a better guide through the Woode. Those who do not practice magic occasionally find work with raiding parties who wish to hunt down something in the Woode.

The city itself is built somewhat differently than most Dagmarian settlements. They do not consist of the large wooden buildings and walls that are characteristic of other Dagmarian cities. Instead, they are built into the ground with leafy canopies covering them. This provides a natural camouflage that, when combined with the magic of the Runemages, makes the town almost invisible.

Role-Playing: The people of Vithar are more than happy to go out and raid towns with the rest of Dagmarians, though they prefer to work in ambushes if they can. They are somewhat uncomfortable when not in a forest setting however and prefer to base their attacks from the woods.

Special Abilities: All characters from Vithar begin play with the tracking proficiency at no cost (though those who are not rangers still suffer the -6 penalty to their tracking ability due to not being a ranger). Warriors are all rangers of the giant killer, pathfinder or seeker kits (as described in the Complete Ranger’s Handbook) and gain the abilities or disabilities associated therein. Skalds, priests and thieves are also allowable. Runemages are described below.

Special Disabilities: While Dagmarians appreciate the tracking abilities of the people of Vithar, they do not trust them. No matter what a person from Vithar does, they will always be treated with suspicion from any other Dagmarian.

Runemage

Ability Requirements: Intelligence 9, Dexterity 9

Prime Requisites: Intelligence

A Runemage is a specialized form of arcane spell caster unique to Vithar. Their abilities are not nearly as advanced as a full wizard from other lands, but their abilities do allow them to greatly enhance both themselves and their companions.

Ability Requirements: The delicate process of carving runes requires the Runemage to have a minimum Dexterity of 9. The mental regimentation and discipline required to maintain the magic in their runes requires a minimum Intelligence score of 9. If a Runemage’s Intelligence score is 16 or better, he receives a 10% bonus to his experience points. Runemages advance in level as rogues, though they select their proficiencies from the wizard and general groups.

Alignment: Runemages have no specific requirements for alignment.

Arms and Armor: Runemages can wear any type of armor and learn to use any type of weapon common to the area. Armor in no way impedes his abilities to cast spells.

Rune magic: The core of a Runemage’s abilities centers on the creation of runes. These runes are carved into wood, bone, stone or metal discs. Once created, the runes maintain a magical ability for as long as the Runemage wishes to maintain it, though the Runemage may only maintain one rune per level. It takes a Runemage one full week to create a rune and infuse it with magic. This process requires meditation and seclusion so it is not something that can be done while traveling on the road. Once a rune is created, it takes a turn to attune and maintain the rune for it to begin to take effect. Like any spell casting, if this turn is interrupted due to damage or other distractions, the spell is disrupted, though the Runemage may attempt it again. The Runemage may stop maintaining any given rune at any time instantly. If a Runemage is killed, all runes he is maintaining cease to function. Runes also cease to function if they leave the possession of the person benefiting from its effects. Runes may be reused, though they must be reactivated each time they are used by the Runemage who created them. If the rune is destroyed, any spell the Runemage is maintaining through it immediately ends. If runes are targeted directly, they are usually considered to be AC 4 with 10 hit points. If the rune is in someone’s possession, the rune gain’s the possessor’s Dexterity bonus to AC. The effects of these runes are not cumulative. If a recipient is using two of the same rune, only one takes effect. If they are from different Runemages, the strongest one takes effect.

A Runemage begins play with the knowledge of how to create a single rune (the effects of which are listed below). Every level the Runemage can attempt an Intelligence check to learn how to create a new rune with a cumulative +1 bonus applied for every failed attempt since the last time a rune was learned. There is no other way for a Runemage to learn more runes. The following are a list of possible runes available to a Runemage. Others of similar power may be suggested at the DM’s discretion.

Animal Form – The Runemage fashions a bone rune which must be worn around the neck on a necklace. When activated, it allows the recipient to transform into any natural animal of hit dice equal to the Runemage. Once transformed, the recipient is stuck in the form until the Runemage decides to stop maintaining the spell. This may only be placed upon a willing or helpless recipient.

Attack – The Runemage etches a wooden or metal rune which is attached to a weapon (typically the handle). This confers a +1 bonus to both to hit and damage rolls when using the affected weapon. This bonus increases to +2 at level 4 and by an additional +1 every four levels after that to a maximum of +5. If the weapon gaining the benefit of this rune is magical, its bonus is not cumulative with this rune. The best bonus is taken, though for purposes of what creatures can be hit by the weapon, always use the plus of the weapon (if any).

Camouflage – An area surrounding this wooden rune is hidden from view. Once activated, the rune is placed in the center of the area to be affected. This allows the Runemage to hide buildings and camps with ease (including the rune itself). The area that may be affected is equal to ten yards per level of the Runemage. This is typically only effective on buildings and objects and is typically used to keep Vithar hidden. There is no effect on living creatures. Creatures attempting to find anything hidden by the rune have only a 10% chance of finding anything other than natural terrain per turn spent looking. This spell is of little use in a nonnatural setting.

Curse – This rune is etched in bone and requires some personal effect from the recipient. Such personal effects may include hair or fingernail clippings, a frequently used weapon, or perhaps some clothing. As long as this requirement is met, the Runemage does not need to be anywhere near the recipient when this spell is cast. Once it is cast, the recipient suffers similarly to the effects of a bestow curse spell. The Runemage typically locks such a rune away in some hidden place and has no need to carry it around, although it does of course count towards his limit of runes he can maintain.

Defense – This rune is typically made of metal and is somehow attached to the clothing or armor of the recipient. In the case of clothes or leather armor, the rune is usually sewn on. For metal armors, the rune is welded on, requiring the skills of a metalworker or blacksmith. Once it is activated, the recipient receives a +1 bonus to their AC. This bonus increases to +2 at level 4 and by an additional +1 every four levels after that to a maximum of +5. If the recipient already receives a magical bonus to AC due to magical armor, bracers of defense, rings of protection or other similar devices, the bonuses are not cumulative. Instead, the highest bonus is applied.

Deflect Energy – This rune is typically made of bone and is somehow attached to the clothing or armor of the recipient. In the case of clothes or leather armor, the rune is usually sewn on. For metal armors, the rune is welded on, requiring the skills of a metalworker or blacksmith. Once the rune is activated, the Runemage chooses between fire and heat, cold and ice, acid, electricity, or negative energy. The recipient may ignore up to ten points of damage per level of the Runemage from the source selected by the caster. Negative energy is an exception however. If negative energy is chosen, the recipient is protected from the level draining effects of negative energy attacks. Such attacks deal normal damage, but one level of level drain is ignored per level of the Runemage. Once the recipient receives damage exceeding the amount of protection the rune provides, it deactivates and requires the Runemage to reactivate it.

Divination – This rune is actually a series of twenty four runes, typically made of bone, stone, or wood, which are held in a leather satchel and kept with the Runemage. Once the Runemage has created and activated the runes, he may activate two abilities.

The first is an active divination about any specific question the Runemage may have about the future. The question may be as general (“Will we fight anything today?”) or as specific (“Will the priest’s hold person spell succeed against the evil sorcerer Grendel?”) as the Runemage wishes. The question can be regarding the immediate future or the distant future, though the further into the future one attempts to divine, the less likely it is of receiving an answer that will be useful. Futures which directly affect large quantities of people are also easier to divine as they tend to cause a bigger ripple in the energies the Runemage is divining. When this power is invoked, roll a d100 against a base chance of 50 plus the Runemage’s Intelligence score and level. If the roll is successful, the Runemage receives a vision or prophesy that answers the question asked. Such visions and prophesies are often misleading but still truthful. The base chance is modified as follows:

1 day in the future -0%

1 week in the future -10%

1 month in the future -20%

1 year in the future -50%

Further in the future -70%

Affects the party (under 20 people) +0%

Affects a village (20 or more people) +5%

Affects a town (100 or more people) +10%

Affects a city (3,000 or more people) +20%

Affects a country (100,000 or more people) +30%

Affects a continent (10,000,000 or more people) +50%

Affects the world (100,000,000 or more people) +70%

If the chance is brought to 100% or more, the divination is automatically successful and no roll need be made. The modifiers are of course not cumulative. When applying the penalties for time, use the best modifier possible. For example, a divination for two days in the future would use the week modifier as it is longer than a day, but not as long as a week. When determining how many people are affected by an event, keep in mind that the people must be directly affected. A fireball in a building that burns the building down and kills everyone inside would directly affect those inside the building. It would only directly affect the rest of the city if there were to be a public outcry against mages due to this event in which major laws were passed or lynching of magic users became common. If it is largely ignored by the city at large, it only directly affected the people within the building. This version of the rune may only be cast once per day (even if multiple sets of runes have been carved) and once it has been used, the Runemage cannot choose to stop maintaining it for 24 full hours.

The other use of these runes is a more passive divination. Once the runes are activated, they resonate when the Runemage touches an object or area of importance to the past. The Runemage has no control over this power other than his ability to turn it on and off by maintaining or not maintaining the runes. If he touches an item of historical importance, he immediately receives a vision of the past. The vision typically lasts a round (though the subjective time of the vision itself may be much longer or shorter), during which time the Runemage is completely unable to sense the world around him. This could be dangerous if the Runemage has this power active as he is fighting in an ancient battlefield as he may get several visions as he walks through it. Of course, the Runemage has no way of telling what is or is not of historical significance until he receives a vision.

Enhance – This rune is carved from metal or bone and is sewn into or otherwise attached to the clothing of the recipient. When an enhance rune is carved, the Runemage decides what it will enhance, choosing between any of the six attributes. Once it is created, the specific rune is sewn into clothing as follows. A Strength enhancing rune is attached to an armband or a sleeve. A Dexterity enhancing rune is attached to gloves. A Constitution enhancing rune is attached to the chest of a shirt, near the heart. Wisdom or Intelligence enhancing runes are attached to a circlet which is worn around the head. A Charisma enhancing rune is attached to a belt buckle.

When the rune is activated and maintained, the recipient receives a +1 bonus to the relevant stat. This bonus increases to +2 at level three and an additional +1 for every three levels the Runemage possesses beyond that. This is assuming the rune is used up to the recipient’s racial maximum. If the recipient is already at his racial maximum, every 3 pluses raises the recipient’s score by one. The exception is for Strength where each point beyond 18 raises the recipient’s score in the exceptional Strength chart by one listing per plus. For example, a human with a Dexterity of 17 wears a Dexterity enhancing rune made by a 15^th level Runemage. This provides a +6 to Dexterity. However, since the human is almost at his racial maximum, he would only gain a Dexterity score of 19. Any given recipient can only benefit from a single enhance rune and even then only if he is not affected by any other stat enhancing magical item (a belt of giant strength for example).

Enslave - This rune is made of stone and is attached to a collar which is placed around the neck of the recipient. The recipient must be willing, unconscious or restrained for the turn it requires to activate this rune. Once it is activated, the recipient becomes a slave to the Runemage. He must do anything the Runemage asks for as long as he maintains the rune. The recipient still has free will and may act as he wishes as long as he does not go against an order he has been given by the Runemage. Such an act is impossible to do even if the action goes against the recipient’s normal alignment or behavior. The exception is for actions the recipient is incapable of doing or has no knowledge of how to accomplish. A recipient with no means of flight could not be ordered to fly, nor could a warrior be ordered to cast a spell for example. The recipient cannot actively attempt to remove or destroy the rune, but there is nothing stopping him from getting someone else to do it unless the Runemage has carefully worded his orders to the contrary.

Eternal Slumber – This rune is carved from wood and is sewn into a facemask which is worn around the eyes of the recipient. This rune may only be used upon a recipient who is willing, unconscious or restrained for the turn it requires the Runemage to activate it. Once the rune is activated and maintained, the recipient is put in a state of rest from which he cannot wake up. All life functions cease and the recipient has no need for air or food. He also does not age for as long as the rune is maintained. Natural healing does not occur and to most the recipient appears to be dead.

Flight – This rune is carved from wood and is sewn into the cloak or cape of the recipient. For as long as the rune is maintained, the recipient can fly short distances before having to land. The recipient receives a flying movement rate of 18(A) though he may only fly for one round per level of the Runemage before having to land. Once the recipient has landed, he may then fly again for the same amount of time. This requires as much effort for the recipient as normal walking, though a magic user can cast a spell if he moves no more than 3.

Forbiddance – This rune is carved from bone and is placed in a visible place at the center of the area the Runemage wishes to affect. Once activated, no living creature can enter the area of effect unless they meet a set of requirements decided upon by the Runemage. Common requirements include race, a password, possession of a specific item, sex, or specific named individuals. In the case of specific named individuals, such individuals must be touched when the Runemage activates the rune.

Creatures with higher hit dice or levels than the Runemage are unaffected as are undead or animated creatures such as golems. The maximum area that this rune can affect is a 5 yard radius per level of the Runemage, though this area can be made smaller if the Runemage wishes. Multiple runes could also be spread about to increase the area of protection as well.

Magical Detection – This rune is made of stone and is worn in a helmet or circlet. As long as the rune is maintained, the Runemage is able to sense magic within a 5 yard radius per level of the Runemage. He cannot tell what type of magic it is, nor can he tell specifically what is giving off magic. He can tell roughly how close he is to the magical item as he feels its presence strengthen the closer he gets to it.

Resistance – This rune is made of bone or stone and is worn on an amulet around the neck. Once activated, it provides a +1 bonus to the recipient’s saving throws. This bonus increases to +2 at level 6 and increases by +1 for every six levels of the Runemage beyond that.

Restful Slumber - This rune is carved from wood and is sewn into a facemask which is worn around the eyes of the recipient. This rune may only be used upon a recipient who is willing, unconscious or restrained for the turn it requires the Runemage to activate it. Once the rune is activated, the recipient falls asleep. The recipient may awaken at any time, though he has no sense of what is happening around him unless he is jostled awake. All life functions cease and the recipient has no need for air or food. He also does not age for as long as the rune is maintained. This rest is extremely regenerative and someone who spends one hour sleeping with the benefits of this rune gains the same benefits as eight hours of full bed rest. Therefore someone who rests a full eight hours under the benefits of this rune would gain the benefits of eight nights worth of full bed rest. Once a recipient of this rune is awakened, he cannot benefit from the rune until he has had at least a full day of activity. As long as he is not awakened, however, he can sleep indefinitely.

Returning – This rune is etched in metal and placed anywhere the Runemage wishes. Once it has been placed, the Runemage spends one turn to activate it then he may leave. As long as the rune is maintained, the Runemage may spend a turn of concentration to be teleported back to the rune. For every level past first, the Runemage may bring along another person or 200 pounds worth of material. This teleportation is not instantaneous. As the Runemage concentrates for that turn, he and anyone he brings with him gradually fade away from their current location and fade into existence around the rune. For the entire process, they effectively exist in two places at once and if the Runemage is struck or otherwise has his concentration disrupted in either of the two places, he and his cargo snap back to the original location and must begin again. If anyone else other than the Runemage is struck or has their concentration disrupted in either place, they snap back but the rest of the group may continue if they wish. For the first five rounds of concentration, the group can sense the original location. Once they get to the sixth round, their senses have been transported to the rune and they can tell what is going on there, but not the original location. A Runemage can maintain as many different returning runes as he wishes so long as he has enough levels to meet the number. If he is maintaining several of them, he can choose which rune he wishes to transport to.

Seeing – These runes are made of bone and consist of a set of two. One of the runes is a receiver while the other is a transmitter. Once the rune is maintained (the set of two counts as one rune for purposes of maintenance limits), the Runemage can see or hear from the transmitter as though it were his eye or ear. He can only see or hear, not both at once, though he may freely switch between the two senses by moving the rune from his ear to his eye and back again.

Tracelessness – This rune is made of wood and is sewn onto one of the recipient’s boots. For as long as the rune is maintained, the recipient does not leave behind anything that would allow him to be tracked such as fingerprints, footprints or scent. He passes through grasses and bushes without leaving a trail of any kind. Of course, the recipient can still make his path obvious through other means such as breaking down doors, leaving a trail of bodies, or drawing arrows in the dust.

Understanding – This rune is made of bone and is held up to the ear. The Runemage carves a minimum of two of these runes though only one of these two runes counts towards his maintenance limit. Every understanding rune he carves beyond those counts however. Once a rune is activated and held up to the ear, the recipient can understand anything that anyone else who has an active rune up against their ear is saying. This allows normal conversation in loud areas that may be difficult to hear in as well as translates the languages of foreign speakers. Anyone who is benefiting from these runes must be within normal distance that someone would have to be for the speaker to be heard in optimal circumstances. For example, someone who is whispering could only be heard if the other recipients were close enough to hear the whisper if everything was quiet.

Vanish – This rune is made of metal and is held in the mouth of the recipient. Once it is maintained, the recipient becomes completely invisible. The recipient is unable to talk or attack without disrupting the magic of the rune. If he does either, he instantly becomes visible and the Runemage must once again activate it to gain the benefit of the spell again.

Water breathing – This rune is made of stone and is either placed in the mouth or attached to a facemask. For as long as the rune is maintained, the recipient is able to breathe underwater normally. He is unable to eat or talk while the rune is in his mouth and doing so disrupts the rune’s magic.

The Provinces of the Desu Island Chain

The Desu Island Chain consists of nine islands, each of which constitutes a province. Each of these provinces is an entity unto itself, but they all owe fealty to the central province of Sheng. Here, in the center of the chain atop Mount Ichihama, the emperor resides. The emperor’s palace is a fantastic masterpiece crafted of stone, marble and jade. The imperial family has lived here for as long as the Desu Islands have existed as a unified nation.

For centuries, the Desian Empire was restricted to just these islands. It was forbidden to venture beyond them for fear that one would fall off the edge of Gilon. When the great explorer Marcus Sentir landed on Xiao in the year 1190, the emperor was persuaded to allow a few ships beyond the Desu Islands.

Since then, some ships have left for other lands, but they are very few and far between. The dangers of ocean travel are many and few are willing to risk the trip to see other lands. Many ships have landed in Jabulani and Oceloxichitl, but they have all been repelled by the natives. A few have even made it to Greatwood, where the natives were equally inhospitable. The few who have made it to the Eluvian continent have managed to find friendly ports, but the trouble they had to go through to get that far was enough that those who did found it easier (and safer) to simply stay put and not return. This of course means that the people back home simply assume them to be dead as they have no way of sending word back.

Magic is very prevalent among Desians. Powerful masters of the mystical arts throughout the Desu Islands have formed dojos. There, prospective students can apply to learn under the masters, for a fee of course. Each province tends to trend towards a certain style of magic, and of course, the students of each style believe theirs is the best. This leads to many duels between the schools, all of which are officially sanctioned and allowable as far as the government is concerned so long as both parties sign a death waiver and duel in an area where risk to the city is minimal.

The Desu Islands have a long history of organized crime. While there are of course many ninja clans who take care of any number of assassinations, the biggest crime organization is the Yakuza. The Yakuza essentially control all crime in the Desu Islands. Thieves who are members of a thieves’ guild are assumed to be one of the Yakuza.

Ayame

Population: 510,000 (Human 70%, Spirit Folk 30%)

Alignment: Neutral Good

Local Language: Desian Common

Gods: Fu Hsing, Liu, Izanagi, Izanami, Susanoo, Inari, Shichifukujin

Magic: Moderate

Thief Guilds: Yakuza

Organization: Feudal

Description: The easternmost province of the Desu Chain is Ayame. Here, the five cities of Fujita, Kiyoko, Uyeda, Yukio and Yoshifumi can be found. The terrain of Ayame is very lightly forested, with many marshy lands in which rice is grown. Fishing is also a very common profession.

The people of Ayame tend to be more nature loving than most. The Desians believe there to be five elements: earth, air, fire, water, and wood. Those of Ayame tend to have a stronger connection to wood than any of the other elements. This is reflected both in their lifestyle and in their magical abilities. Spirit folk are also common in Ayame, especially bamboo spirit folk (see Oriental Adventures for details). Magic users of Ayame are known as wood mages. They are unique among magic users and gain unique abilities. See the wizard section below for details on that.

The largest city in Ayame, and the only one with a real port, is Kiyoko. Taxes for the emperor are sent here before being shipped to Chizu and then the emperor’s palace in Mingmei. Commerce is fierce in Kiyoko, unlike the other cities of Ayame, which are far more rural.

Role-Playing: The people of Ayame all respect nature. They do not necessarily worship it, but they show it due respect. They will never wantonly destroy without sound reason. They are largely of good conscience and do what they can to be helpful.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – Most warriors are rangers, though even other warrior classes are fairly at home in natural surroundings. They begin play with the survival nonweapon proficiency at no cost.

Priest – All priests of Ayame have an affinity with nature spirits. When in natural surroundings, these spirits guide the priests, leading them to food and shelter. They effectively have the survival nonweapon proficiency at no cost.

Wizard – All mages of Ayame are wood mages. These mages function much like elementalists, only their specialization is wood. They may learn any spells from the plant priest sphere as though they were wizard spells. They gain all the benefits of a elementalist as described in Player’s Option: Spells and Magic. Wood is opposed to both air and fire for purposes of what spells the wood mage can cast.

Rogue – All rogues study herbs for various reasons. Some to learn how to make healing poultices, some out of curiosity, some just pick it up along the way. Regardless of how or why the rogue learns it, he begins play with the herbalism nonweapon proficiency at no cost.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – Warriors are usually careful to avoid upsetting nature spirits. If they ever insult one, they will find their lives growing very difficult. Possessions disappear, monsters attack with greater frequency, and various other mishaps happen to the warrior until he can make amends with the spirit.

Priest – Should a priest ever gain disfavor by upsetting a nature spirit, he will find his life growing incredibly difficult. Until he makes amends with the offended spirit, the priest and any companions will always become lost in any natural setting. In addition, upset animals and monsters will blunder in their direction, doubling the group’s chance of random encounters.

Wizard – Wood mages suffer no particular disabilities other than those inherent from being an elementalist.

Rogue – Rogues are usually picked on by a nature spirit for one reason or another. A randomly determined nature spirit has decided to focus his sights on the rogue, the consequences of which are up to the DM.

Daija

Population: 730,000 (Human 70%, Korobokuru 30%)

Alignment: Lawful Good

Local Language: Desian Common

Gods: Kuan-ti, Yen-Wang-Yeh, Lei Kung, Hachiman, Raiden, Ama-Tsu-Mara, Ho Masubi, Nai No Kami

Magic: High

Thief Guilds: Yakuza

Organization: Feudal

Description: The northernmost province of the Desu Islands is Daija. It is here that the four towns of Jiro, Kaede, Hanako and Kei are located. On the eastern side of the island lies Mount Sayonara. This mountain is an active volcano, though it very rarely erupts. The thermal energies from the volcano has created many hot springs throughout Daija and it is very famous for them. The only province that has more is Xiao.

Centuries ago, Daija was home to the Korobukuru. As humans landed upon the island and settled, they were forced to move into ever smaller areas. They can still be found in relatively large numbers throughout Daija, but never near any of the human cities. They are usually hostile and often attack human transports through their land. Such transports are fairly rare however.

The finest craftsmen and weapon smiths in the Desu Islands, and perhaps the world, can be found amidst the cities of Daija. It is here that the emperor’s sword is forged whenever a new one is born. Perhaps due to this pride, the mages of Daija believe artifice to be the finest of all magical philosophies. All mages of Daija are artificers and one would be hard pressed to find superior magical items anywhere in the world.

The cities themselves are filled with enchanted wonders. Magical conveniences such as self filling buckets, ever clean clothes, bags of holding and magically heated stoves are common. Even the poorest of paupers has at least one magical trinket.

The cities are each linked to one another through teleportation hubs. The price to use such hubs is high, but it is still the most common way to travel between the four cities. Those who cannot afford the luxury typically cannot afford to be traveling anyway. So far, the artificers have yet to find a way to create a teleportation pad that would travel to other provinces. For some reason, unknown to them, such magic seems unable to cross water. Normal boats are required for such travel, though many of these have been enchanted for speed as well as defense against the many creatures that lurk in the deep.

These magical conveniences are not without their consequences. Occasionally the cities are plagued by magical smog. The effects of which can never be predicted and can be anything from mostly harmless such as growing hair on anything it touches to outright dangerous such as disintegration. The magical energy also makes spirits more likely to stick around. Many places in Daija are haunted, though the spirits are not all baneful. Some are actually helpful and one dojo in Kei is actually run by the ghost of an artificer.

Role-Playing: The people of Daija are used to a magical lifestyle and feel uncomfortable when not around it. They will constantly bicker about the lack of conveniences and poor lifestyle and mutter to themselves about how it could be possible for people to live without.

Special Abilities: All characters from Daija are assumed to have magical items. They may choose to begin play with up to 1,500 xp worth of magic items selected from tables 89 through 110. Selections are subject to DM approval however.

There are also a high number of weaponsmiths and armorers among the people of Daija, so most people have at least a passing knowledge of the skill. This makes learning the proficiency much easier. Anyone from Daija may choose to purchase the weaponsmithing or armorer proficiencies for one slot.

Wizard – All wizards are assumed to be artificers. Artificers of Daija have perfected the art of mass producing magical items. If they wish to create a batch of magical items of the same type, reduce costs for additional copies by 50%.

For example, Keikomon the artificer decides he wants to make ten rings of jasmine scent each of which would cost him 500 gold in materials to make. Knowing that he is about to make a large batch of the rings he buys materials in bulk and prepares them all at once. The final cost to Keikomon is 500 gold for the first ring and 250 gold for each additional ring. The total time required to make 10 rings isn’t changed however.

Special Disabilities: When separated from their magical aids, the people of Daija feel crippled. If such a character is ever without any magical items, he suffers a -2 penalty to all die rolls.

Wizard – While the wizard can mass produce magic items, there is a risk in not focusing on one item at a time. When making a batch, each item he makes has a 25% chance of being cursed in some manner.

Hachi

Population: 2,910,000 (Human 93%, Hengeyokai 5%, Spirit Folk 2%)

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Local Language: Desian Common

Gods: Kuan-ti, Fu Hsing, Lu Hsing, Kuan Yin, Sung Chiang, Shina-Tsu-Hiko, Amatsu-Mikaboshi, Shichifukujin

Magic: Moderate

Thief Guilds: Yakuza

Organization: Feudal

Description: The province of Hachi is the westernmost province and is home to the cities of Akina, Azarni, Kameko, Masakazu, Minako, Ryuchi, Shika, Toyo and Vanida. The people of Hachi are great worshippers of chance and many follow gods of good fortune, especially the seven lucky gods, also known as the Shichifukujin.

Games of chance are highly popular among the people of Hachi. Gaming parlors can be found in any of the cities. The Yakuza have a particularly strong hold on the cities of Hachi and many of the gaming parlors are secretly run by Yakuza. While there is no official record of this, it is largely assumed that the Yakuza originally formed somewhere in Hachi.

Of course in this land of chance, wild mages consider themselves to be the best of all magic users. All wizards from Hachi are assumed to be wild mages. No one knows why, but there are many areas of wild magic throughout Hachi. The wild mages thrive in these areas and often congregate to study them. Some scholars hypothesize that these areas are due to the large numbers of wild mages stumbling upon wild magic. Wild mages say that the reason there are so many wild mages is because of areas of wild magic.

Central to Hachi is Mount Sakura. At the top of this mountain is the city of Ryuchi. A monastic order of priests occupies much of the town. Among those priests are many Hengeyokai. Hengeyokai are fairly common throughout Hachi, but they seem to be most concentrated around Mount Sakura and most tend to stay out of the various human cities.

Role-Playing: The people of Hachi are always willing to take risks. It is only through taking risks that anyone can gain good fortune. This does not mean that they will take up every bet they come across, but if they think they have at least a vaguely reasonable chance of success, they will try.

Special Abilities: All people of Hachi are familiar with gaming and begin play with the gaming proficiency at no cost. They become far better than most at gaming and as they level their skills at games of chance increase. They get a +1 bonus to any uses of the gaming proficiency for every three levels of experience.

Wizard – Wizards are assumed to be wild mages as described in Tome of Magic. These wild mages are particularly at home in areas of wild magic. When casting within one, they count as being two levels higher for purposes of any level based variables in a spell.

Special Disabilities: None

Jia

Population: 930,000 (Human 100%)

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Local Language: Desian Common

Gods: Kuan-ti, Liu, Kuan Yin, Chih-Nii, Lao Tzu, Tsuki-Yomi, O-Kuni-Nushi, Inari, Ho Masubi, Kura Okami, Shichifukujin

Magic: Moderate

Thief Guilds: Yakuza

Organization: Feudal

Description: The province of Jia is lightly forested and sits to the southwest of the Desu Islands. This province contains the cities of Dai, Hide, Kano and Uyeda. Uyeda is the largest city and the only one with a formal port. Like much of the Desu Islands, the cities of Jia depend heavily on rice and fish for food. The cities of Jia (especially Hide) are known for their quality rice wine known as sake. While most of the Desu Islands produce their own brands of sake, it is widely acknowledged that the sake from Jia is the best as they just about always win the various sake competitions that are held on a fairly regular basis.

Textiles are also widely produced among the cities of Jia. Silk, hemp and wool clothes are all manufactured here. The various textiles produced in the small province of Jia account for roughly 50% of all cloth manufactured in the Desu Islands. Spinners, weavers, sheep farmers and silk-worm farmers are fairly common.

The people of Jia are varied in their talents and beliefs. This is perhaps why they are home to the wu jen school of mystical arts. It emphasizes flexibility over specialization, which is quite a turn from the magical schools of other provinces which focus on single specialties. The wu jen of course see themselves as superior as they are able to use any magic the other schools would be able to do with little restriction. Not being quite as skilled in a specific aspect of magic, to them, is more than a fair trade to be able to use all of it.

Role-Playing: Many of the natives of Jia are dual classed as they see specializing in one thing to be something of a waste. They believe focusing too much on one thing blinds one to the big picture. They typically take a step back from things to see how everything works together and make excellent planners, despite their sometimes chaotic nature.

Special Abilities:

Warriors – When warriors train in the arts of war, they learn all aspects of martial training. As such whenever using a weapon they are not proficient in, they only receive half the normal penalty (aka -1 instead of -2).

Their ability to look at battles as a whole gives them some advantages in battle as well. If they make a successful Wisdom check during a battle, they can sense things that allow them to fight better as well as aid their companions. The Wisdom check may be taken every round to gain these bonuses, but it applies a +4 penalty to the warrior’s initiative regardless of whether it succeeds or not. If the check succeeds, the warrior may apply a bonus to either his AC, to hit or damage rolls for that round. This bonus is +1 at first level and it rises to +2 at seventh, +3 at thirteenth and +4 at nineteenth level.

The warrior can watch an ally and shout out tips, though this is not as effective. When he does this, he must make his normal Wisdom check and suffer a +4 penalty to initiative. The person he is advising must delay his action to that of the warrior’s +2 or his own +2, whichever is worse. He must then succeed in a Wisdom check of his own to see if he interprets the advice correctly. Assuming everything succeeds, the recipient can receive the same bonus as described earlier.

Priests – Priests gain no particular abilities other than those inherent to their faiths.

Wizards – Wizards of Jia are wu jen as described in the Complete Wizard’s Handbook. They gain all the abilities described therein.

Rogues – Thieves are better able to see openings than many of their counterparts. If they delay their initiative by +4 and succeed in a Wisdom check, they may apply their backstab multiplier to their attack in normal combat. Note that unless they happen to be doing this from behind, they do not receive the +4 bonus to hit they would normally get for a backstab.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – The warriors of Jia prefer to have knowledge in a wide variety of weapons over focusing on a single one. They may never gain specialization in a single weapon.

Priests – Priests suffer no particular disabilities other than those inherent to their faiths.

Wizards – Wizards of Jia suffer the normal disabilities described in the wu jen kit in the Complete Wizard’s Handbook.

Rogues – Striking a vulnerable area requires much precision on the part of the thief and jostling easily throws the attack off. If the thief is struck before he completes his attack, the attempt is disrupted, though they still suffer the normal initiative penalty.

Kairi

Population: 680,000 (Human 88%, Spirit Folk 10%, Hengeyokai 2%)

Alignment: Neutral

Local Language: Desian Common

Gods: Kuan-ti, Kuan Yin, Lei Kung, Sung Chiang, Susanoo, Raiden, Nai No Kami, O-Wata-Tsu-Mi, Kura Okami

Magic: High

Thief Guilds: Yakuza

Organization: Feudal

Description: Located on the south eastern corner of the Desu Islands, Kairi is a province dominated by the ocean. Botan, Etsu, Fudo and Shinoi can all be found on this island and their people are mostly fishermen. Very little farming is done on Kairi, at least in comparison to the other provinces. Most crops are typically imported from other provinces, though diet is focused more on seafood with favorites including fish cakes, sushi, and okonomiyaki (a sort of cross between a pizza and a pancake, usually topped with octopus, squid or shrimp).

Gods of the sea, rain and thunder are very popular in Kairi. Since they are so dependant on the sea and weather, most people are sure to make offering to one or more of these gods regularly. Spirit folk of the sea thrive in and around Kairi, though a few hengeyokai (especially those of the crane, carp and crab variety) do also call Kairi home. The spirit folk are highly prized in Kairi and can expect almost anything they wish in return for staying on as part of the crew of a ship. It is largely considered extremely good luck to have one on board and such creatures are always treated highly to attract them. A few unsavory captains have been known to lock such creatures up in their holds or sell them as slaves, but this practice is highly illegal and those that are caught are punished severely.

It is not surprising that in a society focused so much on the ocean would form a magical school devoted to water. Mages of Kairi are all water elementalists. These elementalists are slightly different than those of other areas however. While most water elementalists focus on manipulating water for the sake of manipulating water, the mages of Kairi see water as a means of focusing and seeing the unseen. They make excellent seers and the emperor himself has one in his service.

One constant threat of the ocean is the kraken. This mysterious gargantuan squid lives somewhere in the oceans southeast of Kairi. Many fishermen offer part of their catch to appease the creature for fear of it attacking and bringing their ships into the watery abyss. In truth, it rarely does attack, but when it does it is such a spectacular event that it keeps the people of Kairi in fear. The emperor has sent many brave men to find and kill the kraken. So far they have all failed. Since the attempts usually result in a backlash on the part of the creature which then sinks many ships, or in some cases attacks ports and pulls anyone nearby into the water, no one has pressed the issue. It is largely believed that the kraken does not simply eat the people he catches because he does not attack often enough to feed himself. Most believe that his lair is an air-filled breeding ground where it raises people the same way a farmer raises chickens or cattle for food. None have ever seen this lair first hand to confirm this belief, but then again, none really want to.

Role-Playing: People of Kairi are a superstitious lot, at least regarding the sea. They all know every little superstition about sea travel and many make up their own. They all dream of owning their own ship one day, if they do not already, and will often go into detail about their dream ship and what it would include.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – Warriors are practically born in the water and begin play with the swimming proficiency at no cost. They also know how to fight in the water and begin play with the spear weapon proficiency, also at no cost.

Priest – Priests are practically born in the water and begin play with the swimming proficiency at no cost. They have an innate affinity for the water and any spells they cast from the sphere of elemental water is treated as though it were one level lower for purposes of casting and learning. First level spells are unaffected. Priests who do not normally have access to the elemental water sphere do not gain this benefit, though they do gain minor access to the elemental water sphere.

Wizard – Wizards of Kairi are both water elementalists and diviners. They gain all the benefits of both specialties, though they only get one bonus spell per spell level. This bonus spell may be either a water elemental spell or a divination spell. In cases where their barred schools overlap the spell is barred unless it is specifically related to one of the specialties. Conjuring water elementals for example would be allowed as it is a water elemental spell, but conjuring an earth or air elemental wouldn’t as conjuration is barred for divination.

In addition, the wizard may choose to have access to either the priestly sphere of divination or elemental water. They learn and cast spells from one of those spheres as though they are wizard spells and count as part of their specialty for purposes of bonus spells or saving throw adjustments.

Rogue – Rogues are practically born in the water and begin play with the swimming proficiency at no cost. They also know how to fight in the water and begin play with the spear weapon proficiency, also at no cost.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – Warriors have an innate vulnerability to electricity and suffer a -2 penalty to any saves vs. electrical based damage. They also suffer 1 additional point of damage for every point of damage suffered.

Priest – Priests have an innate vulnerability to electricity and suffer a -2 penalty to any saves vs. electrical based damage. They also suffer 1 additional point of damage for every point of damage suffered.

Wizard – Kairi wizards must meet the requirements for both diviners and water elementalists. This means they must have an Intelligence of at least 9, a Wisdom of at least 16 and they cannot cast fire spells nor conjuration/summoning spells.

Rogue – Rogues have an innate vulnerability to electricity and suffer a -2 penalty to any saves vs. electrical based damage. They also suffer 1 additional point of damage for every point of damage suffered.

Lien

Population: 430,000 (Human 95%, Spirit Folk 3%, Hengeyokai 2%)

Alignment: Lawful Evil

Local Language: Desian Common

Gods: Yen-Wang-Yeh, Chung Kuel, Lu Hsing, Lei Kung, Sung Chiang, Lao Tzu, K’ung Fu-tzu, Hachiman, Susanoo, Raiden, Ama-Tsu-Mara, Ho Masubi, Nai No Kami, Shina-Tsu-Hiko, Amatsu-Mikaboshi

Magic: Moderate

Thief Guilds: Yakuza

Organization: Feudal

Description: Lien is relatively small in population compared to the other provinces. Containing only the cities of Hoshi, Matsu and Phailin, Lien has not expanded the way other provinces have. This is likely due in part to the large population of oni that can be found inhabiting the wilderness of this province.

The oni are a breed of demonic, magic using ogres. These oni delight in the taste of human flesh as well as spreading chaos and destruction. While they do occasionally attack a town, this is rare so the humans that call this province home tend to stay near their towns and try not to spread out too far. Humans that travel the wilderness can expect to encounter oni and likely end up on the creatures’ dinner table.

This constant danger has caused the people of Lien to be both organized and cold. They stick together knowing there is safety in their numbers, but they have absolutely no sympathy for those who move out and are attacked by the oni. Those who do are considered dead to the community whether they survive or not and will under no circumstances get any aid.

It is on this province that the lotus blossom blooms in greatest number. This flower grows near many small ponds found throughout Lien, but the most prized is the black lotus. This flower is extremely rare to the point that many simply believe it to be fictional. The various parts of this flower can be used to create deadly poisons and hallucinogenic drugs that are extremely potent. There is said to be a ninja clan somewhere in Lien that makes extensive use of the flower. While this is unlikely, many assassins train in Lien, and their extensive use of poison likely lends to the stories that people tell of such a clan.

Magic users of Lien are among the deadliest of assassins. Lien magic users follow the Infiltration school of mystical arts. This school focuses most on spells that allow one to enter areas unnoticed and kill quickly and efficiently. Loud, flashy spells such as fireball are avoided over quick spells like finger of death or those that focus on single targets such as magic missile or Melf’s acid arrow. They are highly prized assassins, though a few use their skills exclusively on monsters that plague humans, especially oni.

Role-Playing: The people of Lien make excellent team members. They know that they must work with allies for survival so they will always do their best for the group. They can be somewhat cold towards those who choose to go against the wishes of the group and the more evil among them might just kill such a person.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – The warriors of Lien work well in groups and make excellent tacticians. If they have a chance to see the layout of an area and know what general dangers to expect, they can formulate a plan. The plan requires a turn of planning and giving instructions, and the player must actually give forth the plan to be followed. Every member of his group that follows through on the plan receives a +4 bonus to both to hit and damage rolls, or a +4 bonus to AC. This can be devastating with larger groups, though the entire group must be able to hear the warrior and understand the plan to benefit from it. They also cannot be engaged in battle or any other distracting activity.

Priest – Priests gain no particular abilities beyond those of their priesthoods.

Wizard – Wizards of Lien are all Infiltrationists. They gain the normal benefits of school specialization, but their spells are more focused on effect than school. The type of spells they use are those that will restrain or silence an enemy as well as those that will allow entrance to a building. Some attack spells are also included, but these are restricted to those that focus on a single target and are not particularly loud or flashy. Such spells would call attention to someone who is otherwise attempting to be quiet.

Infiltrationists may elect to be multi-classed thieves. This is an exception to the restriction on humans to be multi-classed. Below is a list of Player’s Handbook spells that would fall under the specialty (though others may be allowed with DM permission):

Rogue – While thieves gain no particular abilities, bards are exceptionally effective in battle. They may sing a war chant that unifies a group and confers many bonuses. For the chant to have effect, the bard must begin chanting at least three rounds before combat begins, otherwise his allies are too caught up in the events about them to benefit from this ability.

Such chanting has an effective range of ten feet per level of the bard. The effects end as soon as the bard takes damage or in a number of rounds equal to his level, whichever comes first. At first level only one effect applies while at third level and every three levels beyond that an additional effect may be applied. The possible effects are as follows:

- Bonus hit points equal to the bard’s level

- A morale bonus of 1 for every six levels of the bard

- +1 bonus to all attack rolls

- +1 bonus to all damage rolls

- +1 bonus to all saving throws

- -1 bonus to everyone’s Armor Class

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – Unfortunately for the warrior, plans rarely survive first contact with the enemy. Any member of the warrior’s group that deviates from the plan decided upon ahead of time does not receive any of the benefits described earlier. If the warrior deviates from the plan, the entire plan is thrown out and no one gains the benefits mentioned earlier.

Priest – Priests suffer no particular disabilities beyond those inherent of their priesthoods.

Wizard – Like all specialties, Infiltrationists have their barred spells. These spells include anything with showy or flashy effects such as burning hands, color spray, fireball, and prismatic wall. Most illusion spells such as phantasmal force or spectral force also fall into this category. The spells are not listed here, but should be apparent as they are found.

Rogue – Rogues suffer no particular disabilities.

Makoto

Population: 540,000 (Human 90%, Spirit Folk 5%, Hengeyokai 3%, Korobokuru 2%)

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Local Language: Desian Common

Gods: Yeng-Wan-Yeh, Chung Kuel, Lu Hsing, Shou Hsing, Chih-Nii, Lao Tzu, K’ung Fu-tzu, Izanagi, Izanami, Tsuki-Yomi, O-Kuni-Nushi, O-Wata-Tsu-Mi, Shichifukujin

Magic: Moderate

Thief Guilds: Yakuza

Organization: Feudal

Description: Situated in the northwest corner of the Desu Islands, Makoto is a land of thinkers and mystics. Many of the Desu Islands’ greatest thinkers came from Makoto. The province itself is fairly small and contains 4 relatively small towns: Iku, Haruko, Rai and Yayoi.

The people of Makoto live a fairly regimented life. They leave nothing to chance and always perform as tradition dictates, especially in regards to respect for one’s ancestors. This is probably due to the abundance of spirits that roam the land. As long as these spirits are appeased, they are relatively benign and some are actually fairly helpful, though it may not always be readily apparent. Priests and magic users alike have studied these spirits extensively and each makes use of them in their own way. Even the more mundane people have a fairly extensive knowledge of customs and charms needed to ward off malevolent spirits while attracting beneficial ones.

Compared to other islands, very little traffic makes its way out to Makoto. This is for several reasons. For one, the people produce about enough for their own needs and have very little that is worth trading with other provinces. For two, none of the cities have ports that would be necessary for larger ships. They each sit upon the ocean and have a small dock for little fishing boats, but larger ships have to lay anchor off shore and send smaller ships to the docks.

Role-Playing: The people of Makoto are very respectful of the dead, and they are also great thinkers. They will be the first to show disgust at the prospect of defiling a tomb and they are always sure to make their daily offering to the spirits. Given the choice, they will usually find a way to think their way through an issue rather than acting rashly.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – Warriors know all the best ways to appease and, if need be, defeat spirits of all kinds. They begin play with the spirit lore nonweapon proficiency as described in the Complete Book of Necromancers. For those without access to the book, it is based on Charisma -4. A successful check allows one to call upon spirits and ask them questions, though they are under no obligation to answer. Furthermore, it will allow them to know what etiquette and offerings would be required to appease angry spirits.

Priest – Priests of Makoto are excellent vessels for the various spirits that roam the province. They can channel the spirits into them and allow the spirits to complete any tasks they may need to complete to move on to the next life. Should a spirit be in the area, it can choose to inhabit the priest if it wishes. The priest then takes on the personality and characteristics the spirit had in life. For all intensive purposes, the spirit lives again through the priest.

For example, Sakura the first level priestess is possessed by the spirit of Akane the tenth level ninja. Sakura now has all the abilities of Akane the tenth level ninja (including THAC0, saves, hit points etc). This could potentially give the priest powers beyond those the priest would normally possess, at least until the spirit is laid to rest. The priest suffers no side effects from this possession, though if the priest dies when possessed the priest dies normally. Any damage sustained by the priest while possessed otherwise vanishes when the possession ends.

This constant interaction with the spirit world gives them something of a resistance to negative energy. If they are struck by a negative energy attack (such as a wraith or vampire’s level drain attack), they can avoid all level draining on a successful save vs. paralysis. If the attack allows a save already, they receive a +4 bonus to the save.

Wizard – Magic users of Makoto are of the Spirit school of mystical arts. Practitioners are called Mediums. This school of magic focuses on the study of spirits. It has many similarities to necromancy and includes many spells from that school but is a bit more benevolent. That is to say the necromancers do not go out of their way to raise hordes of undead minions. In fact, such spells as animate dead are forbidden to the school as they are believed to unnecessarily defile the spirits of the dead. With the exception of barring the creation of undead, Mediums are treated as necromancers with all the abilities, requirements and restrictions associated with them. In addition, they receive the following abilities:

At first level they gain an ability similar to some clerics’ ability to control undead. It deviates in a few key ways. First of all it only works on spirits. It has no effect on corporeal undead. Second it does not give the Medium complete control of the spirits. Instead, it keeps them from attacking him so he can at least attempt to communicate with them if possible. If successful, they are friendly towards the Medium and will hear him out, possibly doing a favor if asked politely, or answering some questions.

At fifth level, the Medium can ask the spirits for guidance. This effectively duplicates the second level priest spell augury. The Medium may use this ability once a week.

At seventh level, the Medium can assume wraithform as the third level wizard spell of the same name. This ability can be invoked once per day.

At tenth level, the Medium can summon spiritual energy to protect him from harm. The Medium becomes immune to spells of less that +1 enchantment for 1 round per level. The protection increases to +2 at fourteenth level and +3 at eighteenth. The Medium may invoke this ability once per day.

Rogue – Rogues of Makoto begin play with the spirit lore nonweapon proficiency as described in the warrior section.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – While they are very knowledgeable about spirits and the spirit world, they are very uncomfortable attacking spirits. They consider it to be something of an insult to have to resort to violence when they believe a spirit could just as easily be appeased. As such, when forced into combat with a spirit, they receive a -1 penalty to hit.

Priest – While spirits could potentially grant great powers on the priest, they could also weaken the priest significantly. It could also easily begin to be a burden as the priest has no choice but to allow spirits to possess him. In areas of heavy spirit activity, a priest could spend more time possessed by spirits than living of his own free will.

Wizard – While they are not necromancers in the traditional sense, their closeness to the spirit world does make many others look at them with suspicion. In addition, their closeness with the spirit world makes them more susceptible to attacks from spirits. Should a spirit attack the Medium, they receive a +4 bonus to hit him.

Rogue – While they are very knowledgeable about spirits and the spirit world, they are very uncomfortable attacking spirits. They consider it to be something of an insult to have to resort to violence when they believe a spirit could just as easily be appeased. As such, when forced into combat with a spirit, they receive a -1 penalty to hit.

Sheng

Population: 8,100,000 (Human 83%, Spirit Folk 10%, Hengeyokai 5%, Korobokuru 2%)

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Local Language: Desian Common

Gods: All Chinese and Japanese gods

Magic: High

Thief Guilds: Yakuza

Organization: Feudal

Description: Central in both location and importance is the province of Sheng. It is the largest province and also the province in which the emperor resides. The emperor’s palace sits atop Mount Nehongoa, surrounded by the city of Mingmei. All told the Sheng province contains 15 cities: Chizu, Izanami, Kagami, Mamoru, Mariko, Mingmei, Nori, Ratana, Ryoko, Sachiko, Tama, Umeko, Usagi, Yasuo and Yuri.

Mingmei is central to the Sheng province for obvious reasons. About half of the military is trained in Mingmei while the other half is trained in Yuri. In many ways, Yuri is a sister city to Mingmei and should Mingmei fall for whatever reason, Yuri has been set up to take its place. A secondary palace is there to house the imperial family. There are also specialized teleportation rooms in both palaces that allow those of the imperial family line to quickly transport between them in cases of emergency. These teleportation rooms only function for those of the imperial family blood line so there is no danger of enemies following should the palace fall.

Two major rivers twist through the Sheng province: Yangsu and Nagamura. Yangsu flows down from Mount Doki and is used to transport goods up and down the mountain. Boats then travel to Kagami and end at Chizu, where the port there is used to ship goods both to and from the other provinces. Nagamura is a larger river and flows down Mount Nehongoa starting near Mingmei. A few cities sit along this river’s edge, using it as a highway up to the port town of Izanami.

Like many of the Desu Islands, Sheng has no formal roads. Unofficial paths of wagon tracks wind their way through the plains and marshes. Banditry is common on the roads as most areas are not policed at all, or if they are, such policing is done by local nobles. Often nobles and city officials offer bounties for the heads of more troublesome bandits. Sometimes even the Yakuza has been known to drive away particularly disruptive bandits. While they typically do this with their own men, sometimes the problem is difficult enough that offering a bounty is more beneficial. This has given rise to a large population of ronin who roam the land and collect these bounties. Several ninja clans also specialize in such matters.

Magic is widely used though varied in styles in Sheng. People of the various schools found in other provinces can be found in Sheng. In addition, this combination of philosophies has given rise to one popular school unique to Sheng. The Shoghi school of mystical arts emphasizes balance and flexibility but not in the belief that one should be equal in all skills. Instead, it is believed that one should know all skills but focus on specific ones for specific circumstances. This has given rise to a peculiar method of spell casting, but the people of the Shoghi school stand firmly by it. This proximity of opposing schools of course leads to conflicts. It is not uncommon to see various mages roaming about to other schools and issuing challenges to prove their superiority. Chizu is the one city that contains members of each of the nine schools and it is a haven for magical activity. Strange creatures and occurrences are common in Chizu and one can find just about any magical spell, bauble or trinket imaginable within its limits.

Role-Playing: The people of Sheng are all unique and nothing can really be said about them as a whole. Their proximity to the emperor does make them particularly loyal to him, however, and most value their honor more than their lives.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – Warriors are typically ronin, though not always. Warriors who choose to be ronin begin play with a katana and proficiency in it. They may also gain fame and notoriety as words of their exploits travel. As their fame grows, so do the potential jobs and rewards. Often their reputation alone is enough to cause a lesser skilled bandit to move on to easier lands.

In game terms, whenever the ronin meets an intelligent enemy or enters a town, the must make a save vs. paralysis. A successful save indicates the enemy recognizes the ronin or someone in the town notices and perhaps offers employment. Weaker enemies will likely kowtow to the ronin or perhaps flee. Those of roughly equal skill will leave the ronin alone, speak with him or perhaps issue a one on one challenge. Enemies who are (or at least believe themselves to be) more skillful than the ronin will likely issue a direct challenge, though they may question him first to see why he has come. This saving throw can be modified by a variety of circumstances such as defeating a particularly powerful foe, or facing an enemy within their stronghold. These modifiers are left to the DM.

Priest – Priests gain no particular abilities beyond those inherent to their gods.

Wizard – Schools from all provinces can be found in Sheng. Therefore wizards from Sheng may choose the benefits of any one province. See the entry in that province for details. They may also choose to follow the Shoghi school.

The Shoghi school uses the points method of casting as described in chapter 6 of Player’s Option: Spells and Magic. Mages do get additional points for high Intelligence scores, they can attempt to exceed their spell level limit, they may spend additional points to increase the spells effect and they can reduce the spell cost by taking the various restrictions described in that chapter. However, they cannot cast free magick. All spells must be prepared ahead of time as fixed magick. The only exception is cantrip as it is a free magick by nature, though points must be set aside for it.

Rogue – In a province full of so many people, rogues thrive. They get so many chances to practice their skills that they tend to be slightly more skillful than those of other lands. Rogues gain 10% more experience. This is in addition to any bonus they may receive for high primary stats.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – A strong reputation usually attracts other strong people who wish to challenge the ronin for honor or gear he may be carrying. Once a week, the ronin must make a saving throw vs. paralysis, success indicates someone issues a challenge to the ronin. Refusing to accept the challenge will lower their reputation.

Priest – Priests gain no particular disabilities beyond those inherent to their gods.

Wizard – Wizards who follow schools from other provinces suffer the same disabilities described in them. Those who follow the Shoghi school suffer no particular disabilities other than those inherent with their abilities.

Rogue – While they are skillful, those who do not ally themselves with the Yakuza tend to end up dead. If a rogue is not a member of the Yakuza, he has a 5% chance per week of attracting a small group of Yakuza. Rogues who often cross the Yakuza can expect progressively stronger groups to come after them.

Xiao

Population: 7,530,000 (Human 65%, Spirit Folk 20%, Hengeyokai 10%, Korobokuru 5%)

Alignment: Lawful Good

Local Language: Desian Common

Gods: Yen-Wang-Yeh, Chung Kuel, Liu, Lu Hsing, Shou Hsing, Lei Kung, Lao Tzu, K’ung Fu-tzu, Izanagi, Izanami, Tsuki-Yomi, O-Kuni-Nushi, Inari, Ho Masubi, Nai no Kami, Kura Okami, Shina-Tsu-Hiko, Shichifukujin

Magic: Moderate

Thief Guilds: Yakuza

Organization: Feudal

Description: On the southern edge of the Desu Islands sits Xiao. Due to a peculiar phenomenon involving the thermal energy in and under the province, much of the island is constantly covered in fog. The province is home to nine cities: Chika, Cho, Haru, Ishi, Nami, Naoko, Rafu, Reiko, and Rumiko.

Spirit folk of all kinds call Xiao their home and most people worship the many kami (something of a cross between a nature spirit and a god) that inhabit the land. The people of Xiao tend to live longer than most and they attribute this to their worship of the kami. There may be some truth to this as a good 50% of the population is of the elderly persuasion, and of that population at least 90% of them are in good enough condition to work, and most choose to as a means of keeping in good health, though they do not work as hard as they may have in their younger years.

The large number of elderly has created a culture that venerates the past. Ancestors are of course properly respected, but there is a distinct emphasis on the caretaking and respect of elderly as well as recording accurate history. Longevity is nice, but it is through history that people become immortal. It is said that the libraries of Xiao contain the most accurate history of anywhere in the world. Of course this history is almost completely exclusive to the Desu Islands, but there are supposedly works that date back to times before the world existed. Such works are considered to be something of a legend and no one really knows what they would contain, but it is a legend many believe in.

Xiao is home to the Chronomancy school of mystical arts. Members of this school study time itself and how to manipulate it. Young practitioners are said to be able to view the past and slow down or speed up time while the most powerful among them are supposedly able to travel through time and change history, or the future. While this might be possible in theory, there are many rules placed upon their school that forbid the manipulation of time. Chronomancers are therefore something of an overblown group of historians. It is generally considered to be their job to maintain history rather than alter it. Still, despite the restrictions, there is no doubting the amount of power they possess and of all schools, theirs is challenged the least. This is partially due to their power and also partially due to their ability to avoid such challenges by observing the past present and future timelines.

Role-Playing: The people of Xiao are always respectful of the elderly and venerate history. If they should ever see anything that would go against this belief, they will be sure to either correct the matter themselves or find someone who is more capable and can do so for them.

Special Abilities: All people of Xiao live 20% longer. Increase the ages for middle age, old age and venerable age by 20%. In addition, they are somewhat resistant to aging effects. Any attack or spell that would normally age the person has only half effect. Therefore, a Xiao warrior who is aged 1 year by a haste spell would only be aged 6 months.

Warrior – Warriors of Xiao are occasionally blessed by a kami. When creating a warrior from Xiao, roll a d100. If the roll comes up as 5 or less, they have been blessed by a kami. Roll a 1d10. The results are as follows: 1 – the warrior is blessed by the mountain kami and gains a +1 bonus to Strength; 2 – the warrior is blessed by the dragon kami and gains a +1 bonus to Intelligence; 3 – the warrior is blessed by the ki-rin kami and gains a +1 bonus to Wisdom; 4 – the warrior is blessed by the stream kami and gains a +1 bonus to Dexterity; 5 – the warrior is blessed by the tree kami and gains a +1 bonus to Constitution; 6 – the warrior is blessed by the flower kami and gains a +1 bonus to Aharisma; 7 – the warrior is blessed by the snake kami and gains a +1 bonus to THAC0; 8 – the warrior is blessed by the wind kami and gains a +3 bonus to his movement rate; 9 – the warrior is blessed by the rock kami and gains a +1 bonus to his armor class; 10 – the warrior is blessed by the koi kami and gains a +1 bonus to his saves. The kami are numerous and if the player or DM wishes, they can name another kami for rp purposes, though the effect is the same. This bonus could potentially raise a person’s stats beyond racial maximum.

Priest – Many priests are caretakers of history. They may begin play with either the local history or ancient history nonweapon proficiencies at no cost.

Wizard – Wizards of Xiao are assumed to be chronomancers. Chronomancers have their own list of spells and gain access to some normal spells a level earlier. Their spell list is on page 1138 of the Wizard’s Spell Compendium. When choosing their bonus spells, they must be selected from that list. They are treated as a specialty class but they gain no particular abilities beyond their specialized spell list.

Rogue – Rogues have a chance of being blessed by a kami as described in the warrior section.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – While warriors do have a chance of being blessed by a kami, they have an equal chance of becoming cursed by a kami. The chance of this is the same as the blessing, but any blessing rolled up is a penalty instead. Note it is possible to have both a blessing and a curse. If the warrior rolls up two of the same kami, he was once blessed by a kami but offended it in some way that caused him to lose his blessing.

Priest – Priests suffer no particular disability

Wizard – Chronomancers are generally charged with maintaining history. If a chronomancer is found out to have tampered recklessly with history, they can expect a reprisal from others of their school. What this entails varies depending on the severity of the crime. For minor offenses, the chronomancer may be aged a year while for most severe offenses the chronomancer might be removed from the time stream entirely so as he never existed at all.

Rogue – Rogues have the same chance of being cursed that warriors do. See the warrior section for details.

The Cities of Dunador

Dunador is located roughly in the center of the Eluvian Continent with wastelands to the west, the Frozen Lands to the north, the Arenic Ocean to the south and Tramilaine to the east. The capital city is Dunthrane and is under the rule of King Edmund. The peoples of Dunador are generally practical people. They care little of the ways of magic, and mages from any of Dunador’s cities are rare. They are under almost constant attack from the barbarian and gnoll tribes to the north with the occasional spillover of giants from the Veronian Mountains. Due to this, most, if not all, of Dunador’s citizens have at least some rudimentary knowledge of combat (though there are few who are exceptionally skilled) and one would be hard pressed to find one of its citizens completely unarmed.

Coldwater

Population: 10,000 (Human 98%, Dwarf 1%, Other 1%)

Alignment: Neutral

Local Language: Western Common

Gods: Goibhniu, Daghdha, Uranus, Hades, Artemis, Hermes

Magic: Low

Organization: Being so far from the king, this city more or less runs itself. Edicts reach here from time to time, but they are used as general guidelines rather than rules. The day to day affairs are run by the local guard, the captain of which is Sir Henry Gates.

Description: Coldwater is about as far north as you can get without living in the perpetual ice and snow of the Frozen Lands. It is very much a frontier town, fairly isolated from any other sort of civilization. The very few expeditions that travel further north usually stop here for supplies.

The population consists mainly of trappers and furriers. While there is plenty of land, farming is difficult due to the climate. Still there are farmers who persevere despite the conditions, though even they supplement their food with plenty of hunting. Rangers and fighters are fairly common here. Rogues are as well, though not in exceptional numbers as there is not much wealth to be had here. There are several temples with active priesthoods, with Artemis being the most popular one. Almost everyone here is human, though there is a small population of dwarves who come in occasionally from the Veronian Mountains.

Role-playing: People from Coldwater are always equipped with travel supplies and ready for anything. Its people are noted for their interest in adventures and travel. They are often heard to say that the reason for their wandering is a simple lack of anything to do within the confines of their hometown. Of course, this is seldom truly the case. It might be more accurate to repeat the old saying that the grass is always greener on the other side.

Warriors from Coldwater are typically rangers, though almost all are hunters of some sort with the exception of those who happen to be in the guard. They typically look upon magic with disdain. They are quiet and sometimes cynical, but will generally agree to the prospect of any sort of challenge or adventure.

Wizards from Coldwater are noted for their casual manner and utilitarian dress. The flowing robes and fanciful dress of court wizards are not generally found among the spell casters of Coldwater. A wizard in flowing robes, with a long beard and wearing a pointed hat, is likely to be looked upon as something of a dandy or a fool. There are exceptions to this of course. One can expect the typical wizard of Coldwater to be in comfortable clothes, often liberally sewn with pockets for spell components as well as a stout staff (that may or may not be enchanted) and ready access to a good assortment of traveling supplies.

Priests of Coldwater are barely recognizable as anything different than the rest of the populace; with the exception of a holy symbol they may have hanging about their necks. They typically dress in leathers and furs and often spend as much time hunting as any other person. They do not have too many sermons as the need for their hands is often more pressing than the need for their spirituality.

Rogues from Coldwater are quick to see the advantages of traveling to lands where their faces are unknown by the local constabulary and the treasures of the unsuspecting citizens are all but lying around for the taking. Many who have noticed this fact have commented that such characters seem happiest when they aren’t where they are, if that makes any sense.

Special Abilities:

Warriors – The people of Coldwater are renowned for their prowess with the bow. Any warrior may specialize in the bow including those who would normally not be able to (such as rangers and paladins). For paladins and rangers, this costs the normal amount of weapon slots (2) while for fighters this only costs one slot. In addition, any warrior able to add his missile attack adjustment (as dictated by his Dexterity score) to both his attack and damage rolls. For example, a character with a 16 Dexterity would cause an extra point of damage with such weapons.

Warriors of Coldwater are usually capable of mending a building a bow with little trouble. As such, all warriors receive the bowyer/fletcher proficiency at no cost. They may allot further slots to increase their chance when using this proficiency.

Wizards/Priests – There is not a child in this land who did not learn to use the bow as soon as he was strong enough to draw back an arrow. As a result, wizards and priests from Coldwater are able to use long and short bows normally in combat. Of course, they must still allocate weapon proficiency slots to them if they are to avoid a penalty to their attack rolls. Further, they can select the bowyer/fletcher proficiency for its normal cost of one slot, just as if they were warriors.

Rogues – While this land is noted for its sprawling plains, it is remarkable because some of Gilon’s most skilled assassins have grown up there. This is not because of any cultural emphasis on violence or crime but rather a result of the skill that its citizens traditionally have with the bow.

When a rogue from this region employs a bow of any sort in combat, he is able to add his missile attack adjustment (as dictated by his Dexterity score) to both his attack and damage rolls. For example, a character with a 16 Dexterity would cause an extra point of damage with such weapons.

These characters make excellent snipers. Whenever they fire on an unsuspecting target with a bow, the attack is a “backstab”. The character receives a +4 bonus to his attack roll and is able to apply the damage multiplier as appropriate to his level. When making this sort of attack, the character does not have to be behind his target to gain the benefits of backstabbing.

Special Disadvantages:

Warriors – The warriors of Coldwater like to move fast and travel light. As such they are extremely uncomfortable in heavy armor. When wearing any armor heavier than studded leather, they lose their Dexterity adjustments. This not only includes the damage bonus they get with their bows, but their AC adjustments and any other benefit of Dexterity as well.

Wizards/Priests – Having been exposed to the bow at an early age, wizards and priests of Coldwater favor it over all other range weapons. Because of this, they cannot be proficient with darts, thrown knives, slings or other ranged weapons. They can use these weapons in combat but suffer a nonproficiency penalty when doing so.

Rogues – The rogues of Coldwater are among the most skilled archers and assassins in the world. Because they try to avoid close combat, however, they lack the ability to wear any form of armor. This applies not only to leather and padded armors, but also to elven chain. Further, they are restricted to small melee weapons, making it impossible for them to employ arms like the long sword.

Dunthrane

Population: 3,800,000 (Human 90%, Dwarf 5%, Half-elf 2%, Elf 1%, Other 2%)

Alignment: Lawful Good

Local Language: Western Common

Gods: Greek, Celtic, Dwarven and Broken

Magic: Low

Thief Guilds: The Toothless, the Midnight Slashers, the Hunt, the Brotherhood of Thieves, and the Order of the Wolf

Organization: Monarchy

Description: Dunthrane is the capital of Dunador and a more sprawling city one would be hard pressed to find. It is one of the biggest cities in all of Gilon. Ruled directly by King Edmund, this has become a center of trade as well as military might. The Dunthranian army is one of the largest and most well trained military in the entire world and is often called upon to fight off barbarians from the north as well as occasional attacks from gnolls, ogres and orcs. In fact, attacks are so commonplace, most citizens view such attacks in much the same way one might view bad weather: an inconvenience which will clear itself up later.

The king was only put into power a short while ago when his father was assassinated by a relative vying for power. The then prince would have died as well were it not for the aid of a small group of adventurers who disappeared shortly thereafter.

Citizens of Dunthrane are mostly human, but since they are a trading center, people from all over make their way to the crowded city. While the king has done much to stamp out criminal activity during his reign, the draw of such crowds is simply too great to scare them away entirely. Still, several guilds have been destroyed which is a lesson the other guilds keep to heart and work with an intense sense of paranoia.

Magic is surprisingly rare in this city, though this is common with most of the cities in Dunador. The people of this city generally see magic as a frivolity and have little patience for studying it.

Of note is the Clinic for the Mentally Distressed run by Dr Gregory Illhousen. This asylum is considered quite radical in its treatment of the insane, employing such radical methods as hypnotism, and spoken therapy. This is considered most strange as it is generally agreed that things such as electro-shock therapy and trepanning are the best ways to cure mental illness (if magic is unavailable of course) as a mental malady is considered a symptom of either a physical one, or demon possession.

Role-playing: People from Dunthrane are fairly well spoken and accepting of other people. They see so many different peoples that it is almost impossible to have any sort of prejudice. Many become inspired by tales of far away lands and take to adventuring to see them first hand. Others take to adventuring to find stronger fare than the people who attack the city. They are almost annoyingly unphased by battle of any sort and can easily be calm even if the city around them is burning.

A common trait among Dunthranian rogues is a minor case of paranoia. This isn’t unreasonable of course, given the constant attacks they have to deal with from the king’s men. Rogues from Dunthrane should assume a careful and suspicious attitude at all times. After all, even the most trusted friend might turn out to be an agent of the king.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – Warriors from Dunthrane are as diverse as their people. However, the constant attacks upon the city do make them a bit more prepared for battle than most. Warriors from this city use d12’s when determining hit dice. This reflects the tougher stock Dunthrane’s people produce. In addition, the character is entitled to select one additional proficiency group he has ready access to. This expanded choice of proficiencies reflects the great range of experiences a person growing up in Dunthrane is likely to have.

Priest – With the vast numbers of people in Dunthrane, the spiritual needs of these people are equally vast. As such there are a great number of different churches devoted to many gods throughout the city. Priests from this city are well versed with many other religions and therefore receive the Religion proficiency at no cost.

The churches are also highly funded due to the large worshipper base to draw upon. They are also always highly interested spreading their influence to other cities and areas. Any priest who wishes to create a stronghold at 9^th level need only pay a quarter of the price if they receive official approval to establish it. Since the work has official sanction and much of the labor is donated, the costs are reduced dramatically for the priest.

Wizard – The people of Dunthrane are immersed from birth in the countless customs of a hundred different cultures. They know the music and songs of Llayath, and hear the stories of heroes from all over. They have a fascination for learning that which is alien. This makes such characters the best of students. In game terms, this is reflected by an increase in the character’s ability to master proficiencies and spells, and in the requirement of a Wisdom of 9 or higher.

Wizards from Dunthrane begin the game with two extra nonweapon proficiency slots. Such a character has six slots when first created, plus any bonus slots received for high Intelligence scores. As the character advances in experience, he receives additional slots with every two levels, instead of every three as is normally the case.

Wizards also have an increased chance to learn spells. The normal chance that a wizard has to master any new spell he is presented with is defined by his Intelligence score. When determining his own chance to learn spells, wizards from Dunthrane may add 1 point to their intelligence scores. So a Dunthranian wizard with a 17 Intelligence has a 85% chance to learn spells, instead of the 75% chance he would normally have.

Rogue – Dunthrane fosters a great diversity among its people, even those of the same alignment and class. Nowhere, however, is this divergence so pronounced as among the rogues of the city.

When a player creates a character from this city, he is entitled to select one additional proficiency group he has ready access to. This expanded choice of proficiencies reflects the great range of experiences a person growing up in Dunthrane is likely to have.

In addition to his encounters with the common folk of Dunthrane, a young rogue is likely to have dealings with others of his kind. It is a unique individual who doesn’t find himself taken in hand by a more experienced rogue and taught the intricacies of the thieves’ trade. To reflect this training, the player should select one of the standard thief skills as his area of expertise. Whenever the rogue attempts to use this skill, he receives a 15% bonus (to a maximum of 95% chance of success).

Special Disadvantages:

Warrior – Warriors of Dunthrane have little desire to deal with arcane matters. As such they find themselves unwilling (and therefore unable) to use any sort of magic items other than potions, weapons and armor.

Priest – Priests from Dunthrane seem to go out of their way to gain followers at times. Whether this is true or not, others see them as such which reflects in a -2 adjustment to their Charisma scores when dealing with anyone not of the church.

Wizard – Dunthranian adventurers are quite possibly the most diverse in terms of their cultural background. Nowhere in the world is one likely to find someone so immersed in the traditions, lore, and knowledge of so many different groups. The great diversity of these experiences however has its negative aspects as well.

All wizards from Dunthrane suffer a -2 penalty when checking any proficiency. This doesn’t reflect a lack of skill, only that such characters know so many different things they tend to have gaps in their knowledge. The minutia that other adventurers might have mastered has been known to slip through the cracks because of the informal nature of the training that most folk in Dunthrane receive.

Rogue – The great tide of humanity that washes through Dunthrane leaves its mark on every citizen of the city. A person who grows up there has the chance to make friends from all over the world. Unfortunately, the same chance exists to make enemies.

When a player creates his character, he must create a second persona who is that character’s nemesis. The DM is free to dictate any special requirements that will be imposed upon the villainous character, but the player should do the majority of the work involved in creating him.

After the player creates the character, the character is turned over to the DM and becomes a regular NPC who frequently torments the PC. There is a 5% chance per level of the PC that his rival appears in any adventure. The rival should advance in level at roughly the same rate as the PC.

Fontenmere Abbey

Population: 300 (Human 100%)

Alignment: Neutral

Local Language: Western Common

Organization: Communal

Description: Fontenmere Abbey is a stronghold devoted to the various aspects of the Church of the Goddess, otherwise known as the Broken. This is traditionally the place in which the king of Dunthrane is coronated. The head abbot is often called upon by the king in all matters spiritual, but the abbey is otherwise left to its own devices.

This abbey was recently rebuilt after it was destroyed during the attempt to kill the current king. It has since recovered quite well and has been fully restored. For more information on the Church of the Goddess, see the section on that church near the end of the book.

Role-Playing: All characters from Fontenmere abbey are clerics devoted to one of the aspects of the Church of the Goddess. Regardless of which aspect they devote themselves to, they are all very wary of bandits after nearly being wiped out by them. They tend to go out of their way to stop any sort of banditry, be it directly (such as attacking them outright) or indirectly (such as gaining all the information they can of the bandits and then giving it over to authorities to deal with).

Special Abilities: The priests here are fairly self sufficient and know how to tend crops, livestock and other such necessities of living. Any priest that was raised here receives either the animal handling or agriculture proficiency at no cost.

Special Disabilities: Priests from Fontenmere abbey have a particular distaste for bandits of any sort. They will not make deals with any of them and when they find them they will go out of their ways to ensure the bandits are no longer a threat. How this is done will depend on the specific aspect the priest follows.

Holy Order of the Grail

Population: 100 (Human 100%)

Alignment: Lawful Good

Local Language: Western Common

Organization: Militaristic

Description: Situated between Fontenmere Abbey and Lakdale, the Holy Order of the Grail is a paladin stronghold commanded over by Sir Arthur Conan. Many of Dunador’s paladins received their training here. The paladins trained here are of excellent caliber and do not leave the stronghold until they have thoroughly proven themselves both in combat and as a leader.

The stronghold was once located in the Lusian forest until a curse caused the forest to become overrun by undead. At the center of this forest was a cursed tree which was home to a banshee. The paladins fought long to restore peace in the forest, but it was not until Sir Hagar Stonefast and an ex member of their order named Raif Blackblade bravely fought their ways into the woods and defeated the banshee that they were finally able to start putting a significant dent in the numbers of undead that roamed the forest.

Role-Playing: The paladins of the Holy Order of the Grail are highly trained and militaristic. They view everything in terms of strategy. This can at sometimes be strange. For example, if asked what a paladin thinks about a specific person, they will typically list strengths, weaknesses and best plans of attack to ensure victory over that person.

Special Abilities: The militaristic nature and constant developing of strategies has enabled the paladins to come up with effective battle formations. When fighting with a group with which he is familiar and has had time to formulate plans with, the paladin may announce a plan which will give the group a +1 bonus to either saves, attack rolls or AC. All members of the group must stay within 30 feet of the paladin to receive this bonus and they must be able to hear him announce the plan. Silencing or disabling the paladin or disabling anyone who is gaining the benefits of the plan causes all members to lose the benefits. The bonus lasts for as many rounds as the paladin has levels and may be used once a day. The bonus is increased by +1 at every fifth level (so +2 at 5^th, +3 at 10^th, etc).

Special Disabilities: The rigid strategic thinking of the paladin, while useful in some ways, can be just as much a limitation in others. The paladin has difficulties adjusting to disorder and must contemplate somewhat longer than most. This translates to a +2 penalty to initiative rolls for the paladin.

Lakdale

Population: 25,000 (Human 95%, Half-elf 4%, Other 1%)

Alignment: Neutral

Local Language: Western Common

Gods: Gareth, Goibhniu, Zeus, Athena

Magic: Low

Thief Guilds: The Brotherhood of Thieves

Organization: Monarchy

Description: Lakdale is a city of fishermen. A large number of them make their living fishing in Great Whirlpool Lake. The lake is named aptly as there is a large whirlpool which continually churns in the center of the lake. The people of Lakdale are of course smart enough to avoid it while fishing. Rumors abound of some great creature which lives within the lake, and boats do disappear from time to time. Of course, the fact that this could easily explained by the whirlpool in the center of the lake does little to dissuade believers of the mysterious “Lake Monster”.

The Brotherhood of Thieves have almost complete control of criminal activity in the area. They have thus far been able to push out any other attempts at starting other thieves’ guilds.

The city is ruled by a governor who receives his orders from the king. He has done little to stamp out the thieves’ guild and many believe this is because he is corrupt. The truth of the matter is he is just inept, but he does keep enough control over the city to keep it from being run entirely by the thieves.

Magic isn’t unknown but it is somewhat rare among Lakdale’s people. They have a heavy emphasis on physicality which tends to clash with the idea of using magic to do things.

Role-Playing: The people of Lakdale are a sturdy people who often have to defend themselves as by the time troops could get to them, it would be too late. Players who opt to run characters from Lakdale should bear in mind the importance that physical development has on their culture. Even those who have mastered the art of magic tend to judge others by their strength and stamina. They place an emphasis on combat to resolve most disputes and are impressed by someone who is strong of limb and courageous in the face of danger.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – Warriors from Lakdale benefit from the physical nature of their culture. As a result, they use 12 sided dice when determining hit points. From the time they are born, children of Lakdale play games that are nothing less than combat training. All warriors have a +1 to either Constitution or Strength. This cannot raise an ability score beyond 18, but it can raise the bracket of a warrior with exceptional Strength. For example, a Warrior with 18/01-50 Strength would be considered 18/51-75.

Traditions of naval combat within the lake run strong among Lakdalemen. All warriors from Lakdale begin play with the seamanship and naval combat proficiencies. These are bonus proficiencies and no slots need be allocated for their purchase.

Priest - Priests from Lakdale benefit from the physical nature of their culture. As a result, they use 10 sided dice when determining hit points and fight using a Warrior’s THAC0. From the time they are born, children of Lakdale play games that are nothing less than combat training. They are hardened in battle and are entitled warrior bonuses for exceptional Constitution scores.

Wizard - Warriors from Lakdale benefit from the physical nature of their culture. As a result, they use 6 sided dice when determining hit points and fight using a Rogue’s THAC0. From the time they are born, children of Lakdale play games that are nothing less than combat training. Because of this, they can freely select any small weapon when allocating weapon proficiency slots.

Rogue – The traditions of battle run strong among Lakdalemen. All rogues begin play with the seamanship and naval combat proficiencies. These are bonus proficiencies and no slots need be allocated for their purchase.

The harsh conditions under which the Lakdalemen have lived for the past few centuries have hardened the rogues of the land until they are very nearly as tough as warriors of many cultures. All rogues from Lakdale use 8 sided dice when determining hit points and are entitled the warrior bonuses for exceptional Constitution scores. In addition, their THAC0s advance as those of a priest.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – In combat, many think of Lakdalemen as much like barbarians as those they constantly have to fight. All warriors of Lakdale wield great axes. Warriors from Lakdale must allocate at least one proficiency slot to mastering the use of the battle axe and another to the hand axe.

These characters are also are also forbidden to master the use of missile weapons. To fire arrows at an enemy is hardly fitting to someone with a warrior’s blood in him after all.

These characters are never able to use any sort of magical item other than weapons, armor, or potions. Like the use of missile weapons, they just aren’t a part of the Lakdale culture.

Priest – Priests of Lakdale are hardy, but their focus on the physical costs them their magical abilities somewhat. For purposes of bonus spells and spell miscasting rates only, priests of Lakdale have -2 Wisdom. So a priest with a Wisdom of 13 who would normally gain one bonus first level spell and have no chance of miscasting, would have a 10% chance of miscasting their spells and receive no bonus spells per day. All other effects of wisdom are unaffected.

Wizard – There are probably no wizards better suited to physical combat than Lakdale wizards. While this can be a life-saving blessing in combat, it makes them somewhat vulnerable to the attacks of magic-using enemies. Whenever a Lakdale wizard is called upon to make a saving throw because of a magical spell directed at him, he suffers a -2 penalty.

Rogue – In combat, many think of Lakdalemen as much like barbarians as those they constantly have to fight. All warriors of Lakdale wield great axes. Rogues from Lakdale must allocate at least one proficiency slot to mastering the use of the battle axe and another to the hand axe (Obviously, this means that these characters are able to use a weapon normally forbidden to characters of the thief class).

These characters are also are also forbidden to master the use of missile weapons. To fire arrows at an enemy is hardly fitting to someone with a warrior’s blood in him after all.

These characters suffer a -25% penalty to their read languages skills and are never able to master the use of magical scrolls. Like the use of missile weapons, they just aren’t a part of the Lakdale culture.

Lebagowst

Population: 100 (Human 95%, Half-elf 4%, Other 1%)

Alignment: Neutral Good

Local Language: Western Common

Gods: Clangeddin Silverbeard

Magic: Low

Organization: Communal

Description: The people of Lebagowst are largely farmers. The climate and location is ideal for farming. However, the lack of much in the way of anything to do leads some to take up the sword in search for adventure. Oddly enough there is a prominent adventurer’s guild which serves as sort of a meeting place as well as the office for the current mayor. For some unknown reason, the only temple here is devoted to the dwarven god Clangeddin Silverbeard. This is the only god these people worship, a strange choice considering they are almost exclusively human.

A strange series of events recently plagued this town and for a few years it was considered a cursed land. Whatever the curse was, it left as mysteriously as it came and Lebagowst is once again a prosperous, if small, town. The town itself is usually little more than a rest stop for merchants as they travel between Tramilaine and Dunador. Despite its rather obscure nature, at least two fairly well known heroes were raised here. Sir Hagar and Lady Merideath were both raised in Lebagowst and went on to become influential knights. Unfortunately, Lady Merideath was lost, though the circumstances around her disappearance are mysterious.

Crime is almost unheard of as everyone knows everyone and any crime would be hard to get away with. Magic is also little known, partially due to the lack of funds that the pursuit of magic tends to require and partially due to the need for all hands to be tending the fields.

Role-Playing: The people of Lebagowst are highly agricultural in nature and tend to relate most things to farming. Many do have a wanderlust, however, and are always excited to hear about adventures.

Special Abilities: All of the people of Lebagowst are constantly excited to know every tale from every merchant that passes through. There is little else in the way of entertainment in the area, so they make due with that. The cautionary tales they constantly listen to allow them to avoid trouble more often some. This translates to a +2 bonus to any two saving throws for all people from Lebagowst.

Special Disabilities: As beneficial as the tales are to avoiding trouble, many are just wrong and cause more harm than good to those who listen to them. This translates to a -2 penalty to any two saving throws for all people from Lebagowst.

Linden

Population: 85,000 (Human 85%, Dwarf 10%, Half-elf 4%, Other 1%)

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Local Language: Western Common

Gods: Gael, Sulis, Lugh, Arawn, Morrigan, Uranus, Ares, Athena, Dionysus, Hermes

Magic: Moderate

Thief Guilds: The Order of the Wolf, the Midnight Slashers, the Brotherhood of Thieves

Organization: None/Monarchy

Description: Linden is a decent sized town southeast of Dunthrane. They are known for trade and crime. Thus far, King Edmund has been far too busy putting his own city into shape and has not been able to take an active role in the ruling of Linden. The governor was assassinated a few years ago, and no one has stepped up to take his place. In the absence of a strong leader, chaos has quickly become the rule in Linden. Thieves run rampant and crime is high. It is said the easiest way to open a lockbox for which you have lost the key is to take a walk through the main road of Linden with it in your hands. By the time you have gone through, it will have been opened for you.

Several temples and thieves guilds have been vying for power in the absence of a real government. Among the temples, the priests of Sulis and Gael have managed to take the most control by working together. Among the thieves guilds, the Order of the Wolf has gained the most power through blackmail and extortion.

Still, despite the apparent chaos, things run smoothly and those who are not directly involved in the “politics” (if one could call it that), tend to be left alone. The factions understand if things go too far out of hand, they risk catching the attention of Dunthrane and if that happens, they all lose. For this reason alone, things are prevented from becoming an all out civil war.

Role-Playing: While it would be wrong to say that EVERYONE in Linden is a backstabbing, murderous sneak who would kill their own mother to get ahead, it’s not COMPLETELY wrong. People who grow up in Linden never fully trust anyone. While the (very few) lawful types may be trustworthy, they are so jaded by the people they grew up with that they never truly learn to trust another. For some of the more chaotic aligned people, this might even go into a truly paranoid realm such as a rogue who traps every item he owns and makes others take a bite of anything he hasn’t prepared before eating it himself.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – Warriors in Linden are often associated with guilds as thugs or muscle. The amount of interaction they have with thieves allows them to select any proficiency from the rogue group without having to spend additional slots. In addition, they can use the set snares proficiency to create man-traps just as a rogue.

Priest – The priests of Linden are constantly trying to outthink the other priesthoods and thieves’ guilds as well as just downright assassinate each other. Priests from Linden have the thief ability to backstab as a thief of equal level of the priest.

Wizard – The law of this land can be summed up in one simple phrase: only the strong- or the sneaky-survive. Since they generally lack the strength (at least until they advance a few levels), wizards must be sneaky. Wizards from Linden can select one of three thief skills: move silently, hide in shadows and hear noise. These function in the same manner as the thief abilities of the same name, but are employed as proficiencies. Move silently and hide in shadows are checked as Dexterity skills and hear noises is checked as a Wisdom skill. There is a -4 modifier to the base roll and additional slots cannot be allocated to improve the character’s chances of success with the skill. Also, the character cannot allocate additional slots to acquire more than one of these thief skills.

Rogue – Of all rogues on Gilon, it is doubtful there are any more skilled at the art of blackmail than those who make their home in Linden. To these oft-cursed folk, there is no treasure more valuable than information, especially that of a compromising nature.

All rogues from Linden begin play with a small pool of individuals who pay them money to keep some secret hushed up. This results in a monthly income equal to 25 gp per level of the character. For example, a 3^rd level Lindenian rogue receives 75 gp at the start of each month. The player running the rogue is free to seek out other sources of income, including other “customers,” but this base is always available, without any role-playing on the player’s part.

Another benefit of the character’s ability to find information quickly is that all Lindenian rogues begin play with the information gathering proficiency. This is a bonus proficiency and no slots need be expended to purchase it. Additional slots can be allocated to increase the character’s chance of success when using the skill.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – The types who end up being muscle are rarely the brightest around. As such, any warrior from Linden receives a -1 penalty to intelligence. This cannot lower a warrior’s intelligence lower than 3 however.

Priest – Besides the inherent difficulties of attempting to backstab someone without some means of sneaking up on them, Linden born priests are exceptionally paranoid which is evident in the reactions that others have to him. This distrust results in a -4 penalty to any rolls involving the character’s maximum number of henchmen, loyalty base, and reaction adjustment modifiers (as determined by his Charisma score). This indicates the general air of suspicion that hangs around the wizard and his closely guarded secrets. Others, whether they know the adventurer or not, tend to assume any man with so many secrets cannot be trusted himself.

Wizard – In Linden, the primary effect of a wizard’s lack of trust and general paranoia is evident in the reactions that others have to him. This distrust results in a -4 penalty to any rolls involving the character’s maximum number of henchmen, loyalty base, and reaction adjustment modifiers (as determined by his Charisma score). This indicates the general air of suspicion that hangs around the wizard and his closely guarded secrets. Others, whether they know the adventurer or not, tend to assume any man with so many secrets cannot be trusted himself.

Rogue – Although these characters are quite able to survive by putting the touch on their customers, they do not make many friends by doing so. At the start of every month, immediately after he receives his “hush money,” a character of this type must make an ability check on his Charisma score. If the character passes the check, there are no harmful side effects of the rogue’s “business” of thieving. If the character fails the check, one of the “customers” has decided to do away with the rogue.

There are two ways to resolve this crisis. The first and easiest is simply to have the rogue make a saving throw vs. paralysis. If the save fails, the rogue is severely wounded by his attacker and suffers 1d6 points of damage per his experience level. So, for example, a 10^th-level thief suffers 10d6 points of damage. If this is enough to kill the rogue, the player must create a new character. Otherwise, the character simply begins or continues play wounded.

The other method, which is preferred, is to role-play the encounter. A skillful DM could turn the affair into an entire adventure. The important things to remember in setting up such a scenario, however, are that the rogue will be the target of an assassination attempt and that his life must be placed in serious jeopardy during the game. Blackmail is not a very pretty business to be in, but that’s one of the risks that those who practice it have to live (or die) with.

Montinelle

Population: 300,000 (Human 90%, Dwarf 5%, Half-elf 4%, Other 1%)

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Local Language: Western Common

Gods: Ares

Magic: Low

Organization: Militaristic

Description: Montinelle is more of a fortress than it is a city. While nowhere near as large as the capital Dunthrane, Montinelle is a fairly strong military stronghold. Many of Dunthrane’s soldiers receive their training in Montinelle. As a result, large portions of the people of Montinelle are soldiers, though there is a strong merchant class here. The merchants are usually housed within the walls of the stronghold where they peddle their wares while the poorer people live outside their walls. While crime is fairly present, no formal guild has managed to gain a foothold. This makes the merchants who come fairly happy as they do not need to worry about losing their hard earned merchandise.

Even the people who are not soldiers are very militaristic and accustomed to battle. Attacks are frequent and those who do not learn to fight are simply wiped out. There is only one temple in the city and it is devoted to Ares. Most of the people worship him though worship of Arawn and Sulis is not uncommon. Both have strong followers as well as priests, but no formal temple.

Role-Playing: The people of Montinelle are often pushed around by the soldiers who protect them. While it is not with a malicious intent, it does cause the personalities of most people to be rather dour. They tend to dress in drab garb that would attract little attention as any attention is bad.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – The warriors of Montinelle are highly trained in a variety of weapons as one never knows when he might have to pick up an enemy’s weapon and fight with it. To reflect this, a warrior receives any one weapon broad group at no cost.

Priest – The priests of Montinelle have been raised in an environment of warfare and conflict. Their heritage is one of military action that has left even the most timid shopkeeper with an understanding of combat.

Because of the warfare, all priests from Montinelle gain a +1 attack bonus. They are entitled to exceptional hit point bonuses for high Constitution scores. They are also able to purchase skills from the warrior proficiencies group without expending an extra slot.

Wizard – The history of this city is one of warfare and conflict. Montinelle has not only survived its conflicts, but grown strong from them. Those who live in the shadow of its walls are proud of their warrior heritage, and even the wizards of this city have had military training. To reflect this, wizards from Montinelle acquire weapon proficiencies as if they were rogues. That is, they begin play with two such skills and acquire a new one with every fourth level. In addition, these characters can employ all small weapons normally forbidden to wizard characters.

Rogue – The rogues of Montinelle have been raised in an environment of warfare and conflict. Their heritage is one of military action that has left even the most timid shopkeeper with an understanding of combat.

Because of the warfare, all rogues from Montinelle gain a +1 attack bonus. They are entitled to exceptional hit point bonuses for high Constitution scores. They are also able to purchase skills from the warrior proficiencies group without expending an extra slot.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – Warriors of Montinelle have little use for magical trinkets. They prefer to rely on strategy and physical might. Warriors from Montinelle are only able to employ magical potions, weapons and armor.

Priest – To master the art of combat, priests of Montinelle have been forced to sacrifice some of their abilities at magic. To reflect this, their miscast magic percentage is increased by 5, therefore even the wisest of priests still have at least a 5% chance of miscasting a spell.

Wizard – The time that a wizard from Montinelle spends on martial training is, of course, lost from the study of magic. To reflect this, characters from this region must reduce their chance to learn spells by 10%.

Rogue – To master the art of combat, the rogues of Montinelle have been forced to sacrifice some of their more subtle combat training. As a result, they receive only the standard +2 attack roll bonus when striking from the rear, not the usual +4 that other rogues are entitled to. They never receive bonuses to their thieving skills for exceptionally high Dexterity scores either.

New Haven

Population: 1,000 (Human 80%, Dwarf 8%, Half-elf 5%, Gnome 5%, Other 2%)

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Local Language: Western Common

Gods: Diancecht

Magic: Low

Organization: Militaristic

Description: This town was only recently founded a few years ago. Located on the edge of the Border Woods they are on border of completely uncharted badlands. This town is very much a frontier town and is kept in control by the local garrison.

Rumor has it that evil dwells within the badlands to the west and there is some truth to it. A demon was killing off some of the guards for a short time until a couple of adventurers came through and killed it. Shortly thereafter, there was a mass of unexplained murders which went unsolved but seemed to end themselves. The majority of the people here are farmers with a few craftsmen about to make what is necessary to get by. The occasional merchant makes their way out here, but it is rare.

Crime and magic are almost unheard of. The town is sufficiently small that crime among the citizens is somewhat useless and the old captain was known to dislike mages due to an injury he received from one in his younger days. He was replaced after dying mysteriously by someone whose opinion on magic is similar.

The one temple is devoted to Diancecht and provides medical attention for all who need it.

Role-Playing: The people of New Haven are all of adventuring stock, mostly rogues and warriors. The type required to go out and settle wild wilderness somewhat requires it. All of the people are very practical and wear sturdy clothes made of soft leather. Even the few mages here wear it and are unhindered by it as far as casting is concerned. It is not the hardened leather armor military units wear, more like buckskin and only provides an AC of 9. They also make a studded version which provides an AC of 8. Only wizards from New Haven are able to use these without penalty though.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – New Havian warriors are known for their resilience, they seem to almost never get sick or hurt. This translates into a +1 Constitution bonus (though this score cannot go above racial max) and a +2 bonus to saving throws for paralysis/poison/death.

Priest – New Havian priests (who are all priests of Diancecht) are a practical lot who get a lot of practice at healing. For every die of healing their spells do, an additional point of damage is healed.

Wizard – The magic of New Havian wizards is not nearly as effective as that used by spell casters from other lands. Because of the informal way in which they master their spells, however, these wizards are not subject to many of the normal restrictions placed on magicians.

These characters are far better able to defend themselves than their peers from other lands. They can make use of any small or medium weapon, including both melee and missile weapons. They can attack as if they were rogues, not wizards, so a 5^th level New Havian wizard has a THAC0 of 18 instead of 19. In addition, they roll a six sided die when rolling for hit points.

Rogue – The rogues of New Haven have typically come here to avoid the constant hounding of the guards in Dunthrane. They are so skillful at predicting the outcome of political struggles, military conflicts, and other contests that they have acquired quite a reputation for soothsaying. This knack gives them an ability similar to the astrology proficiency. It also gives them a -2 bonus to all initiative rolls

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – New Havian warriors can be somewhat stubborn and set in their ways despite overwhelming evidence disproving them. This translates to a -2 penalty to wisdom.

Priest – While they are skilled healers, New Havian priests tend to spend too much time contemplating each and every thing they are about to do. This translates to a -2 penalty to initiative.

Wizard – The way wizards from New Haven learn spells is almost bard like, picking up a spell here and there. For purposes of spell casting, as well as how many slots may be cast per day, a New Havian wizard is considered to be one level less. So a first level wizard casts no spells a day. In addition, a New Havian wizard can never be a specialist.

Rogue – The rogues of New Haven are noted for their “What’s in it for me?” attitude. They are seldom loyal to any cause that can’t keep them in food, drink and comfort for the foreseeable future. The inability of these folk to commit to anything other than a quest for more profits requires that these characters be of chaotic alignment. They can be good, evil or neutral as permitted by the DM, but they suffer a -1 penalty to their starting Charisma score.

Porton

Population: 185,000 (Human 85%, Half-elf 9%, Dwarf 5%, Other 1%)

Alignment: Neutral

Local Language: Western Common, Enlightened Common

Gods: Gael, Ula, Gareth, Lugh, Daghdha, Manannan mac Lir, Brigantia, Uranus, Zeus, Athena, Dionysus, Hephaestus, Hermes, Poseidon, Hades

Magic: Low

Thief Guilds: The Scallywags, the Night Cutlasses, the Order of the Wolf, the Midnight Slashers, the Brotherhood of Thieves

Organization: None/Monarchy

Description: The port city of Porton is where many merchants land before heading north to Dunthrane. The city is controlled by the guards in the name of the king, though the only thing they manage to do is to keep the various thieves guilds from robbing the merchants blind before they can get to Dunthrane. Much of the politics in Porton is handled through negations from representatives of each of the thieves’ guilds as well as the various temples. The result is a sort of uneasy truce between the various factions, though they do have minor squabbles from time to time. This rarely spills into the streets for fear the guards may send word to the king.

Many pirates come to Porton to drink up, find some wenches or simply resupply before their next foray into the sea. This is also the main port that shipments from Amsha arrive at. The people of Amsha are so commonplace here that many of the locals speak at least some Enlightened Common so they may speak with them. On occasion, ships arrive here from as far as Ghan, Jabulani, or even the Desu Island Chain, but it is rare.

Magic is little known here as most people who have the sense to learn magic have the sense to move away. It is not completely unknown however and the few mages here can usually name their price at any of the guilds or pirate ships.

One interesting aspect of Porton is a magical dead zone which fluctuates from time to time throughout the city. At any given time it could start up, making all magic useless. Mages and priests in the area have learned to work around it begrudgingly.

Role-Playing: Citizens of Porton are often criminals, and those who aren’t tend to know how to interact with the criminal element enough to avoid running afoul of them. People are always careful not to step on someone else’s toes to avoid a potentially disastrous conflict. As such, it is rare for a Portonite to ever boast about anything.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – The warrior has an intimate knowledge of the area that he is from (“I know these docks like th’ back o’ me hand!”) and one bonus Rogue proficiency (single slot

proficiency only). Additionally, the warrior “knows someone”. This “someone” is an NPC of 1d4+2 levels of any one character class. This NPC can provide a favor (fence goods, sell stolen goods, provide a hideout from the Watch) for the PC once a month. Any favors beyond that require a favor in return. This NPC will never risk her life for the

warrior.

Priest – Porton is a city with many priests, a light rule, several active thieves’ guild, and a large magic-dead zone. It is a haven for adventurers. Priests from Porton get two bonus nonweapon proficiencies (which they may choose to spend on rogue proficiencies at no additional cost) and a free language of their choice (which is usually Enlightened Common).

Wizard – The city of Porton is marked by a large fluctuating dead zone in which magic cannot be employed. It is a major reason why few wizards call Porton home. Those who do are cunning and have developed a natural sensitivity to magic. Because of this, they are often able to detect the presence of magical auras, just as elves can often notice the location of secret doors. Whenever a wizard of Porton comes within 10 feet of a magical item or ongoing spell effect, there is a 2 in 6 chance he detects the vibrations of a magical aura. This doesn’t mean the wizard knows exactly what is enchanted or the nature of the magic, only that SOMETHING near him is radiating magic.

Rogue – Many of the rogues who live in Porton either aspire to or have retired from a career of piracy and smuggling. For this reason, all rogues from Porton begin play with the seamanship and navigation proficiencies. These are bonus skills and the character need not expend any slots to purchase them. Additional slots can be expended to increase the character’s chances of success with these skills.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – Citizens of Porton are known as thieves and cutthroats (and with good reason). As such, warriors from Porton receive a -2 penalty to all reaction checks from people outside of Porton. As well, guards tend to keep an eye on the character and if anything goes wrong they are usually the first to be blamed.

Priest – A large portion of the city is often enveloped by a dead magic zone. As a result, native priests have become a bit lax in their guards against magic. Thus, all native priests get a -1 on all saving throws vs. magic.

Wizard – Because of the difficulty of working magic in and around Porton, the spell casting techniques employed by the wizards of the town are very precise and demanding. To reflect this, the casting times spells cast by mages of Porton are increased by 50%.

Rogue – Rogues from Porton do not attract followers upon reaching 10^th level. In addition, their almost nomadic lifestyle limits them to half the normal number of henchmen.

These characters never master the use of scrolls like other rogues do. This is not because of any disability on their part, but only a product of their personalities. Mages don’t pretend to be pirates, so why should they attempt to pass themselves as mages?

Sarda

Population: 25,000 (Human 95%, Half-elf 2%, Dwarf 2%, Other 1%)

Alignment: Neutral

Local Language: Western Common

Gods: Lugh, Belenus, Gaea, Rhea, Hera, Demeter, Apollo, Joan, Fhina

Magic: Moderate

Thief Guilds: The Night Bandits

Organization: Military/Monarchy

Description: Sarda is a town of nobles supported on the backs of many farmers. The occasional art or gem show is known to pass through this town as there are enough rich people here to purchase such frivolities.

The local guard takes care of most of the stupid criminals. The king rarely gets edicts out this far and so the captain is pretty much allowed to run things however he wants. A guild of gem thieves known as the Night Bandits is about the only organization that has managed to take any sort of a hold here. They are highly skilled cat burglars who do not strike often, but when they do it is always a large haul.

Some of the nobles here have the time and money to dabble in magic, though most do it only as a means to make menial chores, such as picking one’s glass up off the table to drink from it, easier. There is said to be a ghostly girl who haunts a local pond. Whether this is true or not, very few ever wander near it at night.

The proximity to the border woods has attracted a large Druid community. Rangers are also common. These druids do occasionally come in conflict with the nobility over land issues.

Role-playing: Most adventurers from Sarda are bored nobles who seek a little excitement in their lives. Most other adventurers do not take them seriously as they see Sardans as pampered brats with no real skill. This is fairly often true. A very few number of adventurers emerge from among the working farmers. The farmers rarely earn enough to afford even the most basic of equipment, so such adventurers are rare.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – Sardan warriors are assumed to be of the noble class and get the etiquette nonweapon proficiency as a bonus. If the warrior finds himself in a social situation in a strange land far from home, the warrior can still attempt an etiquette proficiency check (with a -4 penalty), to “fake his way” through the social customs to avoid any unintentional insults.

Sardan warriors start out with a little more money than the typical warrior (6d4x10 gold pieces). In addition, they receive a monthly allowance of 25 gold per level of the warrior.

Priest – Priests from Sarda are likely druids, and even those who are not are fairly well versed in nature. To reflect this, priests from Sarda receive the herbalism proficiency at no cost. Additional slots may be expended to increase the priest’s chance of success in this skill.

Such priests are also fairly accustomed to speaking with nobility and know how to distinguish them. As such, priests from Sarda receive the heraldry and etiquette proficiencies free of charge. Additional slots may be expended to increase the priest’s chance of success in these skills.

Wizard – Wizards from Sarda are all from the noble class and tend to be overly snobbish and proud. Their noble heritage allows them to draw upon resources that allow them to advance far more easily in their studies. They automatically receive a +5% bonus to any experience points awarded by the DM over the course of an adventure. This is in addition to any bonus for exceptional ability scores.

In addition, they can expect a monthly allowance from their parents, relatives or estate equal to 50 gold pieces per level of the wizard. A fifth level wizard for example will receive 250 gold pieces at the beginning of every month.

Rogue – Rogues from Sarda are assumed to be members of the Night Bandits as other rogues tend to get caught or suffer unfortunate “accidents”. They are skilled jewel thieves and receive both the gem cutting and appraising proficiencies at no cost. They may expend additional slots to increase their chances at using these skills. In addition, they gain a 15% bonus to their climb walls and open locks skills (to a maximum of 95% chance of success).

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – Thieves and peasants are something a Sardan warrior cannot tolerate, and it shows on their faces and how they talk to them. When interacting with such people, all reaction rolls are penalized at -4.

The arrogance of Sardan warriors is a sore point to other folk, especially those not from an urban environment. When mingling with non-Sardans, all reaction rolls are penalized at -2.

Finally, a warrior from Sarda refuses to use anything but the very best equipment. When forced to use inferior equipment, a Sardan warrior suffers a -1 penalty to hit and damage. Any standard equipment bought for a Sardan must cost at least 10% more than the standard equipment would.

Priest – Priests of Sarda do not mingle well with the common man. When dealing with someone not of noble birth, all reaction rolls are penalized at -4. In addition, their close ties to nature (even among the priests who worship gods which are not necessarily devoted to such) make them highly protective of it. They find themselves quick to anger when they notice wanton destruction of natural things and are quick to fight to rectify such injustices.

Wizard – The pampering and money gives them the resources to be formidable spell casters. However, this pampering tends to make them weak physically as they are not accustomed to a physical lifestyle. To reflect this, wizards from Sarda must reduce their Strength, Constitution or Dexterity by two points.

Rogue – The rogues of Sarda, for all their skill at breaking and entering, lack the combat ability that many of their peers have. As a result, they progress in their THAC0s as wizards do.

The Frozen Lands

The Frozen Lands are an arctic wasteland which takes up much of the northern tip of the Eluvian continent. With few natural resources to live with, the people of the Frozen Lands take little for granted. They are a tough and resourceful people who are completely isolated from the warmer climes to the south by the Dead Mountains. When the villages grow too populated to be supported by the local resources, families make their way through the mountains to the south and settle in the grassy tundra on the other side. This is not an easy journey and only about 10% of those who head out ever manage to survive the avalanches, icy slopes and ever hungry remorhaz.

These people grow in numbers until a charismatic leader rises among them and they start raiding the cities and farms of Dunador for food and other goods. This has given the people of the Frozen Lands something of a reputation for being vicious barbarians when in fact this is not true. The people are actually quite peaceful and would never fight among each other. They just fight to take the natural resources that they need to feed and clothe their families. They rarely manage to cause any significant damage at any rate as they simply do not have the numbers to win. Still, what they lack in numbers they make up in sheer toughness and can often take on armies twice their size.

Religion among most of the people in the Frozen Lands is not very strong at all. Focus on survival gives people precious little chance to devote to the studies of the gods. As such, while there are priests of the twenty or so different frost gods, none devotes himself to a specific god. As such, all priests in the Frozen Lands are treated as clerics unless otherwise noted.

Thievery is unknown in the Frozen Lands. Communities are small and supplies are few so any theft would be quickly discovered. Thieves are not tolerated in any way and those caught are immediately killed.

The Frozen Lands are vast and largely featureless. Snow and ice is occasionally broken up by a mountain range or half frozen river. A handful of small groups of nomads wander the snows, though the majority of the population lives in one of the four towns of Chugach, Maguyuk, Novularond, and Puttak. None of these cities are as large as those found in the rest of the world, but (with the exception of Chugach) they serve as trading centers for the nomads and a bit of change from the bleak icy flatness of the Frozen Lands.

Chugach

Population: 350 (Human 100%)

Alignment: Neutral Evil

Local Language: Frost common

Gods: None

Magic: None

Thief Guilds: None

Organization: Tribal

Description: Tucked away in the Dead Mountains is the hidden city of Chugach. Hidden is possibly too strong of a word as most people of the Frozen Lands know exactly where it is, if only to be sure to avoid it.

Centuries ago, when people first started to settle the Frozen Lands, the people of Chugach were told to find their way to the mountains and seek out the earthly representation of their god. These early pilgrims came across a remorhaz cave and soon decided that this was the creature they were looking for.

The remorhaz of course had other plans and the majority of those initial pilgrims were eaten. Still, they persevered and eventually gained the trust of the remorhaz, fighting off tirichiks, protecting the remorhaz’s eggs and tending to its wounds when it got injured. As this trust grew, the remorhaz started to protect the people and in exchange, they gave her food and water, lit fires to keep her eggs warm and ensured she was always healthy.

The people of Chugach developed a close bond with the remorhaz which has stayed strong to today. They invented a special leather saddle that allows them to ride such creatures and they constantly patrol their lands, hunting for intruders. The people fiercely protect the remorhazes and in return, the creatures protect the people equally fiercely.

Magic is just about unknown to the people of Chugach. None have the time to spend devoting to wizardly studies, though a few are priests. These priests have long forgotten the name of the god they once worship and instead of thinking of the remorhaz as the earthly representation of their god, they now regard the creatures as their gods. Somehow they still receive powers, which have only strengthened their belief in these creatures.

Role-playing: The people of Chugach are intensely loyal to each other and to their remorhazes. They tend to attack outsiders on sight and it is almost unheard of for one of their number to set out on his own.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – About 90% of the population consists of warriors. They are particularly tough for humans, having to survive harsh winters with little or no resources to get them by. This minimum is after the +1 bonus they receive to both Strength and Constitution. This bonus cannot raise their scores above 18 however.

While few ever get the honor of becoming a remorhaz rider, all warriors are taught how to take care of and ride a remorhaz. As such they begin play with the animal training (remorhaz) and land based riding (remorhaz) nonweapon proficiencies at no cost.

Priest – Chugach priests call themselves the priests of the Ice Worm. They are required to tend to the needs of the remorhazes and such creatures will never harm a priest. Like warriors, they require minimum Strength and Constitution scores of 12 and receive a +1 bonus to both of these scores, up to 18. Also like warriors they are taught how to take care of and ride a remorhaz and begin play with the animal training (remorhaz) and land based riding (remorhaz) nonweapon proficiencies at no cost. Their priestly abilities are as follows:

Requirements: AB Str 12, Con 12, Wis 12; AL any; WP spear, bow, harpoon; AR b SP All, Animal, Charm, Combat, Creation, Elemental, Guardian, Healing, Necromantic, Protection, Summoning, Travelers, Wards; PW 10) Summon Remorhaz (as monster summoning) 1/week; TU nil.

Wizards – There are no wizards in Chugach

Rogues – There are no rogues in Chugach.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – The minimum Strength and Constitution scores for warriors are 12 as those with lower scores never survive to adulthood. Due to their generally combative nature in regards to outsiders, they receive a -2 penalty to Charisma (though this cannot lower their score below 3). They are also rather unable to be swayed by logic as they survive by belief. This gives them a -1 penalty to Intelligence (this also cannot lower their score below 3).

Priest – Like warriors, they require minimum Strength and Constitution scores of 12. They are also required to have a minimum Wisdom score of 12. Also like warriors, they receive a -2 penalty to Charisma and a -1 penalty to Intelligence (neither of which can be lower than 3).

The tough requirements of becoming a priest means only about 1 or 2% of the population ever become one. The rest of the population consists of children and the elderly. Since they are so rare among their people, any priest who would dare to turn his back on his people and go out on his own is considered to be a traitor. He can never return home and would be attacked on sight just as though he were a trespasser.

Maguyuk

Population: 2,000 (Human 100%)

Alignment: Neutral

Local Language: Frost common

Gods: Frost

Magic: Moderate

Thief Guilds: None

Organization: Tribal

Description: Maguyuk sits on the northern edge of the Noahtaknuit River and is the largest settlement in the Frozen Lands. The city is built atop a broad plateau about 150 feet high. Ramps of ice spiral around the plateau, giving access to the village from below.

The industrious villagers of Maguyuk are the hardest working people in the Frozen Lands. Snowhouses are replaced yearly. Kayaks and dog sleds are maintained in immaculate condition. Storage pits are kept filled with a year’s supply of meat. Sled dogs and kupuk live in their own comfortable houses, called jititip. A fleet of kayaks and umiak are docked in an ice-free harbor along the edge of the Noahtaknuit River. Just outside the village, herds of musk oxen and caribou are raised in pens enclosed by ice block walls.

The villagers actively promote trade and the village is noted for its well-organized and hospitable attitude towards traders. A large central section of the village is reserved for trade, featuring five fire pits that always contain ample supplies of roasting meat to feed visitors, and a large double domed building called a rewqugi filled with pits of burning blubber for visitors to warm themselves. Maguyuk is known for its fine kayaks, sleds and clothing, and people flock to this remote city from all over the Frozen Lands to trade for these goods.

Role-playing: The people of Magayuk are among the friendliest of any that can be found in the Frozen Lands. They are always happy to meet new people and love the art of bartering.

Special Abilities: The people of Magayuk are comfortable bartering for goods and services. When trading goods for goods, they always haggle prices down by 10%.

Wizard – Magayuk is the only city where wizardry could be considered to be at all common. Even then it is only practiced by a very rugged few. Such wizards are known as Anagakok and their abilities are described in the Complete Wizard’s Handbook.

Special Disabilities: The people of Magayuk are comfortable bartering for goods but they have little experience with currency as the people of the Frozen Lands have never developed a formal currency. When buying goods for gold, the people of Magayuk always pay 10% more. When selling goods for gold, they people of Magayuk get 10% less.

Wizard – The disabilities of Anagakok are described in the Complete Wizard’s Handbook.

Novularond

Population: 400 (Inugaakalakurit 100%)

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Local Language: Frost common

Gods: None

Magic: None

Thief Guilds: None

Organization: Tribal

Description: Novularond is situated between Lake Qukoku and the Akkari Mountains. The town is home almost exclusively to Inugaakalakurit, arctic dwarves who disdain violence of any sort. Despite this hatred of violence, they love to collect weapons and wrestle. Wrestling competitions are frequently held with each contestant offering up a weapon as a bet on the outcome.

The people largely subsist on fish which they catch in Lake Qukoku and rabbits which they farm in pens around their village. They are usually willing to trade their food for finely crafted or exotic weaponry.

To the east of the village lie the Akkari Mountains. These strange mountains give off a magical aura and the stones never grow colder than 40°. Stones that are taken away from the mountains grow as cold as normal stones 24 hours after they are taken away from the mountain range. This strange property of the nearby mountains keeps Novularond warmer than any other village in the Frozen Lands.

Frost giants are a constant threat to the people of Novularond. Every few years a group of frost giants storm down from the Akkari Mountains and take a few of the people away to work as slaves in building and maintaining a lair. The frost giants have yet to take more than they would need from the town, but it would not take much for them to wipe out the village entirely.

Role-Playing: The people of Novularond are fairly peaceful though they relish recreational combat. They love nothing more than to spend an afternoon pounding each other into unconsciousness.

Special Abilities: Adventurers from Novularond are assumed to be Inugaakalakurit. They can be fighters of unlimited level, rangers of up to 8^th level or thieves of up to 8^th level. All other classes are forbidden.

Their initial ability scores are modified by a -1 penalty to Charisma and Dexterity, and a +1 bonus to Strength and Constitution. The minimum and maximum ability scores of inugaakalakurit are as follows:

Ability Minimum Maximum

Strength 14 18

Dexterity 3 16

Constitution 13 18

Intelligence 3 18

Wisdom 3 18

Charisma 3 14

They are completely immune to the effects of cold temperatures, cold-based spells, and other magically-generated forms of cold (such as a white dragon’s breath). In all other respects, they are treated as standard dwarves and receive all the same abilities described in the Player’s Handbook.

Puttak

Population: 300 (Human 100%)

Alignment: Neutral Good

Local Language: Frost common

Gods: Frost

Magic: Low

Thief Guilds: None

Organization: Tribal

Description: Puttak is the closest village to the pass that crosses the Dead Mountains into Dunador and the very few foreigners who pass into the Frozen Lands come to a stop here. Villagers here capture wild kupuk (a large dog-like pack animal) near the Dead Mountains some 50 miles to the east. They then bring them back to the village for training. Kupuk are treated like equal members of the community, sharing food and living quarters with Puttak families, even meriting their own cemetery on the north side of the village. Puttak kupuk are well-behaved, loyal, and healthy. They are highly prized by people throughout the Frozen Lands who regularly make the long pilgrimage to Puttak just to trade for these animals.

To warn of approaching predators, the villagers have built a series of signal stations spaced around the village in concentric circles about 50 yards apart. These stations resemble ice towers between 20 and 50 feet high, each containing a villager armed with a bell made of bone and wood. When a villager spots a predator, he rings the bell, alerting the other villagers who then ring their own bells. Those in town respond by herding the kupuk mothers and pups into caves and underground tunnels. For additional protection, the villagers pay hunters to visit Puttak two or three times a year, exterminating any predators they can find (the hunters are paid in kupuk).

Puttak villagers observe a birth ritual that acknowledges their special relationship with kupuk. When the oldest daughter of a family is within a week of giving birth (Puttak midwives are able to determine dates of birth with uncanny accuracy), she, her mother, and a few close friends journey to the Dead Mountains in one of the many kupuk caverns there. Should a kupuk hatch in the caverns on the same day that the baby is born, the villagers take the kupuk pup back to Puttak and raise it with the baby as a member of their family.

Role-playing: The people of Puttak are very practical are absolutely fascinated by kupuk as well as other similar animals such as wolves, dogs, and foxes. They see such creatures as admirable and often wish that they could possess similar traits.

Special Abilities: All people from Puttak are well versed in training kupuk and begin play with the animal training (kupuk) nonweapon proficiency at no cost. In addition, they begin play with a trained kupuk and sled.

Special Disabilities: Kupuk are excellent and loyal pets, but they are only suitable in the freezing cold weather of the Frozen Lands. Kupuk refuse to go to warmer climates and soon die off if forced to, making the abilities of people from Puttak somewhat useless outside of the Frozen Lands. Any native of Puttak is assumed to be a ranger or a fighter. Other classes are unavailable for various reasons.

The Cities and People of Ghan

The northern half of the Dark Continent is the country of Ghan. It is not a terribly hospitable country, with a good 85% of it covered in a hot, rocky, desert wasteland known as the Pindari Wastes. It is so called because of the Pindari who call the desert home. The Pindari are a nomadic people who wander the Pindari Wastes but have very little contact with the people who call the more temperate edges of Ghan home.

The waters off the coast of Ghan consist of beautiful reefs, colorful fishes and many deadly creatures. Sharks are the most common, though there have been reports of giant squid. Tritons and mermen are also fairly common, though they tend to keep to themselves and do not bother passing ships unless the people in the ships do something to incur their wrath.

Along the edges of Ghan, several small cities have formed, largely based on economies of fishing, shepherding and dingo or kangaroo hunting. Their weapon of choice for hunting is a thrown implement known as a boomerang. Two varieties of this weapon exist, both of which consist of a flat, wooden blade which is bent in the center. One is weighed a bit heavier and is used to take down tougher game. The other is lighter and, when thrown correctly, returns to its user when it misses. It is fairly useless against anything tougher than birds, so it is usually used more for amusement or sport than true hunting.

The people tend to have dark skin and bright, curly, blonde hair. They wear simple garments of whites, browns and khaki. Kings, leaders and other officials often wear headdresses made of ostrich feathers as well as bright yellow or orange garments. Most garments are made of thin wool, or animal hide. Kangaroo and dingo are the most common hides used for clothing.

The cities are largely independent with traders going up and down the coast on ships. Major roads between cities have not been built as every major city can be reached by sea. Despite the large number of ships that travel up and down the coast, there are none who bother traveling beyond the Dark Continent. A very small minority travel over to Jabulani, but the locals are not terribly welcoming to foreign trade so it is not really worth the risk to get there.

The city of Amaroo is the largest city in Ghan. If one city could be described as the capital of Ghan, it would be Amaroo. It like all the other cities built along the coasts of Ghan is not especially glamorous, nor is it ornate or a marvel of architectural engineering. In fact, if one did not know Amaroo was the largest city, it would barely register as anything of importance at all. The buildings are simple affairs of mud brick or wood. The head king lives there in a small wooden cabin, easily accessible by any of his subjects, and though he has no true power over any of the other cities of Ghan, his word is trusted and followed to settle any matters that concern two or more cities.

This architectural choice reflects the very easy going lifestyle the people of Ghan are accustomed to. People are typically very friendly and do not stress over anything. They do not have any concept of the pomp and circumstance that is common among the nobility of other regions. If a beggar wants to go talk to the king, it is just a matter of knocking on his door.

Lack of access to metal has forced the people to make use of wooden and bone weapons. It is rare to find anything made of metal in Amaroo and such items are highly prized. A metal weapon could command quite a fortune in Amaroo. Much of commerce revolves around the trade of goods and when currency is required, it takes the form of paper.

The lack of metal tools or large formal buildings has given the people something of a reputation for being backwards and underdeveloped. They are actually quite advanced and have learned to do without metal and create wooden or bone items of similar strength using special coatings and refinement processes. Their magical abilities are also fairly top notch. They are not the greatest of magic users, but they do know how to use magic to strengthen their works or create a potion or two.

The people of Ghan do not worship gods in the same way much of the rest of the world does. They believe that the world was created in the dreams of powerful spirits (roughly equivalent to gods) and once all was done, they left the power to create in the hands of the Ghanish people. As such, there is an extreme emphasis placed on dreams and how they affect the waking world. They also believe there is a nightmare realm somewhere, where powerful spirits attempt to corrupt the waking world and break the spirits of all sentient races. Ghanish priests are known as Dreamwalkers and are described in detail below.

Dreamwalker

Ability Requirements: Wisdom 15, Strength 12, Constitution 13

Prime Requisites: Wisdom

Races Allowed: Any

Dreamwalkers are people who serve as the spiritual leaders of the people of Ghan. It is their job to interpret dreams and to fight off the advances of the spirits of the nightmare realm. They sometimes confuse the real world with dreams and refuse to acknowledge anything they cannot see as being real. They advance in level as priests.

Alignment: To properly interpret dreams, all Dreamwalkers must be at least partially neutral. Therefore they may only be of neutral good, lawful neutral, neutral, chaotic neutral or neutral evil alignment.

Arms and Armor: Dreamwalkers have no specific restrictions on armor, but they can only acquire leather or hide armor in Ghan. Other types of armor have not been developed yet. For weapons, they use wooden or bone weaponry such as bows, blowguns and staffs. They may not use any weapon made of metal.

Major Spheres: All, Astral, Divination, Healing, Summoning, Time, Travelers

Minor Spheres: Creation, Guardian, Necromantic, Protection, Thought, Wards

Special Abilities: Dreamwalkers are constantly delving into dreams and are used to chaos and uncertainty and have developed a natural 25% immunity to all manner of illusions and hallucinations. Even if this immunity fails, they still receive a +4 bonus to saving throws against these effects. They also have a 5% resistance to all other mind-affecting spells, and are additionally immune to all spells that affect dreams.

In addition, Dreamwalkers with the herbalism nonweapon proficiency know how to manufacture a mild poison (Class C, 2-5 minutes, 25/2d4) which they use to coat their arrowheads when hunting large or dangerous animals.

Dreamwalkers cannot turn undead. Instead, they have the ability to banish dream spawn (shape changing creatures common to the nightmare realm) and other dream-related creatures such as bastelli. Use the Hit Dice portion of the Turning Undead table to determine a Dreamwalker’s chances of banishing a dream spawn. A “D” result not only drives a dream spawn off, but forces it to revert to its natural form if it is disguised. If the dream creature was draining a victim in the waking world, it will forever be unable to feed on that victim again with a successful turning attempt.

At 3rd level the Dreamwalker gains the power of dreamwalking. By entering a deep trance he or she can send their dream-self into the dreams of those sleeping in the waking world. The character must make a successful Wisdom check with a -4 penalty to successfully dreamwalk. This power can be used once per day. The trance lasts for 1 turn per level of the Dreamwalker. During the trance the shaman’s physical body sits helpless and is vulnerable to any dangers that come upon it.

At 5th level, a Dreamwalker can detect dream spawn. This ability allows the Dreamwalker to determine if an individual is a dreamer (someone whose mind is wandering the nightmare realm while their body is asleep), a wanderer (someone who physically enters the nightmare realm) or a dream spawn. The base chance of success is 25% plus 2% per level of the shaman. The shaman can also know the strengths and weaknesses of a dream spawn that he or she encounters, base chance 10% plus 2% per level.

At 7th level a Dreamwalker gains the knowledge and skill to create a magic item known as a dreamcatcher. See the notes below for the functioning of this special item.

Dreamcatchers

A dreamcatcher is a wooden staff topped by a circle of woven vines, straw and feathers arranged in a mystic pattern. The Dreamwalker (or other wanderers) can safely exit a dreamscape through a nether portal (a type of magical gate) and arrive wherever they want to go. To navigate a nether portal, a character normally has to roll a Wisdom check with a -8 penalty. When using a dreamcatcher, only a straight Wisdom check is required. This allows safe travel to specific areas of the nightmare realm as well as release from the dreamscape to the destination of the dreamer’s body. No other destinations can be reached by this method.

The Coasts of Ghan

Population: 800,000 (Human 83%, Half-elf 5%, Elf 3%, Dwarf 3%, Gnome 3%, Halfling 3%)

Alignment: Neutral Good

Local Language: Loric common

Gods: Dreamwalkers

Magic: Moderate to low

Thief Guilds: None

Organization: Monarchy

Role-playing: The people of Ghan are fairly relaxed and easy going about everything almost too much so. They are very uncomfortable in any sort of a formal setting and usually ignore it entirely or find a way to bend the rules to better suit them.

Special Abilities: People from Ghan may choose to be fighters, rangers, Dreamwalkers, dream mages (see the Wizards’ Spell Compendium Vol 4 for a list of spells), thieves or bards. All are highly skilled carpenters and begin play with the carpentry nonweapon proficiency at no cost. They may build anything that is made out of wood (including weapons) using this proficiency, though they may need plans for especially bizarre or complicated creations.

Special Disabilities: As noted in the role-playing section, the people of Ghan do not quite understand the concept of formality. They can never gain the etiquette nonweapon proficiency and are constantly causing etiquette faux pas. They should be role-played as such.

The Lands of Greatwood

The continent of Greatwood is a heavily forested land where few have ventured to explore. There are not many people who live on Greatwood and only two known cities. These cities are called Bhaltair and Oilill and they were established by Dunador a few years ago. Bhaltair serves as a landing point for ships while Oilill is a lumber community which ships its wood to Bhaltair for transit to Porton and the rest of Dunador.

The only known natives to Greatwood are wood elves. Somewhere deep within the forest is their home which they call Calmcacil. None but the wood elves have ever seen Calmcacil and it is said that those who would dare do so are destined for death. The wood elves would not dare to reveal its location, nor even describe what it is like for fear that it might aid those who would try to find it through divination.

Many explorers have gone into the woods seeking the legendary Calmcacil, but none has returned from such ventures. They are all presumed dead, though what exactly killed them is a matter of much debate and rumor. Some say it was the elves themselves who killed them, though the elves deny it. Others say they simply got lost in the vast maze of trees and starved to death. Yet others say they were killed by natural predators such as snakes and bears. The last theory claims that there is some horrific monster within the woods that protects the elves by killing all trespassers.

The forest of Greatwood is ancient and one can almost feel the energy from the trees. These trees are highly sought after for many reasons. The wood is particularly durable and comparable to iron in some cases. Wood from the trees of Greatwood is also fairly receptive to magic, making them highly desirable for spell components as well as enchantments, especially magical staves. Finally, the medicinal qualities of the barks and fruit that can be found in Greatwood are world renown among experts in such fields. It is said that some of them even rival or exceed magical equivalents in potency.

Bhaltair and Oilill

Population: 80,000 (Human 90%, Half-elf 6%, Gnome 1%, Halfling 1%, Elf 1%, Dwarf 1%)

Alignment: Neutral

Local Language: Western common

Gods: Celtic, Greek

Magic: Low

Thief Guilds: None

Organization: Monarchy

Description: While Bhaltair and Oilill are two different towns, the populations of both tend to travel between the two constantly. Each has a duke who watches over the towns’ interests in place of the king, and while they are many miles from each other, most people of other lands are referring to both of the cities together when they refer to Greatwood.

Bhaltair is a small coastal city and the first settlement of the two to be built. Supplies for both Bhaltair and Oilill are shipped to Bhaltair’s port. It has a decent sized farming community which supports both Bhaltair and Oilill, but they do not have enough to support themselves entirely and must rely on shipments from Dunador. Supplies are taken by wagon to Oilill. These wagons return with lumber from Oilill which is then shipped back to Dunador.

Bhaltair is a tempting target for pirates and other ne’er-do-wells so the king keeps a sizeable navy always on hand. These ships protect the port at all times and also serve as escorts to any shipping vessels that may need protection. The king is currently in negotiations with Tramilaine to acquire mages who could protect the ships. A fireball does much to discourage an attacking pirate ship after all.

Oilill is many miles inland so it is fairly immune to pirate attacks. The town consists primarily of lumberjacks and their families. Occasionally there are attacks from all manner of creatures from within the forest and a large guard force is in place to ensure the lumberjacks’ safety. It is also the point where many adventurers leave to explore the forest and hunt down whatever manner of beast that can be found. As of yet, none have returned from such adventures.

Role-Playing: Natives of Bhaltair or Oilill are adventurous sorts. They may not all be combatants, but they all have the spirit of exploration. That is, after all, why they picked up and moved out to these frontier towns.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – Warriors are common in Bhaltair and Oilill. Many of them join the guard, though a few of them take up the adventuring life, often disappearing in the woods as they seek to find what hides within them. They are sure to learn all they can to survive in such wilderness so they all begin play with the forest survival nonweapon proficiency at no cost.

Priest – Many different kinds of priests have made their way to Bhaltair and Oilill to examine the area and perhaps convert the native wood elves. They believe the Greatwood has been touched by the gods and that it must be studied. Priests who are native to Bhaltair and Oilill are adept at such studies and begin play with the herbalism nonweapon proficiency at no cost.

Wizard – The resources necessary to wizards are not available in Bhaltair or Oilill. Therefore there are no native wizards in the area. Occasionally adventuring ones do pass through before disappearing in the woods.

Rogue – Thieves do not much care for Bhaltair or Oilill. The population is small which means it is hard for them to blend in with the crowd and when they are caught people tend to know who they are. They are usually the first people to get on a ship and leave. Bards also tend to want to leave, but for different reasons. They usually crave larger audiences to appreciate their talents. In either case, rogues tend to know how to speak with people and begin play with the fast talking proficiency at no cost.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – Warriors are somewhat uncomfortable in large cities as they are more at home either in the wilderness or within small towns on the edge of wilderness. When they are within large towns, such warriors receive a -1 penalty to all proficiency checks.

Priest – The priests in Bhaltair and Oilill have very small followings. This is partially due to the lack of population and partially due to the competition from other priests over the few people there are. None have received funding to build formal temples in Bhaltair or Oilill as of yet and most practice from their homes. Such priests do not receive followers at higher levels.

Rogue – Rogues hate the frontier life they leave behind. They prefer to be in big cities and they are not shy to give their opinion on the matter. While in the wilderness, they receive a -1 penalty to any proficiency checks.

The Cities of Jabulani

Jabulani is a harsh area consisting largely of the Jabulani desert. The desert is a dry, grassy savannah full of wildlife with the Zuberi River cutting a path straight through the middle of it. Most of the wildlife tends to congregate around the river due to the lack of water elsewhere. Very few humans or demihumans can be found in the Jabulani desert, though there are a few tiny isolated tribes scattered here and there. The land is largely the domain of jackalmen, thri-kreen, and wemics. These three peoples are often at each other’s throats over territory and hunting disputes.

At the heart of the Jabulani desert is Mount Otieno. This mountain is the tallest in the world and the source of the Zuberi River. The mountain is visible from most of Jabulani on a clear day. It is also considered to be a sacred place. Many warriors have traveled up the Zuberi River to its source. Those who have survived and returned to tell about it describe a hot spring that the snowy cap of Mount Otieno trickles into, creating a steamy paradise with an overwhelming sense of peace. It is said that anyone who drinks from the source of the Zuberi River will find peace.

Jabulani is not entirely a desert however. Much of southern Jabulani is covered over by the Manyara jungle. Tabaxi and wood elves control most of the jungle and those who wish to travel through it will likely have to deal with at least one (though likely more) of the tabaxi and/or wood elf tribes for safe passage. Those who do not are typically killed, stripped of any valuables and left to feed any scavengers who may wander by.

The rest of Jabulani consists of grassy plains. These plains have very few trees, and the grasses are at least waist high. Those who would travel through them must be on a constant lookout for predators hidden within the grasses. Many a warrior has fallen prey to a snake bite or worse hidden within the grasses.

There are relatively few cities throughout Jabulani. The cities that do exist are sprawling affairs with dense populations. This is largely due to the difficulty of travel over land. The largest concentration by far is in the Zuberi River Delta. Here, rich sediment is deposited from the flooding river, creating an extremely fertile land where everything grows readily. The delta accounts for approximately three quarters of the country’s population.

Religion throughout Jabulani is focused upon the Jabulani gods and Orishas. Every city has temples and shrines devoted to Olorun and many of his Orishas. A small minority do worship the Egyptian pantheon, especially in Tau or among some of the tribes of wemics or jackalmen scattered about the Jabulani desert. Worship of other pantheons is unknown.

Jabulani is rather isolated from outside culture, and to some extent even from its own cities. Ships that leave to explore new lands never return for various reasons so they do not often explore the world beyond Jabulani. Outsiders do occasionally land on Jabulani, but they are treated with suspicion at best or (more likely) attacked. This is further complicated by the language barrier. While many of Jabulani’s people do speak Loric Common, most cities have about three or four other languages also in widespread use. Interacting with the population generally requires a translator that can speak all of those local languages or (more likely) multiple translators who can speak them. For these reasons, very few merchants have managed to set up any sort of steady trade with any of the people of Jabulani.

Chinwendu

Population: 750,000 (Human 70%, Half elf 20%, Elf 5%, Dwarf 4%, Other 1%)

Alignment: Neutral Good

Local Language: Loric Common, Swali, Mahanu, Gundrin, Jotun

Gods: Jabulani

Magic: Low

Thief Guilds: Elegua’s Children

Organization: Theocracy/Monarchy

Description: Elaborate temples and tall spires are the main things one notices about Chinwendu. The people are exclusively of the Jabulani pantheon and the locals call the city “Olorun’s Home.” While outside religions are vaguely tolerated, foreigners of other faiths find things much easier for themselves if they at least pretend to be faithful to the Jabulani gods.

The days are very hot in Chinwendu and the people wear very little. Body paint is common as it serves a dual purpose as both a decoration as well as sun block. Men wear little more than a loincloth and perhaps some simple bone jewelry. Women also wear a loincloth. Some wear a tightly bound crop top. Most women also wear rather elaborate jewelry, usually gold and/or bone, though other materials are used as well.

The ruler is King Mugatu Ongotai, a dark skinned half-elf with graying hair. He is both the political and spiritual leader of Chinwendu. He was selected as all monarchs of Chinwendu are selected. When the king decides he wishes to give up his power (or if the king is forced to give up his power, such as in the case of death), a competition is held between the high priests of Chinwendu. They must journey to Mount Otieno and drink from the source of the Zuberi River. The first one to return successfully is named king and head of the Jabulani faith in Chinwendu.

The journey is dangerous and few are able to complete it. Each participant is given a Stone of Returning. This magical stone returns the user to their home temple in Chinwendu should they die or speak the command word. The stone also activates when dipped into the source of the Zuberi River. In this case, the stone glows golden and provides a +3 bonus to the owner’s wisdom. This stone is usually set into a crown for the king so he may rule with great wisdom.

It has been many years since the current king completed the trial, and his rule has been a good one. He has established trade routes with Lusala, Melisizwe and the people of the Zuberi River Delta. He has established a strong navy for Chinwendu. This navy is largely in charge of protecting merchant vessels as they travel along the coasts of Jabulani. None dare leave sight of land.

Role-playing: The people of Chinwendu are very religious. Whenever they have to explain something that they cannot explain, they always assume supernatural means and can usually come up with an Orisha that would likely be responsible. They are highly superstitious and many turn to magic to solve most of their problems. If there is a magic user (especially a priest) nearby, they will be the first ones a person from Chinwendu will look to for guidance.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – Most warriors go on a spiritual quest to find themselves when they come of age. The quests are unique to each warrior, but when they return they bring back a piece of an animal (usually a tooth, claw or feather) that represents them spiritually. When they return, this token is used to make a necklace for the warrior, which provides a +1 bonus to one of their attributes. The warrior has no control over spiritual animal, the animal chooses him. Therefore roll a 1d6, 1 is strength, 2 is dexterity, 3 is constitution, 4 is intelligence, 5 is wisdom and 6 is charisma.

Priest – Priests of Jabulani usually become leaders and are quick to gain followers and loyal henchmen. Such priests are allowed double the normal number of henchmen based on their Charisma scores and should they gain a stronghold, they gain twice as many followers.

Wizard – The people of Jabulani have no formal written language. At least, not one complex enough to depict the intricate formulas and calculations required for standard wizardry of other lands. That is not to say that the people of Jabulani are unable to learn magic at all, far from it. Jabulani mages learn their spells from other mages orally and have no need for a spell book or the costs associated with one.

Rogue – Bards gain the same benefits as a wizard does. Thieves of Jabulani rarely bother to wear armor. Instead they have developed evasive maneuvers that avoid blows rather than having to rely on a leather jerkin. Thieves therefore receive a +2 bonus to their AC. This bonus is lost if they are wearing armor or are unable to receive their Dexterity adjustments.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – If the warrior ever loses the necklace, its benefits are forever lost. In addition, the spiritual animal that chooses the warrior chooses him or her because of his outlook on life and the way he or she best deals with problems. The warrior should role-play to reflect this. For example, a warrior with a boost to charisma would likely talk his way through trouble while one with a boost to dexterity would try to get around it. Those who stray too far from their spiritual animal’s ideals lose their connection with them and the effects of the necklace.

Priest – Priests only gain these benefits while among those of the Jabulani faith. This pretty much restricts them to Jabulani.

Wizard – While the mages of Jabulani have no need for spell books, they are also completely unable to benefit from them or any other form of written magic such as scrolls. They may only learn spells from other mages who are willing to teach them orally. The process takes longer than simply recording it in a spell book. It takes about three times the time normally required to transcribe a spell. In addition, it is much harder to keep spells memorized for preparation than it is to have notes to be able to refer to. This means that Jabulani mages are only able to learn half the number of spells that their Intelligence score would normally allow. Once a spell is learned, it may never be unlearned to make room for others.

Rogue – Bards suffer the same penalties as mages. Thieves and bards are unable to use the read languages skill due to a lack of any real written languages to decode.

Godlumthakathi

Population: 800,000 (Human 40%, Tohr-Kreen 20%, Half-elf 15%, Gnome 10% Elf 5%, Halfling 5%, Dwarf 4%, Other 1%)

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Local Language: Loric Common, Thri-kreen, Mafu, Guldar, Zulain

Gods: Jabulani, Egyptian

Magic: None

Thief Guilds: Nightwatch

Organization: Theocracy/Monarchy

Description: Along the edge of Buziba lake is the city of Godlumthakathi. Long ago, this city was once the site of a great magical battle. The battle threatened to destroy the city and its entire people. Since then, the study of nonpriestly magic has been strictly banned from the city. The creation and possession of magical items is likewise banned. A special order of priests, known as the Hunters, is in charge of finding and removing any such contraband.

The current ruler is King Szulu Amuhadred. He is a rather old tohr-kreen who is getting along to his later years. He was the first of his kind to become king, a title usually held by humans, though a few other races have held it over the years. He gained the title in the same method all other kings have been selected. The sacred Spear of Rulership is tossed somewhere into Buziba Lake at the death of the previous king. Any who wishes to become king must simply find and retrieve the spear. It is said that only the proper king will be guided to the spear without drowning. King Szulu found the spear and has ruled ever since.

The king’s rule has been a peaceful but harsh one. The Hunters have been allowed limitless power in seeking out and retrieving any contraband magic. The head of which is a jackalman named Akoko Eshe. She has been absolutely ruthless in retrieving magic items, though she has been slowly petitioning the king to allow magic once more. If the law were to change, she would stand to gain much power through the use and sale of hundreds of years of acquired magic items.

The city mainly consists of gazelle herders, farmers and fisherman. Buziba Lake is one of the largest in the world and the fish there are plentiful. Parts of the lake run extremely deep and many creatures lie hidden within its waters. Occasionally one of them surfaces for a short period and attacks fishermen until it loses interest, is driven off or killed. Legends speak of a “great lizard beast” that will one day rise from the waters to destroy the city. Luckily there has been no truth to such tales as of yet.

Role-Playing: The people of Godlumthakathi are generally well off, though highly suspicious and possibly fearful of magic users. They believe magic should be in the hands of those who do the gods’ will and those who dare to use magic against the gods’ will are dangerous.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – Many warriors have trained themselves their whole lives for the prospect of one day becoming king. One typically only gets one chance in their lifetimes to attempt so they are sure to train in the skills needed. They all begin play with the swimming nonweapon proficiency at no cost. In addition, they have trained themselves to hold their breaths for extremely long periods of time. They may stay down for a number of rounds equal to half their Constitution score before worrying about drowning if they manage to get a full breath. Most also train in weapons that would be of use underwater (such as spears and knives) to fight off any creatures or other opponents that might stand in their way.

Priest – The priests of Godlumthakathi have been trained to find and retrieve contraband magic. As such, they are able to do a limited form of detect magic at will. It does not show what kind of magic they are detecting, nor does it specify exactly what the source of magic is. It only tells the priest if he is facing some magic within 30 feet. Obviously some moving around and logical elimination can allow the priest to better pinpoint the source of magic.

Wizard – There are no wizards in Godlumthakathi.

Rogue – There used to be a very strong oral tradition in Godlumthakathi, but the various bards have since been driven out. As such, there are no bards left in Godlumthakathi. Thieves on the other hand have prospered. Powerful men are willing to pay heavy coin for any magical item. As such, most thieves found ways of smuggling such items past the Hunters using specially prepared bags woven with fibers from the godcotton plant. These bags negate any detection attempts upon them and all thieves from Godlumthakathi are assumed to have one. In addition, they are assumed to have a contact for which they can sell off any magic items they smuggle into the city. The contact will pay full gold price, no questions asked.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – Warriors suffer no particular disabilities.

Priest – The priests are trained to hunt out magic before it can be used against them. They are not particularly good at avoiding it when it is used against them. Any saves vs. magic or rods, staves or wands are done at a -1 penalty.

Wizard – There are no wizards in Godlumthakathi

Rogue – The chief disability for thieves is the dangers inherent to getting caught. In the very least, those caught will lose the magical items they were smuggling. Depending on the nature of the magical items, they can expect anything from a fine, to imprisonment, or even execution.

Lusala

Population: 920,000 (Tabaxi 40%, Human 22%, Half-elf 12%, Elf 11%, Gnome 5%, Halfling 5%, Dwarf 4%, Other 1%)

Alignment: Neutral

Local Language: Loric Common, Tabaxi, Ungah, Cho

Gods: Jabulani, Egyptian

Magic: Moderate

Thief Guilds: Fang

Organization: Monarchy

Description: Lusala was built on the edge of the Manyara jungle by a clan of Tabaxi who cut away the trees to make glorious spires and fantastic manors. They separated themselves from their jungle dwelling kin and created Lusala. Originally, this city was completely inhabited by tabaxi. When Chinwendu began to send out trading ships, many people moved to Lusala, finding great opportunity with the tabaxi.

Today, the tabaxi are only barely a majority among other races, though they still maintain most of the power. Most government offices are held by tabaxi, though other races have slowly begun making their ways into lower offices. This has caused some racial unease throughout the city and racial violence is common. Typically, the guards look the other way unless the fight threatens to damage the surrounding city (as can be the case when the combatants happen to wield magic). Such brawling is so commonplace that they couldn’t police it even if they wanted to.

The current leader is King Grrawl Kya’tnip. He is both a powerful warrior and adept magician. He is largely criticized by the tabaxi for his stance on racial acceptance as many tabaxi blame the other races for just about any trouble the city might be currently going through. Still, his word is law and none would dare challenge him directly as he is more than capable of handling himself.

The king gained his position the same way every king before him has gained his position. He challenged and defeated the previous king. A king may choose to step down at any time, naming a successor. This is rare, however, and the successor usually has to deal with a long list of challengers before his power is uncontested. The battle for the crown is a sacred ritual of one on one combat, and none would dare cheat. Those who do, automatically forfeit both their lives and their souls as the common punishment for such action is to magically remove the offender’s soul and destroy it.

City life is largely based upon strength. This could be physical strength (as is usually the case) or magical strength. Wizards and priests are common among the people of Lusala. Many join the guard due to the benefits they can gain through working with them. The king encourages his guard to be proficient in the ways of magic, so he provides them anything they may need to learn.

Potion making is a common job, and the local potion makers are able to make their potions at fairly low costs due to subsidies from the government. About half of their stock goes to the government so most guardsmen are equipped with at least a handful of potions. A visitor to Lusala can find a large selection of potions from shops and street merchants for relatively little money.

Dress is very minimal. Men wear pants or loincloths while the women wear the same, though some wear crop tops. Magic users usually wear pocketed sashes filled with their various magical components in easy to reach containers. Colors tend toward browns though jewelry is common.

Role-Playing: The people of Lusala are quick to take on challenges. Should someone belittle them, they usually stand up for themselves and fight back unless they know for sure they cannot win.

Special Abilities: The potion trade of Lusala is very active and the relatively cheap and available potions mean that most people have potions of their own. All characters from Lusala may select 1500 xp worth of potions from Table 89 of the DMG to begin play with.

There is no formal written language in Lusala so bards and wizards do not make use of spell books. They completely memorize the spells they learn to prepare later. Such characters learn their spells orally from other spell casters (requiring a learn spells check of course).

Special Disabilities: Since there is no formal written language, characters from Lusala cannot begin play with the reading/writing proficiency. In addition, bards and thieves do not gain the read languages skill. No character may make use of scrolls of any kind.

Melisizwe

Population: 1,010,000 (Human 80%, Half-elf 8%, Elf 3%, Gnome 3%, Halfling 3%, Dwarf 2%, Other 1%) This is only during the off season. During the trade season the population grows closer to about 5,000,000

Alignment: Neutral

Local Language: Loric Common, Malakai, Nogato, Clana, Goric

Gods: Jabulani, Egyptian

Magic: Moderate

Thief Guilds: The Flow though freelance thieves are common during the trade season

Organization: Monarchy

Description: Built on the edge of both the ocean and the Zuberi River Delta, Meisizwe is something of a trading center for the people of the Zuberi River Delta. Many of the farmers make their way to Melisizwe to sell off goods and wares as well as purchase any tools they may need. The population of Melisizwe swells greatly during the end of the harvest season, when farmers come to sell off what they’ve grown. Trade ships from Chinwendu time themselves to arrive around this time as well. Due to this influx of traders, the population grows to about five times its normal size for about a month or two. For obvious reasons, crime grows greatly during this period of time and one can usually find work as a guard for the city or for a private merchant.

The city is run by Queen Geehena Kyeelyah, a dark skinned human in her thirties. She is highly sought after by suitors, but her pet tiger Ngozi does much to intimidate all but the most aggressive of suitors. The queen delights in terrifying those who seek her hand, releasing Ngozi after them. Thus far, no suitor has managed to defeat Ngozi and most have died trying. The queen absolutely adores her pet however, and if someone were to actually kill him, her ire would be immeasurable.

The city has no shortage of wealth and its construction reflects this. Most buildings are made of finely carved mahogany with various different animal skins covering the windows. Zebra and gazelle are the most common, but some of the wealthier homes have far more exotic pelts such as manticore, lamia and even dragon. Each building is carved by the finest artistic hands, some depicting specific animals or scenes that the owner prefers and others simply geometric swirls and symbols. One of the biggest marks of wealth is to have magical accessories and many homes have at least one. Such accessories range from simple continual light lamps on the lower end to fantastic conjured servants, magically running water, and dazzling faerie fire accents on the high end.

Mages are in high demand in Melisizwe. They are also in fairly short supply, so they are able to charge just about anything they wish for their services and people usually pay it willingly. A few mages have learned how to make temporary enchantments for the people which are far less taxing than the permanent variety and provide them with more revenue as they must return to recharge the enchantments. Only three known mages have been able to create enchantments of the permanent variety. These mages are highly revered and sought after for their skills and abilities and only the queen surpasses them in power.

The first mage is a human enchanter named Ambimbola Bapoto. Ambimbola was born in a wealthy family and was provided with all the greatest teachers his family’s wealth could provide. He quickly learned the craft and by the age of thirty he had surpassed the abilities of any of his former teachers, many of whom disappeared under mysterious circumstances. He is a very serious man whose goals are sought after with unswerving dedication. He also enjoys the power he has acquired and always seeks to gain more. To this end, it is said he seeks the queen’s hand in marriage, though he has yet to formally approach her.

The second mage is a Rakshasa female by the name of Kirabo Kunto. She appears as a humanoid tiger with reversed hands and two heads which speak in unison. The rakshasa left her people many centuries ago and they assume her to be dead. Her main reason for leaving was her lust for power and the only position she could ever gain with her people would be a consort. She has since taken residence within the walls of Melisizwe and has become a mage with powers far beyond those of even the most powerful rakshasa maharajahs. She has become quite arrogant in her power and makes no effort to mask her true nature. Any who would dare attack her is quickly silenced. She is quite happy with the power she has gained within the city and those who would deal with her have learned to pay her in slaves, which she eats in her leisure. Often she eats them alive while entertaining guests to intimidate them into offering more for her services. She also wishes to one day become queen, but she does not wish to attack directly for fear of an uprising that might undermine her power. For now she is slowly biding her time while keeping herself in the current queen’s graces.

The final mage is a golden great wyrm who calls herself the Humble Protector. She once had a mate in some far off land a few centuries ago, but the two split company for reasons unknown and she came to rest for many years upon Mount Otieno. When she learned of Kirabo’s presence in Melisizwe, she decided to move into the city to maintain a watch on the rakshasa. She has since amassed a considerable horde in gems performing simple magical enchantments for the city’s people. She is pleased by the almost godlike worship the people bestow upon her and maintains her home in the city for as long as she need watch Kirabo. It is said that she still has a lair on Mount Otieno to return to with at least part of her horde hidden away. No one has ever said to have found it however.

Role-Playing: The people of Melisizwe are typically traders by nature, but they are also rather proud of their homeland. They see Melisizwe as the greatest city in the world and tend to judge everything else by that standard (“I suppose this city of solid gold is impressive enough, but it is nothing compared to the grandeur of Melisizwe.”).

Special Abilities:

Warrior – Warriors strive to be bodyguards for one of the few mages throughout the city. Of course the top honor would be to serve one of the top three mages, but protecting any mage would bring great honor, prestige and wealth to the warrior. Of course this means there are very few positions available and a warrior must show skills beyond simple muscle to be marketable. To this effect, warriors seek out the greatest scholars to teach them everything there is to know about any creatures that a mage might summon or be otherwise threatened by. When a warrior is confronted by a nonunique monster, he may make a monster lore check to recall any powers, weaknesses or other useful information that might allow the warrior to better combat the creature. The chance for succeeding the check is 5% per level of the warrior, though this chance may be altered for particularly common or unheard of monsters.

Priest – Priests are often called upon to bring blessings upon traders who come to the city. They are assumed to know one merchant of one particular type of item (weapons or armor for example). The priest may always expect a good price on merchandise (perhaps even a discount if the priest is particularly helpful to the merchant). The merchant will also be sure to show the priest his finest wares.

Wizard – Wizards rarely wish to leave Melisizwe due to the readily available source of wealth that they have access to through their abilities. Those who do leave typically have great resources to draw upon. They begin play with 1500 xp worth of magical items selected from the various tables in the DMG.

In addition, since there is no complex written language in Melisizwe, wizards do not have spell books. Instead they commit spells to memory and learn their spells orally from other wizards. This negates the costs associated with learning a spell (though the teacher will likely demand payment) as well as a successful learn spells check. This requires double the amount of time it normally takes to learn a spell.

Rogue – Bards gain the same bonuses that wizards do. Thieves have learned how to bypass magical traps with better ease that their counterparts in other cities due to the abundance of such dangers within the city. When making a find/remove traps roll against a magical trap, they gain a +10% bonus to their roll. If they are unable to disable it without magic, they can at least figure out a workaround that will let them (and the thief alone) to temporarily bypass the defense for 1d6 rounds.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – To gain this knowledge of monsters, the warrior neglects his knowledge of other skills. He begins play with one less nonweapon proficiency, effectively spending it on monster lore.

Priest – The biggest disability is maintaining the relationship with the merchant. If the priest mistreats or abuses the merchant, he loses the abilities gained. Also, if the priest travels beyond Melisizwe, he typically can’t make use of the merchant unless he has means to contact the merchant.

Wizard – Wizards typically take shortcuts when making magical items. This is usually because the materials required might not be available or they are under so much pressure to spit out enchantments that they need some sort of workaround. Regardless of the reason, the magic items the wizard begins play with all have some flaw in their operation. A potion of healing might take a day to work, a potion of neutralize poison might cause the recipient to violently retch for an hour, an ioun stone might occasionally fly out of orbit, or require a 10 foot radius orbit, and so forth. The DM is encouraged to be creative with the drawbacks but does not need to inform the player as to what they are until they find out through use.

Since wizards must remember all of their spells, they may only learn half as many as their intelligence score would otherwise allow. They also may never make use of any spell books or scrolls of any kind.

Rogue – Bards receive the same penalties that wizards do. In addition, both bards and thieves are unable to make use of the read languages skill.

Tau

Population: 610,000 (Wemic 60%, Human 20%, Half-elf 8%, Elf 3%, Gnome 3%, Halfling 3%, Dwarf 2%, Other 1%)

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Local Language: Loric Common, Wemic, Zauri, Mecago

Gods: Egyptian

Magic: Low

Thief Guilds: None

Organization: Monarchy

Description: Tau is a massive stone city filled with ziggurats, pillars and other similar architecture. The Jabulani desert and Buziba River run just outside of the city’s gates. It is known to many as the “City of Lions” as the population consists primarily of wemics.

The ruler of Tau is a criosphinx by the name of Jelani Isooba. In his younger years, he was smart enough to gain some power among the wemics who believed him to be a representation of the gods. Using this position, he quickly gained the position of king and has maintained his place for the last fifty years.

For a long time, he maintained a harem of wemic females while he ordered his best soldiers to go out and bring back a gynosphinx. Many years went by, but eventually they returned with a gynosphinx named Nyarai, tightly bound in chains. The king quickly forgot all about his harem and focused all his attention on the gynosphinx. To this day he keeps her chained at his side at all times.

The king’s rule has not been a very good one. He has split the city into two sections. The high section is well maintained and where most of the wealth lies. Wemics who do not live in the high section only do so because they somehow cannot afford it. It is forbidden to nonwemics, though slaves are allowed as long as they are accompanied by a wemic. Nonwemics who are caught in the high section are put to death unless they have a VERY good reason for it. Even then, their fate is up to the whim of the king.

The low section is where all the other races dwell. It is prone to floods during the rainy season as well as disease. Those who live there are pathetically poor and could never afford to move elsewhere even if they wanted to. Wemics are free to enter and leave the area as they please, though any crimes committed against a wemic are treated very harshly. This has caused most other races to despise both the king and the wemics, though they do not act out at all due to fear. Occasionally assassins attempt to make their way to the king’s palace, but as of yet, they have not managed to make it beyond the palace doors.

Priests do have something of a special place among the people of Tau. The wemics respect their ability to speak with the gods and they are largely allowed to roam where they wish. Wemics typically treat them as equals in the very least and they are fully allowed to enter the high section. Many live there and tend to the religious affairs of the wemics.

Tau is relatively self sufficient and rarely trades with other cities. The only one they have any permanent trade ties to is Godlumthakathi. Barges occasionally make their way up and down the Buziba River to trade, though neither people much care for the interaction.

Role-Playing: Adventurers from Tau are rare. Since it takes a particularly strong will to set out from the situation that most nonwemics are placed in, most of those found adventuring are very willful and opinionated. They refuse to stand down unless they fully intend to make up for a defeat soon thereafter.

Special Abilities:

Warriors – Tau warriors despise wemics for their position and the king for bringing it about. When they get into combat with such creatures their anger shows. Any time a warrior battles a creature with lion-like characteristics (such as wemics, sphinxes, lions, and others) he receives a +2 bonus to hit and a +4 bonus to damage.

Priests – Priests are respected by wemics and may enter the high section at will (though they cannot bring nonpriests with them). In addition, a 5^th level (or higher) priest may request a wemic bodyguard. If the priest had done nothing to offend wemics, he is granted one. The wemic is fanatically loyal to the priest and will do anything to protect him from harm.

Wizards – The resources that one needs to become a wizard are just not available to nonwemics in Tau. Therefore there are no nonwemic wizards.

Rogues – Thieves have learned to remain hidden or die because there is little to be stolen in the low section and being found in the high section is simply not an option for a thief who wishes to survive. Thieves receive a +30% bonus to both move silently and hide in shadows rolls.

Bards gain the ability to move silently and hide in shadows at a base 30%, though they are excellent fast talkers when they are caught being somewhere they shouldn’t be. They begin play with the fast talking proficiency at no cost and gain a +1 bonus to the skill every level. In addition, they gain a few spell-like abilities as they level.

At second level, they may duplicate a spell effect similar to the friends spell once a day. This increases to two times a day at fifth level, three at tenth, four at fifteenth and five at twentieth.

At fourth level, they may duplicate a spell effect similar to the hypnotic pattern spell. They may use this ability once a day. The number of times per day increases every five levels beyond fourth, so two at ninth level and so on.

At seventh level, they may duplicate a spell effect similar to suggestion once a day. The number of times this may be done increases every five levels beyond seventh, so two at twelfth level and so on.

At tenth level, they may duplicate a spell effect similar to emotion once a day. The number of times a day this may be done increases every four levels beyond tenth.

At thirteenth level, they may duplicate a spell effect similar to feeblemind once a day. The number of times a day increases by one every four levels beyond thirteen.

At sixteenth level, they may duplicate a spell effect similar to mass suggestion once a day. The number of times this may be done increases by one at twentieth level.

Special Disabilities:

Warriors – Warriors have a hard time speaking civilly with such creatures, even the good ones. They are always quick to insult or attack the creature and receive a -6 penalty to any encounter reaction rolls.

Priests – The priest’s abilities assume that he maintains good ties with the wemics of Tau. Should this not be the case, he of course does not gain the benefits and may even find enemies among the wemics, depending on the nature of the relationship.

Wizards – The resources that one needs to become a wizard are just not available to nonwemics in Tau. Therefore there are no nonwemic wizards.

Rogues – Bards and rogues cannot make use of scrolls or the read languages skills. Bards also never gain any wizard spells.

The Zuberi River Delta

Population: 12,100,000 (Human 50%, Half-elf 15%,Gnome 10%, Halfling 10%, Elf 7%, Dwarf 7%, Other 1%)

Alignment: Neutral Good

Local Language: Loric Common, Malakai, Nogato, Clana, Goric, Swali, Mahanu, Gundrin, Jotun, Thri-kreen, Mafu, Guldar, Zulain, Tabaxi, Ungah, Cho, Wemic, Zauri, Mecago and others

Gods: Jabulani, Egyptian

Magic: None to Moderate

Thief Guilds: None

Organization: None

Description: The Zuberi River Delta isn’t a city, but it contains such a large portion of the country’s population that it should be mentioned. Waters from the Zuberi River flood over every year. Sediment, rich in plant nutrients, is deposited into the surrounding soil. This makes the area highly fertile, so much so that just about anything will grow with little effort. Due to the properties of this soil, people flock to the area to farm.

Homes are typically built on ten foot tall poles which keep them from being washed away during the flood season. It also serves a dual purpose by keeping out unwanted wild animals. Waking up to a lion in one’s bed is not among the most pleasant ways to wake up.

No formal government has ever been established among the people of the Zuberi River Delta. They come from all corners of Jabulani and they refuse to bow to one king. The closest they come to any sort of government rule is the city of Melisizwe. They make their way there every harvest season to sell their current harvest. This massive movement requires guards and transports which are usually supplied by the city which depends heavily on their incoming trade and food.

This great population and its many cultures causes one major problem for the casual visitor: they each bring with them their own languages. At least twenty languages are spoken by the people, not counting specific dialects of those languages. None of them have a written form and most are not terribly willing to sit down with someone to teach them one of these languages. Foreigners would do well to invest in magical translation devices or be prepared to spend a lot of time seeking translators.

Role-Playing: There is no common way for any of the people of the Zuberi River Delta, though many locals originally descend from other cities throughout Jabulani and act as people from those places would.

Special Abilities: The people of the Zuberi River Delta gain the abilities of whatever Jabulani city their people originally come from. Some have been on the delta so long that their cultural identity has been lost. Such characters may instead choose to be fluent in up to four of Jabulani’s languages.

Special Disabilities: The people of the Zuberi River Delta gain the disabilities of whatever Jabulani city their people originally come from. Some have been on the delta so long that their cultural identity has been lost. Such characters gain no particular disabilities.

The Cities of Oceloxichitl

Deep dark jungles, thick humid air, and plentiful rain describe Oceloxichitl. The forests take up roughly half of the Spirit Continent, with the other half taken up by the rolling plains of Ahanu. The people live deep within the jungles and have had very little interaction with outside people. Still, they have managed to create fantastic cities of mud brick and thatch. The capital city of Cuauhtémoc is a floating masterpiece, built atop Lake Cuauhtémoc. There, King Ithcateclinopl rules with aid from the priests of Teoxihuitl and the Rainbow Servants of Ichtaca. These three powers make all major decisions for every town in Oceloxichitl, though each city has a local government to take care of minor, day to day decisions.

Despite having a unified government, the people are largely separated. They have no trade roads of any kind, so any travel between cities consists of hacking through rough paths through the jungle. Such travel is dangerous and is generally avoided. What little trade does occur between cities is on a small scale and usually comes with diplomatic envoys as they make their biannual visits to the various towns.

While each city has a local language (which they prefer to use and react more favorably to foreign people who speak them), the people of each city are also taught a common language called Eastern Common. A few people do interact occasionally with the cities in Ahanu, and it is not uncommon for the people of the city tribes there to know it as well. The language has no written script per se; instead writing is done through symbolic pictographs. It does have an extensive numerical system however, though it is hard to understand for many other cultures as it is based on twenty instead of ten. It is called the “fingers and toes” method of numerical calculation as it was originally developed on the idea of one person having twenty digits.

Organized crime is unknown to the people of Oceloxichitl. While criminals do exist, they rarely form groups, and those that do, do not form a group of more than a couple of friends. As such no thieves’ guilds have yet formed in Oceloxichitl.

Cuauhtémoc

Population: 2,110,000 (Human 100%)

Alignment: Neutral Good

Local Language: Cuauhtémoc, Eastern Common

Gods: Xochipilli, Xochiquetzal, Metzli, Centeotl

Magic: Moderate

Organization: Monarchy

Description: The center of the lands of Oceloxichitl, Cuauhtémoc is built atop the great lake of the same name. It is considered one of the greatest masterpieces of its people, with incredible stone drawbridges linking the city with the land. At the center of the city is the great palace where King Ithcateclinopl rules with aid from the priests of Teoxihuitl and the Rainbow Servants of Ichtaca.

Near the palace is a large rectangular court with vertical stone hoops near the center and goals on either end. It is here that the sacred game of Tlachtli is played. Players use only their legs, hips or elbows to hit a rubber ball across the court and into the opposing goal. Three goals win a match. Three matches win the game. If they manage to knock the ball through the opponent’s hoop, the game ends automatically. It is such a difficult shot to perform, however, that it is a historical event when it happens. Those who manage such a difficult shot gain much fame and prestige throughout the city. The loser of the game is typically sacrificed and eaten as a tribute to the gods (most often Centeotl). Due to the sacred nature of this game, it is not played often. It is typically played when there is need for the gods’ intervention on some matter such as famine, war, or sickness.

The people of Cuauhtémoc are fond of games, all of which have at least some minor religious importance. Of course Tlachtli always gathers a crowd, but they have a great number of other games which are not as sacred, and are therefore played more often (mostly due to the fact that no one gets sacrificed to a god at the end). Patolli is played on a marked board or bark with beans as counters. The first person to travel around the board and safely return home is the winner. This game is considered semi-sacred and is observed by Xochiquetzal. Totoloque is a gambling game which uses gold pellets. Players toss the gold pellets some distance towards gold slabs. In five strokes or tries, they gain or lose certain pieces of gold or jewels that they stake. It is generally believed to be watched over by Xochipilli.

Of particular note is the gold deposits found both in and around the lake. Gold is very plentiful in this region and the locals do not put as much value in it as many people of foreign lands. The sands of the lake are filled with gold deposits that one can sift out with some effort. On sunny days, the lake glitters yellow as the sun reflects off the many specks of gold. The people of Cuauhtémoc use the gold for a variety of purposes, but masks are the most common.

Role-Playing: Games are of extreme importance to the people of Cuauhtémoc. Even the most trivial of games are played as though they are a religious rite. Though just because it is a religious experience, doesn’t mean that they play games habitually as many treat their religions. They enjoy every game they play and always play to the best of their ability. Many disagreements and battles are resolved through various games and they are always ready to try new ones. They have little patience for cheaters (who they see as blasphemers) and it is not uncommon for them to kill one outright. At best they will be extremely insulted by the person and demand an apology.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – Cuauhtémoc is home to the Eagle Knights. They are the ultimate order of knighthood in Oceloxichitl. A warrior from Cuauhtémoc may choose to be one. To become one, he must have the following minimum scores: Strength 14, Dexterity 13, Wisdom 13. For their first six levels, they serve as Eagle Warriors, unable to wear the robes of their order. They often fight alongside other warriors, but often serve as sub commanders. At seventh level they earn the title of Eagle Knight and serve as captains of armies, scouts for those armies and teachers of those who aspire to become warriors. They are also bestowed an eagle cloak which they must wear at all times. At tenth level they become nobles.

As they advance they also gain a few powers. At second level, they gain a 1^st level spell from the pluma list (see the wizard’s spell compendium for details). When he reaches the fourth level, he can choose an additional first or second level spell of pluma.

At seventh level of ability, the Eagle Knight receives the 5th level pluma spell, eagle form. He can only perform the spell when wearing his cloak. Every fifth level gained, starting with the tenth, awards him one more first or second level spell of pluma.

Priest – Every priest in Cuauhtémoc has a game their god prefers. They are often called upon as referees for their games or occasionally other games. Their gods watch over the games and grant them the ability to automatically detect any forms of cheating. They instantly know whenever someone they are looking at has done something against the rules. This also applies to laws, so they make excellent law enforcers. Unfortunately, this ability can only detect something that has gone wrong in the last ten minutes. Beyond that, they sense nothing. For obvious reasons, criminals tend to keep far away from the priests, even if they have done nothing wrong recently. Most people are unaware of this limitation and the priests do nothing to inform them.

Wizard – Wizards may choose one animal they have an affinity with. Typical choices are eagle, jaguar, monkey, and piranha, though others may be possible with the DM’s permission. That animal will never attack the wizard, but they otherwise have no control over it (unless they use magic of course). At will, the wizard may choose to take the form of his chosen animal. The transformation takes one round and the wizard retains all of his normal hit points, THAC0, saving throws and whatnot. Spells cannot be cast when in animal form however.

Rogue – Thieves gain spell use as a bard would of the same level. Bards gain spells as though they were one level higher.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – The primary hindrance of the Eagle Warrior is his duty to his country. This involves periods of guard-perhaps even garrison-duty, as well as long periods of instruction and training. They must also become proficient in both the bow and the spear with their initial proficiencies.

Priest – While this ability has its uses, there is some minor limitations and dangers associated with it. While the ability does allow the priest to instantly know when someone has broken a rule within the last ten minutes, it does not tell them what that rule was. In addition, the knowledge springs to mind in the form of a voice. If the priest happens to be looking at a crowd of people who have broken rules, the cacophony of sounds can be disorienting. A crowd consists of ten people or more, and if they are encountered, the priest must make a saving throw vs. paralysis or become stunned, unable to act for 1d8 rounds. This ability cannot be turned off, so walking into a den of bandits could be fatal for the priest if they have just returned from pillaging.

Wizard – Since they base their writings on pictographs instead of characters, they have a hard time learning spells outside of Oceloxichitl. Their chance to learn spells is at -20% when deciphering a spell book or scroll that is not written by an Oceloxichitl magic user.

Rogue – Rogues do not possess the pick pocket or open locks skills. The read languages skill only applies to written languages based on pictures instead of characters. Such skills are of little use to the people of Oceloxichitl who have little care for personal possessions. They also have a -20% to any chances to learn spells that are from sources where writing is based on characters instead of pictures.

Ichtaca

Population: 1,290,000 (Human 99%, Other 1%)

Alignment: Lawful Good

Local Language: Ichtacan, Eastern Common

Gods: Quetzalcoatl

Magic: Moderate

Organization: Monarchy

Description: A great stone ziggurat dominates the center of this city which is also called “Quetzalcoatl’s Nest”. This structure serves as temple to Quetzalcoatl as well as a headquarters for both his priests and the Rainbow Servants. Most of the people of Ichtaca worship Quetzalcoatl. The few who don’t are likely cultists of Tezcatlipoca, keeping a close eye on the city, with hopes to overthrow Quetzalcoatl’s hold on Ichtaca’s people.

Couatls, who hold an affinity to Quetzalcoatl, are fairly common to this city. They are often seen flying through the sky and it is not uncommon to see one or two curled about on the roof of the temple. The couatls have formed a group of magic users called the Rainbow Servants. These mages share a close affinity with the couatls and are the peacekeepers of Ichtaca. Many also pursue evil throughout Oceloxichitl and occasionally Ahanu. A rare few have been known to venture beyond the Spirit Continent to pursue evils beyond. The head of the Rainbow Servants, who changes every three years, often travels to Cuauhtémoc to discuss with the king and the high priest of Teoxihuitl any major matters that need discussing.

Winged serpents are very common, and many keep them as pets and guardians. The priests of Quetzalcoatl are known for their use of the creatures, and many breeders and trainers of the creatures exist within the city. These trained creatures are occasionally sold to other cities around

Role-Playing: The people of Ichtaca revere feathered serpents and often wear colorful beads, headdresses, or ribbons. It is rare to find an Ichtacan who does not have a rainbow of colors in their outfits and many feathers. Rainbow Servants are especially known for their rainbow headgear (though they may choose to wear less conspicuous garb if they need to travel incognito). The people themselves are typically good people who do not fear evil. They are always ready to combat it in its many forms. This makes things difficult for the cultists who worship Tezcatlipoca as they are often hunted. Such priests take great care to hide their true loyalties.

Special Abilities:

Warriors – Rangers are fairly common in Ichtaca, though a few paladins of Quetzalcoatl do exist. Regardless of the type, however, all warriors in Ichtaca are well versed at hunting evil. When attacking an evil creature, they receive a +1 bonus to hit and +2 bonus to damage, in addition to any other bonuses they may receive.

Priests – All priests of Ichtaca are assumed to be priests of Quetzalcoatl. They may choose up to 100 points worth of spheres from the priest section of Player’s Option: Spells and Magic. The god can grant any sphere, but each priest focuses on a select few.

Wizards – While not all wizards of Ichtaca are Rainbow Servants, those who are not are few and far between. The resources needed for spell casting are hard to acquire outside of the Rainbow Servants so any wizard from Ichtaca is assumed to be one. Rainbow Servants are granted a few powers through their bond with couatls.

At first level, they are able to detect evil at will. At seventh level they are also able to detect chaos at will. These skills enable them to more easily track the evils they set out to destroy.

At fourth level, they gain the ability to grow multicolored, feathered wings like those of a couatl. The wings grow from the Rainbow Servant’s back and allow flight at a movement rate of 18 and a maneuverability class of A. They may use these wings for a daily allotment of 5 rounds per level. This time may be divided up any way the Rainbow Servant wishes, though he must retract the wings into his back when not in use, otherwise it counts against the allotment of time. It takes one round to grow or retract the wings and the Rainbow Servant cannot wear armor or restrictive clothing. A Rainbow Servant who is in such garb cannot grow his wings until they are removed.

At tenth level they gain the ability to use ESP at will. This works much like the spell of the same name. They also gain the ability to learn priest spells from the Air or Law spheres. Such spells count against the normal daily allotment of spells, and they also count against the wizard’s normal maximum number of spells that he can learn based on Intelligence. Finally, they also gain the ability to make use of any priest scrolls or items that require them to be priests.

Rogues – Thieves are few and far between within the city of Ichtaca. Most are typically caught by the Rainbow Servants. The few that are clever enough to escape detection are highly intelligent. As such, thieves from Ichtaca receive a +2 bonus to their Intelligence score (though this cannot raise their score beyond their racial maximum. They also gain wizard spells at a reduced rate (see chart below). Bards do not receive this bonus. Thieves and bards may choose to become Rainbow Servants, gaining the abilities described in the wizard section.

Special Disabilities:

Warriors – A warrior will never back down from a fight with an evil creature if there is a chance of winning. They are not stupid and know better than to throw their lives away against a creature they can’t even harm, but if there is any chance of defeating the evil creature, they will continue to fight it.

Priests – The priests suffer no particular disability beyond those inherent of their faith.

Wizards – While a Rainbow Servant gains many abilities, they are also bound by a few restrictions. All Rainbow Servants are under constant contact with at least one couatl. While they are generally free to hunt evil as they wish, Rainbow Servants are expected to follow any orders given to them. Those within Oceloxichitl will typically get their orders directly from a couatl while those in foreign lands will receive theirs in the form of a telepathic message. Typical orders are to hunt down some evil being or group in the area and destroy it.

Rainbow Servants may never be of any chaotic or evil alignment. Should they act too far towards chaos or evil, they lose their powers forever. No atonement can be made once they have decided to take such a path. Though those whose actions were not of their own will (such as due to the effects of a charm spell) are allowed to seek atonement to regain their powers.

Every Rainbow Servant is given a multicolored couatl feather. This feather is worn on a leather strap around their neck and disrupts the use of any other magical items that would be worn around the neck. Should they lose it, they lose all powers until they can manage to retrieve it. A new one can only be given by a couatl in Ichtaca, and they are only given a new one if the previous one was destroyed while hunting a great evil. If the old one still exists, a new one will not be given. It is considered a sacred bond of trust between the Rainbow Servant and couatl, and most would rather die trying to retrieve it than to let it fall into evil hands.

Finally, Rainbow Servants (like all magic users of Oceloxichitl) have a hard time learning spells outside of Oceloxichitl. Their chance to learn spells is at -20% when deciphering a spell book or scroll that is not written by an Oceloxichitl magic user.

Rogues – Rogues who choose to be Rainbow Servants gain all the disabilities described in the wizard section. All rogues do not possess the pick pocket or open locks skills. The read languages skill only applies to written languages based on pictures instead of characters. Such skills are of little use to the people of Oceloxichitl who have little care for personal possessions.

Thief Casting Chart

Level 1 2 3 4 5

1 - - - - -

2 1 - - - -

3 1 - - - -

4 2 - - - -

5 2 1 - - -

6 2 1 - - -

7 3 2 - - -

8 3 2 1 - -

9 3 2 2 - -

10 3 3 2 - -

11 3 3 2 1 -

12 3 3 2 1 -

13 4 3 2 1 -

14 4 4 2 1 -

15 4 4 3 1 -

16 4 4 3 2 -

17 4 4 3 2 1

18 5 5 3 2 1

19 5 5 4 2 1

20 5 5 5 3 2

Itotia

Population: 310,000 (Human 100%)

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Local Language: Itotian, Eastern Common

Gods: Huitzilopochtli, Mictlantecuhtli, Tlaloc, Tlazolteotl, Centeotl

Magic: Moderate

Organization: Diarchy

Description: While there is class division throughout Oceloxichitl, nowhere is it more pronounced than in Itotia. Even the government is built to separate the upper class (called the hanan) and the lower class (called the hurin). These classes do exist in every other city of Oceloxichitl, but in Itotia, they each have a separate king who deals with their affairs of rule. The current king of the hanan is King Ohtli and the current king of the hurin is King Patli.

Since the city lies near the border of Ahanu, it often has to deal with attacks from the various tribes. It also trades with the more peaceful ones. Without constant reinforcement from Cuauhtémoc, the city would likely have been destroyed by now. Still, it has managed to repel attacks thus far. Still the many attacks have created a culture of people who are both suspicious of foreigners and ready for war. It is for this reason that many of the locals worship Huitzilopochtli, Mictlantecuhtli and Tlaloc. Those who attack Itotia and know anything about it, rather kill themselves than be captured. Prisoners are sacrificed at best. Many are tortured in tribute to a god, especially Tlaloc.

A few people do travel across the plains of Ahanu to trade with Ehawee or Galilahi. The likelihood of being attacked by one of the traveling tribes is fairly high however, so they do not do it often and when they do they travel in well armed caravans. Strong warriors have little trouble finding work with one of these caravans when they move.

Role-Playing: The people of Itotia are very conscious of their station. A hurin would never dare speak with a hanan unless given permission to. They are also fairly quick to take up arms against a threat, so most are trained in some form of combat. Finally, they are suspicious of foreign cultures. People who are members of one are usually not trusted until they have earned their trust.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – Most of the people are trained to be warriors in addition to whatever vocation they decide on. Warriors are assumed to be those who chose to exclusively train in fighting. Such characters are fearless and automatically succeed in any fear check. They are likewise immune to any fear effect or spell.

Priest – Itotian priests are ruthless. While they aren’t ALL evil, most do have something of an evil bent. Their obsession with destroying their enemies makes even the most benevolent of them a killer waiting to strike. Once they spill blood (aka successfully damage an opponent with a slashing or piercing weapon), they go into a blood fury, striking savagely at their opponent. They gain a +1 to hit and an extra ½ attack. This increases to +2 to hit and 1 extra attack at 8^th level and finally +3 to hit and 1 ½ extra attacks at 16^th level. The bonus lasts until there are no foes to be seen.

Wizard – The few Itotian wizards tend to focus more on direct damage spells. Obviously this means that invokers are common. When rolling for damage on a spell, increase the die size to the next higher die size. For example, a 3^rd level wizard casting magic missile would fire off two bolts, each doing 1d6+1 points of damage.

Rogue – The rogues of Itotia are far more comfortable fighting toe to toe than most. Their THAC0 advances like that of a fighter.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – Their fearlessness sometimes gets in the way of their better judgment. If a warrior chooses to retreat for any reason, he must make a successful wisdom check. Failure indicates they continue to fight on, despite their better judgment. The check may be reattempted once a round.

Priest – Being a ruthless killer has its own issues. People can sense the priest’s violent nature and tend to avoid him. If they must speak with the priest, they get a -2 penalty to their reaction rolls. In addition, when the fury wears off, they wear themselves out and have a penalty equal to the bonus they gained to their to hit rolls. This penalty lasts as long as the fury had lasted.

Focus on offensive spells is done to the exclusion of defensive ones. The school of abjuration is barred to these wizards.

Rogue – All rogues do not possess the pick pocket or open locks skills. The read languages skill only applies to written languages based on pictures instead of characters. Such skills are of little use to the people of Oceloxichitl who have little care for personal possessions.

Manuia

Population: 180,000 (Human 100%)

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Local Language: Manuian, Eastern Common

Gods: Huitzilopochtli, Mictlantecuhtli, Tlaloc, Tlazolteotl, Centeotl

Magic: Low

Organization: Diarchy

Description: Sister city to Itotia, Manuia is very similar in some ways, but also very different in others. Like Itotia, there are two kings who rule over the hanan and hurin separately. Currently, King Chusku rules over the hanan while King Phallcha rules over the hurin. Now, while these classes are different and separated by government, it is in name only. The people freely mingle with one another with little regard for their class. The kings have little effect on the daily lives of their people, with their main purpose being leadership during attacks.

Like Itotia, Manuia is often under attack from various tribes of Ahanu due to its proximity to the border. Unlike Itotia, they have yet to even attempt trade with any of the more friendly tribes, instead attacking them on sight. The more peaceful tribes are sure to avoid them at all costs. They also receive fewer reinforcements from Cuauhtémoc. This is not because they do not need them (as their population is much smaller than Itotia), but more because they do not wish to ask for them. The Eagle Knights of Ichtaca do have something of a presence here, with a small base that does its best to organize troops when needed. The people, however, are resistant to regimented order and tend to clash with the idea of being ordered around, so they do not take orders from the Eagle Knights well. This results in a rather chaotic military where the individual members essentially work on their own orders.

Role-Playing: The people of Manuia are almost all of chaotic alignment and even those who aren’t are somewhat leery of any sort of leadership. They will follow it for as long as it is useful, but are always watching to see if that changes. They are also very untrusting of strangers, especially those not of Oceloxichitl. If they feel at all threatened, it does not take much for them to launch an attack.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – The large majority of the population are trained to be warriors, though they do it with the knowledge that they may have to rely on only themselves for their defense. They know to aim for vital spots so as to kill quickly because if they do not, then there is no guarantee someone will be there to back them up if they become overwhelmed. If a warrior makes a called shot, he automatically deals maximum damage. Even if he does not make a called shot and rolls a critical, he still deals maximum damage.

Priest – The different priests of Manuia often use their spells to rend flesh from their enemies in an intimidating show of power. They have perfected the use of the various cause wounds spells and always deal maximum damage when they use them. Even priests who do not normally have access to that spell may cast it.

Wizard – Wizards are very rare in Manuia. Since they cannot rely on a good defense of other warriors to keep them from being attacked while casting a spell in battle, such spells become far less reliable. To adjust for this, they have learned to use their defensive spells far more adeptly than other mages. All spells that adjust their AC are doubled in duration and provide 2 extra points of AC protection. It is rare to find a Manuian mage without some protective spell prepared.

Rogue – Rogues have learned to tip scales in their own favor by coating their weapons in paralytic poisons. It is far easier to slay large numbers of enemies when they are on the ground, unable to move. All rogues begin play with the herbalism proficiency. On a successful check in a forest/jungle setting, they can gather enough herbs within an hour to produce 1d10 doses of a paralytic poison. This poison easily sticks to blades and arrows so as to be injected into a foe. Victims must save vs. poison or become paralyzed 2 rounds after they have been attacked. A dose is good for one attack then the weapon must be recoated. The poison must be used within three days or it loses potency and becomes ineffective.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – The accuracy needed to make such deadly attacks requires a bit more aim than a standard called shot. It is the difference between skewering the heart with a spear and skewering the chest. Penalties for making a called shot are increased by -2 for a total of -6. If the extra -2 would cause them to miss, however, they still do damage the target, they just do not do the maximum damage.

Priest – The priests of Manuia, like those of Itotia, are rather intimidating. If that’s what they’re intending to do, that’s all fine and well, but if not they receive a -2 penalty to reaction rolls.

Mecatl

Population: 40,000 (Human 90%, Werejaguar 10%)

Alignment: Neutral Evil

Local Language: Mecatlan, Eastern Common

Gods: Tezcatlipoca

Magic: Moderate

Organization: Theocracy

Description: Hidden within the jungles of Oceloxichitl is one of the smallest villages. It is largely camouflaged and those who do not know where to look may never find Mecatl. The people like their privacy and even other people of Oceloxichitl rarely make their way here.

The people worship Tezcatlipoca and consider themselves blood brothers with the jaguar. As they grow up, they dress in jaguar pelts and do everything to emulate the animal they revere most. When they reach adulthood, they undergo a ritual that transforms them into a half jaguar, or kills them in the attempt. Many werejaguars have insinuated themselves into Mecatlan society. Since everyone is magically transformed into something similar to their hybrid form, they can walk among the people without need of hiding their true selves. That is not to say they tell the humans what they are, they just do not have need to hide their forms. As such, most of the locals don’t realize just how many lycanthropes call their village home.

The transformation that every one of the people undergoes is very much a religious experience and is done by the priests. The priests are considered representatives of Tezcatlipoca and, through him, the jaguar. As such, they are very much in control of the people and the high priest is their leader. The position of the high priest is one of conquest, so it is constantly changing. Any priest who wishes to lead may do so by killing the current leader. If a non-priest kills the leader, that person is hunted down mercilessly and the leader is raised, if possible, using the blood of the person who killed him. The highest ranking priest performs this ritual. If the high priest cannot be raised for some reason, then the highest ranking priests fight among each other for the right to rule.

The people of Mecatl hate Quetzalcoatl and especially hate the city of Ichtaca. They consider it a city of blasphemers who will one day be put in their proper place when Tezcatlipoca takes over. They refuse to deal with anyone from that city and for the most part they do not deal with people of any of the cities of Oceloxichitl. They do feel kindred for the people of Teoxihuitl, however, and a few of their number have been known to become Jaguar Knights there.

Magic plays a central role in the lives of the people of Mecatl. While there is of course the ritual that they all go through which is magical in nature, many of them are practicing magic users of some sort. It is a rare few who do not learn a spell or two. The arcane magic users among them do not learn magic through spell books. Their people instinctively know how to use magic and have no need for such things.

Role-Playing: Nobody trusts a Mecatlan. This is of course in part due to their appearance, which is fairly frightening, but also in their manner. They do little to prove to others that they are anything other than a savage jaguar. In fact they take pride in their role. They will never try to hide their appearance unless they are stalking prey.

Special Abilities: Since everyone of Mecatl undergoes a ritual to change themselves, each of them has two claws and a bite attack. The claws each do 1d4 points of damage and the bite deals 1d12. They are also exceptionally fast and athletic. Their base movement rate is 15 and they begin play with the jumping, tumbling and running nonweapon proficiencies at no cost. They also gain a +1 bonus to their Dexterity scores (possibly exceeding their racial maximums). Individual classes gain additional abilities.

Warrior – Warriors are trained to stalk their prey through the forests and are excellent at ambushing the unsuspecting. They begin play with move silently and hide in shadows scores equal to 15% plus any modifiers from Dexterity. These scores increase by 5% every level until they max out at 95% at level 17. They may also attempt a backstab using all of their natural attacks at once as a thief of equal level.

Priest – Priests of Mecatlan are exempt from the requirement of their god to convert someone new every 6 days. The entire city consists of the faithful so such measures are unnecessary. They are also granted the ability to inhabit the body of any cat at will. They need only see the cat and their essence is placed within the cat. Their body becomes one with the cat during this process. They may leave the cat’s body at any time, appearing as they were before right next to the cat.

Wizard – Wizards need not worry about spell books. Nor do they have to worry about spell components or preparing spells in advance. They may cast any spell they know on the fly up to the normal daily allotment for a wizard of that level (including specialization if any). They also gain a bonus number of spells a day based on their Wisdom scores much like priests do.

Rogue – Bards cast spells the same as wizards (albeit using the bard daily allotment of spells instead of the wizard one). They gain all the same abilities as wizards. Thieves gain a +15% bonus to both their hide in shadows and move silently rolls. When they backstab, they may attempt all of their natural attacks at once, each one counting as a backstab.

Special Disabilities: Since the ritual of change is magical in nature, it can be dispelled. If a dispel magic spell is successfully cast at the Mecatlan, he reverts to a human form and loses all special abilities. For purposes of the spell, the magic is considered to be the level of the person it is being cast upon. They cannot change back until they have the ritual once again performed upon them (which is a dangerous undertaking). For this reason, a Mecatlan will never allow such a spell to be cast upon him, even if there is a harmful spell upon them.

Their appearance is also a hindrance. At best people will be wary of a Mecatlan. Most people will attack them on sight or flee to find someone else to do it, thinking the Mecatlan is a lycanthrope. While they are of course not one, that will not stop the wave of silver weapons and magical attacks that are sure to come.

Warrior – Warriors prefer to be quick and silent and feel uncomfortable in armor. They lose their special abilities if they wear armor heavier than studded leather.

Priest – When inhabiting the body of a cat, they gain all the physical characteristics of that cat, including its hit points and THAC0. Should the cat die, the Mecatlan priest dies with it and cannot be raised by any means short of a wish.

Wizard – While a wizard may cast any spell they know, they may learn far fewer spells than a normal wizard. The maximum number of spells they may learn is their Intelligence score divided by three, rounded down. Therefore a wizard with an Intelligence score of 17, can only learn 5 spells per spell level. The wizard may choose to learn any spell from the Player’s Handbook, Tome of Magic, or Player’s Option: Spells and Magic. This is a process which takes one hour of meditation per spell level. They must announce what spell they are learning and make a learn spell roll. If they fail their roll, they may never attempt to learn that spell ever again. Once a spell is learned, they can never unlearn it. If they ever see a specific spell cast that is not of their lists, they may later attempt to learn it if they have slots free, but they must make a successful spellcraft check first. Those without the spellcraft proficiency do not recognize the patterns of magic well enough to learn new spells.

Rogue – Bards cast spells the same as wizards (albeit using the bard daily allotment of spells instead of the wizard one). They suffer all the same penalties as wizards. All rogues do not possess the pick pocket or open locks skills. The read languages skill only applies to written languages based on pictures instead of characters. Such skills are of little use to the people of Oceloxichitl who have little care for personal possessions.

Nopaltzin

Population: 80,000 (Human 95%, Other 5%)

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Local Language: Nopaltzin, Eastern Common

Gods: Tlaloc, Chalchihuitlicue

Magic: Low

Organization: Theocracy

Description: Nopaltzin is a short ways inland but many of its people have large ships that they take to sea. Each ship is sure to have at least one priest or priestess of both Tlaloc and Chalchihuitlicue. The people are sort of part fisherman and part pirate. They sail off the coast and fish, trolling the ocean with nets and spears. This occupies the majority of their time. However, once they spot a ship, they bring in their nets and attack, looting anything they can get. Only children are spared during their attacks (though any adults who surrender are taken prisoner to later be tortured to death as a sacrifice to Tlaloc) and such children are taken care of by the priests of Chalchihuitlicue.

The government is ruled by the priests of Tlaloc and Chalchihuitlicue. The top priest of Tlaloc and the high priestess of Chalchihuitlicue are always married together (symbolizing the relationship between their gods) and rule over the people as king and queen. They share the power equally with the queen controlling the internal matters and welfare of their people while the king controls foreign matters including their raiding parties.

The people of Nopaltzin are the most diverse of any in the Spirit Continent. This is mostly due to the fact that so many foreign ships are ransacked and their children grow up among the Nopaltzin. While they have a local language and most know Eastern common as well, a large portion of the population speaks some other assorted language. Foreigners that can manage to get a guide on the Spirit Continent that speaks their language will likely find it in Nopaltzin. Of course, foreigners almost never live to find that guide in Nopaltzin. Those who have, find them elsewhere, amidst more peaceful people, rare as they may be.

Role-Playing: A citizen of Nopaltzin is very likely an orphan. Those who take up the adventuring life, usually do it because they do not wish to be around the people who killed their parents. Perhaps they may seek to find some way back to their homelands so they can learn of their people or if there are any surviving family members. Since there are almost no ships in the Spirit Continent that are willing to travel to other continents, very few of these people ever get far in their quest. Still, if anyone from the Spirit Continent is likely to be found in another one, it will be someone from Nopaltzin.

Special Abilities: All natives to Nopaltzin know Eastern Common and Nopaltzin. They may choose one additional common language at no cost.

Warrior – Warriors are well acquainted with the ways of the sea. They begin play with the swimming and seamanship nonweapon proficiencies at no cost.

Priest – The priests of Nopaltzin are often called upon to summon water elementals to weaken the ships of any enemies they encounter. Through their gods, they are on extremely friendly terms with these creatures and when summoning them, their chances of summoning a more powerful one are increased. They are 40% likely to summon a 12 hit die elemental, 40% likely to summon a 16 hit die elemental and 20% likely to summon a 21 to 24 hit die elemental.

Wizard – There are very few wizards among the Nopaltzin. Those who are wizards tend to be water elementalists due to their innate affinity for the water. For all purposes, elemental water spells are considered to be one level less. Such spells use one lower spell slot to cast and may therefore be learned at lower levels. First level spells are unaffected.

Rogue – Rogues are well acquainted with the ways of the sea. They begin play with the swimming and seamanship nonweapon proficiencies at no cost. Bards may elect to be water elementalists, gaining all the abilities (and requirements) the specialization allows (including those listed in the wizard section above). They still cast as a bard however. Thieves tend to be better fighters as they usually must attack straight on. Their THAC0 advances like that of a warrior.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – Warriors suffer no particular disability.

Priest – Priests suffer no particular disability.

Teoxihuitl

Population: 640,000 (Human 100%)

Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Local Language: Mecatlan, Eastern Common

Gods: Tezcatlipoca

Magic: Low

Organization: Theocracy

Description: The government of Teoxihuitl is run by the priests of Tezcatlipoca. The high priest rules over things. It is also his duty to travel to Cuauhtémoc to aid in the rule of all of Oceloxichitl with King Ithcateclinopl and the Rainbow Servants of Ichtaca. The priests of Teoxihuitl constantly plot the downfall of Ichtaca, just as the Rainbow Servants of Ichtaca do the same of Teoxihuitl. The two forces more or less balance each other with Cuauhtémoc in the center, swaying one way or the other.

The local government is one of strict fear. The policy is more or less, follow the orders of Tezcatlipoca or else. Everyone more or less falls in line as to do anything less is to incur the wrath of the priests of Tezcatlipoca, or possibly the god himself. A few cultists of Quetzalcoatl do call Teoxihuitl home. They generally keep an eye on things and act against the priests of Tezcatlipoca when they thing they can get away with it. They are careful to hide their affiliation for fear that the jaguar of Tezcatlipoca may hunt them in the night.

Once every six years, the current high priest of Tezcatlipoca is ritually assassinated (typically by poison). Whoever manages to assassinate him becomes the new high priest. If the high priest survives that time (the opening lasts about a week), he maintains his position for another six years. Very, very few high priests manage to make it to their second term, and as of yet, none has made it to a third. The assassination attempt is only allowed for that one week every six years. Those who break the rule typically find themselves visited by one of Tezcatlipoca’s avatars.

Of special importance are the Jaguar Knights. They are the loyal protectors of the temple of Tezcatlipoca and somewhat similar to the Eagle Knights of Cuauhtémoc. They are warriors and often serve as leaders in the army. They are first and foremost enforcers for Tezcatlipoca and his priests.

Role-Playing: The people of Teoxihuitl are fiercely loyal to Tezcatlipoca. To not be is treason and treason is often dealt with by the god himself. This also makes them a little paranoid. They never know when someone might turn on them and accuse them of being a supporter of Quetzalcoatl.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – Warriors from Teoxihuitl may choose to be Jaguar Knights. In order to be one, they must have a minimum Strength of 13 and Intelligence of 13. Prior to fifth level, they are considered a Jaguar Warrior and are not allowed to wear the armor of a Jaguar Knight. At fifth level they are bestowed their jaguar armor and cloak.

The Jaguar Knight gains power with hishna, similar to the Eagle Knight’s mastery of pluma. At the second level of experience, the Jaguar Knight can master one first level spell of hishna (see the wizard’s spell compendium for details).

At the fifth level, he gains knowledge of the fifth level hishna spell, jaguar form. He can only perform this spell when wearing his cloak. Every fifth level thereafter (10th, 15th, etc.) he gains one additional spell of hishna, from either the first or second level list.

Priest – The priests of Tezcatlipoca know much about poisons. Any who seek to become the high priest must be master at the fashioning of poisons. If he happens to know a little about antidotes as well, all the better.

The Dungeon Master Guide lists the poison types in the Special Damage section of the Combat chapter. As priests of Tezcatlipoca advance in levels, they are able to create these toxins for themselves if they have the herbalism proficiency. When a character gains a level, roll percentile dice on the following table to determine the exact type of poison he is now capable of creating:

1d100 Roll Poison Type 1d100 Roll Poison Type

01-06 A 55-60 J

07-12 B 61-66 K

08-18 C 67-72 L

19-24 D 73-78 M

25-30 E 79-84 N

21-36 F 85-90 O

37-42 G 91-96 P

43-48 H 97-99 *

49-54 I 00 **

Unusually high results (“*” or “**” on the table) indicate the character has stumbled upon an unusually potent type of poison. Roll again to determine the exact type of poison (ignoring other special rolls). Anyone making a saving throw to resist one of these toxins suffers a -2 penalty (a “*” result) or a -4 penalty (a “**” result).

As the priest advances in level, he eventually rolls and gets a toxin that he already knows how to make. When this happens, it indicates that the priest has created an antidote for that type of poison. Antidotes are injected if the roll is odd; even rolls indicate the antidote is ingested. Antidotes are fast-acting and neutralize the poison they are created for instantly if administered during the onset time of the toxin.

Wizard – Wizards are few and far between. The priests tend to feel threatened by the power such men can wield without the aid or sanction of the gods. The few who do survive, do so through secrecy and general toughness. As such, all wizards use d6’s when rolling for hit points.

The most successful group of wizards are the vermin lords. These strange wizards have made a pact with evil creatures, often of other planes, in an attempt to gain power to survive against Tezcatlipoca’s followers. Wizards may select to be vermin lords though making deals with an evil being taints the soul so they can never be of good alignment. Those who select to be vermin lords gain peculiar abilities.

At first level, chitinous plates begin to grow on his flesh, giving a +1 bonus to AC. Every three levels, this increases by another +1. They also gain a servant in the form of a vermin up to 1 hit die. It acts just as a normal familiar would, though it is in addition to any familiar the wizard may already have summoned. At higher levels he gains additional servants. At fifth level, he gains a vermin servant that can be up to 4 hit dice. Finally at ninth level, he gains a vermin servant that can be up to 16 hit dice.

At second level, the vermin lord can create insect mandibles at will. He can make a bite attack, which deals 1 point of damage, then clamps onto the victim. It then automatically deals 2d6 points of each round as they suck blood from the victim. This blood draining only works on living victims. At 8^th level, the mandibles inject a poison with an onset time of 1 minute. A successful save indicates the victim suffers no penalties. A failed save indicates that the victim loses 2 points of strength. If reduced to 0 Strength, the victim dies.

At 4^th level, the vermin lord automatically summons a swarm of insects, spiders, scorpions and other vermin which cover his flesh whenever he regains his spells. These insects absorb up to 10 points of damage from any damaging attack. The insects die off when they absorb such attacks and a total of up to 5 points per level of the vermin lord can be absorbed per day. Thus, a 7^th-level vermin lord’s swarm armor can absorb up to 35 points of damage, although no more than 10 points from any one attack.

At 5^th level, the vermin lord can sprout massive, buzzing insect wings from his back once per day. With these wings he can fly at his normal movement rate with a maneuverability class of C. The wings last for an hour before failing him. He can carry his normal carrying capacity, though heavy loads slow him down just as it would were he walking. It is impossible to be quiet when flying with these wings.

At 7^th level, the vermin lord may spew a swarm of vermin from his mouth as a breath weapon affecting a 30 foot long cone that is 20 feet at its end and 5 feet wide at his mouth. Anyone in this area takes 1d6 points of damage per level of the vermin lord. A successful save vs. breath weapon indicates half damage. The vermin remain as if a summon swarm spell had been cast at the vermin lord’s level.

Rogue – Rogues of Teoxihuitl are often hired to poison adversaries of the priests. Assuming they have the herbalism nonweapon proficiency, they may create poisons as described in the priest section.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – As with the Eagle Knight, the primary hindrance of a Jaguar Knight is the service he owes to Tezcatlipoca. He must obey commands, serve as a guard or foot soldiers and generally force himself to fit in. However, their training does require proficiency in a few things. Jaguar Knights must acquire the following nonweapon proficiencies before they reach the fifth level of experience: animal lore, blind fighting, dancing, and hunting. They must also be proficient in the knife and the spear.

Priest – Only the foolish trust one of the priests. This is especially true between the priests themselves. One never knows when one might be on the receiving end of one of the many poisons they know how to make.

Vermin lords (only) suffer for their increased power. Priests of Tezcatlipoca are especially adamant about hunting them down. Once they have been discovered, they can expect constant attacks for daring to gain such power outside of Tezcatlipoca’s consent. Leaving Teoxihuitl does little to help matters as many good people would hunt down the vermin lord for cavorting with evil. Even the neutral vermin lords give off an aura of evil that can be sensed by those with the ability. Finally, the being that granted their powers does not give it for free. The price is always steep, though what it is exactly varies from being to being.

Xipilli

Population: 20,000 (Human 100%)

Alignment: Neutral Good

Local Language: Xipillian, Eastern Common

Gods: Ometeotl, Ixtlilton

Magic: Low

Organization: Community

Description: This village is fairly peaceful and sits alone on the northeastern edge of Oceloxichitl. Its location means very few enemies ever make their way to them and they are allowed to develop more peaceful pursuits than many of their warlike neighbors. The town does not even have a standing army, though occasionally people are drafted for Cuauhtémoc and any cities it may be currently defending.

The town essentially runs itself, though they of course obey any edicts passed from Cuauhtémoc. A small priesthood of Ometeotl does exist here. It is the only one in all of Oceloxichitl, as his following is rather small. The vast majority of the people pray to Ixtlilton for good health. He is considered their patron god and there is a fairly solid priesthood supporting him.

The people fish and farm mostly. They have little to worry about and are content farming maize. A local specialty of theirs is a flat cornbread made from the maize they grow. They say that anyone who eats it daily will never see illness. While no one has proven the medicinal properties of this bread, it is true that Xiplillians rarely get sick. Most just assume that is due to the work of their patron god Ixtlilton.

Role-Playing: The people of Xipilli are quiet and happy. They tend to have very little reason to adventure. Those few who do are usually those who were drafted into the military and after some fighting they no longer have the appetite for peace.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – The key to the Xipillian warriors’ longevity is a special blessing upon them by Ixtlilton. They actually regenerate at a rate of 1 hit point per turn. In addition, they can cure diseases in their system once a week. This happens automatically when the warrior contracts the disease. Further diseases for that week affect the warrior normally until a week has passed from the previous curing.

Priest – The priests of Xipilli are excellent healers. They may treat any healing spell as though it were one level lower for casting purposes. Therefore cure moderate wounds would be a first level spell instead of a second level one. First level spells are unaffected.

Wizard – Very few wizards exist in Xipilli. The few ones who do exist however have learned the healing arts and may learn and cast any spell from the healing sphere as they would any other wizard spell.

Rogue – A rogue with the herbalism proficiency can create minor healing potions. They need only spend an hour in the forest foraging for the supplies needed. A failed herbalism check indicates they could not find the necessary herbs required. Once the supplies are collected, they may then make a healing potion that can heal 1d6 hit points, cure a specific poison, or cure a specific disease. To make a poison antidote, the rogue must have a bit of the poison on hand. Regardless of the potion created, it takes 2 hours to brew and lasts a week before losing its potency.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – Xipillian warriors tend to be somewhat less capable in combat than many of their peers. Their THAC0 advances like that of a priest.

Priest – A Xipillian priest may never cast the reverse form of a healing spell. They simply are not granted the ability.

Yolyamanitzin

Population: 40,000 (Human 95%, Yuan-ti, 5%)

Alignment: Neutral Evil

Local Language: Yol, Eastern Common

Gods: Tlaloc, Quetzalcoatl, Merrshaulk

Magic: Moderate

Organization: Community

Description: Located on the southernmost tip of the Spirit Continent, Yolyamanitzin is a community of people devoted to the snake. Many of the deadly serpents can be found lounging on the buildings of the city, as well as curled up beneath the shade of one of their overhangs. It is almost unheard of to go anywhere without seeing a snake. The people coexist with the snakes and have no desire to remove them. In fact, they believe it to be bad luck to harm them and anyone caught doing so is either banished or killed. The normal method of execution is to lower them into a snake pit, slathered in a special mixture that enrages the snakes and makes them attack, and eventually devour, the victim.

A small community of yuan-ti has made their home within the city. They live in caves beneath the city, and most of the locals have little or no idea that they are there. The yuan-ti run a temple to Merrshaulk, recruiting humans to their god. The humans have no idea that the yuan-ti run the temple, or that Merrshaulk is the yuan-ti god. The yuan-ti mostly cultivate these followers for feeding. They are smart enough about it to not over feed or arouse suspicions about them. Disappearances are generally blamed on the jungle, or priests of Tlaloc.

A small number of humans have become priests of Merrshaulk, though the majority of the human priests are devoted to either Tlaloc or Quetzalcoatl. Outsiders would have a hard time distinguishing them on sight due to the emphasis on snake worship. Their goals, ideals and methods, however, are vastly different.

Role-playing: The devotion to snakes cannot be stressed enough among those of Yolyamanitzin. Even their language sounds like a string of hisses, much like something one would expect out of a snake. They will never harm a snake, and generally snakes tend to leave them alone. Within their homeland, they rejoice over any of the snakelike features they may have. They know how disconcerting such features may be to others, so when in other cities they do take some steps to hide the features to avoid discrimination or worse.

Special Abilities: The close affinity with snakes, and perhaps a bit of a taint from residual yuan-ti magic has caused most of the people to have one or two snake-like features. All people of Yolyamanitzin must roll a d10 on the following table.

1d10 Roll Feature Effect

1 Nothing None

2 Snake eyes Infravision

3 Snake fangs May bite dealing 1d2 damage and inject type A poison

4 Snake tail May constrict for 1d4 points of damage

5 Snake Scales Natural AC of 6

6 Flexible body +2 to Dexterity (possibly beyond racial max)

7 Snake Tongue Superior sense of smell and taste, gain tracking proficiency

8 Snake Blood Immunity to poison

9 Snake Charm May speak with snakes and direct them as under charm

10 Roll twice, ignore this result

Warrior – Warriors often tattoo themselves with depictions of snakes that are said to give them power. The ritual undergone when the tattoo is applied grants the warriors a +1 bonus to Dexterity. This can possibly boost them beyond their racial maximum.

Priest – Priests of Yolyamanitzin are the protectors and voices of the snakes. They may cast sticks to snakes once per day. This is in addition to any other spells they may cast and does not count against their daily allotment of spells.

Snakes tend to ignore priests. They can sense that the priests mean them no harm and generally leave them alone. Intelligent creatures with snake-like attributes (such as yuan-ti, nagas, and medusas) are more willing to talk to them first. This of course doesn’t stop them from attacking if they have reason, it just keeps them from doing it without one.

Wizard – The wizards of Yolyamanitzin have an innate understanding of some of the magic yuan-ti employ. The automatically learn the cause fear, darkness (15’ radius), polymorph other, suggestion and charm person spells as soon as they attain a level high enough to cast them. These spells do not count against the maximum they are allowed to learn.

Rogue – Rogues of Yolyamanitzin often undergo the same ritual tattooing that warriors do. They receive the same benefits as described in that section. In addition, they are very good at snaking their ways out of tight situations. Both bards and thieves receive the Escape Bonds skill and receive a +10% bonus to their skill checks.

Special Disabilities: The main disability is the social one related to having snakelike parts when outside of the Yolyamanitzin. Normal humans will likely be guarded at best. They may possibly attack the “abomination” or guards may keep an extra suspicious eye out for the character. Those who do not roll up a feature are completely human and suffer no such social stigma.

In addition, the yuan-ti have been slowly working on the people of the city, making them more mentally pliable and receptive to magical domination. In game terms this weakness manifests itself whenever the character is attacked with any charm spell. The victim suffers a -4 penalty to any saving throw that he is allowed to make. His magical defense adjustment, as dictated by his Wisdom score, still applies.

Warrior – The tattoos that warriors receive are laced with various snake venoms. While they do not suffer the effects of these venoms, they do weaken the warrior’s resistance to poison. All saving throws vs. poison are done at a -4 penalty. If the warrior rolled up immunity to poison on the table above, the penalty does not apply, but neither does the immunity.

Priest – Their role as protector of the snakes makes them trust the creatures and they do not expect them to attack. As such, they are particularly vulnerable to attacks from snakes and snake-like creatures. Whenever they are required to make a saving throw against a snake or a creature with snake-like features, they make it at a -2 penalty.

The Cities of the Shadow Coast

The Shadow Coast is the area south of the Sylvan Woods and stretches from the Stoll hills, to the Evermarsh. The forests and fields of the Shadow Coast are a dangerous place, where undead and many lycanthropes are common. Many who can sense such things claim that the entire area has a taint of evil and darkness which is likely where the name came from. Travelers are always found with assortments of charms and other odds and ends designed to ward off evil creatures. Gypsies are somewhat common throughout the area and they seem somehow unaffected by the evils that plague the area.

Each of the cities of the Shadow Coast are independent city-states, answering to no one but themselves. They have historically been untouched by rampaging armies, for a variety of reasons and therefore have little in the ways of standing armies. They are not defenseless of course, but would be hard pressed to push off a major offensive.

Coventine

Population: 890,000 (Human 50%, Other 35%, Half-elf 10%, Elf 5%)

Alignment: Neutral

Local Language: Western Common, Elvish

Gods: Gareth, Ula, Arawn, Dionysus, Apollo, Poseidon

Magic: Moderate

Thief Guilds: The Scallywags, the Night Cutlasses, Fangs of the Moon

Organization: Monarchy

Description: The gorgeous seaside city of Coventine was immortalized in the words of the great bard Chi’Dar Nachos. He wrote:

Where the blood vine grows

And the mists fold ‘round,

My burning heart knows

Where my home is found.

As this verse taken from the far longer poem (it spans some thousand stanzas, some of which are in Elvish) indicates, the town is well known for its blood vines. The blood vines grow no where else in the entire world (despite attempts) and from them grow blood grapes which are later crushed into blood wine. Those who drink blood wine describe it as drinking in forgotten memories you never knew you had. What this exactly means, no one is sure, but the people are not in the habit of exporting large amounts of the stuff. Occasionally collectors make a trip to the town to pick up some bottles, but short of that, few foreigners have tried or even know of the wine.

For a few reasons, most of the locals tend to lock up at night. For one, a mist often covers the city. While this happens all the time (and is caused by a peculiarity in a local waterfall), it is most frightening at night where it can reduce visibility to almost nothing. Many people have vanished in the night, never to be found.

There is also a high concentration of lycanthropes (especially werewolves) around the city and it is rumored some live in the city proper. Occasionally a careless local or an ignorant foreigner is bitten by one of the creature and runs amok in the city. This is regular enough of an occurrence that the local guards are all equipped with silver weapons and wolfsbane as standard issue. Many of the individual guards go out of their way to get other sorts of charms and herbs that ward away other types of lycanthropes or other assorted creatures of the night. Holy water and garlic, for example, are common.

The city itself is ruled by Harkon Lukas. He was once a bard of great repute (though his reputation had little to do with barding and everything to do with conquering his enemies). When he settled down, he took over this city and has been ruling for a few hundred years. He appears to be a human, but many believe he is an elf who has used magic to change his appearance as he has not aged much over the course of his rule. Very few, however, have actually seen him face to face. He is known to have a daughter named Akriel, but she is equally elusive to the public.

Due to an intense interest with the moon (probably due to the number of lycanthropes in the area), shadow magic is extremely popular among those who practice magic here. Just about all of the mages who call Coventine home are of that specialty.

Bards are particularly active here as well. The dark city filled with dark monsters both real and imagined and the atmosphere created by the mists lend endless amounts of inspiration to the bards here. Needless to say, ghost stories of all sorts run rampant around here. Such stories are very popular in the fall festivals, where everyone traditionally celebrates with blood wine.

Role-Playing: Despite a very real threat from creatures of all sorts, the people of Coventine are fairly upbeat, if superstitious. They know every superstition there is to know and follow each one almost religiously. Many have their own mannerisms and such for everything from sleeping to eating to which opponent they choose to fight in combat. Many are happy to recount fables, fairy tales, sayings and rumors. They avoid breaking such taboos as though their lives depend on it because within this city, it often does.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – Lycanthropes are accepted as a common threat to daily life. Knowledge about such creatures is common and plentiful. To reflect this, warriors have a 10% chance per level (up to 100% at tenth level) of knowing whether a creature is a lycanthrope or not. If the lycanthrope is in human form, they receive half that chance. If they succeed in their check, they can tell the difference between an animal-like humanoid such as a gnoll or a hyena variant of a lycanthrope. It would also allow one to differentiate between similar creatures such as a wolfwere or a werewolf. In addition (and probably more importantly) this allows the warrior to recall the strengths and weaknesses of such creatures. For example, a successful check would reveal that a werewolf can be harmed by silver weapons.

Priest – Since they are so often confronted with such creatures, the priests of Coventine have grown quite skilled at removing the curse. If they can get to an infected lycanthrope within the first month of infection, they can come up with an herbal remedy which can cure it. The remedy takes one day to prepare and must be applied to the victim while they are changed (a period which usually takes place during the night of the full moon and the day before and after, though this may be different for some types of lycanthrope). To create the cure, they must have accurate information about what type of lycanthrope they are dealing with. Assuming they are working based on the correct type of lycanthrope, the remedy must be force fed to the victim (a process which could get one bit if not careful). The victim must then succeed in a saving throw vs. poison. If it succeeds, the victim is cured. If it fails the victim is poisoned and takes 20 points of damage, possibly killing him.

Any priest who can cast remove curse can attempt to use it to cure lycanthropes as per the spell, though they may do it at 9^th level instead of 12^th.

Wizard – For various reasons, most of Coventine’s wizards are shadow mages. To reflect the preponderance of such characters, they receive a +1 bonus to both their Intelligence and Wisdom scores (though this does not surpass their racial max).

Rogue – The mists of Coventine are a great boon to rogues. They have grown quite adept at using them to conceal their movements both to avoid the guard, as well as to avoid any lycanthropes that may happen to be stalking the night. To reflect this, rogues receive a +15% bonus to both their hide in shadows and move silently skills. Bards do not receive this bonus (as they do not have such skills) but they do receive the ability to recognize lycanthropes as described in the warrior entry.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior/Priest/Wizard/Rogue – The reason the population entry lists such a high percentage of “other” races is because a large percentage of the population is a lycanthrope. Many are natural, many are infected. Most of the locals know the required herbs, wards and charms to put up at night to keep such creatures from getting them in their homes, but this does not stop such creatures from spreading their curse to the foolish or unlucky. All people native to Coventine have a 50% chance of beginning play infected with a random type of lycanthrope. If they are infected, the DM will assign which type the character suffers from.

Deoch

Population: 750,000 (Human 85%, Half-elf 8%, Elf 5%, Other 2%)

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Local Language: Western Common, Elvish

Gods: Lugh, Mannanon mac Lir, Gareth, Poseidon

Magic: Moderate

Thief Guilds: The Scallywags, the Night Cutlasses

Organization: Monarchy

Description: One of the largest port cities of the Shadow Coast, Deoch is a haven for pirates and sailors. The city is mostly built on small islands just off the coast with some man made docks here and there supporting some structures. Most people have some sort of a canoe or small boat to get around the city as many of its “streets” are canals. Entrance into the city is only possible by boat and the land based “gate” consists of a large stone dock filled with ferrymen offering rides into the city for a price.

There are simply not enough guards to keep the peace of the city and the king tends to allow the guards to rely on bounties to keep the local riffraff in check. Many of the local pirates have unofficial permission to keep things in check. While they do steal and break the laws on occasion, they limit themselves and defend the city should the need arise. The local guard tends to turn a blind eye as long as things do not get out of hand and even reward them should they pursue any of the posted bounties.

Of particular note are the temples of Lugh and Mannanon mac Lir, both of which are among the largest temples to their gods in the world. The temple of Lugh sits upon a large island. Around this temple, many artists create and sells works of all sorts. The temple itself has a large art gallery and often hosts exhibitions. The temple of Mannanon mac Lir contains a huge aquarium which is known the world over.

Legend states that the city is protected by an ancient dragon. Whether this is true or not is unclear. Stories of such a creature abound and all of them are conflicting in nature. None has actually seen such a creature, but there does seem to be some sort of force or group who look after the city.

Role-Playing: People from Deoch are very accustomed to the water. Their lives are based so closely to the ocean that they often feel depressed when inland for long periods of time. They are otherwise a very practical bunch. While they do tend veer towards good acts, they also understand that necessity sometimes requires unconventional means. The people of Deoch are quick to adapt to changes.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – All people of Deoch revolve their lives around the ocean. They spend so much time in and around the water that many learn to swim before they learn to walk. To reflect this, all characters from Deoch receive the swimming proficiency at no cost.

Most warriors are sailors. They are more than capable of many of the tasks involved in running a ship. Such characters receive rope use and navigation as bonus proficiencies.

Priest – All people of Deoch revolve their lives around the ocean. They spend so much time in and around the water that many learn to swim before they learn to walk. To reflect this, all characters from Deoch receive the swimming proficiency at no cost.

The priests of Deoch are often called upon for the blessings of ships as they are generally considered lucky by the people of Deoch. Strangely enough, they do seem to have an uncanny knack for avoiding danger. To reflect this, priests of Deoch all receive a +1 bonus to all of their saving throws.

Wizard – All people of Deoch revolve their lives around the ocean. They spend so much time in and around the water that many learn to swim before they learn to walk. To reflect this, all characters from Deoch receive the swimming proficiency at no cost.

The wizards of Deoch produce a high percentage of water elementalists. This might be due to some innate affinity its people have with the water, or perhaps just a matter of popularity. Whatever the reason, any Deoch wizard who chooses to be a water elementalist may treat all spells of their element as one level lower for purposes of casting, learning, and researching. Therefore a 2^nd level elemental water spell would be considered a 1^st level spell for the water elementalist. It would take up first level spell slots and could therefore be learned by a lower level wizard. Spells of first level are unaffected.

Note that any wizard who chooses to be anything but a water elementalist does not receive any sort of bonus (other than the bonus proficiency).

Rogue – All people of Deoch revolve their lives around the ocean. They spend so much time in and around the water that many learn to swim before they learn to walk. To reflect this, all characters from Deoch receive the swimming proficiency at no cost.

Most of the rogues of Deoch are pirates, privateers, or other such sailing scoundrels. They are at home on a boat and receive a +1 bonus to hit and -2 bonus to ac whenever fighting on a boat or in the water.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – Warriors of Deoch consider it bad luck to fight along side a woman. Whenever they are in a battle with women as allies, they tend to grumble and glance over their shoulders more often than not to make sure nothing bad is about to happen due to the women’s presence. Aside from the angry glares such grumbles will likely attract from said women, this distraction also results in a -2 penalty to initiative.

Priest – Though priests of Deoch may be lucky in many things, they are also known for being somewhat clumsy, especially on land. When not on a boat, priests of Deoch receive no Dexterity defense adjustment to their ACs unless their scores are low enough to result in a penalty. If they are on a boat, however, they receive their full bonus as normal.

Wizard – While their affinity for water makes them excellent at the use of such spells, it also makes them rather poor at casting spells from other elements. When casting any spell from an element other than water (except fire of course, since they can’t cast those at all), all spells are treated as one spell level higher. Thus a 1^st level air spell would be a 2^nd level spell for such characters and 9^th level spells would be impossible to master.

Note that any wizard who chooses to be anything but a water elementalist does not suffer any disabilities.

Rogue – The biggest disability of such a rogue is they do not gain their bonuses when on land. They feel somewhat out of balance on the unmoving ground that one comes accustomed to on land.

Ethnea

Population: 20,000 (Human 89%, Half-elf 8%, Elf 2%, Other 1%)

Alignment: Neutral Good

Local Language: Western Common

Gods: Athena, Demeter, Joan, Fhina, Daghdha, Diancecht, Belenus

Magic: Low

Thief Guilds: The Lumberjacks

Organization: Mayor

Description: The one thing Ethnea has a surplus of is trees, and they certainly make active use of it through a thriving lumber industry. The town is fairly young however so there are not too many people who call it home, but its success has caused it to quickly grow in size.

After a minor political coup, incited by an adventuring group, the old leader and founder was ousted, and a new system of rule was put into place. Things have been relatively quiet since then with a new mayor elected every few years. The event was fairly jarring from a sociological standpoint, but the city more or less continued as it once had.

Being a relatively new town, very little in the way of organized crime has taken over as of yet. There are however several small neighborhood gangs, though only one which is big enough to be of note. They are known as the Lumberjacks and they tend to be fairly unorganized thugs.

Role-Playing: The people of Ethnea are generally good and well meaning. They have a tendency to ignore specific governments and laws, and keep to their own moral codes. After their last government fell with no warning or particular reason, they are wary of governments in general, though they don’t actively seek to disrupt them.

Special Abilities:

Warriors – Most of the warriors of Ethnea are lumberjacks. Through their work, they are well familiar with axes. Thus they begin play with the axes tight group.

Priests – The priests of Ethnea have recently been brought in large groups to ensure the trees grow properly after an incident with some druids and adventurers not too long ago. All such priests begin play with the agriculture proficiency at no cost.

Wizards – There are not too many wizards who call Ethnea their home. Since most of the people of Deoch are lumberjacks, they do not tend to breed much of a wizardly stock. Still, a handful of people do manage to get their hands on a scroll or two from a passing merchant and manage to teach themselves a bit of magic. They do tend to be of hardier stock than most other wizards though and receive a +1 bonus to their Constitution scores (though not past their racial maximum) and they are able to benefit from exceptionally high Constitution scores, as a fighter would.

Rogues – The rogues of Ethnea are fairly disorganized and tend to be in loose gangs. They are thugs more often than not, working more on muscle than finesse. Such characters receive a +1 bonus to Strength (though not past their racial max).

Special Disabilities:

Warriors – Warriors of Ethnea have no particular disabilities.

Priests – The priests of Ethnea have no particular disabilities.

Wizards – Since they are mostly self taught, the wizards of Ethnea never manage to get a full grasp of magic as many of their peers. Such characters have their maximum spells per level reduced by half.

Rogues – While they may be perfectly good at hitting people, they are not from the smartest of stock. To reflect this, all rogues of Ethnea have their Intelligence scores reduced by 1 (though not past their racial minimum).

Keelin

Population: 30,000 (Human 68%, Half-elf 15%, Elf 15%, Other 2%)

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Local Language: Western Common, Elven

Gods: Daghdha, Diancecht, Brigantia, Gaea, Rhea, Artemis, Demeter, Joan

Magic: Low

Thief Guilds: Blades of the Wood, the Order of the Wolf, Mortal Paradise

Organization: Mayor

Description: Located along a crossroads which leads to the Blade Coast, Keelin is something of a trading outpost. The town sprang around an inn which was opened to serve the various caravans that crossed through, and while it is not the largest of cities, it is growing fairly quickly.

The town is a collection of log cabins surrounded by woods. Trees are so plentiful, even druids consider the city palatable. The locals tend to worship various agricultural gods and a few druids do call the place home. Elves are also fairly common to see as many emerge from the woods to trade with this settlement. In fact, some elves here have formed a thieves’ guild called Blades of the Wood. It is in stiff competition with the other two guilds that don’t restrict themselves to those of elven blood.

It is said a dryad protects the town, though it seems somewhat hard to believe. None have actually seen this dryad if she exists, but all the same people are sure to consult before cutting any trees down.

The city is ruled by a woman known as Arya Deryet. She is apparently an elf and has kept the city growing for over 100 years. She keeps the peace by using members of each of the local priesthoods as guards. While they may have different agendas, they all have some sort of interest in keeping the wooded town alive and work together fairly readily.

Role-Playing: The people of Keelin are very nature oriented. They are sure to put it first before all things and as they build their city they are sure to make it work with nature rather than through it. Those who take up the adventuring life have the same sort of attitudes and tend to avoid any sort of wanton acts of destruction upon the landscape.

Special Abilities:

Warriors – Many warriors in Keelin tend to be rangers. Even those who are not are typically adept at noticing subtle changes in the order of nature. All warriors native to Keelin receive the tracking proficiency at no cost. Those who happen to be rangers receive a +1 to their tracking chance every two levels (as opposed to every three). In addition, rolling a natural 20 does not necessarily indicate failure for them. If their chance of succeeding (after any applicable modifiers) is 20 or more, tracking attempts are automatically successful.

Priests – Being at home in the wilderness as they are, many of their natural spells are enhanced. This is partially due to their affinity with nature and partially due to the fact that such spells are the ones they use the most in their hometown. Any spells Keelin priests cast from the Plant sphere are cast as though the caster were two levels higher. In addition any such spells that require a saving throw force a -2 penalty to any applicable saving throws required to resist them.

Wizards – The occasional wizard does make his home in Keelin. The reasons for why vary from wizard to wizard, but they all seem to enjoy nature and have developed methods to cast within it that use the terrain to their advantage. Any spell cast within the wilderness (aka not a city) is treated as though the wizard were two levels higher. For example, a 5^th level wizard casting fireball while in a cavern would deal 7d6 points of damage.

Rogues – Many of the rogues in Keelin make excellent salesmen. They’re dishonest but believable, and more importantly, they are more than capable of fast talking any of the passing merchants into a quick deal with much to their own benefit (typically a foreign merchant underestimates them as they might seem like backwards woodsmen). Such rogues may attempt a Charisma check when purchasing or selling anything. If they succeed, they receive a 25% discount on everything they buy or a 25% bonus on anything they sell. .

Special Disabilities:

Warriors – As adept as they are at tracking through the wilderness, they are at a loss when in heavily urban areas. While tracking in a city, their tracking chance is cut in half.

Priests – Priests of Keelin are uncomfortable when surrounded by unnatural surroundings such as most cities. They receive a -1 penalty to all proficiency checks while in a city.

Wizards – The strange buildings, currents and landmarks that make up a typical city are disorienting to a wizard who is so accustomed to working with nature. When casting any spells within a city, their spells are cast as though they were two levels lower. In the example of the 5^th level wizard, his fireball would deal only 3d6 points of damage while in a city.

Rogues – Despite their salesmanship, their pushiness does put off many a customer. If they roll a natural 20 on their Charisma check, they have managed to scare off the customer/merchant. If they are purchasing, such purchases cost 50% more while those who are selling the gear refuses to sell to that character until the character gains a level.

Nietsnie

Population: 430,000 (Human 92%, Half-elf 5%, Elf 2%, Other 1%)

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Local Language: Western Common

Gods: Mae, Ula, Oghma, Math Mathonwy, Zeus, Hecate

Magic: High, Restricted

Thief Guilds: The Scribes, Hidden Quills, The Code

Organization: Monarchy/Military Occupation

Description: Many of the thinkers of the world came from Nietsnie. Several groups, colleges and organizations exist within Nietsnie’s walls, devoted to unlocking the secrets of the human mind. A fairly extensive asylum exists here, lead by Dr Domani. He is a highly respected doctor and personally sees to the treatments of every one of his patients.

Not surprisingly, the wizards of Nietsnie lead the world in the specialization of mentalism. Many wizards from Nietsnie are mentalists. While their ideas and methods differ wildly with the nonmagical doctors in the area (such as Dr Domani), they are highly respected and many mentalists come to Nietsnie to study under the masters.

Until recently, the town was ruled by King Serimon. A military force from a group of people known as the Victorians invaded the town and took it over relatively quickly. The Victorians did not need to do much fighting as the king of Nietsnie was quick to ally himself with the Victorians and has been more or less left alone to run things as he had before. It is clear that he is limited in scope somehow by the Victorians, but exactly what that entails is unknown. The people of Nietsnie largely ignore the Victorians and life has not changed much for them.

Forgery is rampant in Nietsnie. Many activities require permits and such permits are not always easy to come by. The local thieves’ guilds are highly specialized in such matters. Such skills have many other uses as well. Many enemies of such guilds have been placed in asylums after a forged order claimed they were insane.

Role-Playing: Science is the religion of Nietsnie. There are several priesthoods, but none have a formal temple and their followings are relatively small. People from Nietsnie see religion as sort of a crutch that gives power to gods who have no reason to deserve it. The priests are quick to defend any such attack on their faith while everyone else tends to criticize such beliefs mercilessly.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – The people of Nietsnie are more cerebral than many. Warriors begin play with the reading/writing proficiency of the language of their choice and may select proficiencies from the wizard group without having to spend an additional slot.

Priests – With matters of religion in such a sorry state, priests are fairly looked down upon in Nietsnie. Rather than breaking their morale, it seems to strengthen it. Their conviction in their gods is stronger than almost any other priests in all of Gilon. This allows them abilities to channel divine power greater than other priests. Priests from Nietsnie are all able to turn undead, even if they are normally unable.

Wizards – Mentalists of Nietsnie lead the world in the development of their field. While in Nietsnie, they are well connected to many other peers and can quickly access texts to aid them in their studies. Research costs are reduced by 25% and research times are reduced by 50%. Non-mentalists receive no particular advantage.

Rogues – Each of the thieves’ guilds specialize in forgery and there are few others who can compare in skill at forgery to the rogues of Nietsnie. All rogues begin play with the forgery nonweapon proficiency. Their chance for success increases by +1 every third level (so +1 at third, +2 at sixth and so on). Also, rolling a natural twenty only counts as a normal failure.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – There are very few stupid people, and those who are stupid are usually placed in asylums or otherwise sheltered, they never become adventurers. Since those who are note weeded out are so intelligent, warriors from Nietsnie must be created with a minimum intelligence and wisdom scores of 10.

Priests – Having to constantly be defending their faith has created a group of priests who are highly fanatical and fairly unreasonable at times. Such priests will always consider themselves right, though they do not particularly attempt to convert people as they do not expect to receive anything but ridicule. This makes them somewhat reluctant to depend on others or allow themselves to be possibly subject to any attacks on their faith. They therefore have a hard time training in general nonweapon proficiencies and must spend an additional slot to learn one.

Wizards – While they can get such resources while in their hometown, they have no such connections elsewhere. They do not receive their benefits outside of Nietsnie.

Rogues – Their focus on forgery has caused their more physical skills to atrophy. They receive a -1 penalty to all attack rolls.

Thespia

Population: 640,000 (Human 80%, Half-elf 9%, Elf 9%, Other 2%)

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Local Language: Western Common, Elvish

Gods: Cinnia, Ula, Lugh, Belenus, Rhea, Zeus, Hera, Aphrodite, Dionysus, Apollo

Magic: Moderate

Thief Guilds: The Scallywags, the Night Cutlasses, the Privateers

Organization: Monarchy

Description: The costal town of Thespia has long been a center for commerce and the arts. The city was founded over three hundred years ago by a bard by the name of Jeorg Thespis. His family has ruled the city ever since, including the current King Roland Thespis.

The Thespian Theatre is widely known and the local nobility as well as some not so local ones all look forward to each new show. Such immortal classics as “Rose’s Thorn,” “The Knight of Dunthrane,” and “Amshan Nights” have all been created and initially performed here.

While the theatre brings many people to the town, so does the extensive trade. Ships from all around the world make port in Thespia and merchandise from many distant lands can be found. This of course attracts pirates and both the Scallywags and the Night Cutlasses have bases nearby. A group who call themselves the Privateers also weigh anchor in Thespia. They tend to disrupt the activities of both the Scallywags and the Night Cutlasses, stealing from both.

Role-playing: The people of Thespia are extremely dramatic. Everything they do and say is like a theatrical production. They make excellent speakers and have no shame when speaking in front of crowds.

Special Abilities:

Warriors – The warriors of Thespia are cunning fighters. They know how to fool their opponents in combat, thereby creating openings in their defenses to exploit. They are also exceptionally good at faking their skill to appear far more adept and intimidating than they may truly be. Once per round they may attempt a feint. The warrior uses one of his attacks, attempting to strike an AC of 4. If the attack succeeds, the victim lowers his guard for the round, receiving no bonus from dexterity and suffering a -4 penalty to AC for the duration of the round. The warrior also begins play with the Intimidation nonweapon proficiency at no cost.

Priests – The priests of Thespia perform captivating sermons. Their theatrics and powerful voices are well known. To reflect this, all Thespian priests begin play with the oratory nonweapon proficiency at no cost.

Wizards – Song wizards are highly common in this city where almost everyone fancies themselves a performer. Such wizards have managed to come up with ways around some of their weaknesses. They have learned to mimic an effect like vocalize once a day. This works as the spell but requires no somatic or material component and it does not count against the wizard’s daily allotment of spells. This effect is typically used when silenced so the song mage might cast some other spell to remove it.

Thieves – The various theatrics that many Thespian thieves employ are highly distracting and allow a 20% bonus to pick pocketing rolls. The victim must be aware of the thief to receive this bonus. Therefore, a thief attempting to pick a pocket to steal the keys of a sleeping guard would not receive the bonus, but the same thief performing a pick pockets attempt on a walking guard while pointing out to the guard that there is a large monster behind his back would receive the bonus.

Bards – Thespia is heaven to bards. The Thespian Theatre as well as the many smaller community theatres give many outlets for their creativity and just about every bard within Thespia is an actor. Such characters are assumed to have the Thespian bard kit. When attempting to convince a skeptical audience with his acting, the victim receives a saving throw vs. spell at a -1 penalty per two levels of the bard (instead of every three) to disbelieve it.

Special Disabilities:

Warriors – Warriors in Thespia tend to use a variety of weapons and have a hard time sticking to any one in particular. Such warriors may never receive mastery proficiency or higher in any given weapon.

Priests – Priests receive no particular disabilities.

Wizards – The song mages of Thespia spend so much time perfecting their craft, they often lose sight of other skills. Such characters do not have open access to the general nonweapon proficiency group and must spend an additional slot to acquire any such proficiencies (with the exceptions of singing and musical instruments).

Thieves – Thespian thieves are great at capturing the attention of their victims or anyone else. Unfortunately, they are not nearly as good at not capturing the attention of others. This is reflected in a 10% penalty to both hide in shadows and move silently rolls.

Bards – Bards receive no particular disabilities.

The Cities of the Sylvan Woods

The Sylvan Woods are home to the fair folk. This of course includes elves, as well as many other denizens of the forests such as dryads, nymphs, fairies, pixies, centaurs and many others. The trees within the forest are old and many secrets lay hidden within them. At least three cities are known to exist within the woods and a few small villages are assumed to also be hidden throughout the woods, but none know of their locations. Almost no humans live within the forests with the exception of a grove of druids who call these woods home.

Dechtire

Population: 330,000 (Elf 80%, Half-elf 15%, Human 4%, Other 1%)

Alignment: Neutral Good

Local Language: Elvish, Western Common

Gods: Elven

Magic: High

Thief Guilds: Blades of the Wood

Organization: Monarchy

Description: On the northern edge of the Sylvan Woods, along the trade road that goes through it, lies Dechtire. While it is chiefly an elven city, it serves as a gateway to the outside world of sorts. Diplomats to the Blade Coast as well as the Shadow Coast are based here. Those who go further west tend to leave from Llayath.

Many skilled craftsmen call Dechtire their home. The elven instruments and bows of Dechtire are fairly well known and many have been known to travel to Dechtire to either purchase one or learn the craft of making one. Such skills take a human lifetime to master so the elves there tend to be reluctant to teach them to humans. It is rare for them to teach such crafts to anyone of non-elven blood.

The city itself is ruled over by a governor who manages day to day affairs while the queen in Llayath issues forth edicts for long term affairs such as laws and such. The military is highly trained and consists of great numbers of cavalry. Of course their skill with the bow is exceptional as well.

The elite troops of Dechtire are the unicorn riders. These women have sworn a vow of chastity and loyalty to Dechtire and all elven lands. There are very few who meet the very strict requirements needed to become one, and they are generally sent out alone to deal with the most dangerous of assignments. Rare is it that more than one is sent to deal with a problem and it is only done in the direst of circumstances. The rigors of such a life are rough and many retire (or die) within 50 years of service. The one legendary hero known as Syllvana Yggdras’ll has been one for over 500 years and it is said she is without peer.

Role-Playing: Elves of Dechtire see themselves as middlemen to the rest of the world. They are not so overly Elvish in attitude that they do not relate with humans, but at the same time, they almost see it as their duty to guide them much like children. While they generally mean well, this leads to a sort of condescending attitude which many resent.

Special Abilities:

Unicorn Rider – It is possible for a PC to play a unicorn rider, though only with the DM’s permission. Such characters are assumed to be either retired from direct service or on a general scouting mission to judge the conditions of the outside world. Such characters begin play with a unicorn. This unicorn is treated in much the same way a paladin’s special war mount is treated. In addition, they begin play with elven chain mail +1 and a choice between either a +1 longbow or a +1 long sword (though they may of course have other nonmagical weapons). Both the weapon and the armor are sacred relics to the unicorn rider and as they increase in level, the weapon and armor increase in power. Each such set is unique and created specifically for that unicorn rider and any powers that are unlocked are always unique for that rider and only known by the DM until they are unlocked. Any powers gained through their adventuring do not work if another were to use their armor or weapon and are just treated as a +1 weapon and +1 elven chain, though those of evil alignment take 6d6 points of damage if they attempt to use them (not merely touch them).

Warrior – One of the most well-known skills here is the archery practiced by the elves of Dechtire. In addition to the natural advantages that all elves have when employing bows, as well as any bonuses the character might have for high Dexterity scores, warriors from Dechtire are entitled a +2 bonus on their attack rolls when using a bow. Also, any bonus they receive on their attack roll because of a high Dexterity score is applied to the character’s damage roll.

Priest – The priests of Dechtire are trained to aid warriors. They know many chants to boost the effectiveness of such troops in combat. Once per day they may create an effect similar to the chant spell. It lasts as long as a chant spell (aka as long as they continue to chant) but it affects all creatures within 10 feet per level of the caster. In addition, the bonus to allies and penalty to enemies increases by 1 for every six levels, up to a maximum of +4/-4 at 18^th level (aka +1/-1 at levels 1-5, +2/-2 at levels 6-11, etc).

Wizard – The wizards of Dechtire are fairly plentiful. Three types of wizards are common to their elves: artificers, battle mages, and enhancers. Elven wizards who are from Dechtire are assumed to be one of them

Artificers of Dechtire are often called upon to equip the troops. They are crash trained and learn how to do certain things quicker than others. A first level artificer can create +1 weapons that last until their first attack. They can enchant 20 such weapons a day. This skill is typically used to make arrows, which are used once anyway and is of limited use. The process requires 500 gold worth of materials and 8 hours of uninterrupted work per batch.

Battle mages of Dechtire are typically diviners. They use their abilities to obtain information about opposing troops, distant territories, and other important information. Any time they use a spell or magic item to scry upon a distant spot (such as clairvoyance or a crystal ball for example), they automatically gain the ability of clairvoyance. They make excellent advisers and very little escapes their eyes and ears.

Enhancers of Dechtire are usually general mages, though the spells they employ tend to be in the transmutation school. They, like the priests, use their spells to enhance the abilities of troops on the frontlines (though they always have an offensive spell or two handy to add some firepower when needed). When employing spells such as enlarge, strength, haste or any other spell that enhances the fighting abilities of one or more people, durations, areas of effect and ranges are increased by 50%. If the area of effect is restricted to a single target, it may be cast upon a second target within 10 feet of the first.

Rogue – One of the most well-known skills here is the archery practiced by the elves of Dechtire. In addition to the natural advantages that all elves have when employing bows, as well as any bonuses the character might have for high Dexterity scores, rogues from Dechtire are entitled a +2 bonus on their attack rolls when using a bow. Also, any bonus they receive on their attack roll because of a high Dexterity score is applied to the character’s damage roll.

Special Disabilities:

Unicorn Rider – The life of a unicorn rider is not an easy one. All unicorn riders must be warriors of good alignment and be chaste female elves. Should they fall from any of these requirements, their unicorn leaves and any powers gained from their weapons or armor are lost, reducing them to simple +1 weapons and armor.

The physical requirements for becoming a unicorn rider are highly restrictive and only the best warriors can ever become one. They are required to have a Strength score of 15, Dexterity score of 16, Constitution score of 14, an Intelligence score of 13 and a Wisdom score of 13. This is after racial adjustments. In addition, one of their ability scores must be 17 or higher.

Unicorn riders are fairly easy to spot and any enemies of the elves tend to pick them out first in combat. Depending on the specific enemy, they may seek to either kill or capture the unicorn rider. Those who capture them tend to torture them slowly, sell off their gear and possibly ransom them back to Dechtire. Of course the enemies know of the unicorn riders’ vow of chastity and a few enemies have been known to rape them because of it.

There are many who seek unicorns for various reasons. Unicorn riders tend to try to avoid bringing their mounts within cities as they are constantly hounded by many ne’er-do-wells who seek to capture the unicorn for many reasons.

Finally, unicorn riders are exceptionally rare and they almost never travel together unless the circumstances are dire indeed. There can never be more than one unicorn rider PC in an adventuring party.

Warrior – Due to the focus on archery, such elves are rarely struck in combat and are not used to getting struck. Their Constitution scores suffer a -1 penalty. This is in addition to their racial adjustment.

In addition, such warriors try to remain light on their feet, so they rarely wear any armor heavier than studded leathers. When wearing armor heavier than studded leather (though with the exception of elven chain), warriors of Dechtire suffer a penalty to their to hit rolls equal to the protection that armor provides, not including any magical bonuses. For example, an elf in full plate armor would receive a -9 penalty to their to hit rolls.

Priest – Priests of Dechtire are trained to sit back and aid with their spells, or heal the wounded when they come. They are not as accustomed to the frontlines as many other priests are. Their THAC0’s advance as that of a rogue.

Wizard – The wizards of Dechtire are fairly focused on their crafts and begin play with no weapon proficiencies. After that, they gain them as normal.

Rogue – Due to the focus on archery, such elves are rarely struck in combat and are not used to getting struck. Their Constitution scores suffer a -1 penalty. This is in addition to their racial adjustment.

Because they rarely get close enough to a victim to actually use such skills, they have little use for the pick pocketing or backstabbing skills that other rogues have. All rogues suffer a -25% penalty to their pick pocket skill and thieves are unable to employ the backstabbing skill at all.

Llayath

Population: 330,000 (Elf 95%, Half-elf 4%, Other 1%)

Alignment: Neutral Good

Local Language: Elvish, Western Common

Gods: Elven

Magic: High

Thief Guilds: Blades of the Wood, the Glow

Organization: Monarchy

Description: Nestled atop ancient trees growing out of Lake Lysander, Llayath is generally considered to be the elven homeland, and capital of all elven cities. Very few of non-elven blood live within its branches and swinging bridges. Those who do are typically ambassadors or occasionally merchants. Those wishing to enter Llayath must be ferried by boat to the central trees, from which they are hoisted up to the city above by one of the many lifts. Legend speaks of a creature who lives within the waters of Lake Lysander who will arise to defend the city, should the need ever arise. Fortunately, such a need has yet to arise.

Non-elves, while not specifically forbidden from entering, have a much harder time entering than an elf would. Such people must pass a screening process to ensure they mean no harm upon the elven people. Typically, only those with a specific purpose for entering manage to enter the city, though it is not unknown to have people sneaking in through unofficial means.

This city, as well as all elven nations who give fealty to it, is ruled by the queen of the elves known as Queen Lauravylle. She has ruled over the city as long as it has existed and is one of the oldest known living elves. Her true age is not known, but it is widely believed to be a couple millennia, far beyond the lifespan of most elves.

She is also an archmage of exceptional power, and supposedly aided in sealing away the lich Ankev many years ago. His release in Moonshade has caused her great concern and she has called upon all elves to muster forces for an attack against his city. Her recent decision to cease attacks upon the green dragon Olwyn has allowed her to focus more on raising and training troops. She has not been quick to strike at the lich, as his powers are great, taking the lives of 13 of the greatest elven archmages just to seal him away. She also knows that he must be angered about his imprisonment, and does not wish to call upon his wrath until she is sure his defeat is definite. Missives have been sent throughout Gilon, seeking allies and heroes for the coming battle.

Role-Playing: The elves of Llayath are largely unfamiliar with the outside world. With a few exceptions, most of its people have never ventured beyond the Sylvan Woods. Many of those have never left the city at all. They range in opinion from mild curiosity to great distaste for all things nonelven. Such characters view everything with new eyes and a questioning mind.

Special Abilities:

Warriors – The warriors of Llayath are trained in the use of the bow from birth and are excellent at making difficult shots. When attempting to perform any special or trick shot (such as those listed in the Complete Book of Elves), any applicable penalties are reduced by half, rounded down. They also begin play with the bowyer/fletcher nonweapon proficiency at no cost. Elves who purchase the blacksmithing, alchemy or herbalism proficiencies can also attempt to create special arrows (assuming they have access to the facility and materials required) as seen below:

Type of arrow Proficiency needed Cost Time needed to create

Acid Alchemy 20 gp 1 week

Expander Blacksmithing 50 gp 3 weeks

Flare Alchemy 50 gp 2 weeks

Grapple (minor) Blacksmithing 3 gp 1 week

Grapple (major) Blacksmithing 5 gp 2 weeks

Message None 1 sp 1 day

Paralysis Herbalism 3 gp 1 week

Sleep Herbalism 30 gp 2 weeks

Smoke Alchemy 10 gp 1 week

Stimulant Herbalism 30 gp 2 weeks

Stone Biter Blacksmithing 5 sp 2 days

Stone Biter (adamantine) Blacksmithing 20 gp 1 week

Wood Biter Blacksmithing 4 sp 2 days

The time and costs listed are for a batch of 10 arrows. Fewer arrows can be made, but it does not decrease the time needed to create them. It includes the creation of special shafts or arrowheads needed to accommodate the function. Descriptions of the various arrows may be found in the Complete Book of Elves, or the Complete Book of Thieves. Additional arrow types may be created with the permission of the DM (there are many types of arrows that can be created with the aid of some simple spells from a friendly mage or priest for example). Those not listed in those books are described below:

Acid – Such arrows typically have a tip made of glass and are filled with a highly caustic acid which eats away organs from the inside. When they strike an opponent, the glass must save vs. crushing blow (aka roll a 20)

Expander – The arrowhead is far longer than normal arrowheads and is designed to collapse on impact in such a way as to expand within a wound. This has the effect of dealing an additional 1d6 points of damage (for a total of 2d6) and the arrow becomes anchored within the victim. While the arrow remains lodged in the wound, the victim bleeds, suffering 1 point of damage a turn until it is removed. When it is removed, it pulls a large amount of tissue with it, dealing 1d6 points of damage. This arrow works fantastically against unarmored opponents, but armor tends to stop it. Increase the AC of any target wearing armor by 6.

Paralysis – These arrows are hollowed out and filled with a paralytic substance which takes some time to brew. These arrows are lighter than normal arrows and cause slightly less damage. When they strike they deal 1d4 points of damage and the victim must save vs. paralysis or be paralyzed for 3d6 rounds. Victims of this paralysis are fully aware of things going on around them, they are just completely unable to move their muscles as they lay limply.

Sleep - These arrows are hollowed out and filled with an anesthetic substance which takes some time to brew. These arrows are lighter than normal arrows and cause slightly less damage. When they strike they deal 1d4 points of damage and the victim must save vs. paralysis or fall asleep for 3d6 turns. Victims of can be jarred awake if someone actively shakes them, but they are extremely drowsy until the substance passes through their system. Such characters must be continuously stimulated (such as by shaking them or an enemy actively attempting to strike them, though normal walking isn’t enough) or they fall back asleep. Even while awake, they suffer a -2 (or -10% on d100 rolls) penalty to all die rolls.

Smoke – Similar to flare arrows, these arrows have a fuse which is lit before firing the arrow. When the fuse burns down, it ignites a special substance within that creates a cloud of thick smoke. The smoke expands to a 20 foot radius and obscures all vision until it dissipates 2d6 rounds later. Those caught within it cough and choke, suffering a -1 penalty to attack and damage rolls (in addition to any modifiers required for not being able to see). Strong winds can dissipate the smoke quicker, but only for as long as the winds blow as the arrow continues to emit smoke for the entire duration.

Stimulant – Designed to be fired on allies, these arrows deal only 1d4 points of damage when they strike. Their firing ranges are also half those of a normal flight arrow. Once they hit the target they shatter and fall away, easily leaving the wound. Within the arrow is a powerful stimulant which is quickly administered to the person’s body. For the next 3d6 rounds, the recipient gains a +1 to all attack and damage rolls and is completely immune to any sleep effects. In addition, the victim is healed 1d8 points. This healing is relatively slow and does not take effect until the other effects wear off.

Priests – While they are lovers of peace, the priests of Llayath have been long trained for war should the wards sealing Ankev ever fall. They despise the undead and have created fighting styles and casting techniques to defeat them. Priests receive a +1 to damage and attack when attacking undead. Those priests who can turn undead gain a +1 bonus to their turn undead rolls. Finally, any spells cast upon undead, deal 1 additional point of damage per die of damage (assuming it causes damage), and any saves required are done at a -2 penalty.

Wizards – The high elven wizards of Llayath are legendary. They have learned to cooperate in their magic, forming rituals not unlike cooperative magic common among priests. Elven wizards from Llayath may advance to 18^th level (plus any bonuses from high intelligence) and half-elven wizards may advance to 15^th level (also plus any bonuses from high intelligence), instead of 15 and 12 respectively. In addition, such wizards can attempt to cast cooperatively with other wizards from Llayath. When they do this, the casting time of the spell is doubled. When it is completed, they may increase the range, duration, and area of effect of any spell by 50% per additional caster past the first (e.g. +50% for two casters, +100% for three, etc). In addition, any applicable saving throws are done at a penalty of 1 per each additional caster past the first (e.g. -1 for two casters, -2 for three, etc). It was this cooperative magic that allowed them to seal away Ankev many years ago.

Rogues – The rogues of Llayath are exceptional at laying ambushes and receive a +15% to both their move silently and hide in shadows rolls. They may also attempt a backstab with a bow if they are within 30 feet of the target and they otherwise meet the requirements for a backstab. Those who choose to purchase the bowyer/fletcher nonweapon proficiency as well as either blacksmithing, alchemy, or herbalism may create specialty arrows as listed in the warrior section.

Special Disabilities:

Warriors – For all their skill at making trick shots and arrows, they are not very adept at close combat. Such characters may never become more than proficient with a melee weapon, and may not use any melee weapon larger than small size. In addition, they do not receive the elven bonus to short swords and long swords.

Priests – A combination of a focus on undeath, and little experience in healing due to a lack of need has weakened their abilities to heal the wounded. Healing spells all heal 1 less point of damage per die healed.

Wizards – The wizards of Llayath suffer no particular disabilities.

Rogues – While they are exceptionally good at laying ambushes, they are somewhat uncomfortable in direct combat. When forced to fight in melee, they receive a -2 penalty to hit unless they are performing a backstab or have some means of hiding themselves (such as darkness, invisibility, or the target is otherwise unable to sense them).

Nallasalya

Population: 30,000 (Elf 100%)

Alignment: Neutral

Local Language: Elvish

Gods: Solonor Thelandira

Magic: Low

Thief Guilds: Blades of the Wood

Organization: Communal/Tribunal

Description: Hidden deep within the Sylvan Woods is city of Nallasalya. The city itself consists of wooden buildings which are highly camouflaged and almost impossible to find without a guide. The wood elves who call Nallasalya home are highly private and have moved their city several times when it has been discovered. Should a non-elf learn of its location, it is doubtful it will still be there when he returns.

Centuries ago, there was a great war that killed many elves and caused the people of Nallasalya to retreat deep within the woods and hide to avoid being hunted down. The people are therefore somewhat wild and highly distrusting of non-elves. They see all others as destroyers of the forests they hold dear. They especially despise orcs, who they attack on sight. All of the people of Nallasalya worship Solonor Thelandira, and seek to become hunters as great as he.

While the town does receive some communication from Llayath, they largely ignore the edicts of the queen unless it suits them. Rule is communal, with everyone giving their say and their opinions being weighed out by a tribunal of elders. Typically what the elders say is followed and the people work together as one force. Should someone wage war upon Nallasalya, they can expect every man, woman and child to take up a weapon and fight.

Role-Playing: Elves of Nallasalya dislike non-elves and typically have a hard time hiding their disgust at other races. Very few take up the adventuring life, and those who do typically do so as a scout, examining the outside world and eventually reporting back to Nallasalya. These reports usually consist of disparaging remarks about the outside world. Rare is the Nallasalyan elf who has anything positive to say about the outside world.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – Besides the normal abilities common with all elves, Nallasalyan warriors have the move silently and hide in shadows abilities identical to those of rangers of equal experience levels. Each Nallasalyan warrior has a suit of exquisitely-made elven chain mail, with each link resembling a kind of leaf.

Due to long memories of the fall of elves by a collective army of darkness, Nallasalyan warriors get a bonus when fighting creatures like those that brought Nallasalya low. This bonus reflects their sheer hatred of these races, amplified by their years of isolation and constant reinforcement by their elders. Players should pick two of the following races and add a +1 bonus to attack rolls against them: drow, flinds, gnolls, goblins, hobgoblins, orcs, ogres, tanar’ri, trolls, or yugoloths.

Each Nallasalyan warrior can speak Elvish and Western Common. The Elvish tongue is a bonus, but Western Common takes one nonweapon proficiency slot.

Priest – The priests of Nallasalya are often in charge of maintaining the camouflage of their town. They receive the camouflage and animal lore nonweapon proficiencies. They need not expend slots to obtain these skills, but can do so to improve their chances of success when using them.

Wizard – All such wizards begin play with the animal lore proficiency without having to expend a proficiency slot for it. In addition, the rugged nature of their lives over the past few years has made them hardier than their fellows in other regions. Because of this, they have six-sided Hit Dice.

Rogue – The rogues of Nallasalya are intimately familiar with the forests around them and begin play with both the tracking and animal lore proficiencies. They need not expend slots to obtain these skills, but can do so to improve their chances of success when using them.

When they are in a wilderness environment, rogues of Nallasalya can make excellent use of natural cover to conceal themselves. In such a setting, they receive a +25% bonus to their hide in shadows skills.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – Warriors of Nallasalya are rare. Not many are allowed to range far from home, and most of them, if given the choice, would not do so anyway. Thus, there can only be a single Nallasalyan warrior in an adventuring party at any given time. This restriction only applies to warriors; a party could have a Nallasalyan warrior and a Nallasalyan wizard, for example.

Warriors of the Elven Court see themselves as the elite of an elitist race. Their arrogance and isolationists’ ignorance of social conventions beyond those of Nallasalya very often alienates those around them. The result is a -2 to all reaction rolls when talking with NPCs.

As sworn guardians of the remnants of Nallasalya, these warriors may be called back to the Sylvan Woods if a great crisis looms. These elves have an almost mystical instinct that “things are not well back home.” Rather than risk failing their guardianship, no Nallasalyan warrior will ever venture more than 200 miles beyond the limit of the Sylvan Woods’ tree line.

Priest – Even in the best of circumstances, these characters can be short-tempered when dealing with others. As a result, they suffer a -2 penalty to their Charisma score when in the company of outsiders.

Wizard – Because of their distrust of others, Nallasalyan elves can be difficult for others to get along with. They have short tempers, something very unusual among the fair folk, and always assume that others are out to get them. This results in a -2 penalty to the character’s Charisma score when in the company of outsiders.

Rogue – Even in the best of circumstances, these characters can be short-tempered when dealing with others. As a result, they suffer a -2 penalty to their Charisma score when in the company of outsiders.

The Sylvan Druid Grove

Population: 50 (Human 50%, Half-elf 25%, Elf 25%)

Alignment: Neutral

Local Language: Druid, Western Common, Elvish

Gods: Belenus

Organization: Druidic

Description: Not exactly a city per se, but worth mentioning. The druids of the Sylvan Woods have long stood as the protectors of their forest. A few years ago, they were almost wiped out entirely by a corrupted nymph named Willow. The nymph was recently driven off by an adventuring party and what was left of the druids were saved. They have since been slowly regrouping their numbers under the leadership of Leeshy. They have rebuilt their grove and have prepared themselves in case she should return. The nymph’s whereabouts are unknown, but they assume she is hiding somewhere in the woods or a nearby village, laying low until the time is right to attack.

With their numbers low and the threat of Willow as well as the green dragon Olwyn looming over their heads, they are constantly looking for new members. They have also invested much magic into their grove, providing protection against charms or other harmful intrusions. They hope to be far better prepared should they be under such an attack again.

Role-Playing: The druids of the Sylvan grove are mindful that they could be attacked at any time. While they are cool headed, they are cautious. It did not take much to decimate them before and they refuse to let it happen again.

Special Abilities: Obviously everyone from the Sylvan druid grove is a druid, and they all worship Belenus. The druids are highly protective of one another and are quick to lend aid. They are also quite well stocked on potions and other minor items, which they give freely to their comrades. A druid begins play with three potions which can be any of the following: extra healing, neutralize poison, cure disease, cure lycanthrope or dispel charm. In addition, they can always come back to their grove to replenish their potions. They are honest in their dealings with each other and will never take more than three potions, nor will they get more potions when they haven’t used the ones they had (though they may trade them with each other for other types). They may purchase further potions however.

Special Disabilities: The druids are highly protective of each other and sensitive to any danger they may be in. If one of their members is in trouble, all druids within a 10 mile radius sense it and must go to their aid. They refuse to take any other action until their comrade is safe. This sense does not tell them what the trouble is, just that something is wrong.

The Cities of Tramilaine

Tramilaine lies in the center of the Eluvian continent with Dunador to the west and the Sylvan Woods to the east. It is a country of magic and most within its borders at least have some understanding of magic. There is of course a high concentration of mages in the cities throughout Tramilaine, the highest concentration being in Moonshade where some of the grandest declarations of magic exist. It is one of the biggest magical universities in the world: The Mages’ Institute of Thaumology (or MIT).

The capital of Tramilaine is Tramilar, where King Alfinor rules over the country. Most other cities pay lip service to the king at best, as they all have enough magical power to believe they can take care of themselves. Most cities in Tramilaine are highly prosperous and as long as the king does not interfere with their affairs, they do not mind sending back some taxes. The best leader, in their opinions, is one that no one sees.

Of note is the guild of mage/thieves known as the Glow. They are highly organized and efficient. At least one branch of their guild can be found in almost every city of Tramilaine. They are skilled at charms and have been known to use them to manipulate politics in their favor throughout the region.

Dangerous criminals throughout the country are all sent to Magehold. It is a fortress built into the Veronian Mountains with thick walls and thicker wards. One method of appeal does exist for those who wish to leave early. Beneath Magehold is a vast underground complex filled with constantly changing traps, monsters and mazes. Magical sensors are built throughout which activate whenever anyone passes them. This allows spectators to watch, and it is always a popular thing to do. At any time, anyone in Magehold may request entrance into this complex. Those who survive the ordeal are released and considered innocent of their crimes. As of yet, none have managed to survive it, though few ever dare to challenge it.

Bartox

Population: 90,000 (Human 65%, Half-elf 20%, Elf 10%, Dwarf 3%, Other 2%)

Alignment: Neutral

Local Language: Western Common

Gods: Oghma, Diancecht, Math Mathonwy, Uranus, Athena, Dionysus, Hermes, Apollo, Hecate, Cinnia, Mae, Ula, Fhina

Magic: High

Thief Guilds: The Glow

Organization: Council

Description: The people of Bartox are fairly quiet and content to tend to their farms. The chief crop among the people of Bartox is grapes and Bartoxian wine is famous the world over. A council of three mages rule over the town with earth elementals forming the main police force. The founder of Bartox is said to have made a pact with the creatures to guard the town until the end of time. Whether this story is true or not, none can dispute the fact that they are a constant presence and an effective defense for the city. Some do fear depending on them too much for defense, however, as it would be a slaughter should they turn on the city itself.

Crime is fairly low. The elementals do much to scare off all but the most brilliant of criminals. The Glow is the only organization to manage to get any sort of foothold and they show no signs of leaving.

Role-Playing: One thing is common among all people of Bartox: they LOVE wine. They can give you a full description of any wine that was ever made on Gilon and perhaps some beyond it. Even the poor are always looking for an opportunity to try a new wine. Many have small wine presses at home where they make their own wine. They are not drunkards however, and it is rare to find someone who actually drinks in excess. They are typically relaxed and happy people who can see good things in all people.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – The warriors of Bartox are typically light on their feet. They prefer such weapons as short swords and daggers, though many make excellent bowmen. To reflect this all warriors from Bartox receive a +1 bonus to Dexterity (though this will not raise their dexterity above their racial max) and they may apply their Dexterity or Strength bonus (whichever is higher) when attempting to hit with any small size weapon. Damage adjustment is still based on Strength regardless. In addition, they receive the two weapon fighting proficiency at no cost.

All people of Bartox are familiar with winemaking. Therefore all characters from Bartox receive the winemaking proficiency at no cost. Additional proficiency slots may be spent in increase their chances of making truly spectacular wine.

Priest – The priests of Bartox are among the most wary of the earth elementals who defend the city. Even such priests as those of Fhina who worship earth among other things do not see it as wise to have elementals constantly away from their home. In their minds, it is only a matter of time before they revolt. As defense against the creatures, they each get a free casting of protection from elementals once per day. This spell works identically to protection from evil, but its benefits only apply against elementals, including the ability to keep them from physically touching the recipient. This does not cost the priest any of his other casting slots, nor can it be cast more than once a day.

Wizard – The mages of Bartox are often fairly lazy and tend to use magic to get most things done if they can. All mages from Bartox receive the cantrip proficiency at no cost as well as one casting of Unseen Servant a day. This requires no memorization or material components. They just use it so often it is a second nature to them.

Rogue – Rogues from Bartox have a natural affinity for scrolls and magical items. They receive a +15% bonus to attempts to use their read languages skill (to a maximum of 95% chance of success). They are also able to employ magical scrolls upon reaching 5^th level instead of 10^th. In addition, they have only a 20% chance of misreading a scroll instead of the standard 25% chance.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – While warriors of Bartox are light on their feet, they do tend to crumble when hit solidly. To reflect this, all warriors of Bartox receive a -1 penalty to their Constitution (though this cannot reduce their Constitutions to below their racial minimums).

The people of Bartox have a love of wine that many consider obsessive. They will often begin speaking about wine whenever the fancy strikes them and they use long lists of technical terms to describe the taste, texture, aroma and so forth. When speaking with anyone other than a fellow wine lover, they receive a -2 to any reaction rolls.

Priest – Priests of Bartox have a difficult time dealing with creatures from any of the elemental planes as such creatures tend to sense a slight paranoia from the priests. When dealing with any creatures from the elemental planes, they suffer a -2 penalty to any reaction rolls.

Wizard – Relying on magic to do most chores for them has made learning most physical skills a bit harder for them. When purchasing proficiencies from the general list, they must spend an additional slot as though they had no access to it.

Rogue – Rogues from Bartox are, by their very nature, somewhat reckless. Their carefree attitude makes it difficult for them to avoid attracting attention to themselves. As a result, they suffer a -15% penalty to their hide in shadows and move silently skills.

Divist

Population: 1,950,000 (Human 55%, Half-elf 20%, Elf 5%, Dwarf 5%, Gnome 5%, Halfling 5%, Other 5%)

Alignment: Neutral

Local Language: Western Common, Dwarven, Elvish, Gnome, Halfling

Gods: Greek, Celtic, Dwarven, Elvish, Gnomish, Halfling and Broken

Magic: Low

Thief Guilds: The Glow, the Holy Knives

Organization: Theocracy

Description: In a land fairly dominated by mages, this city is somewhat out of place. For one reason or another, priests of many different gods and pantheons believe this city to be a holy site. The exact reasoning as to why this is a holy site varies widely among the priesthoods and occasionally results in a minor holy crusade. Whatever the reason, temples both big and small from every god of the Greek, Celtic, Dwarven, Elvish, Gnomish, Halfling and Broken pantheons are built here. The vast majority of people who live here are in the very least a member of one of the temples. There are of course a high number of priests in the city as well.

The Glow makes a fine business blackmailing various priests and an assassins’ guild known as the Holy Slayers do well whenever one of the priesthoods decides to go on a holy crusade against another.

Role-Playing: One thing all people from Divist have in common is that they are all highly religious. Even those who are not priests are still fairly devout to their particular god and are sure to let others know. Though they are not all fanatical zealots (though that’s not to say many of those exist as well of course), they are all quick to argue with anything that would go against their religion.

Special abilities:

Warrior – Warriors from Divist are paladins more often than not. Dwarves, elves, gnomes and Halflings from Divist may select to be paladins (assuming they meet the normal requirements, though their alignments may differ based on their specific god) even though it is usually banned to their races. For whatever reason, the people of Divist seem to turn out more people with the forceful personalities required to be paladins. This is reflected in a +4 bonus to Charisma (though this does not raise their Charisma above racial maximums).

The sheer number of religions that a citizen of Divist is exposed to every day makes it nearly impossible for at least some information about them sink in. As such, every character who grows up there receives the religion proficiency at no cost.

Priest – While philosophers may dispute whether Divist is really a holy site, there is no disputing the fact that the priests who grow up there gain powers from it. Any priest from Divist may select one of their spheres at character creation. All spells from this sphere count as one level less. A 2^nd level spell such as Aid for example would be cast using first level slots. First level spells are unaffected.

Wizard – The constant interaction with priestly magic and rhetoric has allowed the wizards of Divist to gain some limited ability at manipulating their magic. To reflect this, any wizard from Divist may select one priestly sphere from which they can cast. All spells from that sphere are learned automatically as a priest, though they do count towards the maximum number of spells the wizard may learn.

Rogue – Having to constantly avoid priestly wards and spells while doing what they need to do has caused the rogues to adapt to such things. They receive a magic resistance equal to their level which works against priest magic only. Thus a 9^th level rogue would have a 9% magic resistance to priestly magic. In addition, they receive a +15% chance to their find/remove traps roll when finding or disarming priestly wards.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – Nonhuman paladins are something of an oddity among most of the rest of the world. Few take such a paladin seriously. The same goes for paladins of other alignments which seem to only exist in Divist. Seeing a paladin acting chaotic for example is just not what people expect. As such they receive a -4 penalty to reaction rolls when interacting with anyone not from Divist. In addition, while they may have the ability to be paladins, their, at times, ridiculously strict devotion to their gods causes them to act in means which are not always the most intelligent. Warriors from Divist receive a -2 penalty to their Intelligence scores (though this will not lower it beyond their racial minimum).

Priest – Priests from Divist are intolerant of other religions at best. When they interact with people of other religions, they either attempt to convert them, argue with them, or possibly just attack them. This is reflected in a -4 penalty to their Charisma scores. They may be difficult to deal with in adventuring parties who do not at least pay lip service to their god.

Wizard – The additional casting ability is not without cost. The automatic learning of priest spells means wizards with low intelligences may not have room to learn wizard spells they wish to learn if they cast from some of the larger priest spheres. They automatically learn all of the spells of that sphere and cannot unlearn them. In addition the wizard must select one wizard school from which they are unable to cast from.

Rogue – Their magic resistance is a mixed blessing. While it protects them from harmful priestly magic, it also disrupts helpful priestly magic. Rogues from Divist are unable to automatically fail their magic resistance roll to allow helpful priestly magic to take effect.

Moonshade

Population: 90,000 (Human 50%, Undead 45%, Other 5%)

Alignment: Lawful Evil

Local Language: Western Common

Magic: High

Organization: Dictatorship

Description: Moonshade has always been a center of magic. For whatever reason, magic just seems to flow better in this area, attracting mages from all over the world. Within the city is the Mages’ Institute of Thaumology or MIT for short. The city itself is surrounded by an enormous wall of force which blocks all teleportation into the city as well as any other methods of entering other than the actual gates (which can seal up in the same way should the need arise). Ridiculous amounts of magic flow through this city and things such as flying buildings and strange summoned creatures are commonplace here.

Until recently this city was under control of a council of seven mages and protected by the Mageknights, who were headquartered here. Almost half the city has since been killed or driven out and the few surviving Mageknights have left for Tramilar to regroup. This happened during a short war which inadvertently released a powerful lich known as Ankev. The survivors agreed to swear loyalty to him in exchange for their lives. The lich now runs things and the streets are constantly patrolled by various undead. The people dare not whisper a word against Ankev for fear a shadow might be listening.

There were not many temples before Ankev’s rule and what few there were have been destroyed. Very few priests still call Moonshade home. Those who do, worship in secret, fearful that they might be discovered and turned into one of the undead who walk the streets.

Crime is just about unknown in Moonshade. The undead are all unquestioningly loyal to Ankev and are sure to catch any criminals before they can get very far. The penalty for most crimes is undeath and that threat is usually enough to keep most people honest. Thus far, Ankev has done little other than rule over this one city, but it is believed that it is only a matter of time before he starts turning his gaze to others.

Role-Playing: People of Moonshade are a sullen lot. While they live peacefully, it is under the rule of undeath and the life they once had is gone. They are morose and prone to fits of depression. Their constant contact with undead also makes them far less horrified by such creatures than most. Most tend to just keep their head down and study magic.

Special Abilities:

Warriors – Nothing is less appreciated in a land where magic is venerated than the art of physical combat and its practitioners. Such is the lot of warriors from Moonshade. In a land where the wizards and their magic dominate every aspect of life, warriors are definitely regarded as second best in all things. This second-class status has produced a breed of warrior that, while loyal to their nation, are sullen, humorless, and rather jealous. And since they cannot take out their frustrations on the wizards, they take them out on strangers.

Even though the warriors of Moonshade do not get the same level of respect and adulation that the wizards do, the latter magic-users recognize the need to keep the warriors happy and well-equipped to increase their usefulness as guards or soldiers. Each warrior of Moonshade begins his career with 7d4 (x10) gold pieces and a magical +1 item of protection. While the item’s standard form is that of a ring of protection, it could also be a magical baldric, brooch, circlet, cloak, earring, or pendant and still have the same defensive effects as a ring of protection.

Priests – Few are the priests who remain in Moonshade. Those who do are sure to hide their identities and occasionally lash out at the undead who plague their home land. Any priest from Moonshade receives the undead lore proficiency at no cost. In addition, they receive a +1 to hit whenever attacking am undead creature.

Wizards – The power of the wizards of Moonshade and their mastery of magic are second to none. Within the walls of Moonshade’s many libraries of sorcery lie countless volumes of ancient lore that hold dark secrets the rest of the world has long forgotten.

There are those who say all wizards of Moonshade are specialists. In truth, they can be dual specialists, only a very few adhere to one school. When a wizard from Moonshade is created, up to two schools of magic may be selected to specialize in. The only restriction to this choice is that neither of the selected schools can be an opposition school of the other. So a wizard could be an abjurer/diviner, but not an abjurer/illusionist or an abjurer/transmuter.

In game terms, this means they gain a +2 bonus to any saving throws they are required to make because of any spells that fall into either of their specialist schools. Any spell a Moonshade wizard casts from either of his chosen specialties imposes a -2 penalty on his target’s saving throws.

Also, perhaps more importantly, the character can memorize two extra spells per available spell level, provided that each spell comes from one of his two specialties. For example, an abjurer/diviner could memorize an extra abjuration spell and an extra divination spell. He could no memorize two extra abjuration spells, or two extra divination spells, however. A wizard must satisfy the ability score requirements of both his chosen specialties.

Rogues – The last of the thieves’ guilds was destroyed when Ankev took over and there has been little in the way of organized crime since then. Rogues have a hard time finding work in this town anymore. The few who stick around ally themselves with the most powerful wizard he can and then rides his coattails to wealth and power. When a rogue enters service of a wizard in Moonshade, he is branded with the mark of his master. This brand is magical in nature and contains spells the rogue can then cast once per day. The brand can contain a number of spells equal to half the level of the rogue (rounded down). The maximum number of spell levels that can be contained is equal to the level of the rogue. The exact spells stored in the brand are determined by the Dungeon Master, based upon the wizard to whom the rogue has sworn fealty.

Each time a Moonshade rogue rises in level, he must return to his master to have his brand re-enchanted in order for additional spells to be castable by the rogue.

Special Disabilities:

Warriors – Moonshade warriors have been conditioned to digest information like the wizards of Moonshade. Thus, they use the Wizard experience point table to advance. In addition, their constant interaction with undeath as made them somewhat weak against its effects. A warrior from Moonshade receives a -2 penalty to any saving throws against necromantic magic or undead attack.

Priests – Priests are relentlessly hounded within Moonshade’s walls. The need to keep their religion a secret has made them slow to trust others. It has also made them far more reluctant to use their spells around others. A Moonshade priest never receives bonus spells for high Wisdom scores.

Wizards – The normal disadvantages associated with specialist wizards applies to these wizards as well. All opposition schools listed for their specialties are closed to these characters. So an abjurer/diviner could not learn spells from the schools of Alteration, Illusion, or Conjuration/Summoning.

Spells from the wizard’s opposition schools have an increase effectiveness against these characters. Whenever a wizard from Moonglow must make a saving throw to escape or lessen the effects of such a spell, he suffers a -2 penalty.

Rogues – In addition to carrying a magical spell, the brand a rogue receives when he enters into service of a wizard ensures his loyalty. Whenever a spell is cast upon one of these characters by the wizard who branded him, no saving throw is allowed. By accepting the wizard’s brand, the rogue agrees to waive any saving throws he might be entitled to.

If the rogue ever flees his master’s service, the wizard he served takes out a contract to have him captured and his brand forcibly removed.

Northbank

Population: 50,000 (Human 90%, Half-elf 5%, Other 5%)

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Local Language: Western Common

Gods: Gaea

Magic: Moderate, Restricted

Thief Guilds: The Glow, the River Runners

Organization: Military Occupation

Description: The city of Northbank is a small, quiet town. It was once the location of a fairly influential mages’ guild, but that guild has since been disbanded and it’s members either gone or dead. While a handful of practitioners do still exist in the city, they are fairly rare. Still, the city was once a mages’ town and skilled artisans as well as components shops are not hard to find as they were often used for enchantments and spells. Many mages do come to this town on occasion to take advantage of them.

The city was run by a mayor until recent years when a foreign military force known as the Victorians invaded and took over the town. During their takeover they closed down all temples and forbid them to be opened. While there are no more active priests, many of the people worship Gaea, if secretly.

Other than the many mage shops, the one thing of interest is the local zoo. Very few cities throughout the world have bothered creating such an oddity and Northbank has one of the best. Many people the world over come to see it and the local rangers constantly travel far and wide to find new specimens for display.

Role-Playing: While the people of Northbank are currently controlled by a military force, they are mostly left alone. While crime was never an issue before, people are a bit more cautious to follow rules than they used to for fear of causing trouble with the Victorians. As such, most people tend to have a Lawful alignment.

Special Abilities:

Warriors – The warriors of Northbank are mostly farmers. They are hard workers and their work tends to make them stronger and healthier than most. Warriors from Northbank may choose to increase either their Strength or their Constitution score by 1 point (though not beyond racial max).

Priests – There are no priests from Northbank

Wizards – Wizards from Northbank are few and far between, though there are two of note. Kitta and Dar. Kitta is an enchantress who is fairly outgoing and friendly, if a bit absent minded. Dar is a general mage who absolutely hates company, though is willing to tolerate it if he must. Wizards from Northbank are assumed to have trained under one of these two wizards. If they choose train under Kitta, they are enchanters, and if they choose to train under Dar they are generalists. In either case, wizards with such a sponsor find learning spells much easier. Should they wish to learn any spell from the Player’s Handbook, they may come to their mentors and learn them at no charge. In addition, a wizard of either mentor receives a gift upon completing their initial training.

Those who study under Kitta begin play with a wand containing 80 charges of any first level enchantment/charm spell. Those who study under Dar begin play with 2d6 potions, selected by the DM.

Rogues – The only criminal activity that is particularly prevalent in Northbank is smuggling. Rogues from Northbank are assumed to be affiliated with either the Glow or the River Runners. Both focus only on smuggling though what they smuggle and how are different.

In either case, rogues of Northbank are fairly intelligent and capable of talking their way out of many searches that would otherwise prove to be their downfall. To reflect this, such characters receive a +1 bonus to their Intelligence scores and receive the fast talking proficiency at no cost. Additional proficiency slots may be spent to increase their chances of success.

Special Disabilities:

Warriors – Warriors of Northbank are rarely brave and are quick to surrender when things look bad. They have had little or no experience in combat and it shows when they are put to the test. To reflect this, Northbank warriors receive a -1 penalty to all saving throws vs. fear effects. In addition, should they are required to make a saving throw vs. paralysis whenever their hit points fall below half of their max, every time an ally falls in combat, or whenever else the DM deems appropriate. If the saving throw succeeds, nothing happens and the warrior may continue fighting normally. Failure indicates the character surrenders or flees, as the player chooses.

Priests – There are no priests from Northbank

Wizards – Those who train to be wizards in Northbank are rarely of the wealthy sort. What little money they do have goes to their mentors for training. As a result, they begin play with no money to spend on starting equipment. They are also assumed to owe some favor to someone for the money required for the training. This may be their mentor, or possibly a relative or more nefarious source. Regardless of who they owe the favor to, they must repay it when called to do it. If not, they do not receive the benefits of spell research mentioned above.

Rogues – Rogues spend much of their time avoiding fights rather than fighting them. Like warriors, they receive a -1 penalty to all saving throws vs. fear effects. In addition, should they are required to make a saving throw vs. paralysis whenever their hit points fall below half of their max, every time an ally falls in combat, or whenever else the DM deems appropriate. If the saving throw succeeds, nothing happens and the warrior may continue fighting normally. Failure indicates the character surrenders or flees, as the player chooses.

Pommeville

Population: 1,500,000 (Human 80%, Half-elf 8%, Elf 8%, Other 4%)

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Local Language: Western Common

Gods: Hades, Aphrodite, Oghma, Zeus, Mae

Magic: Moderate, Restricted

Thief Guilds: The Glow, the Disenchanters, the Roland Street Company

Organization: Monarchy/Council

Description: Surrounded by high walls and thick layers of red tape, Pommeville is the epitome of lawful. Everything is regulated and recorded. For example, those who wish to practice magic must do so with a permit. The penalty for not doing so depends on the spell cast. Healing spells might only result in a small fine while casting death spell in a crowded city street would likely result in. having magic jar cast upon the offender, then crushing the gem that contains the offender’s soul. Different kinds of magic require a variety of different permits.

Despite the many restrictions on magical use, it is fairly prevalent throughout the city. Most members of the upper class tend to have a mage or two in their employ for a variety of reasons. It is considered one of the top luxuries to have such a person in one’s employ.

The city is ruled by a council of twenty one people who bicker constantly about all issues. The gears of justice tend to grind slowly in this town, though there are a few exceptions that can grease them.

The three biggest temples by far are devoted to Hades, Aphrodite and Oghma. The priests of Hades work fairly closely with the government, especially in murder investigations, where they can use their spells to question the bodies of the dead at a price. The priests of Aphrodite are somewhat considered oddities within the city. They are largely popular among the young and those who feel constricted by the overly proper nature of much of Pommeville society.

Role-Playing: If there is one word that can describe most people from Pommeville, it is stiff. They tend to be very conscious of protocol and etiquette. They are extremely proper and polite at all times.

Special Abilities:

Warrior - Pommeville warriors get the etiquette nonweapon proficiency as a bonus. If the warrior finds himself in a social situation in a strange land far from home, the warrior can still attempt an etiquette proficiency check (with a -4 penalty), to “fake his way” through the social customs to avoid any unintentional insults.

Priest – Pommeville priests get the etiquette nonweapon proficiency as a bonus. If the priest finds himself in a social situation in a strange land far from home, the priest can still attempt an etiquette proficiency check (with a -4 penalty), to “fake his way” through the social customs to avoid any unintentional insults.

Their societal tendency towards law has given priests an affinity towards it. All priests who cast from the Law sphere may cast such spells as though they are one level less. Therefore a 2^nd level spell would use 1^st level slots and be a first level spell in all other respects. 1^st level spells are unaffected. This ability does not apply to priests who do not have access to the Law sphere.

Wizard – Wizards in Pommeville have little trouble finding someone willing to research their studies. They therefore begin play with twice as many spells learned as normal and also begin play with 1d4 scrolls.

Rogue – Rogues in Pommeville are accustomed to dealing with the law and talking their ways through red tape. Many are barristers or at least can represent themselves should they need to. They receive the law, etiquette, and fast-talking proficiencies at no cost.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – Warriors of Pommeville tend to be very proper, follow rules and expect their opponents will do the same. As such, they do not tend to expect an opponent to do something so dishonorable as ambushing them, hardly a wise expectation. This translates to a -1 penalty to any surprise rolls as well as a +5% bonus to the move silently or hide in shadows rolls of any priest attempting to sneak up on the warrior.

Priest – Their focus on law means they have something of a weakness against chaos. When resisting any spell of the Chaos sphere, any applicable saving throws are made at a -2 penalty. This does not apply if the priest has no access to the law sphere.

Wizard – While none can debate that being hired by a wealthy noble has it perks, such mages tend to grow accustomed to a lifestyle that may or may not be their own. PCs are assumed to have broken ties with their old masters. They may have been fired, or simply left service to go on their own. Regardless of the reason, they are no longer under the employ of their wealthy masters and therefore cannot draw upon them for any aid. This is not a disability in per se, but should be noted. The sudden lack of support they are accustomed to, however, does make them have a harder time learning new spells until they manage to make their way on their own. This translates to a 10% reduction in their learn spells roll until they reach 5^th level. At that point, they are assumed to have grown accustomed to funding themselves and no longer receive the penalty.

Rogue – While a Pommeville thief can talk himself out of almost any trouble, their ability to fight himself out of said trouble is less successful. Such characters receive a -1 penalty to their Strength scores (though none may be reduced to below racial max).

Sturnheim

Population: 0

Alignment: None

Local Language: Western Common

Organization: None

Description: Sturnheim was a human town, constantly plagued by attacks from bandits, centaurs and wererats. In the end, the city succumbed to the constant attacks and was reduced to rubble. Most of its citizens are dead, though many did manage to escape and made their way to other cities throughout Gilon.

Role-Playing: The people of Sturnheim are refugees without a home. While many wish to return home and rebuild, they just have no way to protect themselves from the many forces that plagued their home. They are very nostalgic of times past and often talk of the “old days”.

Special Abilities: All of the remaining people of Sturnheim are refugees and can be found throughout Gilon. Those who originally called it home are ready to raise their weapons and spells against the creatures who destroyed their home, if only they can get themselves organized enough to do so. Characters from Sturnheim gain a +1 bonus to hit and damage for attacks against bandits, centaurs and wererats. In addition, those who have spells cause an additional point of damage per die of damage against such creatures.

Special Disabilities: The people of Sturnheim had to leave quickly and left many of their things behind. As such they have very little of their own. Characters from Sturnheim receive the minimum amount of gold possible for their classes when they begin play.

Tramilar

Population: 1,100,000 (Human 87%, Half-elf 6%, Elf 5%, Other 2%)

Alignment: Lawful Good

Local Language: Western Common, Elvish

Gods: Goibhniu, Hephaestus, Fhina

Magic: High

Thief Guilds: The Glow, the Disenchanters

Organization: Monarchy

Description: The lands of Tramilar are filled with hills and mountains as well as stretches of beautiful plains. The city itself is ruled over by King Alfinor after the previous king was poisoned by a witch from the Ferral Swamp. Despite being relatively isolated from the rest of the world (especially since the fall of Moonshade to the lich Ankev), Tramilar is relatively prosperous.

Tramilar’s main export is marble (though they do make a fair living off of many other ores), and many of the outlying lands are filled with marble quarries. The main castle is built almost entirely of the material and it is said that the lands of Tramilaine will prosper for as long as its walls still stand. Luckily for the lands, the walls are terribly strong and show no signs of ever crumbling.

The Disenchanters are said to be based out of this town, though of course they won’t tell anyone that. It is definitely clear they have a powerful influence here, and they do tend to clash with the Glow fairly often. Occasionally, these clashes do spill out into the streets and when they do, the local guards crack down on guilds, hunting houses throughout the city. Due to this, they tend to hold their fights in more often than not, but sometimes they just cannot manage to.

There has been a recent influx of people from Moonshade including the Mageknights. The Mageknights were a powerful protective force for Moonshade, and now that they have been displaced, they are building their forces in Tramilar so they can one day reclaim their city.

Role-Playing: The people of Tramilar are fairly peaceful, though they are growing fairly concerned about Moonshade to the south. Refugees have brought word of the city’s fate and so far the people are watching with concern, not wishing to bring the trouble to their city while Ankev shows no signs of expansion.

Special Abilities:

Warriors – Most of the warriors from Tramilar are former miners who wish to make a name for themselves as well as a better living. While miners do make a living, it is not a fairly good one. Warriors from Tramilar begin play with the mining nonweapon proficiency as well as the pickaxe weapon proficiency. When using such a weapon, they gain double their damage bonus from high Strength scores. They also begin play with a pickaxe, one of the few weapons they already have in ready supply.

Priests – In Tramilar, priests are often called upon to bless quarries or locate new places to begin new quarries. All of their priests treat spells from the Elemental Earth sphere as one level lower for all purposes. A 2^nd level spell for example would count as a first level spell, using first level spell slots. Spells of first level are unaffected. In addition, all priests from Tramilar may cast detect minerals once per day. The spell works much like detect magic for all purposes except it detects minerals and ores for the spell’s duration, and it is not stopped by minerals of any type. An inch of wood does stop it however. This does not count against the priest’s daily allotment of spells, though they may use one of their first level spell slots to cast an additional casting of the spell.

Wizards – Tramilar is known for its many skilled alchemists. All wizards from Tramilar begin play with the alchemy nonweapon proficiency at no cost.

If the wizard is an alchemist, he may create potions at fourth level instead of sixth. In addition, the ready supply of alchemy equipment makes stocking a lab far easier, and most alchemists native to Tramilar have many connections that give them special deals. Alchemists from Tramilar need only 500 gp per character level to create a laboratory and only 25 gp per character level each month to maintain it.

Rogues – Rogues from Tramilar are generally members of either the Glow or the Disenchanters. Rogues who are members of the Glow begin play with the spellcraft proficiency and receive a +2 bonus to any saving throws they need to make against spells. Members of the Disenchanters may cast dispel magic once a day as a wizard with a level equal to their own.

Special Disabilities:

Warriors – Many people from Tramilar begin work in mines and quarries from the time they can swing a pickaxe. Years of working within the mines have given many of them a case of miner’s lung. Warriors from Tramilar reduce their Constitution scores by 1 (though this will not reduce it below racial minimums).

Priests – Their adeptness with spells of earth nature has cost them in spells of the air. Such spells are cast as though they are one level higher. First level spells cannot be cast until the priest gains access to 2^nd level spells. 7^th level spells are beyond their ability to cast (if they have access to the Elemental Air sphere. In addition, any saving throws needed against Air spells are made at a -2 penalty).

Wizards – Most of the disabilities of alchemists in Tramilar are inherent to the class. When they are outside of Tramilar, they do not receive any of their benefits.

Rogues – Members of either guild will likely attack members of the other on sight if they think they can get away with it. Rogues who begin to make a name for themselves can expect to have bounties placed on their heads by the opposing guild. Every time the rogue gains a level, there is a cumulative 5% chance that the opposing guild posts a bounty. From then on there is a cumulative 5% chance per week of a bounty hunter (or group of bounty hunters) to show up, trying to kill the PC. Once one bounty hunter finds the PC, the chance is reduced to 0 again and begins once more. The bounty hunters continue to hound the PC until either he is dead, or the rogue can find some way of clearing the bounty.

The Underworld

The Underworld is a vast underground network of caves which wind about most of Gilon. Many creatures call this area home, though it is filled with many dangerous creatures and only the strong manage to survive. Illithid, orcs, dwarves, drow, and beholders are just a few of the races known to have cities and kingdoms spread out through the complex maze of tunnels and caverns.

One key issue about the Underworld is there seems to be some sort of radiation field that hums throughout the area. It is largely harmless but makes some spells act differently or not at all. Chief among them are various transportation spells. Teleport, dimension door, fly, levitate, and many other similar spells that grant enhanced movement or otherwise transport creatures or objects over distances just fail to function. Attempting to enter the Underworld from outside through use of such spells is dangerous, especially in the case of teleportation spells. At best, the spell does not work. At worst the unlucky victim is transported partially or ends up stranded on another plane. It is a method employed only by the stupid or the suicidal (though a few mages have been known to offensively transport enemies to the Underworld, effectively killing them).

Few adventurers come from the Underworld as most of the races down there are evil and tend to not play well with others. Those few who do become adventurers rather dislike the surface world for many different reasons, so it is just about unheard of to find them. Still, despite this all, a few of its subterranean cities are known to those of the surface: Grondor, Mythal, and Siltinville.

Grondor

Population: 650,000 (Dwarf 100%)

Alignment: Neutral

Local Language: Dwarven, Undercommon

Gods: Dwarf

Magic: None

Thief Guilds: The Anvil

Organization: Monarchy

Description: The dwarves of Grondor are ruled by King Goldhammer. While they would bow to any edicts given from Stoutaxe, they are largely isolated and keep to themselves. Their people are under constant attacks from both above and below. Giants, drow and illithid are their most common enemies, though a few other races and isolated monsters have been known to slither up from the Underworld to attack Grondor’s people. These attacks have created a sturdy, battle ready people, even by dwarven standards.

The city is a vast cavern lined with gems lit by continual light spells cast by the priests. The public gems shine constantly while those within homes are hidden through the use of opaque bags at night. Within the center of the city is a magical stone known as the Moonstone. It was enchanted when Grondor was first founded and takes the shape of the moon, changing phases as it does. It was supposedly created when Grondor was plagued by some sort of lycanthrope so the dwarves would know when it would emerge and attack as the moon is not visible while underground. Exactly what type of lycanthrope this may have been is up for debate as the legend is sketchy at best. Few truly believe the story as such creatures are just about unknown to them, but it makes for a good story to scare the children with at night.

Role-Playing: The dwarves of Grondor are usually ready for a good fight. They aren’t blood thirsty per se, but they do tend to enjoy battle when they are in it. They especially loathe giants, drow and illithids whom they have had to fight for centuries, and refuse to work with any of them for any reason.

Special Abilities:

Warriors – Years of fighting off the magical abilities of the drow and illithid have developed an increased resistance to their effects. All warriors gain a 2% magic resistance which increases by 2% every level.

Priests – The priests of Grondor have developed special casting techniques to battle their enemies. Most notable is their use of the protection spells. When using any protection spell (such as protection from evil, or protection from evil, 10’ radius), drow, illithid, and giants count as summoned creatures for purposes of the spell’s effects.

Rogues – Any thieves attempting to backstab a giant (assuming they can reach it), illithid or drow increase their backstab multiplier by 1. A first level thief therefore deals 3x damage when successfully backstabbing one of these creatures instead of the usual 2x multiplier.

Special Disabilities:

Warriors – While this magic resistance works fabulously against drow and illithid magic, it also works equally fabulously on beneficial magic. They cannot choose to fail their magic resistance for beneficial spells. In addition, their magic resistance bonus is added to their already 20% chance of failure when using magical items not meant for them.

Priests – The priests of Grondor suffer no particular disabilities.

Rogues – Thieves of Grondor suffer no particular disabilities.

Mythal

Population: 730,000 (Gnome 100%)

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Local Language: Gnome, Undercommon

Gods: Gnomish

Magic: Low

Thief Guilds: The Really Good Thieves’ Guild

Organization: Council

Description: Located deep within the northern edge of the Veronian Mountains, Mythal is home completely to gnomes. The people are very methodical and calculating and when they chose how to organize the leadership of their government, they settled on a council of four gnomes who are elected every eight years. Historically, these four gnomes rarely agree on anything and most votes tend to end up being a tie of two to two. This of course makes any decisions extremely hard to settle. It is not uncommon for them to spend months or even years debating a single new treaty or law. Outsiders have very little patience for this, so very little trading is done with the outside world. They do have rather wonderful gem mines, however, so shipments of gems are often shipped off for sale, at least when they can manage some sort of an agreement that is.

The Really Good Thieves’ Guild is based out of Mythal. Of course “thieves’ guild” is a rather loose interpretation of what they are. Typical heists might include breaking into someone’s house and replacing all of that person’s red gems with blue ones, or something equally mischievous, and technically criminal, but more or less harmless.

Role-Playing: The gnomes of Mythal are a typically cheerful bunch, but they do have a tendency to overanalyze things (at least by most peoples’ standards). It is not uncommon for them to spend a few minutes discussing the merits of taking any actions, such as opening a door (“Ah, it’s an oaken door with steel braces I see. You know, this reminds me of a door I came across in another dungeon. It required a quarter turn to open as I recall and the other side had some rather large beastie. Do you think this door will be the same?”).

Special Abilities:

Warrior – Mythal warriors tend to be good at analyzing attack patterns and openings. They may choose to make a calculated attack during any round. To do this, they must elect to go last in the round, spending their round calculating all possibilities of attack. In addition, they may only make a single attack for that round. Extra attacks due to specialization, two weapon use, fighter level or anything else are lost as the warrior studies his opponent for the perfect opportunity to strike. When they finally attack, they gain a +4 bonus to hit and deal max damage if they hit. This in no way allows them to strike enemies that they would otherwise be unable to harm (such as a creature that requires a +4 weapon to hit), it just increases his chance of success when striking.

Priest – The priests of Mythal tend to be more analytical about their casting, using facts and data more than intuition. For purposes of spell failure, extra spells, and bonus experience points, a priest of Mythal may choose to use his Intelligence score instead of Wisdom.

Wizard – If given a chance to survey a situation, Mythal illusionists are extremely methodical and convincing with their illusions. If they spend 2 rounds preparing before casting an illusion spell, they can create illusions so convincing that even creatures that are normally immune to such things may believe it. The illusionist must spend 2 additional rounds concentrating on every detail about the coming illusion. This is effectively part of the casting time and should it be disrupted, the spell is also disrupted. If the spell goes off, treat creatures that would normally be immune to the illusion as though a normal target would react and those that are not normally immune receive a -4 penalty to any checks to disbelieve, should they interact with the illusion. This is cumulative with the normal penalties associated with being a specialized illusionist.

Rogue – Thieves of Mythal tend to like to tinker with things and solve problems. They revel in building the better mousetrap them figuring out how to defeat it. They all gain a +10% bonus to their find/remove traps skill and begin play with the set snares nonweapon proficiency at no cost. If given the time, they can usually improve an existing trap. On a successful set snares check, they can take any trap they have disarmed or built and tinker with it, increasing the damage dice to the next die size (e.g. d6 to d8) or providing a -10% penalty to chances for others to find or disarm it. They can only improve any given trap once.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – The only disabilities warriors of Mythal have are those inherent to their special ability.

Priest – Priests of Mythal suffer no particular disability.

Wizard – The only disabilities illusionists of Mythal have are those inherent to their special ability.

Rogue – Focus on tinkering has atrophied some of their other skills. They are not particularly silent in general and receive a -10% penalty to both their hide in shadows and move silently rolls.

Siltinville

Population: 290,000 (Gnome 50%, Dwarf 47%, Other 3%)

Alignment: Neutral

Local Language: Undercommon, Gnome, Dwarven

Gods: Gnome, Dwarf

Magic: Moderate

Thief Guilds: The Anvil

Organization: Diarchy

Description: The city of Siltinville is ruled by two kings, one a gnome and one a dwarf. Both kings have equal power and rule from the same citadel within the underground complex. King Ironspike is the current dwarven king while King Felimsag is the current gnome one. While the two do of course have their disagreements, they generally manage to do what is best for the community as a whole. Together they see what is good for their people better than they would individually.

The people themselves have managed something of a truce with the various threats in the Underworld. Something very few others have ever managed to do. This was accomplished through a strong military opposition as well as several deposits of mithril. Their mithril deposits are large enough to make the drow interested, and they have managed to defend themselves against invading forces well enough to make simply taking it not an option. Instead, they have set up something of a trade agreement with the drow. Siltinville provides mithril ore, and in exchange, the drow offer up enchanted items crafted from said mithril.

Recently they have also come across a mysterious ore known as blackrock. This ore is even rarer than mithril and just about indestructible. It is not particularly malleable, even when heated (in fact it is highly resistant to heat), so creating anything with it is difficult. The people of Siltinville guard this material closely, refusing to give it up while they still work on discovering its properties and uses. Rumor has it that a group of adventurers managed to escape with a sizeable chunk of blackrock, though what became of it is unknown.

Role-Playing: The people of Siltinville are generally very practical, though they may be secretive at times. Their dealings with the drow have taught them when to be forthright and when to keep some things to oneself.

Special Abilities:

Warrior – The people of Siltinville are constantly trading with the drow for magical items of all types. All warriors begin play with a +1 item of their choice. It can be a weapon, armor, ring of protection or any other similar item.

Priest – Close study of their “neighbors” has allowed the priests of Siltinville to discover ways around magical resistances. For purposes of resisting any spell that priest casts, the creature they cast at has half their magical resistance. However, before they can gain this effect, they must first cast a spell at the target. This initial spell does not get the bonus and allows the priest to see any flaws in the target’s magic resistance so as better to exploit it.

Wizard – The only wizards in Siltinville are gnomish illusionists. Such spell casters have learned to make excellent use of the shadows and darkness to scare off would-be attackers. Especially skilled illusionists have been known to drive people mad with fear. When in a dark area, an illusionist may choose to make a frightening illusion. Those who sense the illusion must save vs. spell or be affected by an appropriate fear spell based on the level of the illusion. The appropriate fear effect is as follows:

Level of the spell Fear effect

1^st Spook

2nd-3rd Scare

4^th Fear

5^th+ Feeblemind

Range, area of effect and save modifiers are as per the illusion spell used, otherwise use the effects of the appropriate fear effect spell.

Rogue – Rogues of Siltinville know the importance of information, especially when dealing with drow. They all begin play with both the local history (Underworld) and information gathering nonweapon proficiencies at no cost.

Special Disabilities:

Warrior – It is never smart to trust a drow and many of the items they trade have some curse associated with them. Such a curse is never obvious because if they were then the people of Siltinville would simply stop trading with the drow. A warrior must select a curse that applies to whatever item he owns. He is free to create any kind of curse (subject to DM approval), but here are a few examples:

Amulet of protection +1, user’s infravision fails whenever there is an enemy nearby

Battleaxe +1, user takes on the alignment of any foe slain

Chain mail +1, user suffers double the effects of encumbrance

Priest – The reduction in magic resistance that the priest’s spells enjoy apply only to that priest’s spells. Any others casting spells at the target are affected by the magic resistance as normal.

Wizard – As frightening as their spells may be within the shadows, their spells are lacking something when seen in the light. Perhaps it’s just a lack of detail that just isn’t needed in the dark, or perhaps the gnome is distracted by light. Whatever the reason, the illusionist is unable to do one of the fear effects when in a brightly lit area. In addition, rolls made for purposes of disbelieving the illusions are made at a +2 bonus.

Rogue – Rogues do not possess any particular disabilities.

The Cities of the Veronian Mountains

The Veronian Mountains separate Dunador and Tramalaine and are a vast battleground between dwarves and giants. A few dragons have been known to call the mountains home, but by far the most common creatures to find are the giants and dwarves. While strongholds to both the giants and dwarves are built throughout the mountain range, very few stand out. Most are built underground with the entrances fairly unnoticeable to those who do not know where to look.

Many of the strongholds have exits into the Underworld as they mine deeper into the mountains and break through. For the most part, these exits are sealed and there are no problems. Occasionally, things do creep up and attack. Whole populations of strongholds have vanished after mining too deep or in the wrong area.

Anduvar

Population: 10,000 (Dwarf 98%, Other 2%)

Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Local Language: Dwarven, Western Common

Gods: Abbathor

Magic: None

Thief Guilds: None

Organization: Anarchy

Description: Anduvar is something of the black sheep of the dwarven cities. When dwarves of other cities speak of it, they do so with a touch of embarrassment, as though the cities’ very existence is a shame on their honor.

The city is almost unknown to non-dwarves and even they give it a wide berth. It was once a prison, centuries ago. The worst traitors and violent psychopaths of the dwarven race were held within its walls. What happened exactly, no one truly knows, but many stories have arisen about the incident. What is known is that the prisoners somehow escaped, slaughtered the guards, and took control of the stronghold. A few expeditions were sent out to quell the uprising, but all were defeated. It was eventually decided that since the prisoners were doing nothing to leave the stronghold (likely for fear of giant attack, and no better place to go to), they could be left to their own devices. The lives that would be lost trying to rein in some sort of control would not be worth it.

Centuries later, the criminals still run things, though the original criminals are long dead. The descendants of those criminals have lived there ever since. While they have never managed to form a formal government, and conditions are chaos, they have somehow managed to survive together. They do not actively try to kill each other, but they do not work together particularly much neither. This has prevented any formal thieves’ guilds from forming. They do have a strong bloodlust however, and when faced with a foe they are more than happy to kill. Their thirst for death has eventually even scared the giants, who find it simply easier to stay out of the way of its people.

Role-playing: Honesty is just not a familiar concept to the people of Anduvar. Not only do they lie, but they find it almost impossible to tell the truth about anything but the most obvious. They are quick to break promises, contracts or oaths and most other dwarves know this. A common saying among dwarves is that something is “worth less than an Anduvian promise.”

Special abilities: Everyone from Anduvar is a thief at best. Any dwarf from Anduvar begins play with the pick pockets skill at 15%. This increases by 5% every level to a max of 95%. Characters that normally begin play with the pick pockets skill gain 5% to this skill every level. This is in addition to any thief points they may receive when they level.

Special disabilities: All characters from Anduvar must have a chaotic alignment. They have spent so much of their lives living in chaos, they cannot think in any other way. Their dishonesty is also widely known by dwarves (and very rarely other races). When dealing with someone familiar with the people of Anduvar, the character can expect rude or curt treatment in the least. They may just simply choose not to interact with the Anduvian or they might keep a close eye in case he might steal something.

Stonefast

Population: 1,000 (Dwarf 50%, Chitine 49%, Other 1%)

Alignment: Neutral

Local Language: Dwarven, Western Common

Gods: Clangeddin Silverbeard

Magic: None

Organization: Monarchy/Theocracy

Description: This stronghold was once home to the Stonefast Clan until it was lost war. It lay in ruins for many centuries until a young white dragon moved in and took over. Not long after the dragon moved in, adventurers stumbled across the lair, led by Sir Hagar Stonefast. The dragon was defeated, and Hagar reclaimed his ancestral home, though he did not realize it at the time.

Not long after, he claimed the crown of Stonefast and rebuilt the stronghold to its former glory. With few dwarves to settle the keep at the time, he moved in some refugees to help keep things from falling apart. These refugees were a humanoid spider race from the Underworld known as chitines. They had long been slaves of the drow and escaped to the surface world. It was during their escape that they luckily managed to befriend Sir Hagar.

When word spread that the forgotten keep had been reclaimed, many of the Stonefast clan quickly moved in. There were some slight disagreements between the chitines and the dwarves, but in the end they came to a mutual peaceful agreement and both races live in relative peace.

The resulting mingling of cultures was a strange one. The two races are completely loyal to Hagar, who acts both as king and high priest. The chitines are adept at crafting tools, clothes, armor, and really anything else out of spidersilk, which they harden with oil they secrete. The dwarves do the same with various ores. Working together as they have, they have learned to combine their skills to make hybrid items of all kinds. The newest creation is a webbed armor that combines the flexibility and lightweight properties of webbing with the strength and resilience of steel. The result is armor which is every bit as effective as normal armor, but weighs considerably less. This is of course only one of the results of their cultural mingling. All manner of traps and weaponry are constantly in development.

Of note is a strange order of mystics that have taken hold in the keep. It was begun by a dwarf that Hagar met and offered a home for within Stonefast’s walls. The dwarf’s name is Xim and he has been a lieutenant of Hagar for a few years. His order stresses the importance of mental strength and it is said he has many strange abilities which he uses to protect Stonefast’s people. His order consists of both chitines and dwarves and is considered to be something of a strange cult by those not of it. Still, though its members are few, they have done much to keep Stonefast secure and though they would be feared elsewhere, they are highly respected for their powers within the walls of Stonefast.

Special Abilities: Everyone who lives in Stonefast worships the dwarven god Clangeddin Silverbeard. All are generally expected to know and follow the beliefs of that god. They are all allowed to choose nonweapon proficiencies from the priest group. Such proficiencies cost the normal number of slots listed, they need not spend extra proficiencies even if they do not normally gain access to that group.

The standard armor of the people of Stonefast is the webbed hybrid armor they make. Any character from Stonefast may begin play with a suit of this armor. They must spend their starting gold on it, but to them it costs the same as any normal set of armor. Treat this armor as the armor (such suits can be anything from simple leather all the way up to full plate) purchased though it weighs 30% less.

Special Disabilities: The webbed armor of Stonefast is something of a clan secret. They will not sell it to an outsider, nor will they teach its construction (though the need of chitines in its construction makes the chances of others to produce them rather slim). Still, it is prized for its quality as well as its novelty, and many might choose to try to steal it. When out adventuring, most dwarves will conceal their armors under clothing, though this may not be an option with plate armors. If their armor is lost, they must do everything possible to recover it or see that it is destroyed.

Stoutaxe

Population: 1,540,000 (Dwarf 99%, Other 1%)

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Local Language: Dwarven, Western Common, Undercommon

Gods: Dwarf

Magic: None

Thief Guilds: The Anvil

Organization: Monarchy

Description: The only dwarven stronghold to be built (at least partially) above ground is Stoutaxe. It is home to the Stoutaxe clan among others and is considered to be the capital of the dwarven world. The population of Stoutaxe is almost entirely dwarven, though a few diplomats and traders of other races might be found. It is the only dwarven city that has a trade road, though it is dangerous and very few people travel along it. Those who do must be heavily armed and ready to fight off giants as they constantly patrol the mountains in search for dwarves and other attractive targets to slaughter.

The city is ruled by King Theodred Stoutaxe. His family has ruled over the city, as well as all other dwarven lands for many generations (and dwarven generations are long). Always at his side is the Axe of the Dwarven Kings. It is said that as long as a dwarven king holds the axe, the dwarven people will prosper. It is of course one of the most coveted items of their enemies: the giants. Luckily for them, the stronghold is built far too small to accommodate giants so for the axe to fall into giant hands, it would either have to be stolen by another race or the giants would have to take apart the entire city stone by stone.

The economy is largely based on ore mining. Ore is used to make weapons which are exported or the ore itself is exported as well, though such exports are not necessary for life as it might be in many trading cities. With the trade roads as dangerous as they are, the dwarves have learned to be mostly self sufficient, with trade as a garnish to the resources they already have. Fungi farmers are common in Stoutaxe as well. Goat and fungi are staples of Stoutaxe cuisine.

For many years, the high priests of Stoutaxe were entrusted with safekeeping an artifact known as the Worldstone. Its purpose and powers are vague at best, but it was fervently protected for centuries. A few years ago it vanished under mysterious circumstances. Those who were present at the time speak of a beautiful elf, though they are unsure why they would think an elf to be beautiful (as most dwarves would likely chop off their beards first) or what the elf had to do with anything.

Role-Playing: Dwarves from Stoutaxe tend to be fairly egocentric. Having to rely on themselves for everything, as well as their fairly isolated hometown has given them a world view that puts them at the center and everything else as frivolous. This view makes very few take up the adventuring life. Those who do take it up typically do so to test their bravery in battle or some odd personal quest (at least by human standards). A few priests have been sent out in recent years to recover the Worldstone however.

Special Abilities:

Warriors – Mining is such a large part of life that many speak of it as other people might talk about the weather. All warriors begin play with the mining nonweapon proficiency. In addition, they begin play with a high quality pickaxe. Treat it as a footman’s pick +1, though it is not magical for purposes of hitting creatures that require a magical weapon to hit.

Priests – The priests of Stoutaxe are often called upon to bless new mining tunnels to ensure there are no collapses or accidents. A priest may cast a specialized form of bless upon a tunnel or other structure which must be within 100 cubic feet per level. The blessing takes an hour to cast and lasts for a day per level and allows structures or tunnels to withstand any attempts to collapse them. Examples include sapping, earthquakes, or the effects of a horn of blasting. Nonmagical attempts to collapse the tunnel or structure automatically fail while magical ones require the structure to make a saving throw vs. crushing blow at a +1 bonus.

Rogues – Stoutaxe thieves typically would never steal from another dwarf. Most of them are locksmiths, trap makers, or occasionally scouts. They may choose to begin play with any of the following: the locksmithing nonweapon proficiency, the set snares nonweapon proficiency or a +15% bonus to both their hide in shadows and move silently skills.

Special Disabilities:

Warriors/Priests/Rogues – The people of Stoutaxe can be somewhat difficult to deal with for various reasons. They tend to have a hard time wrapping their minds around the idea that they might be wrong about something, which makes negotiations almost impossible. Whenever confronted with a situation that goes against what they want to do, they must make Wisdom check. If the check succeeds, they will begrudgingly go along with whatever the situation may be. If it fails, they will stubbornly refuse to do anything other than what they wanted to do, to the point of doing it alone if they have to.

The Mysterious and Isolated Land of Victoria

Population: 39,120,000 (Victorian 100%)

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Local Language: Victorian Common

Gods: God

Magic: None

Thief Guilds: None

Organization: Republic

Description: On a northern edge of Gilon, perched on the very edge of the world lies a land that has been isolated from the rest of the world for as long as the world has existed. Victoria is a small continent, completely surrounded on all sides. Visible to the north coast is the edge of the world. Surrounding every other coast are sharp reefs and jagged rocks which would easily tear any ship to shreds. For obvious reasons, very few people take to the sea, and those who do are sure to keep their ships close to shore. These natural barriers have always kept Victoria isolated from the rest of the world. No one in all of Gilon had ever met a Victorian. This all changed in the year 1206 when the first long distance airships were created. Airships had been invented about 200 years prior in the year 1007, but these were short distance affairs, unable to travel more than a few hundred miles at a time before the need for refueling. It was at this time that Professor Kilgore Muttonchop created an airship capable of traveling almost ten thousand miles on a single load of fuel.

Soon afterwards several ships were constructed and sent out into the world with the purpose of exploration. They landed upon the Dark Continent first, then the Spirit Continent. There they met some of the people of Jabulani, Ghan, Oceloxichitl and Ahanu. All of which were fairly hostile to their arrival and primitive by Victorian standards. When these first explorers returned to Victoria after a few months and reported their findings in Pennance, more ships were constructed with a new goal in mind: to conquer the uncivilized lands and put them all under Victorian control.

The vastly superior technology would have destroyed most of the civilizations of Gilon but the Victorians were at one disadvantage. They had no concept of magic whatsoever. It is only through magic that the first invading forces were driven back rather quickly. They have since taken to scouting more thoroughly, probing for weaknesses, then attacking weaker towns where they can slowly build a power base to later take over the larger areas.

By all accounts, Victorians look just like the humans of the rest of Gilon, though they tend to be a bit frailer and more dexterous on average. They are not human however; they are instead a completely separate race. For one, some difference in their biology makes them somewhat resistant to magic. This resistance has prevented them from ever learning the ways of magic that the rest of the world has made fervent use of. This lack of magic in their homeland brings about in them a cultural disbelief in the magic of other people. Any Victorian, when confronted with magic, will come up with a laundry list of natural phenomena to explain away such things. It is this lack of magical aid that has driven the Victorian race to excel in technology where other races would simply solve similar issues with magic. Experiences of some of the early explorers have also proven that Victorians are completely unable to procreate with humans. This evidence has instilled in Victorians that they are a superior race that must break the rest of the world of their bad habits; much like one would train a dog.

The country itself is not very large, especially for the population it contains. The great cities of Victoria have slowly built upwards as lack of room to accommodate its population became critical. When the first ships were built to explore the rest of the world, people from all over the country happily joined the expeditions in hopes of finding a new land where they could live. New ships are built every day and the waiting list to get aboard one of them is daunting.

Religion is a strong part of Victorian life, but not in the same way it is for much of the rest of the world. Victorians worship a single god and the idea of multiple ones that the rest of the world goes by is something of an oddity to them. Their god has no name and is referred to simply as God. While there is a holy book that dictates his creation of the world and everything in it, most Victorians do not really believe it to be a literal text. It is more seen as a figurative one used to teach the morals that are deeply important to Victorians. Unlike priests of the rest of Gilon, priests of God receive no particular powers, other than perhaps political and social ones. They oversee the spiritual needs of the people and usually learn a second trade to be more useful in the community.

The capital of Victoria is Pennance. In the year 339, the first penitentiary was built here to house criminals. This structure consisted of many rooms each of which were completely bare with the exception of a bed and a skylight that was called the eye of God. As the sun passed overhead, the light would beam through the skylight and create an illusion that would look very much like some celestial search light watching over the prisoner. The prisoner was given a copy of the holy text and was forced to sit in isolation, seeking penance from God. The penitentiary has changed a lot since those early days. Criminals are now forced to do a variety of tasks that need doing, but are generally undesirable. To better complete these tasks, the more serious criminals are implanted with machinery, replacing existing body parts through fairly extensive and painful surgery. Legs might be replaced with wheels so the criminal might be able to pull along plows or other heavy equipment for example. These augmentations also serve the dual purpose of marking those criminals for life so everyone knows who they are.

Once these criminals complete their sentence, it is very difficult for them to reintegrate into society. Some die of starvation while others join a variety of illegal underground competitions where their augmentations can serve them well. Some Victorians voluntarily seek out specific augmentations to participate in these illegal competitions.

Cities in Victoria consist of tall buildings, stretching thirty or forty stories up. Families own small units within these buildings and usually work in factories. Factories are extremely common in Victoria. Huge smokestacks sit atop these buildings pouring forth dark black smoke into the sky. This smoke creates a dark haze over most Victorian towns. The people have long grown accustomed to this and their bodies seem to filter it out with minimal ill effects. The abundance of factories is due in part to the abundance of thermal energy available to Victorians. Four major active volcanoes are situated about Victoria. Heat and steam vents are very common throughout the continent. These are used to power factories as well as steam engines, fueled by liftwood.

Liftwood is a refined form of wood that is created only from the wood of the kole tree. This tree is unique to Victoria and contains extremely concentrated amounts of energy which burn both intensely and for a long time. Once it is refined into liftwood, it becomes the perfect energy source for steam engines and is also used to power their airships and trains.

The cities of Victoria are linked through an extensive network of roads and railways. Initially these roads were used exclusively for horse and carriage. This use declined with the invention of the train in the year 894. Trains carry cargo and passengers to every city in Victoria quickly and cheaply. Airships are also a common mode of travel as it is far faster than any other means. Its expense, however, has kept it from overtaking the train in popularity.

Role-Playing: Victorians are notoriously snobbish, especially with non-Victorians. They view all others as inferior and openly treat them as such. The only time they will deal with non-Victorians as though they are equals is if the Victorian is in a position in which he has no choice. Victorians refuse to rely on magic in any form and view it as barbaric and outdated.

Special Abilities: All Victorians have a 30% magic resistance. This increases by 2% every level, this is due to a specific chemistry in their system that strengthens its resolve against magic as the Victorian grows more powerful. In addition, all Victorians are more dexterous than most. This is partially due to their physiology and partially due to the variety of complex tasks they perform every day that require fine motor skills. Therefore all Victorians gain a +1 racial adjustment to their Dexterity scores.

Special Disabilities: Victorians are somewhat less healthy than most, partially due to their reliance on technology and partially due to their constant exposure to smoke and smog. As a result, they have a -1 racial adjustment to their Constitution scores. Victorians are also completely unable to use magic items of any type. This is partially due to their innate natural resistance to such things as well as just a cultural distaste for relying on such things. They will never willingly allow someone to cast a spell upon them so they cannot forgo their magic resistance or saving throws against a spell.

Special Rules and Notes: The most of the standard AD&D classes just do not flesh well with Victorian adventurers (especially in regards to magic). Of the standard AD&D classes, only thief and perhaps warrior can apply to Victorians (though in the case of thieves, it’s probably likely they have been augmented, so check that section below). They have specific classes that only they have access to as well as the possibility of augmentations and other things. These additional rules and classes are described below:

Chiurgeon

Ability Requirements: Dexterity 13, Intelligence 13

Prime Requisites: Dexterity, Intelligence

The chiurgeon is a mercenary physician, a scientist in pursuit of fortune and research opportunities. His medical skill is as profound as his reputation is questionable. His controversial methods differ wildly from the simple first aid and herbalism practiced by folk healers and traditional physicians. The chiurgeon is no angel of mercy, however. He is devoted to biological knowledge, not service. The chiurgeon’s presence in an adventuring party is often a convenience, and his need for experimentation sometimes necessitates grave-robbing and other sinister practices.

Ability Requirements: A chiurgeon must have nimble, steady fingers for the delicate procedures she undertakes on the living and the dead. Because of her occasional clandestine activities, she must also be as stealthy as any burglar or cutpurse.

Accordingly, a chiurgeon is required to have a Dexterity of at least 13. Rigorous academic study is required for a chiurgeon to absorb and synthesize the vast corpus of medical knowledge. Therefore, she must also have an Intelligence of 13. If a chiurgeon’s Dexterity and Intelligence scores are both 16 or better, she receives a 10% bonus to her experience points. Chiurgeons advance in level as rogues.

Alignment: Many of Victoria’s traditional physicians are tradesman with an established shop, where they practice first aid, dentistry, barbering and herbalism. The chiurgeon is a shadier character, without any immediate desire to serve the masses. Rather, he is obsessed with furthering his understanding of life, and could justifiably be called self interested.

Player character chiurgeons must be lawful neutral, true neutral, chaotic good or chaotic neutral. Chiurgeons of evil alignment do exist, and often become mad scientists.

Arms and Armor: Most chiurgeons come from the upper classes, and have at least a gentlemanly training in the arts of war. Additionally, a chiurgeon often must tangle with dangerous individuals and unnatural creatures in their unsavory pursuits. Still, a chiurgeon views herself as a scientist first and foremost, and combat as a necessary hazard of last resorts. Accordingly, the weapon and armor selections of a chiurgeon resemble those of a thief.

A chiurgeon may wear any nonmetal armor. She may not employ a shield, and her thieving abilities (see below) are hindered by any armor other than leather. Weapons to which a chiurgeon has access include the hand axe, club, crossbow, short bow, dagger, dart, knife, sling, staff, broad sword, long sword, rapier, short sword and belt pistol.

Thieving Skills: Though most chiurgeons would balk at the suggestion that they are criminals, their profession often requires them to employ the skills of the underworld. The table below indicates the base percentage chance of success in these skills for a 1^st level chiurgeon.

Chiurgeon Thieving Skill Base Scores

Pick Pockets 15%

Move Silently 5%

Hide in Shadows 5%

Read Languages 10%

The thieving skills of the chiurgeon are subject to modifiers based on Dexterity and armor, just like thieves. After all adjustments have been made, a starting chiurgeon’s player may allocate twenty points to his character’s skills in any manner he sees fit. Each time a chiurgeon increases in experience level, he also gains fifteen points to further improve his skills. No skill may ever be raised beyond 95%.

Pick Pockets: Normally this ability reflects the cutpurse’s talent for filching an unwary victim’s purse. The chiurgeon, on the other hand, derives his skill with such deft manipulations from his experience with operation, vivisection and other delicate procedures where precision and efficiency are essential.

Move Silently and Hide in Shadows: The chiurgeon who finds himself slinking through a graveyard or morgue at midnight, dodging local constabulary, irate villagers and shambling undead learns to appreciate these skills.

Read Languages: A chiurgeon’s studies in medicine often bring him into contact with the research and theory of numerous cultures. Thus, a chiurgeon is often skilled at puzzling out the rough meaning of writing with which he is unfamiliar.

Backstab: In addition to the above skills, chiurgeons possess a talent for the quick, silent kill. This is based primarily on their knowledge of anatomy and their perchance for stealth, but many evil chiurgeons become practiced at backstabbing for the purpose of gathering fresh cadavers . . . Regardless, a chiurgeon may backstab in a manner identical to a thief of the same level, and uses the standard damage modifiers.

Expert Diagnosis: If the chiurgeon’s medical skills have an immediate application, it is surely the analysis of human illness, injury and death. By making a simple Intelligence check, modified by circumstances as the Dungeon Master deems appropriate, the chiurgeon can make just about any medical diagnosis. Most diseases, poisons, injuries, conditions, parasites and causes of death can all be determined through a chiurgeon’s diagnosis. Magical diseases and afflictions can even be determined, if a chiurgeon has prior experience or accurate knowledge of the symptoms. Such an analysis assumes that the chiurgeon can perform a careful, deliberate study to arrive at a logical conclusion, and if the chiurgeon is pressed for time, the Dungeon Master should feel free to impose penalties. Conversely, if the chiurgeon has access to superior medical equipment and supplies, the Dungeon Master could award a bonus to the roll. Though such diagnoses are useful in determining a course of action, it does not immediately provide detailed information on a cure.

The Healing Arts: The chiurgeon practices bizarre techniques for healing injury that confound orthodox physicians and folk healers alike. Chiurgeon healing techniques include not only basic first aid, but also application of needles, synthetic chemicals, metal clamps, vibrations, and even electrical current. Regardless of the nature of the chiurgeon’s abilities, the results are impressive, as wounds heal with almost supernatural speed under their ministrations.

A chiurgeon’s healing ability functions much like a superior version of the healing proficiency. A successful Intelligence check is required for the chiurgeon to successfully utilize his healing arts. The chiurgeon must also have access to his medical kit (see Tools of the Art, below). If a chiurgeon can tend to another character’s injuries within one round of wounding, he can heal 1d4+2 points of damage. Older wounds can also be tended, but in this case the chiurgeon only heals 1d3+1 points of damage. In both cases, the chiurgeon also heals an additional amount of damage based on his level (see

table below). A single individual can only be tended by a chiurgeon once per day, but a chiurgeon’s ability to tend to others is unlimited (or, more realistically, limited only by materials and time).

Chiurgeon Healing Bonus

Chiurgeon’s

Level

1-4

5-8

9-12

13-16

17+

Ex. HP Healed

Bleeding: Chiurgeons have a peculiar method for dealing with diseases and poisons, from which their appellation is derived. They employ living leeches—or, more rarely, a simple scalpel—to drain a small amount of blood from critical points on the body. The process is slow, however, and is not easily carried out under duress. The patient must remain lying down and motionless while bleeding is carried out. In order to begin, the chiurgeon must make a successful Intelligence check and then inflict 1 point of damage on the patient. Every three rounds, the patient takes one additional point of damage. At the end of each round, the patient can make a 1d100 curative check, with a chance of success equal to 1% multiplied by twice the number of rounds spent bleeding. For example, if the patient is bled for 14 rounds, the chance of success is 28%. Success means that the disease or poison has been completely purged from the patient’s system. The chiurgeon can stop the bleeding at any time. A character who loses more than 50% of her hit points (rounded down) to bleeding must save vs. death magic or faint for

1d12 turns. A character who loses more than 80% of her hit points must save vs. death magic or slip into an anemic coma for 1d4 days. Bleeding cannot cure magical diseases such as lycanthropy or mummy rot, but can cure the effects of a cause disease spell. A chiurgeon cannot cure damage done through bleeding with his healing ability.

Surgery and Transplants: In addition to healing injury and curing disease, a chiurgeon is capable of undertaking invasive surgery to heal conditions, or even to replace lost organs. A chiurgeon must have at least her medical kit and a lightning flask (see Tools of the Art, below) to perform such complex procedures. Access to a fully equipped laboratory provides a +2 bonus to the chiurgeon’s Intelligence rolls (see below).

Blindness and Deafness: It is possible for a chiurgeon to actually cure physical blindness or deafness through surgery. First, the chiurgeon must make a successful Intelligence check. The roll’s result indicates the number of hours that the surgery requires. Each hour of surgery requires that the chiurgeon make a successful Dexterity check. A failure indicates that the chiurgeon has botched the operation; he may not attempt to operate on that particular patient again until he increases in level. A 20 on a Dexterity roll indicates that the chiurgeon has forever ruined any chance of the patient being cured. If the chiurgeon manages to successfully negotiate all his Dexterity checks, the patient’s vision or hearing is fully restored! The patient receives anesthesia for the procedure, but must make a Constitution check or lose 1d6x10% of her hit points. These hit points can only be healed through time or magic. Surgery cannot cure magical blindness or deafness.

Transplants: This procedure in much more difficult and carries greater risk. Fingers, toes, feet, hands, eyes, legs or arms may all be reattached to an unfortunate individual who has had such an organ removed or destroyed. It could also be used to implant augmentations as described in the section entitled The Augmented. The transplanted organ can even come from another individual, as long as that individual is the same gender and species. Regardless, the organ must have been removed from a living being less than twenty-four hours, and it must be packed in cold, moist cloth (or ice if possible). The patient, however, need not have lost the organ recently, if one from another individual is being used in the transplant. The system is similar to that described above. The chiurgeon must make an Intelligence check, with appropriate modifiers as described in the table below. The difference indicates the number of hours the surgery will require, and the chiurgeon must make a successful Dexterity check every hour. The patient must make a Constitution check or lose 1d6x10% of her hit points, modified as shown in Transplant Damage Modifiers (yes, she might die)! Finally, the patient must make a save vs. death magic and fail. A successful save indicates that the patient’s body has rejected the organ. If this occurs, the attached organ is useless. If the save vs. death is failed, however, the new organ functions just as the patient’s originally did! This procedure must be undertaken independently for each organ being replaced. Thus, a patient who has lost both his eyes would have to undergo two separate surgeries.

Transplant Intelligence Check Modifiers

Every three hours since organ was removed (round up) -1

Organ packed in cold, moist cloth +2

Organ packed in ice +4

Organ from another individual -4

Transplant Damage Modifiers

Organ Transplanted Mod. to 1d6x10% roll

Finger or Toe None

Hand or Foot +1

Eye +2

Leg or Arm +4

Trepanning: Most chiurgeons believe that insanity is not itself a condition, but a symptom of internal cranial pressure resulting from mental trauma. The direct and rather horrifying solution to such a malediction is a process known as trepanning. For those who are willing to take the risks, trepanning can be a rapid cure for even the most debilitating madness. The possible consequences, however, are severe, as the patient can become an imbecile, or even descend further into dementia.

In trepanning, the chiurgeon physically drills into the skull of the afflicted individual. The intent is to relieve the swelling or drain the fluid that is believed to be causing the madness. The drilling process inflicts 1d2 points of damage each round. It has a cumulative percentage chance of immediately curing the madness equal to 5% multiplied by the number of rounds spent drilling. Unfortunately, there is an equal chance that the patient loses 1d6 points of Intelligence. Both percentage rolls are performed at the end of each round of drilling. The curative roll is modified by +1% per level of the chiurgeon and three points of the victim’s Constitution (rounded down). The brain damage roll is likewise modified by -1%. The possibility of brain damage can never decrease below 1%.

The Necessity of Research: A chiurgeon does not cease her explorations of the human body when she ventures out into the world. On the contrary, chiurgeons lead the life they do in order to discover unique research opportunities. In order to advance in level, a chiurgeon must vivisect a number of fresh adult humans cadavers equal to her current level. Thus, a 3rd-level chiurgeon must perform three vivisections before she can advance to 4th level. These autopsies may be conducted at any time, but the chiurgeon will not advance in level until she has performed them, no matter how many experience points she has obtained. This is more of a logistical and role-playing challenge than an actual hindrance to level advancement, but a chiurgeon character may quickly discover that procuring fresh cadavers is quite difficult. The beliefs and practices of the local domain, as well as the willingness of the chiurgeon’s companions, determine just how difficult. Powers checks may even be appropriate if the chiurgeon is particularly amoral about obtaining her “research materials”.

Tools of the Art: The physician’s path requires not only an extensive education, but also a significant amount of wealth for basic supplies. Thus, most chiurgeons are from the upper or noble classes. Poorer folk simply cannot afford to follow such a calling. Chiurgeons, despite their somewhat outcast status from the orthodox medical world, have at least some initial financing for their education and tools. To reflect this, regardless of their starting wealth, a chiurgeon character always receives a leechcraft kit at character creation. The character need not spend any money to purchase this kit. Nonetheless, many of the kit’s components will need to be replenished. A good rule of thumb is that a leechcraft kit requires 50 gp worth of additional supplies once per month. The items below are rare in the extreme, and will not normally be available even in healer’s shops or apothecaries. Other chiurgeons must be sought out to purchase such goods, or the chiurgeon must have the skills and facilities necessary to construct them himself. Such items will likely be impossible to find outside of Victoria.

Leechcraft Kit

Cost: 1,000 gp

The leechcraft kit consists of a large black leather case, equipped with sturdy handles and a metal clasp. It contains normal medical supplies, such as scalpels, knives, saws, bandages, lenses, ether, needles and thread, and mundane salves and ointments. It also has stranger tools with purposes running from the obvious to the unimaginable: jars of live leeches, long golden needles, wooden funnels and cups, tuning forks, drills and augers, vials of distilled chemicals, clamps, tubes and hoses, alcohol lamps, and all manner of strange things.

Lightning Flask

Cost: 75 gp

This curious device is often used by chiurgeons to heal injuries more rapidly, and is essential in surgery or transplants. The flask resembles a thick glass bottle attached transversely to a metal rod, terminating in a heavy metal sphere two inches in diameter. An extendible probe is encased in the sphere, and the sphere is normally kept covered with a rubber sheath. The flask contains glands extracted from electric eels, coils of metals wire and a precisely calibrated electrolyte solution. The flask requires daily maintenance to function correctly, and a weekly change of solution. Additionally, the flask becomes useless in three months, and the tissue and mechanics must all be replaced at a cost of 40 gp.

The flask functions by creating a mild electrical current in the metal sphere. If the sphere (or the probe for particularly delicate procedures) is applied to a wound in a precise manner, it speeds up regeneration of the tissues. A chiurgeon working with a lightning flask has a +2 bonus to his Intelligence check when healing, and restores an extra point of damage with each application. The flask is useless in the hands of anyone but a chiurgeon, however.

Plaguemask

Cost: 10 gp.

A plaguemask is often utilized by chiurgeons working in areas with a high risk of disease, such as villages struck by plagues. They are also useful in places like crypts and sewers, where interlopers might contract diseases from the surroundings. The mask consists of a close-fitting leather hood with a long, hollow “nose” protruding from the front. This chamber is filled with aromatic and medicinal herbs that must be replaced daily (1 sp), and is perforated with tiny holes at the end for ventilation. The wearer sees through large eyeholes covered in thick glass. Though many mock chiurgeons for employing such a ridiculous piece of attire, the reality is that a chiurgeon rarely becomes ill while wearing it (85% “resistance” to airborne infectious diseases before any applicable saving throw). An individual wearing a plaguemask has a -4 penalty to her surprise rolls, however, as her hearing and peripheral vision are severely impaired.

Engineer

Ability Requirements: Intelligence 9

Prime Requisites: Intelligence

The engineer is an inventor of sorts. He can create and repair machinery the likes of which are unknown to the lands beyond Victoria. Some of his inventions may seem like magic to non-Victorians, but he is of a head firmly rooted in science.

Ability Requirements: An engineer must be of clever mind to calculate complicated measurements and to come up with new inventions. Most engineers go through rigorous academic study, though a few are self taught geniuses. Accordingly, an engineer is required to have an Intelligence of at least 9. If an engineer’s Intelligence score is 16 or better, he receives a 10% bonus to his experience points. Engineers advance in level as wizards.

Alignment: Many of Victoria’s traditional engineers are tradesman with an established shop, where they apply their trade to repair various items that break on occasion. Some specialize in normal appliances of every day life while some might be a bit shadier, creating illegal weaponry and body modifications for chiurgeons to later implant. As such an engineer may be of any alignment, though player characters must be non-evil.

Arms and Armor: Engineers prefer to avoid combat entirely, relying more on their inventions to solve problems than having to resort to actual fighting. Still, inventions fail and people occasionally do threaten him so he learns to become at least somewhat competent in fighting. Accordingly, the weapon selections of an engineer resemble those of a wizard.

An engineer may wear any armor, however, the availability of metal armors in Victoria is very low. Since heavier armors provide little protection against firearms, they never bother to make or wear such heavy attire. Still the engineer does know how to make improvements to armor and weapons and can usually be found wearing some strange protective device or another. He may not make use of a shield however. Weapons to which an engineer has access include daggers, staffs, darts, knives, slings and hand pistols. Of course, they are more often using one of their inventions as a weapon instead.

Repair: An engineer can repair just about anything, sometimes making it better than new. If an engineer has supplies available, he can attempt to fix or patch any non-magical damaged item. First the engineer must decide if he is going to do a proper repair or a quick fix. A proper repair will restore the item to its full integrity but it takes time. A quick fix is something that is done when there is little time to actually make full repairs but is good enough to get something working temporarily in a critical situation.

To do this, the engineer must succeed in an Intelligence check. This assumes the engineer has a proper toolkit and supplies. If this is not the case, a -2 penalty is applied for lack of a toolkit and another -2 penalty is applied for improper supplies (the engineer has to at least have SOMETHING to work with however, and depending on the repair, the DM may rule that the engineer simply does not have enough to work with to attempt a repair). Attempting a quick fix also applies a -4 penalty to the roll. Working in a fully stocked and well maintained facility improves the chances of repair by +2. If the roll for the Intelligence check is a 1, the engineer has somehow improved the item and it receives a +1 on any applicable saving throws.

The amount of time required for a proper repair is dependant on the complexity of the item as described in the chart below. Add +2 to the time rolls if the engineer does not have a proper toolkit on hand. On the other hand, if the engineer is working in a fully stocks and well maintained facility, he can reduce repair times by 20%. The cost to repair the item is typically about 2d10% of its base value, though the DM may adjust this for particularly minor or major damage.

Repair Times

Item complexity Time required

Simple (doors, walls, or simple weapons) 1d4 turns

Moderate (wagons, water pumps, simple pulleys) 2d4 turns

High (firearms, simple clockwork, simple steam engines) 1d8 hours

Extreme (Airships, mechanoids and steam engines) 1d8 days

These times are all assuming the engineer wishes to make a proper repair. If he simply wishes to make a quick fix to get the item working long enough to get to a place where he can properly repair it, he spends 1d10 rounds repairing the item. This is sort of a spit and duct tape method of patching something up, so the repair costs nothing. A penalty of -1 is applied to the check if it is of moderate complexity, -2 if it is of high complexity, and a -4 if it is of extreme complexity. This repair degrades rather quickly however and is no substitute for a proper repair. If the item is abused (such as what might happen through attacks or constant use), it must make a save vs. crushing blow for every attack or interval the DM chooses. If it fails, the item breaks again. If the save is a 1, however, the item is severely damaged and all times and costs for a proper repair are doubled.

Invention: At the core of the engineer is the desire to create things. He might discover how to make existing items, improve on them, or create entirely new inventions. As he increases in experience, so does his creativity and the complexity of designs. Below is a list of possible inventions and costs. The engineer is not limited to just these however. A creative player can offer suggestions to the DM who can come up with costs and level requirements based on these examples.

Airship (short range)

Required Level: 6 Cost: 15,000 gp Build time: 2d10 weeks

These airships are relatively small but agile. With a full load of liftwood, a short range airship can travel about 200+1d100 miles without having to stop and refuel. The airship can be completely run by a single person, but it has room for up to four. If the engineer wishes, he may put cargo or extra loads of liftwood in place of one of the additional three seats. Each seat can carry about 200 pounds of cargo or a full load of liftwood.

The top speed of an airship is 50 miles per hour and it has a maneuverability class of C. If the ship flies at half speed, however, it can move with a maneuverability class of B.

Some engineers have been known to outfit their airships with weapons. A light cannon or light ballistae can be attached to the airship, but this requires another passenger to operate and reduces the airship’s carrying capacity by one seat per weapon added. The ship itself has an AC of 5 and 50 hit points. Due to the size and structural integrity of the airship, it is fairly resistant to small attacks. Most weapon attacks deal a single point of damage. Siege weapons such as catapults, ballistae, and cannons deal normal structural damage, though if it is moving at top speed attack rolls are penalized by -4. Spells that deal area effect damage deal normal damage while single target spells also do one point of damage. spells that affect wood deal 1d6 points of damage per spell level and fire spells deal an additional point of damage per damage die.

Airship (long range)

Required Level: 11 Cost: 150,000 gp Build time: 6d10 weeks

These airships are much bigger than their short range versions and can also move much further, though they are not nearly as maneuverable as the smaller, short range versions. With a full load of liftwood, a long range airship can travel about 9000+10d100 miles without having to stop and refuel. The airship needs to be crewed by six people, but only one really needs to know how it runs. The remaining five crewmen need no particular training beyond the ability to follow orders. The airship is fairly large and has rooms and accommodations for up to 50 people (though most of them are sharing rooms). This is assuming a ship has a full load of fuel and enough food to last those 50 people about two weeks. Extra cargo can be loaded into the ship, taking up living quarters. Room for one person can be taken up by 300 pounds of cargo, 3 days of food and water, or enough liftwood for the ship to travel about 200 miles.

The top speed of a long range airship is 55 miles per hour and it has a maneuverability class of E. If the ship flies at half speed, however, it can move with a maneuverability class of C.

Long range airships are generally expected to be flown into hostile territory and so most of them are equipped with weaponry. Each long range airship can be equipped with up to six weapons, though the specific weapons vary from ship to ship (and the costs for such weapons are not included in the airship’s construction cost). Typically the weapons employed are either cannons or ballistae of any size. Some ships with particularly adept engineers employ autoballistae (see the entry for details).

The ship itself has an AC of 0 and 200 hit points. Due to the size and structural integrity of the airship, it is fairly resistant to small attacks. Most weapon attacks deal a single point of damage. Siege weapons such as catapults, ballistae, and cannons deal normal structural damage, though if it is moving at top speed attack rolls are penalized by -4. Spells that deal area effect damage deal normal damage while single target spells also do one point of damage. Spells that affect wood deal 1d6 points of damage per spell level and fire spells deal an additional point of damage per damage die.

Autoballistae

Required Level: 13 Cost: 5,000 gp Build time: 1d4 weeks

This ballista consists of a heavy mounted frame and a high-powered crank. The crank on this ballista is powerful enough to ready the ballista for firing far quicker than those of standard ballistae. If two people are working on it, it can be cranked, loaded and fired in a single round. A single person can operate it in a pinch, but this requires two rounds to reload and fire it. In all other respects, treat this ballista as a light ballista.

Disintegrator

Required Level: 15 Cost: 5,000 gp Build time: 1d4 weeks

The disintegrator is a vast design improvement on the shock stick. This device uses lodestone and highly refined copper coils to generate an electrical charge through a special alloyed head and electrolyte solution. The charge is channeled in such a way to cause matter to repel itself, reducing it to dust. An object struck by the disintegrator has a 1 foot diameter hole put into it. Living tissue is somewhat resistant to the process, but not by much. A creature struck by this device (requiring a normal to hit roll, though armor is ignored) receives 15d6 points of damage, though they may save vs. rods for half damage. For purposes of weapon defense, the disintegrator counts as a +5 weapon, though it is in no way magical, nor does it gain any sort of bonus to hit or damage.

This device is very delicate in nature and must be constantly maintained. Every day, 25 gp worth of maintenance must be performed or the device ceases to function until it can be repaired (it counts as an extremely complex device). In addition, it requires a cool down period after use so it can only be used once per turn (though if the user fails to strike a target, this does not count as a use). If the item is used more than three times a day, however, it must save vs. disintegration as metal or it becomes damaged and useless until repaired. The check is made at a -1 penalty for every use beyond the fourth. It is impossible to apply a quick fix to a disintegrator.

Flame Thrower

Required Level: 3 Cost: 1,000 gp Build time: 1d8 days

A backpack-like combustion chamber filled with compressed liftwood is attached to a flexible steel hose with a trigger style control nozzle. When the trigger is pulled, pressurized burning gas bursts forth. The typical method of use is to spray it back and forth, creating a 10 ft wide by 15 ft long cone of flame. A to hit roll is not required as everyone is scorched for 3d6 points of damage, though the victims may save for half. Those who fail their save are lit aflame (taking 1d6 points of damage a round) for 1d6-1 rounds or until they spend a round putting it out (though it may last longer if there is fuel to sustain it).

Direct strikes to the flamethrower tanks can cause them to explode. They are AC 5 with 10 hit points. If they are destroyed, all within a 15' radius take 4d6 points of damage (including any flame throwers in the area, which could cause a devastating chain reaction, so for obvious reasons people with flame throwers tend to not stay in tight formations). Anyone who happens to be wearing an exploding flamethrower gets no save, while everyone else gets a save vs. spell to take half damage. Damage from a flame thrower be it due to the explosion or due to an actual attack count as normal fire.

A full tank of liftwood contains enough fuel for 10 bursts. The fuel is somewhat bulky and so only enough fuel for one tank worth can be carried by a person though extra loads of fuel could be carried by other means. It requires 1d10 rounds to refuel the fuel tank.

Grenade

Required Level: 5 Cost: 100 gp Build time: 1d2 days

A grenade consists of a metal or ceramic cylinder filled with liftwood or saltpeter as well as metal shrapnel. A wheel of flint is rotated rapidly which lights a small fuse in the grenade. When the fuse reaches the fuel inside, the grenade explodes, sending fire and shrapnel everywhere. A person can light and throw a grenade in a round, though this counts as all of his attacks for the round. The grenade can be thrown up to 40 feet, and is treated as a grenade-like missile, possibly bouncing around. At the end of the round, the grenade explodes, dealing 6d6 points of damage to everyone in a 20 foot radius. Victims in the area may save for half damage. About half of the damage is due to fire and half is due to flying shrapnel so creatures immune to fire take half damage. Creatures requiring magical weapons to hit also take half damage. Creatures with both immunities are unharmed.

Firearms

Required Level: 5/8 Cost: Varies 15-175 gp or 8,000-24,000 gp Build time: 1d6 days

Firearms vary in complexity and reliability widely. While some Victorians prefer the traditional hand match or matchlock firearms, by and large the most widely constructed weapons are of the flintlock variety. At 5^th level the engineer can construct any personal firearm. Engineers who have the alchemy or chemistry proficiencies can also create gunpowder for their firearms. At 8^th level the engineer learns how to construct cannons, including specialty ones designed for airships that can fire downwards.

Firearm Improvement

Required Level: 4+ Cost: Varies Build time: 1d6 days

As the engineer’s skill increases, he learns to improve firearms, making them punch through the thickest of hides. At 4^th level the engineer and improve the manufacture of a firearm so it counts as +1 for purposes of weapon immunity, though it does not provide any bonuses to the weapon. The potential plus of the weapon increases by 1 every 4 levels beyond that (+2 at 8, +3 at 12 and so on). However, when improving a weapon, it must be adjusted one plus at a time (therefore the engineer must pay for materials to adjust it to a +1 before upgrading to a +2). Each adjustment takes 1d6 days. The costs are as follows:

Plus Cost in gp

1 1,000

2 4,000

3 9,000

4 16,000

5 25,000

The adjustments are obviously very costly, so few ever own such quality firearms. The adjustments do have one additional benefit which is perhaps the most important benefit. Such weapons have their chance of misfiring reduced by 1 for every plus. Depending on the firearm, this could remove the chance of misfire entirely.

Note that while cannons can be enhanced, they already count as having a plus for purposes of bypassing weapon immunity. Light cannons count as +1, medium cannons count as +2, and heavy cannons count as +3. Therefore cannons do not need to have improvements below their existing plus. However, cannons cost far more to upgrade. Multiply the cost listed for the plus added by four when upgrading a cannon. The upgraded cannons also cool down quicker so they can be reloaded faster. Each additional plus added also subtracts one round from the reload time of a cannon.

Shock Stick

Required Level: 1 Cost: 500 gp Build time: 1d2 days

This simple device consists of a powerful bit of lodestone within a rod that contains a tightly wound copper coil. The rod is thrust forward, forcing the lodestone up the interior of the rod which builds up an electric charge in the copper coils. The electric charge is channeled through two metal barbs at the end which electrocute the target thoroughly, possibly stunning him. This is usually used to prod cattle along but it has also recently seen use militarily, especially against enemies in metal armor.

The shock stick is thrust at an enemy, requiring a normal to hit roll. Metal armor does not help in any way, and in fact doubles the amount of damage the shock stick deals, though nonmetal armor functions normally. Anyone hit by the shockstick must save vs. paralysis or be stunned for 1d3 rounds. Regardless of the save, 2d6 points of damage are dealt (or 4d6 if the victim is in metal armor). On a to hit roll of a 1, the magnets inside are knocked out of alignment and need readjusting before it can be used again.

Mechanoids

Required Level: 7 Cost: Varies Build time: Varies

Mechanoids cover a wide variety of mechanical soldiers and devices that engineers have learned to build. They make creatures typically of little intelligence able to obey single commands of up to ten words at a time, though some are not capable of even that. Particularly adept engineers have been known to create fantastic mechanoids capable of learning and adapting, but such creatures are so rare as to be almost unique.

All mechanoids are terribly expensive and only the most brilliantly funded of engineers could ever afford to build more than a few. Still, high end engineers, such as Professor Kilgore Muttonchop, have been known to make use of small armies of mechanoids. The cost and build time for a mechanoid depends on a variety of things including sturdiness, modifications, weaponry, power source and so forth. An engineer must be of a certain level of experience beyond 7^th for some modifications, but mechanoids can be upgraded at any time.

Every mechanoid built must have a minimum of a power source, frame size, hit die and an armor class. While this alone is enough for a mechanoid, it is not a terribly useful one so functions must be added to the base model. Costs for mechanoids and their functions as well as the level required to create them are listed below:

Mechanoid Costs

Modification Cost in gp Required level Build time

Steam power 1000 per hour 9 1d6 days

Spring power 10 per minute 7 1d6 days

Manual power 0 7 0

Small frame 100 7 1d2 days

Medium frame 500 7 1d3 days

Large frame 10,000 9 1d8 days

Huge frame 50,000 12 2d8 days

Gargantuan frame 100,000 16 1d8 weeks

Hit dice 1-4 100 per hit die 7 1 day/die

Hit dice 5-8 400 per hit die 9 2 days/die

Hit dice 9-12 3,000 per hit die 12 3 days/die

Hit dice 13-16 8,000 per hit die 15 4 days/die

Hit dice 17+ 10,000 per hit die 18 5 days/die

Armor Class 10 0 7 0

Armor Class 9-5 100 per point of AC 7 1 day/point

Armor class 4-0 400 per point of AC 9 2 days/point

Armor Class -1 to -3 900 per point of AC 11 3 days/point

Intelligence (0) 0 7 0

Intelligence (1-2) 100 per point 7 1d4 days/point

Intelligence (3-7) 400 per point 10 1d6 days/point

Intelligence (8-12) 900 per point 13 1d8 days/point

Intelligence (13-16) 1,600 per point 16 2d6 days/point

Strength 1000xCurrent Strength² 7 1d2 days/point

Movement¹ 100 per point 7

Melee weapon

1d3 damage 100 per weapon 7 1d4 hours

1d4 damage 200 per weapon 7 1d6 hours

1d6 damage 400 per weapon 7 2d6 hours

1d8 damage 800 per weapon 9 3d8 hours

1d10 damage 1,600 per weapon 11 3d12 hours

1d12 damage 3,200 per weapon 13 4d12 hours

Ranged weapon

1d3 damage 200 per weapon 7 1d6 hours

1d4 damage 400 per weapon 7 2d6 hours

1d6 damage 800 per weapon 7 3d8 hours

1d8 damage 1,600 per weapon 9 3d12 hours

1d10 damage 3,200 per weapon 11 4d12 hours

1d12 damage 6,400 per weapon 13 6d12 hours

Special weapon by weapon by weapon by weapon

Spell-like ability (1/day) 1000xspell level² 11+spell level spell level

in weeks

¹The maximum number of points of movement an engineer can put into a mechanoid is his level times two. Mechanoids with no movement purchased cannot move. Manual powered mechanoids always move at the movement rate of the operator.

Steam engines are typically powered by liftwood, though other fuels such as coal are occasionally used. Steam engines are powerful but bulky and can only be put into a medium sized frame or greater. Spring powered engines consist of some sort of winding or cranking mechanism that tightens an internal spring. The tension generated by the spring as it unwinds powers the mechanoid. A spring powered engine has the benefit of never needing fuel, but it does require someone to continually crank it, a process that takes about 1 minute per ten minutes of power. Spring powered engines are cheaper than steam engines, but they do not power a mechanoid as long. They also can only be used on medium or small frames. Larger frames are simply too big be powered by springs.

Some mechanoids do run under manual power. These mechanoids do nothing on their own and can never have an intelligence score. A mechanoid that runs under manual power is typically a hydraulic suit of some sort. It’s AC and Strength scores are conferred on the wearer (as well as any weapons of course). When a manual powered mechanoid takes damage while someone is inside it, the person inside takes half of the damage and half of the damage is dealt to the mechanoid. If the mechanoid is destroyed, the user becomes unable to make any use of the suit or its functions. A manual powered mechanoid can only have the size frame of the person or creature operating it. Since most of these are operated by Victorian engineers, they are largely of medium size. They could be made for other sized creatures however.

Frame size dictates a great number of things for a mechanoid. For one, larger mechanoids require more power to move than smaller ones do. This is reflected in a higher cost for engines powering them. Larger mechanoids are also more resilient to damage. They therefore can have more hit dice put into them than smaller ones. They also begin with more hit dice than smaller ones. This same concept applies to strength. Larger mechanoids are stronger and can handle more powerful strength upgrades than smaller ones. Finally, frame size dictates the maximum number of weapons that can be outfitted on a mechanoid. Small mechanoids can only carry one weapon while the largest of them can be moving battle stations of death.

Frame modifiers

Frame type Power cost¹ Hit Dice² Strength³Maximum Weapons

Small ½ 1-6 1-18 1

Medium 1 1-10 7-22 2

Large 2 4-16 10-25 4

Huge 4 6-20 13-25 16

Gargantuan 10 10-50 18-25 32

¹Multiply the power cost listed here by the actual cost of the power source desired.

²Hit dice listed here are in a range. The number on the left is the minimum number of hit dice one can purchase for a mechanoid of that size. The number on the right is the maximum. The minimum hit dice is not assumed in the mechanoid’s frame cost.

³The strengths listed here are in a range. The value on the left is the minimum strength of a mechanoid of that size. The minimum strength is assumed in the frame cost. The value on the right is the maximum strength a mechanoid of that size can attain.

Armor makes a mechanoid heavy and slows it down. Heavily armored mechanoids put a terrible strain on the engine controlling it while more lightly armored ones are actually more efficient as the base engines assume at least some armor. The cost of power is multiplied by a modifier based on the AC as shown in the chart below:

AC Modifiers

Armor Class Power cost

10 1/4

9-7 1/2

6-4 1

3-1 2

0- -2 4

-3 8

Intelligence is a value of how many commands the mechanoid can be given at once. An Intelligence score of four or less indicates it can understand up to its Intelligence score in commands at a time. It follows these commands to the letter with no concept of adaptation. A mechanoid with an intelligence score of eight or less can understand fairly complex commands, but it can sometimes get confused by conflicting conditions. When this is the case, a successful Intelligence check indicates it continues on a modified course while failure indicates it stops and awaits new orders.

A mechanoid with an intelligence score of 12 or less is about as smart as an average human. It can take commands about as well as a human could, and follows them to the best of its ability. A mechanoid with an intelligence of 13 or more can think independently and adapt to any circumstance as necessary within its ability. It will take and understand highly complex orders and can be used to lead and organize other mechanoids or men.

Most mechanoids are outfitted with some sort of weapon. This is not always the case as many are used for construction or other non-combat purposes. Melee weapons are most common and consist of a variety of blades, cudgels, buzz saws and more. Ranged weapons are somewhat less common as the need for ammunition arises. A typical ranged weapon, when installed, has enough ammunition for about 5 shots before it needs to be reloaded. Finally, special weapons of all sorts are often installed in mechanoids. Any of the weapons an engineer could make would be a fine weapon for a mechanoid.

Finally, mechanoids are designed to accomplish many tasks. Some require specialized devices to perform these tasks. These devices take a variety of forms from hypodermics full of healing fluids, to specialized digging tools or even explosive fireball launchers. Effectively, this allows a mechanoid to duplicate the effects of a wizard or priest spell. The spell is always cast at the minimum level required to cast the spell. Each time the engineer purchases this ability, it can be accomplished once a day. Every time it is used, however, there is a cumulative 1% chance per spell level that the device fails and ceases to function until the engineer can fully repair it. If an engineer repairs it before the system malfunctions, the cumulative percentage is set back to 0. Not every spell is appropriate for this ability. Whatever the spell is, it must be explained through non-magical technology.

The biggest issue with mechanoids is repair. Mechanoids do not heal in any sort of way so when they are damaged they require extensive, expensive repair. The cost to repair a Mechanoid is equal to 1% of the total cost of the mechanoid per hit point repaired. Since mechanoids are so expensive to build, the cost for repairs builds up rather quickly.

Weapon Improvement

Required Level: 4+ Cost: Varies Build time: 1d6 days

Through the use of specialized metal alloys, vibrating serrated blades and various other vicious adjustments, the engineer manages to create weapons that are both more damaging and easier to use than standard versions of the weapon. Slashing weapons are the most common, though spinning blades for clubbing weapons or electrified points for piercing ones are not unheard of. Regardless of the specific alteration, the effect is the same. The weapon gains a plus both to attack and damage rolls. Unless magical metals (such as mithril, adamantine or blackrock) are used in the process, these bonuses do not count as magical for purposes of bypassing weapon immunities. Such metals are unknown in Victoria, but an engineer could potentially come across a sample in his travels. Each improvement must be done in order (aka +1 must be done before +2) and the costs are as follows:

Plus Cost in gp

1 1,000

2 4,000

3 9,000

4 16,000

5 25,000

If the engineer uses particularly magical metals, he could potentially make alterations that do other things. Such materials are unknown in Victoria and an engineer would have to study the metal for some time to learn its properties and potential uses if he manages to somehow get his hands on a sample. The costs for such alterations depend on the nature of the metal being used and the property it might bestow. The DM should rate the metal as having a specific “plus” and adjust the cost accordingly. This cost only accounts for the process required to use the metal and does not include the costs for the metal itself.

Fencer

Ability Requirements: Strength 9, Dexterity 9

Prime Requisites: Strength, Dexterity

The fencer is a gentleman swordsman. Trained in the arts of swordplay, the fencer has perfected his swordplay to an art form. He is more than a simple warrior. He is an artist and the blade is his instrument of choice. The art of the fencer is one that is typically practiced among the nobility as they tend to have more time to put forth towards such training. However, many poorer fencers have arisen from the ranks of Victoria’s people to take up the life of adventurers and explore the new lands beyond Victoria.

Ability Requirements: A fencer must be strong to follow through with his attacks, but at the same time he must be light on his feet. A flat footed fencer is a dead fencer. If a fencer’s Strength and Dexterity scores are 16 or better, he receives a 10% bonus to his experience points. Fencers advance in level as warriors.

Alignment: Fencers come from all walks of life, but they tend to be somewhat regimented in attitude. Therefore most fencers tend toward lawful alignments. They have no particular restriction on their alignment however.

Arms and Armor: Victorians in general tend to prefer lighter armors if any. Leather and studded leather are the most common. Heavier armors have little effect against a firearm so they tend to not bother with such things. It is therefore somewhat difficult for a fencer to acquire heavier armor in Victoria. They can use shields and some wear heavier armor that they find in foreign lands or have custom made. They do suffer some penalties when in heavy armor, which are described in the sections below.

While they can learn any weapon, they do tend to prefer more elegant weaponry such as rapiers and long swords. They have no restriction against what weapons they may learn to use however.

Two-weapon fighting: The vast majority of fencers tend to prefer fighting with two weapons (typically a rapier and a main gauche). When fighting with two weapons, they suffer only a -2 penalty with the weapon in the off hand. Fencers with high Dexterity scores can reduce this penalty by their reaction adjustment. They may also bring it to 0 by spending a weapon proficiency slot in two-weapon fighting. This bonus applies only if the fencer is in studded leather or lighter armor. Heavier armors reduce their movement and they become unable to fight with two weapons effectively.

Weapon Specialization: Fencers constantly strive to perfect their fighting style. They may specialize as a warrior can, but only in swords. The most common specialization is the rapier, though many become specialized in the use of the long sword or daggers. As they advance, they do not need to find a trainer to train their specialty as they tend to teach themselves. Instead, whenever a proficiency slot opens up, they may choose to automatically apply it towards specialization. Level requirements for higher specializations must still be met however.

Weapon Accuracy: The fencer is deadly in his precision with his weapon of choice. He learns how to wield his blade with an accuracy that is almost mystical in nature. When attacking creatures that would normally require magical weapons to strike, the fencer’s weapon counts as though it had a magical plus equal to the plus he normally would get for any specialization in that weapon. A fencer who is specialized in a rapier would count his rapier as +1 for purposes of striking creatures that would be otherwise immune, while a master would count his rapier as a +3 weapon. This does not confer any particular bonus to the weapon, just allows it to strike effectively against creatures he would otherwise be unable to damage. Many fencers carry specialized weapons made of special metals such as silver or cold iron to use against creatures that are vulnerable to such things.

Quickness of Feet: Fencers train themselves to avoid attacks. They much prefer to rely on not getting it at all instead of armor protecting them. When in studded leather or lighter armor, the fencer can double his defense bonus from Dexterity. In addition his AC decreases by one every three levels. This bonus is lost in any circumstance in which he would not normally get his Dexterity bonus.

Followers: Fencers often set up schools where they can teach their skills on to the next generation of fencers. At tenth level, the fencer may build a school and attract followers. He attracts a school of 5d6 followers each of levels 1-4. The followers are usually fellow fencers (60%) but fighters (30%) and thieves (10%) also join the school in hopes of training under the master.

Marksman

Ability Requirements: Dexterity 9

Prime Requisites: Dexterity

The marksman is an expert of firearms. He is more than a simple fighter who is trained in the use of firearms. He can shoot a gold piece from 100 yards. As he perfects his skills, he becomes one of the deadliest forces around, taking down even the mightiest of foes in a single shot.

Ability Requirements: Above all, a marksman must have careful aim. He is nothing without finely honed dexterity. If a marksman’s Dexterity score is 16 or better, he receives a 10% bonus to his experience points. Marksmen advance in level as warriors.

Alignment: Marksmen come from all walks of life, but they tend to be loners. Most of them are constantly seeking the next great challenge to their marksmanship and don’t particularly like to be told what to do. While they have no specific alignment restriction, they tend towards chaotic alignments.

Arms and Armor: Victorians in general tend to prefer lighter armors if any. Leather and studded leather are the most common. Heavier armors have little effect against a firearm so they tend to not bother with such things. A good marksman will never get close enough to a battle to worry about being hit anyway. Therefore a marksman can never wear heavier than studded leather armor, nor do they ever make use of shields.

Marksmen of course can learn any type of firearm, though they tend to prefer longer ranged ones such as rifles over a pistol. They may learn how to use any other type of weapon if they so choose, but their focus on firearms is such that they apply a -1 penalty to the use of any other weapons.

Gunsmithing: Early in his career, a good marksman learns to make his own weapon, gunpowder and ammo. While one can purchase such things, a good marksman prefers to use things he made himself so he knows the exact quality of the weapon he is using. If he has an appropriate facility, a marksman can build a standard firearm in about 1d6 days. He can also make ten bullets a day. Marksmen who have the chemistry or alchemy proficiencies also know how to make gunpowder out of either liftwood or saltpeter. Marksmen need only devote one nonweapon proficiency slot to either of those proficiencies. They can make enough gunpowder for ten shots a day if they have the supplies available. A starting marksman begins play with a firearm of his choice which he is assumed to have constructed.

Weapon Specialization: Marksmen constantly strive to perfect their fighting style. They may specialize as a warrior can, but only in firearms. The most common specialization is a rifle, though they may specialize in any type of firearm. As they advance, they do not need to find a trainer to train their specialty as they tend to teach themselves. Instead, whenever a proficiency slot opens up, they may choose to automatically apply it towards specialization. Level requirements for higher specializations must still be met however.

Pinpoint Accuracy: Marksmen are capable of shots that are accurate beyond belief. When attempting a called shot, a marksman has a reduced penalty. At first level, called shots are made at a -3. This decreases to a -2 at level four, -1 at level 9 and 0 at level 12. When making the roll to see if a bullet deals extra damage, a marksman needs to roll a 6 or higher on a d8 instead of a 7 or higher. This applies only if the marksman is attempting a called shot.

Rapid Reload: Firearms take a long time to reload. A marksman reduces his times in between shots by ½ a round. This in addition to any speed he normally gets for level advancement and specialization.

Supernatural Perfection: Marksmen are far more agile than the average Victorian. As they increase in level, their Dexterity scores also increase. At 4^th, 8^th, 12^th, 16^th and 20^th level, the marksman’s Dexterity score increases by +1.

Followers: At tenth level the marksman attracts followers. This could be a small posse of like-minded marksmen, a handful of gunmen who wish to study under the master, or perhaps the odd engineer or two who wishes to see the firearms they create put to their limits. In any case, the marksman gains 2d6 followers. The followers are marksmen (50%), warriors (20%), thieves (15%) or engineers (15%) of 1-4 levels.

Minister

Ability Requirements: Wisdom 9, Charisma 9

Prime Requisites: Wisdom

The Victorian minister worships God, much like priests of other faiths. The Victorian minister does not receive any sort of direct intervention from God however. This perhaps makes them somewhat jealous of the “heathen” religions, as even the least devout among them seem to wield an incredible array of powers. This does not sway the minister from his God. If anything, it is something of a rallying cry of support and they are often found leading men into unexplored heathen lands.

Ability Requirements: Ministers are often sought after for advice in spiritual matters and are expected to give thoughtful responses. They must therefore have a minimum Wisdom score of 9. They also tend to be community leaders and often preach at sermons, therefore requiring a minimum Charisma score of 9. If a minister’s Wisdom score is 16 or better, he receives a 10% bonus to his experience points. Ministers advance in level as priests.

Alignment: The teachings of their religion enforce a strict moral code. They are never of evil alignment. They are of course encouraged to be good and most are, though the more fanatical of them are of neutral alignment.

Arms and Armor: Victorians in general tend to prefer lighter armors if any. Leather and studded leather are the most common. Priests therefore prefer to wear these lighter armors, though they have no particular restriction against heavier armors beyond availability. They are unable to make use of shields.

Ministers are somewhat familiar with the ways of combat as they are taught such things before they begin their travels, knowing the violent ways of the heathen lands. They may learn how to use any weapon, but they prefer blunt weapons or firearms.

Sermon: Ministers are inspiring by nature. They can preach to their flock and inspire them to do things in the name of God that they otherwise would never be able to do. Once a day, a minister is able to preach about a goal for one full hour. All who hear him gain a +1 to hit, damage and morale checks for 1 hour per level of the minister. This is increased by a number of hours equal to his reaction bonus due to Charisma. The minister is able to project his voice 20 feet per level of the minister and if he is disrupted during his sermon, the effect is disrupted and cannot be attempted until the next day. This bonus increases by +1 at 5^th, 10^th, and 15^th level.

Turn Evil: Through sheer force of will, ministers are able to banish or drive back forces of evil such as demons and undead, exorcising them from locations and people. They effectively gain the ability to turn undead as normal priests do, but their unswerving conviction can make it slightly more effective than priests. They can use this ability to drive out spirits or demons that might possess people or items. Ministers with high Wisdom scores may add their magical defense adjustment to their turning attempt. This adjustment is also applied to each die rolled to determine how many creatures are driven back or destroyed.

Create Holy Water: Ministers are able to consecrate water with holy divinity. Once per day they can bless one gallon of water per level. This holy water is treated as any other holy water.

Bless Weaponry: At 4^th level, ministers become able to bless a weapon three times per day. The weapon effectively becomes a +1 weapon for an hour per level of the minister plus an hour per magical defense adjustment for high Wisdom scores. The bonus increases by +1 every 4 levels until it reaches +5 at level 20.

Followers: At tenth level, a minister who has built a church will attract a flock of 10d6 followers. These followers consist primarily of Victorians of any class, though a small portion (10%) may be other types of people who have been converted. Regardless of class, they are of 1-4 levels.

The Augmented

The augmented are a creation of Victoria’s penitentiaries. The flesh of criminals and political offenders is reshaped to suit the purposes of the city rulers; their limbs may be reshaped as a commentary on their crimes, or they might be rebuilt to serve in the cities of Victoria or in the exploration endeavors of its people.

The melding of flesh and machine is not perfect. The victims of the process must relearn walking, speaking and other simple physical acts in their new bodies. Over time, they master the power their bodies give them. Still, while this process is typically undesirable, some augmented Victorians might not come from penitentiaries, but from independent chiurgeons who cater to gladiators, pit-fighters, body guards and others who seek to enhance their natural gifts.

Being augmented requires the victim to undergo a regimen of tortures, surgeries and biological procedures. After enduring this process, the character gains 1d3 enhancements and the same number of defects, either specifically chosen by the DM or randomly rolled on the following charts.

Rather than determining exactly what an augmentation looks like, these enhancements and defects assume that functionality is the important element. The consummate eyes enhancement could come from a set of gigantic compound eyes, from finely ground crystal lenses and telescopes, or from a set of modified hawks eyes placed in the character’s head. The appearance should be up to the player; the mechanics are defined here.

Enhancements

D12 roll Enhancement

1 Aquatic Prosthesis

2 Armored Integument

3 Auditory Enhancement

4 Consummate Eyes

5 Metaclockwork

6 Night Vision

7 Olfactory Enhancement

8 Spring-loaded Jumper

9 Supernumerary Arms

10 Supernumerary Legs

11 Unnatural Weapon

12 Wakeful Engine

Aquatic Prosthesis: The victim gains primitive gills or an equivalent breathing apparatus. The gills are not especially effective, but grant a +4 bonus on checks or saving throws made to resist all drowning or poison gas checks. In addition, the character gains a swim speed of 6.

Armored Integument: The victim gains a +1 bonus to AC.

Auditory Enhancement: The victim has enhanced ears, granting a +4 or +20% chance to any checks regarding the detection of sound. If the character does not have the thief skill of detect noise, he effectively has it at 20%.

Consummate Eyes: The victim has extra eyes, granting him a +4 or +20% bonus to any checks that involve searching such as tracking, find/remove traps, or observation. Other similar checks might also apply at DM discretion.

Clockwork: The victim has a specialized clockwork component that performs a single function 3 times a day. At the time of the augmentation, the DM chooses a first level wizard or priest spell that the enhancement can replicate. The function is nonmagical in nature so some spells may not be appropriate for this, as any enhancement has to be somehow explained in a non-magical manner. For example a built in flame thrower could simulate burning hands or specialized mini hand spikes could simulate spider climb. Find familiar or charm person on the other hand would be a bit harder to explain and are therefore inappropriate choices.

Night Vision: The character gains infravision out to 60 feet.

Olfactory Enhancement: The character gains an acute sense of smell and effectively gains the tracking proficiency at no cost.

Spring-loaded Jumper: The victim has powerful augmented legs or spring like attachments and can jump 15 feet horizontally, 30 if he has a running start. He may jump up to 10 feet vertically.

Supernumerary Arms: The victim is multi-limbed. This new limb is somehow awkward or weak, but aids in a number of mundane tasks. The character gains a +2 or 10% bonus to any checks involving climbing and can hold an item weighing less than 5 pounds in it. The hand does not have the articulation to wield a weapon or throw items.

Supernumerary Legs: The victim possesses additional legs, wheels or powerful tentacles. This grants a +2 bonus to movement rate and a +4 bonus to any checks to maintain footing such as on slippery terrain or when being knocked down.

Unnatural Weapon: Some dangerous tool, makeshift claw, or wicked appendage has been permanently affixed to the victim. This attachment can be used as a weapon and deals 1d4 points of damage.

Wakeful Engine: A victim with this augmentation must have the boiler defect. Characters with this enhancement require no rest periods to avoid fatigue or exhaustion. This modification is often made to horses, oxen, and other beasts of burden.

Defects

D10 Roll Defect

1 Boiler

2 Clumsy

3 Crippled Limb

4 Dulled Facilities

5 Hideous Deformity

6 Malfunctioning Memories

7 Poor Healing

8 Slow

9 Stiff Jointed

10 Wheels

Boiler: The character has a steam boiler that constantly requires fuel, and costs 2 gp per day to feed. If fuel runs out, the character is immediately fatigued. For every day the boiler remains out, the character must make a saving throw vs. paralysis or be completely exhausted, unable to move until refueled. Completely submerging in water or other liquids extinguishes the boiler. Characters with boilers weigh 40 pounds more than they would otherwise.

Clumsy: Many of the augmentations are of shoddy construction and those who undergo these augmentations are notoriously unable to control their bodies. Their attachments often fumble of fail at motor coordination. This reduces their Dexterity score by -2.

Crippled Limb: One of the character’s hands or arms has been amputated, weakened, or warped to the point of near uselessness. The character cannot wield weapons with the affected limb or make use of weapons that require two hands. The limb lacks the ability to grip and cannot hold items.

Dulled Facilities: The character’s normal senses have been somehow compromised by his augmentations. He receives a -4 or 20% penalty to checks requiring sight (such as observation, find/remove traps or tracking) or hearing (such as detect noise and possibly observation).

Hideous Deformity: The character has been fashioned with oozing sores, a sealed mouth, exposed muscle or bone, or similar visual flaws. The character reduces his Charisma by -4. If this would reduce the character’s Charisma to 0 or less, he becomes unable to communicate with people as they refuse to come near him.

Malfunctioning Memories: The character’s brain has somehow been tampered with, affecting his memory and skills. There is a 25% chance whenever a proficiency check is made that the character blanks and automatically fails the check.

Poor Healing: The character does not recover from injuries well. The character only regains a quarter as many hit points from any type of healing, be it natural or magical.

Slow: Because of their complex skeletal structures, metal parts, and general bolted-together natures, some augmented characters are simply not that fast. Reduce the character’s movement rate by half.

Stiff Jointed: The character is bound by rusty metal joints, awkward bony outcroppings, poorly healed wounds, or a variety of other maladies that hinder his movement. He takes a -4 or -20% penalty to any checks involving movement such as jumping, tumbling, tight-rope walking or climbing. In addition they receive a -4 penalty to any checks to maintain their footing.

Wheels: Characters without legs and feet must make a saving throw vs. paralysis when moving over rough terrain for every 5 feet of movement. Failure indicates the character made no headway for those 5 feet and must either find another path or attempt again. Such characters cannot run over even mildly uneven ground. They cannot climb ladders or stairs without a successful strength check (though there is a -6 penalty to checks to climb ladders). Any checks for swimming or riding are also done at a -4 penalty.