The Black Iron - A Grimdark Rpg.pdf

The

Black Iron A Grimdark RPG

J. Lasarde

The Black Iron A Grimdark RPG

Disclaimer

The Black Iron explores adult themes in a world of harsh realities and death, no part of this game is designed or has been created to reflect real people or real life historical moments, disasters, experiences or successes. The Black Iron is a work of fiction and does not reflect the belief of the creators in anyway.

Credit Written and Designed J Lasarde

Additional Writing Richard August

Artwork

Chris Cold Tan Nguyen Marck James Nahe Doon Satoshi Kamanaka Erick Efata C. Nambiatooran

Maps

Phil Bate Niki Lasarde August Hahn

Layout J Lasarde

Editing J Lasarde

Art Direction J Lasarde

Proof Reading Phil Bate Ian F. White Gareth H. Graham August Hahn Niki Lasarde

Special Thanks

To all the Backers, to everyone that supported me on this journey, To my wife and my two cats Max and Louie for keeping me sane. To John ‘Mr Mean’ Polock for the reviews, cheers bud. Dedicated to my Mum who always encouraged and will never be forgotten.

The Black Iron is copyright FeralGamersInc Ltd, all rights reserved 2020

Chapter 1 Introduction The Book The World Above Below The Players The GM NPCs

12 12 12 12 12 12 12



The Rules



13

Dice Rule Zero The Core Mechanic The Law of 6’s The Law of 1’s Target Numbers (TN) Modifiers Opposed Rolls Aiding Others Corruption Combat Basics Melee Ranged Magic Skills Special Aiming and Called Shots Surprise Damage Armour Wounds Hit Locations Stress Abbreviations Survival Horror



Example of Play



13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 16 16 16 16 16

Beginning The Land Above The Southern Ash Plains The Western Lands The Eastern Shore The Last City People The Shackles

The Pale Lands

20

21 22 23 23 24 24 24





34 34 34 34 35

The Land Below

39



Roads in the Darkness 39 Landmarks & Places 39 The Ruling Families 40 Cults 42 Faith 43 Threats 43 The Dispossessed 46 The Guilds 46

Mythic Artefacts



47

Discovering an Artefact Artefact Locations Using Artefacts



The Blood Lords



Who are they? What do they want? Should you face them? Axas - The Lord of Blood & Vein Barston - Lord of Salt and Rust Kial - The Lord Chirurgeon Laidon - Lord of Depravity Nicran - Lord of Death and Rot Xertin - Lord of Conflict and Murder

47 47 47

53 53 53 53 55 56 59 61 62 65

Chapter 3 Mechanics Attributes





24 25 31 32 32 32 33

Cults and Threats The Relic Knights The Remnant The Known Cities of the Pale

17

Chapter 2 The Pale



The Claws The Last City Crime & Punishment The Gray Order The Black Fort Novices The Sun Spires

Body Agility Using Attributes Attribute Abbreviations Body Skills Agility Skills Mind Skills Will Skills Instinct Skills Rapport Skills



69 69 69 69 69 70 70 71 71 71 72

Skill Rankings

72

Performing Actions



73

Target Numbers (TN) 73 Modifiers 73 76 Modifying the Difficulty Modifying the Ability 76 Levels of Success and Failure 76 Cooperation 76 Rolling without a Skill 77 77 Choosing a Different Attribute Attribute Tests 77 Normal Actions during Combat 77 77 Opposed Actions The Casting of Spells 77 77 The Brewing of Potions Downtime 77

Chapter 4 Characters Base Attributes Base Skills Derived Stats Optional Choices The Iron Die Choosing a Species Movement Distance

Guilds and Cults

81 81 81 81 81 81 81



102

Recruitment 102 Membership Ranks 102 Benefits 102 Roles that must Join a Guild 102 Choosing a Guild 102 Choosing a Cult 102 Joining Both 102 Guild and Cult Descriptions 102

Specialisation List



126

Role Specialisations 126 Guild Specialisations 126 General Specialisations 127 Advancing & Derived 128 Character Points & Advancing 128 Earning Experience 128 Guild Cost 128 Spending Points 128 Buying Specialisations 128 Derived Stats 129 Corruption 129 Damage Bonus 129 Initiative 129

Stamina 129 Wounds 129 Stress and Courage 129 129 Armour and Toughness Character Creation Step by Step 130

Gear and Trade



132

Barter Item Quality Crafting Upgrades Wear and Tear Crafting Weapons Encumbrance Gear Descriptions Expendable Items Cost Rare Guild Costs Value Transportation Use Resistance Armour Points Break Repairing Armour Shields Modifiers Rare Relic Knight Armour Weapon Descriptions Melee Weapon Damage Modifiers Break Preparing to Attack Cost Range Ranged Weapon Damage Relic Knight Armour



132 132 132 133 133 133 135 135 135 135 135 135 135 135 135 135 137 137 137 137 137 137 137 139 139 139 139 139 139 139 139 141



Chapter 5 Exploration Travel across the Pale 144 Travelling the Below 145 Survival 145 Stamina 146 Weather 146 Food and Water 147 Foraging 147

Sleeping 147 Disease 147 Dangers and Obstacles 147 Corruption 148 Gaining Corruption 148 148 Location Attacks 148 Items 148 149 Using Corruption The Cure 149 149 Corruption Effects The Iron Die 149 Combat and Injury 152 152 Turn Order Combat Actions 152 153 Close Combat Ranged Combat 153 Range 153 Mounted Combat 154 Levels of Success 154 Cover 154 Damage and Healing 155 Armour and Toughness 155 Wound Track 156 Weapon Damage 156 Healing 156 Dying 156 Other Injuries 156

Fear and Stress



157

Using Courage Levels of Success Levels of Failure Injuries from Failure Limiting Fear

157 157 157 157 157

Chapter 6 Arcane How Magic Became Magic is Dangerous The Magical Paradox The Black Fort Becoming a Novice Learning by Doing The Agenda Not Declaring Using Magic Disciplines and Spheres Learning Spells



160 160 160 161 161 161 161 161 163 163 163

Spell Levels 163 Spell Cost 163 Casting 163 164 Creating Items and Scrolls

Necromancy



Dangers of Necromancy Necromancy Spells Necromancy Rituals Spell List Spell Descriptions

165

Pyromancy



Dangers of Pyromancy Pyromancy Spells Pyromancy Rituals Spell List Spell Descriptions

Sorcery

172 172 172 172 172 172



177

Dangers of Sorcery Sorcery Spells Sorcery Rituals Sorcery and the Iron Die

Creating Spells

165 165 165 165 165

177 177 177 177



How to Create Spells A Note on Shamanism A Note on Blood Magic

186 186 187 187

Chapter 7 Guidance At the Table 190 The GMs Role 190 Improvise 190 State Changes 190 Be Impartial 190 Fudge Rolls 191 The Pale 191 Encounters 191 Obstacles 191 Mapping the Pale 192 The Below 194 Cities in the Dark 194 Dangers in the Dark 194 Mapping the Dark 195 Creating Adventures 195 The Feel of the World 195 There will be Deaths 195 NPCs 196 Experience 197 Optional Rules 197

Luck/Fate Points Advantage and Disadvantage

197 197

Chapter 8 Bestiary Meanwhile... 200 Where and What 201 Fear Ratings 201 201 Threat Abilities NPCs 201 201 Threat Description Ash Nomads 203 Bandits and Villains 205 209 Blood Lord Knight Cultists 211 Fanatics 213 Greater & Lesser Abominations 215 Lich 217 Marsh Wraith 218 Pale Ones 221 Rot Golems 223 Ruin Dwellers 225 Shrike 227 Tribals 229

Non-Player Characters



230

Trader 230 Militia 230 Civilians 231 Noble 231

The Anvil - Scenario GM Intro Game Intro The Anvil Getting the Characters Involved Optional Side Missions The Smith Journey to the Spires Journey Across the Pale The Old Forge Return to the City Follow up Adventures

232 232 232 232 233 233 233 234 234 236 236

Character Sheet Tome of Heroes

1

Introduction

The war came. It left behind it only blood, ice and a world, ridden with a cancer that was slowly eating it alive. Some seek solace in the remnant wisdom of the beings who doomed the world. The disillusioned scrabble amongst the frozen corpse of old battlefields, seeking honour and some form of hope. Others build their power with magic, steel and blood because — better to rule the ashes than nothing at all. Most wait for the end they have realised they cannot escape. Welcome to the world that is left, a world of blood and ice, of murder and blind faith.

T

he Black Iron RPG takes you to a land ravished by war and corrupted by evil. A world where you will struggle to survive but survive you must. Where you will pillage great ruined cities, fight foul beasts twisted by sorceries, discover cults worshipping horrifying gods and unveil plots and twists that will bring down kings. The world is a frozen and dark place, and that is only on the surface, those that fled to the ancient dwarven cities below ground have their problems, with dark uncharted mines and caves that unveil dwarven treasures or horrifying beasts with wars between wealthy families that control the cities inhabited by those that fled the surface. Guilds, factions, and corrupt nobles’ rule over the survivors who have already thrown off the yoke of one master just to discover another.

The Book

Character Creation starts on pg 77.

This book is made up of eight main chapters; these will guide you through an understanding of the mechanics of the game, onto character creation, understanding the skills, how to deal with combat and running the game as a Gamemaster (GM). A list of monsters and NPCs, along with adventure plots and campaign seeds, these will allow you to play and create adventures for years to come.

GM chapter starts on pg 184

The World

In Chapter 2 – The Pale, we will go into much more detail regarding the people, places, and background to the world of The Black Iron, but to truly understanding the world an important fact must be understood, the world is divided into two parts, the land above and the land below.

Above

The surface of the Pale Lands is a frozen wasteland, a never-ending volcanic winter. Nothing much survives beyond the lands of the Last City. To the north, in the shadow of the mountain range called the Claws the mages had constructed magical sun spires that have kept the lands around the last city temperate, this is where food is grown, and animals kept, supplying food to the city and those below ground. Keeping this small piece of land free of ice takes a lot of energy, and new solutions will need to be found before the whole world succumbs to the eternal winter.

12

Below

It is said that centuries ago dwarves lived in vast cities beneath the ground that their mines and tunnels spread for hundreds of miles. For a long while these ancient tunnels and ruins were considered cursed, haunted places, and to some, they still are. But as the Black Iron fell and the earth was beset by volcanic eruptions and other natural disasters any who could passed through the ancient doors to these dwarven mines and fled below ground for protection. The cities found there were reoccupied, and after 25 years, the cities are now rebuilt and are being defended, against the beasts that prowl the darkness.

The Players

The Black Iron is a game, and a game needs players, we suggest that a group of 4-5 players make a good number, but any number of players can be involved. Each player must make a character so they can walk the land both above and below. These characters are the avatars; they will often be different from the players, have skills and abilities most players do not possess, wield magic and strange powers. Creating a character is describe in more detail in the Character Creation chapter.

The GM

Along with players the game also needs a referee an adjudicator, someone that decides the difficulties, responds to the questions, has the answers and has the final say in disputes. This person is often called a Gamemaster, or GM.

NPCs

The GM controls all the people, monsters and creatures not controlled by the players; these others are called Non-Player Characters or NPCs for short. If you question a blacksmith, threaten a bandit or interact with a monster, the GM will be the one that responds.

The Rules

In every game, there are rules and The Black Iron is no exception; what follows is a look at the core mechanic and how to play. Combat will have extra rules as will certain other actions like magic and survival etc. And these will be covered in later chapters, but the following is all you need to understand to play.

Dice

The Black Iron uses dice, and these are mainly sixsided dice, but it will also use four-sided, eight-sided and ten-sided. These will be abbreviated as d4, d6. D8. D10, with the d indicating dice and the number indicating the number of sides.

The Law of 1’s

If at any time the result of your roll is all 1’s then this is a Fumble and a major catastrophe has happened, the result of this catastrophe and how to deal with it is covered in the Exploration chapter.

Target Numbers (TN)

A Target Number will determine how difficult the task is and what you need to roll in order to succeed. Modifiers are never used to adjust a Target Number as often modifiers can change whereas the difficulty of the task will always stay the same.

Difficulty

TN

Easy

3

The most important rule is to have fun if a rule doesn’t work change it or remove it. Only roll dice when it is really necessary or when failure or success can change the course of the game.

Average

5

Difficult

6

Hard

7

Very Hard

9

The Core Mechanic

Extremely Hard

11

Near Impossible

12+

Rule Zero

The Black iron uses a simple system for resolving tasks. You roll the number of D6 that the skill has and only keep the highest result, you then add to this any modifiers and the Attribute and remove any penalties and if the result is equal to or higher than the Target Number you succeed.

Example

Niki is attempting to jump a crevice the GM says that the Target Number is a 7, Niki has 3d6 for her Athletics skill, so she rolls these and gets a 2, 4 and a 6. As the 6 is the highest number Niki keeps this, she adds her Dexterity modifier of +2 which gives a total of 8 and a success, Niki reaches the other side safely.

All the following rules will be explained in greater detail in the Exploration Chapter.

The Law of 6’s

For every 6 the you roll beyond an initial 6 you add +1 to the result so if Niki had rolled 2, 6 and 6 then her result would have been a 7 (6 and a +1 for the extra 6) if Niki had rolled three 6’s then the result would have been 8 (6 and +2 for the extra two 6’s).

Combat rules start on pg 146

Modifiers

In the Black Iron the result of your dice rolls can be modified by bonuses and penalties, these can come from the characters Attributes, the gear they are using, help from others, adverse weather conditions, injuries and other factors like stress. The modifier only affects the roll never the Target Number. More information on Modifiers and the Modifier Table can be found in the Exploration Chapter

Opposed Rolls

An opposed roll happens when you are in competition either with another player or an NPC, this is most likely going to happen during combat. Opposed rolls involve both players or the player and GM rolling the dice as they would normally with the highest result winning. In the case of a tie then the in goes to the one with the highest skill or attribute, if it is still a tie then the player wins.

The Exploration Chapter begins on pg 138

Introduction 13

14

Aiding Others

Special

Corruption

For more on combat, see the Exploration chapter.

Others can aid you as long as their character has the skill you are attempting at the same or a higher level than your own character. By giving aid they will add a +1 to the roll result. Not all tasks can benefit from aid.

The Pale is corrupt, and some places are more corrupt than others. The characters corruption is measured in a pool. This pool starts at 1, what this means is that all characters start the game with their corruption at one, there is no way to avoid it or cure it to zero.

Combat Basics

Some characters may have special talents or items they wish to use during combat; they will always fit in one of the above categories, for example talents will be treated as skills and so forth

Aiming and Called Shots

You can spend your time aiming a ranged weapon and for each round spent aiming you can add a +1 to your roll, this also allows you to state a particular location, item or body part that you are aiming at. A successful aim will indicate that you have hit the location. Aiming is only used for Ranged or Thrown attacks

As we have stated the Pale is a dangerous place and with danger comes combat, whether this is a barroom brawl or a fight against a horde of corrupted. Combat involves several actions which the character can choose to make.

Called shots are not aimed but are attempts to hit a particular item, location or body part, doing this will give a penalty to the roll based on the size of the target. The range of penalties can be found in the Exploration chapter along with the other Combat Modifiers.

Melee

Surprise

Melee covers both the attack and parry and involves the use of any hand-held weapon such as a sword, axe, sturdy branch or assassins dagger in one hand or even both hands and a shield, second weapon etc. In the other hand. Parrying or Blocking an attack acts as an opposed roll, we will go into more detail in the Exploration Chapter.

Ranged

Ranged is the use of Bows, Crossbows, and Slings, these weapons take both hands to use and during their use the character cannot use a shield or parry, but they can dodge. Ranged weapons need ammo which is supplied separately. See the Exploration Chapter for more on ranged combat and using ranged weapons.

Magic

Casting Magic on the battlefield will take time, and this can often leave the mage open to attack. Mages cannot defend while casting, and rely on their fellow explorers for protection whilst casting complex spells. Spells come in various forms and will be discussed further in the Arcane chapter of the book.

Skills

You can attempt to use a Skill during combat, often this is healing but can also include unlocking a door to escape, brewing a poison, or even sneaking into a better position on the battlefield. Characters performing a Skill will not be able to block or parry an attack.

The Corruption Pools and effects of Corruption are explained on pg 142

Surprising the enemy gives you a whole round of actions in which to act before the enemy can respond, and even then, the response will be an Initiative roll. Surprise is often achieved through ambush or stealth, both of which is an opposed roll, in regard to ambush the target is rolling against the success of the ambush and with stealth this would be an opposed roll vs. the targets perception.

The Exploration Chapter begins on pg 138

Surprise and its many benefits will be gone into more detail in the Exploration chapter.

Damage

All weapons inflict damage if the attack is a success. This damage is a combination of weapon damage + Attribute. All damage is modified by the armour worn by the target.

Armour

Armour protects the wearer against damage inflicted by weapons. When a successful attack happens, the attacker reduces the weapon damage by the armours protection level So, someone wearing armour with a protection level of 5 who is attacked by someone who does damage of 8 will reduce the number of damage done to only 3.

The Arcane Chapter begins on pg 154

Introduction 15

Wounds

All characters begin with a base Wound level of 10 and added to this is your characters Body Attribute and any bonuses from Talents or Advantages. Taking a lot of wounds can affect your attempts to succeed in tasks as the more wounds you take the more penalties you will receive.

Hit Locations

Your character also has a number of Hit Locations which is where what armour is worn is made a note of including that armours penetration level, this is mainly for called shots or aimed shots.

Fear and Stress is discussed on pg 151

Stress

Your character has a stress level which is affected by exhaustion, hunger, thirst and extremes of weather, magic also effects your stress levels and some spells can reduce stress significantly. Stress us a gauge of how well your character is managing in the current situation and a low stress will affect your characters ability to deal with not only tasks but danger and fear.

Abbreviations

The Black Iron uses several standard abbreviations found in most Tabletop RPGs. For those new, to the hobby, we explain these below along with an explanation on dice and some of the symbols you may find within the game.

16

Abbreviation

Meaning

GM

Games master

PC

Player Character

TN

Target Number

NPC

Non-Player Character

RND

Round

AP

Armour Points

DMG

Damage

RNG

Range

Survival Horror

The Black Iron RPG emphasises survival, and the characters will find themselves in a situation where they are struggling against the elements as much as they are against abominations and cultists. The GM should make this clear to the players before they start, that this is not a game where you go from room to room killing and looting (though there may be elements of that) but a game of hard decisions, desperation, cruelty and of death. Those parties that plan ahead, equip themselves well, do their research and work together will survive the longest. The Black Iron is also a game of horror, of terrible visions, fearful encounters and situations which many may find gross and unnecessary, but this is the world of The Black Iron, those that survived the fall crawled over the bodies of the weak and dying so they could survive and rebuild, this is the way of things, so beware.

Example of Play

The party is moving through a forest of dead trees, up ahead they see a hut, one side has banked up snow the other a lean to for a horse. This is a Rangers hut, before the fall these were scattered throughout forests and large wooded areas, but few survived the fall. The hut is a place of safety and warmth but judging from the smoke rising from the clay pipe protruding from the roof someone is already there. Ian is playing Borlan a Human Sell-sword from the Last City with no Guild Affiliation Phil is playing Jenfa a Half Elf Vagrant Thief from Below with a Rank 1 in the Guild of Silence Niki is playing Tornee a Human Monster Hunter with no Guild Affiliation Chris is Playing Fade a Human Novice of the Black Fort studied in Pyromancy GM: The area is quiet, and no snow has fell for an hour, the wind has died down and the only thing moving is the smoke curling up and out of the clay chimney on the huts roof. You can see light emanating from beneath the door and from its flicker the light is of an open fire. Suddenly from within you hear a slight whimper of pain. Tornee: Are there any windows? GM: Yes on the side of the building with the bankedup snow you can see wooden shutters. Tornee: Ok I want to sneak over to the shutters so I can peer in. GM: Ok what is everyone else doing? Borlan: I will wait here and tackle anyone that comes through the door. Fade: I will stay with Borlan. Jenfa: I will also sneak to the hut but will move to the other end with the lean to. GM: Ok so Tornee and Jenfa I need stealth rolls, you each gain +1 due to the snow, this is more about noise than reaching the hut without being seen. Jenfa has a Stealth of 3d6 and an Agility of +2 whereas Tornee has a Stealth of 2d6 and an Agility of also +2. Jenfa rolls 1,2, and 5, meaning Jenfa gets a 7 (5+2) with the bonus +1 this gives a total of 8. Tornee rolls a 2 and 6 which is a total of 8 and with the +1 this comes to 9. The GM rolls the for the highest Awareness of the people in the Hut versus the lowest Stealth result of the two characters which was Jenfa’s. The GM rolls a 1, 5 and 6 with the NPCs +1 Instinct this comes to 7 (6+1) and no one hears the characters. GM: You both reach the hut without alerting anyone inside. Tornee: I will see if I can see through the shutter. Jenfa: I will draw my dagger and crouch down preparing for the hut door to open. Borlan: As I see them both reach the hut; I will draw my sword. Fade: I will begin to create a fireball. Borlan: I will also move slightly away from Fade. GM: Ok so Tornee you peer through a crack in the shutters and inside the hut you see three men, heavily scarred, there teeth filed to points and long metal

knives grafted onto the fingers of their left hands, these are Axas Cultists, loyal to the Blood Lord. Tied to a cot is a woman, she is bloodied and bruised, semiconscious. Tornee: Bastards, ok we need to kill these horrors and save the woman. I will signal to the others to get ready and then draw my bow and kick the side of the hut three times, preparing myself. Borlan: I am ready to leap out as soon as one gets close. Fade: I will stop my Fireball, with the woman in the hut it could be too dangerous, I will wait to see what happens. GM: Ok from inside Tornee everything goes quiet, then you hear shuffling and you sense someone peering through the shutter, I need another Stealth. Jenfa you hear the latch on the door lift with a clack. Tornee rolls Stealth and gets a 1 and a 2, not good her agility of +2 increases this to 4. The GM rolls for the Cultists Awareness and gets 2 and a 6 making an 8 the Cultist spots Tornee and yells an alert. GM: You all hear a yell from inside the hut, but the door is already swinging open and one of the cultists steps out, both Jenfa and Tornee have the surprise so you can act first. Tornee you are using ranged so attack. Tornee rolls her Ranged skill and gets three 6’s a Critical Success and with the +2 this makes and 8, but her bows quality reduces this by one to a 7. The Cultist can still attempt to dodge so they do the GM rolls a Attribute Test for the Cultist and rolls a 2 and 5, taking the lowest result this gives the Cultist a 3 and a fail. Tornee rolls her damage her bow does 1d8 +2 (Agility) she rolls 4, but because Niki rolled a Treble the damage is doubled giving a total of 12 (4+2x2) the arrow pierces the Cultists neck killing him outright. GM: With a gurgle the Cultist drops to the ground his blood painting the snow red. The door to the hut is open and light from the fire spills from the hut. No movement is heard, and the two remaining Cultists are not leaving the hut.

You can read along as Niki creates Tornee on pg 126

To be Continued...

Introduction 17

2

The Pale

I’ve seen many pass the spires never to return. All piss and vinegar strapped with iron and the confidence of the stupid. They never come back, and if they do well, their often Mewling like a new-born, their minds broken, and their guts turned to water. This is not a game; you better be ready if you plan to face the Pale.

I

t gets called a lot of things. The great war. The war to end all wars. Some even called it the last war, which should make anyone who has seen the world laugh until they choke. Whatever name you want to give it was almost the end of us all. Almost.

The Elves fled the suffering and corruption. Used their foul sorceries to damn the world they fled; blackhearted cowards to the end. That was a long time ago, of course. Long enough that people pretend not to remember. Long enough that there are children who don’t remember what the world was like before the black iron fell. Before the eternal winter, before the sun was blinded, before the dust consumed the sky. The lucky ones went below to the abandoned cities of the Dwarves. The Dwarves were the first victims of the elves. Poor bastards. They all burned down there. All of them. Those who were quick enough, or lucky enough, to get to the Last City can scrape something approximating a life upon the earth if you can call being crammed into a crumbling city a life. They cling on, barely, for as long as the walls and the magic hold. Then there is the black fort and its pyromancers…the way you hear the children talk about them. As though they were heroes. Immortals. Not men, tiring and breaking a little each day. The magic was draining just a little more of them — the corruption eating away at muscle, and brain, and skill. And the ice is waiting. The walls won’t hold forever. It’s much safer underground, not that we’ve long left down here either. Oh! You want hope, do you? You want assurance that we’ll find some way out of this…out of the creeping shadows. I have nothing. There are some who’ll tell you the ruins of the past have some way of staving off the end. The Mages send out parties of brave lads and lasses to seek out the things that the elves left behind. Maybe, they say, they left a means of turning back the corruption. Fucking idiots. I’ve seen them drag back the survivors…not that there was much left. Skin shrivelled over bones that were turning to ice. Eyes hardening to crystal. And that was the best of them. Do you think the elves would leave us any means of saving ourselves? They burned the Dwarves. They’ll freeze us to death. The world will consume itself, like ice worms spewing from the guts of a corpse. And then, wherever they are, they’ll laugh; that laugh like a handful of sand sliding through your fingers — a laugh like snakes hissing.

Beginning No one is really clear on what happened to these old gods, did they become the new gods or did they just fade away. The fact is that after this war with the giants the old gods seemed to just disappear.

They say that giants once walked upon the earth, stripping the land of life and turning the oceans into stagnant pools. The Old Gods, called the Yazata by those few priests who still keep the old wisdom alive, made war on their children. The Giants lost, though few of the Yazata survived to glory in their triumph.

The corpses of the vanquished were left to rot upon the earth, where the blood of a savage conflict gradually seeped into the ground. The blood of the giants, steeped in their corruption, warped the soil It is believed that the itself. The blood ate away at the roots of the trees, Elves formed first and and, when finally, spring returned to the land, the evolved much quicker buds which appeared on the branches contained the than humanity essence which eventually became the elves. The blood of the Old Gods seeped into the mud and clay of the wilderness. From this, eventually, the rough forms of humanity eventually crawled forth.

20

That is what the legends say. The legends do not say how the Dwarves were created, and the Elves scoured their writings and records from when they wiped the Deep Peoples from the earth. Such is their way. For the Elves looked upon themselves, in the dawning of the new world, and saw that they were better. As man gradually formed thought and learned to use fire and tools, the Elves had built a civilization. As man began to invent the plough and to use the land to sustain himself, Elves had mastered the arcane arts, divined the ways and mysteries of the universe, had become masters of whatever they chose to examine. And, as men aged and died, the Elves remained perfect, unchanging and ageless. Elvish immortality was both boon and bane. Blessed with physical perfection, immunity to disease and old age, the ability to learn without the mind degrading or time dissolving, they were able to make the world into a paradise. But why should a species who were

as gods deign to communicate with those who had only just begun to build crude houses from stone? As the ages wore on, the Elves became increasingly distant, increasingly alien, increasingly unconcerned with anything beyond their own preoccupations. The other species of the world simply became another resource, to be reshaped to suit the aesthetics of the Elves. The flesh-magic, the rituals of the unmaking, the sorceries of the scattered bones…all of these the Elves devised, to make those who lived in their world beautiful, according to their bizarre standards of beauty. Why should they recognise pain or suffering of any kind, they wondered, after all, were they not rendering the world better through their actions? The world existed for their pleasure; all things existed to be refined through their artistry, through their genius. They performed the rites to call ancient gods down to the earth, binding them into service too, carving the hieroglyphics of mastery into divine flesh. After endless experiments, they finally concluded that the Dwarves could not be rendered beautiful. Their bodies stunted in growth but broad and muscular could not be sufficiently reshaped. Their minds were too limited to provide the Elves with any amusement. They were too like the stone they lived among; their thinking too rigid. And so, the Elves excoriated the halls of the Dwarves with fire and strange creatures built from the vestiges of those species the Elves had determined to make better. Nothing survived in those ancient subterranean halls. Eventually, the dominion of the Elves became too onerous for any to endure and the realms of men, which had grown in strength throughout the long years of Elvish depredation, united to cast them down. Had the Elves cared at all for any species save themselves, they might have noticed the preparations the cities of mankind were undertaking; they might have heard the endless hammering of smithies, tempering swords and arrow heads. They might have seen the gathering of armies and the coruscating magic’s which mankind had learned, while the Elves had simply continued to treat the world as an object to be played with. At last, the armies of men readied themselves and marched upon those who had spent millennia pre-dating upon them. They left a wake of blood as they destroyed their elven torturers, masters and enslavers; city after gleaming city was butchered as the elven forces, who for centuries had merely sought to ensure their armour was beautiful and their skin flawless, fought the downtrodden they had tortured and toyed with. Cruel, the Elves may have been, lacking in any qualities which made them human, but never stupid. They had long studied those worlds which existed beyond their own and long contemplated the destruction of the

world entire — conceiving new worlds they might make in the aftermath. Seeing that mankind intended their obliteration, the Elves opened a gate to a new world. Then, in a final act, a combining of sorceries and ancient words, the elven witches fractured the moon before departing this realm forever. The moon, as it split apart, disgorged a core of Black Iron which plummeted to the earth, immolating entire civilisations and splitting the crust apart. Dust and debris filled the atmosphere, choking out the light of the sun, and the contents of the earth spewed to the surface through the rent, sending forth tidal waves of magma. Once this had finally settled, as the ash began to rain from the sky, the ice moved in to claim the world for its own.

The claim is that the Dwarves were all destroyed but recent believe is that they were only pushed deeper underground, but this is just a theory and has yet to be proved

The Land Above

The blasted land, this world of ice, was once abundant in life. Now it is a barren, frozen waste. From the vast poisoned forests in the east to the ash plains in the south, and the frozen sea in the west, all compass points harbour death. As for the north, the north is an endless mass of creeping snow and ice and cold death. A hardy few seek to survive in the endless tundra, forging uncertain paths lead through the snow used by those traders, slavers and bandits who travel between the small communities that attempt to endure in the ice. A scant few of the human cities still stand, though they are shrouded in white now, and most are abandoned. Those that do, house those few Ice Tribes which remember the old ways, and what cities were built for. Others provide shelter for bandits or worse — the abominations crafted by the Elves, or by cults dedicated to things best left unnamed. Some of the tribes are willing to trade with outsiders, exchanging the results of their hunts for barter. Others don’t bother trading with those travelling the ever-shifting pathways of snow; instead, they trade for them. Selling them to the fighting pits or simply as food. The tundra is an unremitting place and cannibalism is often the only way to survive.

It is now believed that word had got to some Elven lords that the humans were planning to revolt, but the ego of the lords caused them to not consider the warning as important. What would the world be now if those lords had acted sooner

Scattered along the way old signs stand crooked and will point towards what once existed, these signs now are mostly rotted or broken, but some are decorated with dead animals nailed to the frozen wood to warn those that travel the roads that danger lies nearby and they best beware.

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The Southern Ash Plains

Many believe that the Ash Nomads are formed from the very ash itself.

Home to the Ash Nomads who serve the albino god, the ash plains have managed to keep the ice at bay and replace it with the ash from the twin volcanoes that smoke and spew forth their venom in the form of lava flows. An endless stretch of the grey desert, the Ash Plains are punctuated only by the faint, umber gleam of the cinder forests and ash encrusted ruins of cities. The cities are fossils, petrified remains of the places that once offered shelter to thousands. The streets are now populated by the still-screaming shadows of those that once called the city home. Few venture into the morgue-cities as they have become known; those few that do report that strange things, now call the places home; flickering shapes shift between the onceliving statues, lurking, always just unseen. Out in the grey desert, some form of civilisation is beginning to establish itself. Small towns, many built on the rubble of places which did not survive the volcanic

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eruptions, have been rebuilt, communities grow, some even prosper, and trade has been attempted. Contact with the Last City is impossible except by magic or by Raven, though it is rare that the messenger survives the journey. Those that have attempted the journey south in the hope that it would offer an opportunity or a better way of life must first navigate the ice of the northern lands and then the heat of the grey desert. It remains uncertain whether any have survived the journey. The Ash Nomads hunt the cinders for sacrifices to their god, daubed in the dust from the dunes they are known to ambush caravans and travellers by leaping from within the very ash itself. Other dangers are the Pirates who sail the dunes in their land ships, powered by the heated air that fill their ship sails or the slaves that work to turn the wheels, they bear down on victims swiftly and without mercy.

The Western Lands

To the west lie the Dragon Tail mountains, and in their shadow, the forest once called Arbren or the Great Wood. Now the forest is a poisoned, decayed thing and partly marshland, populated by abominations and marsh wraiths who worship the God of Rot. The Dragon Tail Mountains themselves are home to a series of degenerate tribes, constantly warring for control of whatever fertile land is left amongst those crags and outcrops. Some of the tribes opted to move north, now living upon the claw itself, at a greater distance from the Rot God and his suppurating corruption. These tribes are more civilised and will trade with the last city that stands at the base of the mountains, their minds untainted by the sinister oozing song of the rot which seethes in the heart of the forest. The majority of the Dragon Tail tribes, however, have lost themselves to the joy of war and savagery. Others have given themselves utterly to the service of the

Rot God, their limbs becoming studded with buboes and their flesh sloughing away from the bone. Others have become strangely decadent, their consumption of human flesh leading them into ever darker and stranger behaviours. It is considered fortunate by many that the constant warfare stops them from ever becoming a threat; but should the Rot God ever gain sway over all the tribes in the west, the world would surely tremble at their coming.

The Eastern Shore

Once home to the twin cities of Chain & Sail, along with several smaller villages and towns, who grew fat with the wealth from fishing, the Eastern Shore now lies entirely abandoned. The sea, from which these empty places once feasted has now frozen over entirely. Pack ice swarms the streets of the coastal conurbations, a thickening hide which conceals everything it covers. Those few continuing to live upon the shores worship strange beings, the things they say they have found as

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they plumb the ice for anything to help them survive. Beneath the ice, things lurk waiting and watching. Frozen wrecks poke frost-buckled mastheads through the ice, fuelling rumours of treasures lost to the depths. It takes the bravest or most foolish of souls to risk the cold and whatever horrors lurk beneath the ice. Amongst the wrecks the Raiders thrive, once fishermen and whalers now driven mad by the corruption from deep beneath the sea ice, these raiding bands seek out any that stray to close with net and spear, so they can harvest the fat and oils.

The Shackles

A small, insignificant set of islands off the eastern coast, considered haunted in the past due to its abandoned castles and deserted villages. It soon became a haven for pirates, who uses its coves and caves to hide their ships. The elves quickly took the island wiping out the pirate threat in a welter of bloody violence. It soon became apparent that the Elves had chosen to occupy the island, precisely because of its isolation.

Smoke still rises from the Shackles even after so many years and those that have braved the ice to hunt or salvage claim that things still crawl and thrive upon the island, dark corrupted things.

As the uprising against the Elves reached its bloody climax, the forces of mankind launched an invasion of the Shackles, what was discovered on the islands drove several soldiers to fling themselves from the cliff-tops. The Shackles had been used by the Elves as an artist might use their studio — to experiment, to attempt that which might yet yield new, beautiful results. The melding of beast and humans was attempted, rituals of dark blood magic and terrible torture in the name of healing took place within the walls of the various island’s citadels. In the end, the place was scourged with fire and steel, though the survivors of the process would say only that the islands themselves should have been drowned beneath the waves. Only then could the stains upon existence be truly cleansed. The fires did not cleanse everything as many thought and the citadels and towers often went as deep below as they stood tall above. Deep dungeons held the prized possessions of the Elves, the Chimeer, those successes of the melding. As the fires ravaged and weakened the stone, and the ice came making the gates of iron that held them brittle, many of these chimeer crawled from the ruins and their human memories drove some to seek out others, caring little or not mindful of the reaction they would receive.

The Claws

The northern mountains are called the claws; they are home to the more civilised barbarian tribes, who

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maintain some of the traditions of the world as it used to be. This does not stop them, however, regularly carrying out the Wild Hunt, plunging across the mountains on their horses, stalking the wild beasts and monsters which call the jagged passes of the Claws their home. It is also here, nestled in the shadow of the claws, that the Last City can be found. Trade has been established between the city and the tribes, mainly the tribes bring skins and ores, and in return, the city provides corn and steel. Though tribal members are seen within the Last city, they are still eyed with suspicion, their strange appearances and beliefs can make them stand out amongst the more ‘civilised’ people. It has been known for tribal members to be accused of crimes often unfounded and the result of fear or mistrust of the mountain people.

The Last City

‘The Last City is held between two claws’ goes the saying. In the northern mountains, lies the final surface redoubt of mankind. The final place where human beings live, dwell and flourish above ground. Home to over half a million people, the Last City, is unique. The city is a hub of trade providing food and other resources, both to the cities below ground and the barbarian tribes inhabiting the nearby mountains. Those hired by the Black Fort or the City’s many Guilds are often found within the constantly defended walls. Sell-swords seeking fame and wealth, hunters who track down both man and abomination and Relic Knights looking to redeem the fallen of the past, all congregate here, waiting to pass beyond the Final Gate and reclaim the world. It is said that many even believe that this is actually possible. Such is the vanity of the Last City’s populace.

People

As is to be expected in a city so vastly overpopulated, the city is extremely diverse. Though mainly human, it is not uncommon to see Vri-Dael (Half Elves) stalking through the streets or catch the smell of a Chimeer in the dank avenues. The city is always awake, and the streets are constantly busy, with everything in short supply — most of the citizenry is unemployed, and food and other basic necessities are never available in abundance. This results in regular bouts of significant unrest, with the City Watch and the Council constantly struggling to keep control and the people fed.

Key 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Refugee Camps Merchant District Administrative District Temple District Slums Market District

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3

6

4

2 1

The Last City The Pale

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It is believed that dozens of cults infest the city, as more and more people disappear from the streets or gross totems are found hanging from the bridges and roofs of the city

As refugees continue to arrive from the frozen wastes, the city has been forced to expand in order to accommodate them. Bit by bit, buildings growing out of other buildings, walkways now criss-cross the streets metres above the ground, rope bridges extending from towers to platforms, hundreds of feet above the streets below. The city swells and splits, metastasising like a tumour. Brothels, taverns, gambling dens and fighting pits have all sprung up in the city, and with them a thriving criminal underground. The underworld doesn’t simply consist of thugs and gangsters. Hidden cults use the chaos of the City, and particularly its slums and refugee camps, as a cover for their activities, performing the most hideous of rituals to the Blood Lords. These, it is considered, pose the greatest threat to the integrity and longevity of the City itself.

1. Refugee Camps

As the world turned to ice thousands flooded to the Last City, the city quickly became overwhelmed and the gates were finally shut, those that failed to make it inside built shelter under the protection of the city walls and the refugee camps were formed. The camps now expand outward and have become a thriving, living organism, many live within the camps peacefully and some have even created a trade offering food, basic crafting services and goods to barter or exchange, but deep in the heart of the camps crime has taken a hold and gangs rule with fear, running taverns and brothels, gambling shacks and even fencing goods and food stolen from the city itself. As time has gone by many refugees have left the camp to return to their homes in the Pale, risking what is out there in order to avoid the gangs and crime. This has led to some small villages to reappear close to the spires.

The Silent Guild holds sway and keeps many of the criminal activity to a minimum, but murders happen nightly, people are forced from their homes on a daily basis and many are forced into prostitution or become dependent on drugs. The City watch have designated men to watch the roads leading through the camps in order to protect traders from the outlying farms or from below and the mountains, but few of the watch travel into the camp proper as those that have in the past often never returned.

2. Merchant District

A walled city within a walled city and unlike the rest of the city the merchant district has kept itself similar to how it was before the fall. To enter through the gates, you would not be remiss to forget the world outside as life seems to go on as usual, but underneath this charade of normality is a dark heart.

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All goods from the outlying farms and the below are transported here to be catalogued and stored in order to make sure the people of the city are fed, but sometimes this system falls down and there is not enough to go around and thousands will go hungry for days while new supplies are delivered and checked, but is this always the case? The council and even the Malice have been investigating corruption for years amongst the merchant class and their ties to the criminal underground, often supplies are stockpiled and then ‘lost’ only to appear on the tables of the wealthy or the storerooms of the Silent Guild. Though criminal activity is almost definitely going on the merchant district is the safest part of the city with Guild militia and the City Watch patrolling the streets and guarding the warehouses and homes of those that control the food.

Commerce

Coin is rare but is used still, in forms which existed before the fall. No new coins have been minted in a long time and those returning from exploring the wastes having uncovered an old cache of coins hand it over to the Merchant’s treasury in return for a promissory note of the same value they can use with traders, rather than having to establish the relative worth of the obscure coinage they find. Most of the coins in circulation are of so ancient a style that none truly know what they are worth, judging chiefly by size and weight, and the metal they are cast in. Copper coins are the most common, with silver being much rarer. There is, however, no consistency in availability or exact value, with coins of bronze, brass and gold being used. Barter is often the more efficient form of commerce, especially for small or travelling traders, as those still trying to survive outside of the City do not have access to the continual oversight of the Merchants Guild. The value of barter is often based upon their rarity, with the more sought-after items able to command higher prices.

The Guilds

The guilds are the most powerful organisations within the Last City, behind only the Council in terms of direct power, though most believe that it is the Guilds who truly control things. The most prominent of the guilds are the Guild of Merchants, the Guild of Expeditions and the Guild of Armourers. There are also a number of smaller guilds, usually linked to their larger brethren. Rumours, at least amongst those who study the strange and arcane past of the Last City claim that there are a number of other, more secretive guilds whose very existence is still to be determined.

Guild of Merchants

could rest and restore. During this gradual emergence, the Finders soon noticed something else — that all goods brought into the city as the possession of an individual came under the purview of the Merchants. But this did not count if the individual left the City with nothing and returned having found something. This arcane loophole provided the Finders with a new way to procure money and power, and it soon seized on it, petitioning the Council to provide them with full sovereignty over anything salvaged from the waste. While the Merchants were initially incensed, the additional protective services which the Finders provided meant that there was little opposition (though a few assassinations on both sides indicated the general feeling). Since then, the Finders have become the second guild in the city, forming one half of the bloc which ultimately rules the Last City. Where the Merchants control the politics of the City, the Finders have much of the manpower. The Finders offer regular and well-paid employment to many of the mercenaries and soldiers who live within the City or pass through. The Finders are less punitive about those operating outside of their influence…anything they find can be seized at the gates, goes the reasoning, and the Guild has not had to pay anything for armour or resources…a perfect arrangement.

The Guild’s activities are not limited to the Last City, though their power is less inviolate elsewhere. Merchants representatives also operate in the subterranean Dwarven tomb-cities, and there are even a few who travel to the barbarian citadels. Most travelling traders at least pretend to belong to the Guild, banking on the slim measure of protection which such a membership conveys. The Merchants protect their own. Those, however, who would seek to stand on their own, without the interference of the Guild, are rarely so fortunate. There have many sudden and unexplained fires in the houses of those who refused to pledge their loyalty and money to the Merchants. Family members are known to disappear, leaving behind only traces of blood and the odd severed ear. The Guild of Merchants is a powerful friend. And a deadly enemy.

Guild of Armourers

By some distance the largest and most prosperous of the guilds, the Merchants hold considerable political and public power within the City. The guild of Merchants deals with the trade and distribution of food and other goods as their name indicates. This includes exerting tight control over the growth of grains, fruit and vegetables, the keeping of livestock and the manufacture of bread, beer and wine. The Merchants also control the influx of goods into the City; while they may not have the power to prevent an individual’s entry to the City, they can rightfully claim everything that an individual possesses. Unsurprisingly, this right has ensured that they are both loathed and so wealthy that being loathed doesn’t really concern the Guild at all. This wealth is further supplemented by the fact that all the trade stores within the precinct of the City are managed by guild members, who pay extortionate taxes from the sale of goods. This has led to a flourishing black market which the Merchants expend a great deal of effort tracking and destroying. The punishments for being caught trading without Guild Sanction are…brutal, to say the least. It is said that the great ledgers of the Guild are bound in human flesh, taken from the backs of those who attempted to avoid paying their tithes.

Guild of Expeditions

Begun as a way of finally extorting some money back from the Merchants, the Guild of Expeditions supervises all travel from the Last City which seeks to explore and exploit the wastes. Initially, the Finders (as members are often called) was a group of mercenaries who offered protection to the Merchants who left the city regularly. This proved sufficiently lucrative that the Guild soon established itself as a permanent organisation, determining the safest routes through the tundra, establishing a few outposts where travellers

The fall of the world made it difficult to find the ores needed to create new weapons and armour, so the armourer’s guild now concentrate of repairing and reforging what gear is available or can be found. The Black Iron which now lies scattered across the land has become a much sought-after commodity, capable of containing potent magic while retaining its strength and sharpness far surpasses that of even the finest and carefully wrought steel. The Armourers have spent decades carefully studying the substance, defining its properties and uses. The Guild trains and supports smiths and armourers in the City, and those who operate beneath the earth’s surface. The demand for Black Iron goods has ensured that the Armourers have a continual and impressive income, more than enough to secure their ongoing survival and influence. The Armourers are a far more insular guild than either the Merchants or the Finders, but they are only marginally less influential. As they often remind those who would deny them their requests — who will you turn to when the hordes of abominations reach our gates? The Merchants?

High prices are offered for the Black Iron and weapons and armour built from the material is highly sought and priced. It is believed that the armourers are working with the Black Fort to create a device that can detect energies from the Black Iron making it easier to find.

Other Guilds Mages Guild – A small, unassuming building close

to the gate of the City houses the Mages’ Guild. While the building is opulent and carefully attended, it does

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not truly house a Guild. Instead, those Mages who make it to the City are tended to here, before they begin their next journey to the Black Fort. The Guild also acts as an embassy for the Black Fort, ensuring communication remains swift and effective. Mages Guild

disappears and reappears in the assassin’s drop points. Any assassin may accept a contract, placing their sigil on the contract to indicate acceptance. Multiple assassins might accept the same contract, with the first to succeed receiving the payment. It is not unknown for small scale assassin wars to break out in the gantries and suspended walkways of the City, as killers seek to claim an especially profitable reward. Assassins Guild

Silent Guild – The Silent Guild (or the Thieves Guild, as it is referred to, in whispers) does not exist officially, but there is no denying that there is a certain level of organisation amongst some of the criminal classes in the city. Those thieves entering the city must follow the marks that grace door frames, hitching posts and other places to one of the many locations the guild control, before announcing their arrival and intent. Thieves operating within the city without the say-so of the Affiliation are usually deprived of their hands. The unluckiest are deprived of other appendages as well. Silent Guild The Sisters of Stone do not really operate in the Last City and it is believed do not involve themselves in the cities guild politics, or so they claim, evidence has been found that the Sisters are very much involved with the Assassins and Silent Guild.

Members of the guild are expected to act (relatively) honourably, fulfilling any contract they take on and ensuring the safety of their clients. Guild membership is revoked if the masters feel that someone has brought dishonour to the guild. Warriors Guild

Assassins Guild –More a network than a guild,

each assassin (and there is no agreement on how many actually reside within the City) acts as a private enterprise, earning contracts based on their reputation or on their particular specialties. This system keeps the Assassins protected, as none are known to another, and so no one can betray or influence the whole. Assassins receive their contracts at hidden drops across the cities both above and below. No one knows who places the contracts within the drops. Those who wish to place a contract leave the name of the target and their intended price at an empty table in a tavern — The Iron Hand. The commission

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Warriors Guild – More a mercenary guild for sellswords, pit fighters and bodyguards than anything as reputable as the name guild implies. Its quarters are, in essence, barracks — training halls and sleeping quarters, along with a rough space in which business can be conducted. There is no training facility here; those who join the Guild must be sufficiently competent with the blade to justify their position. Or else, they are likely to be quickly killed. There is a forge and armoury, where those who are able to pay can have their gear repaired or upgraded.

3. Administrative District

The beating heart of the city, home to the council and the voiceless King. The militia barracks and Grey Ranger headquarters can also be found here along with the jails and gallows park. Though one of the more secure areas of the city it is still a place where crimes are committed openly, beggars can be seen, crippled and diseased praying and crying out to now dead gods and those that would try to bring the city to its knees attempt to destroy the council and the Remnants that called the district home. Those that wish to leave the city on ‘official businesses congregate here at the militia barracks for council warrants allowing them access to and from the city and beyond the sun spires or through the dwarven gates to the below. The warrants have a seal and allow the bearer various legal rights within and beyond the city walls, these warrants are valuable and much sought after and the council do not hand them out easily.

The Grand Library

Once a cathedral to now-dead gods (whose names have been carefully removed from all statues, books and works of art that once bore them), the grand library is now a vast archive. Here, all that survives of human writing, poetry, science and magic is kept and endlessly copied, in the hope that the memory of what once was will never be lost. It is also a repository of any and all written works found beyond the walls; anything retrieved from the Pale lands which might contain knowledge of the past is brought here. Books, scrolls, notes, maps all find a home within the walls of the library. Many of these works are in tongues ancient and lost, alien or esoteric. The untranslatable tongue

of the long dead Dwarves, the secret language of Elves and the guttural words of the Giants, all await to be deciphered and studied. Amongst the stacks sit those, who would perform this duty: the librarians. The librarians are known for the strange, trance-like state in which they wait to be approached; none can say how such a fugue is achieved, though many whisper of strange drugs or incantations learned from the books all around them. Others claim that simply being able to read at all induce such reveries. Those who would know the answer to a question must present a librarian with a suitable offering (usually food). The librarian will then wander to one of the hundreds of shelves and select, apparently at random, a tome, before reading the answer to the supplicant. Other visitors to the library extract a book from the shelves and bring it to a librarian, simply to hear language read aloud. Each librarian is fluent in all of the languages contained within the various books under their charge. This is achieved through the Remnant — one of the most mysterious and obscure beings in creation. A series of tentacles extend from the bizarre contrivance which is connected to the mosaic ceiling of the Library. The central element of the creature is a mass of scaly flesh and bone. From this central point extend a series of sinuous tentacles, spread throughout the building and plugged into a librarian’s cranium, through a single hole at the base of the skull. Through this strange creature, the librarians are able to share ancient knowledge, communing with the past, so that others can unravel its various mysteries. Strangely, it is not the connection with the Remnant that grants the librarians the dreamlike lack of focus.

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The Council

But what of the Voiceless King? Many claim that the City has no King that it is a lie told to sustain the power of the council, others say that the King lies in a state of near death kept alive by magic. Many rumours exist, but one thing is certain there is a King, but what power he holds and what voice he has is unknown

It has been said that the Order of Bones has sold itself to the Blood Lords that it masquerades as a pious religion and that it is the Order that has aided the growth of cults in the city.

The city is ‘ruled’ by a council which decides upon laws and the day-to-day issues that the city faces. The council is made up of twelve members, one of which is always a representative of the Black Fort. Five are merchants, two are from the city guard and the military arm of the city, and the final remaining members represent the three largest guilds. The Council is often accused of corruption, with various decisions being challenged or railed against by the masses, as laws are passed that only benefit a handful, or ration cuts are enforced for all but the wealthy few. Despite this, in the 45 years that the council has existed, there have only been two successfully completed assassinations. Many roles in the city carry much higher mortality rates.

4. Temple District

Established religion crumbled after the fall when those that had fled to the Last City or the below began to place their faith in the Mages (in particular the Pyromancers) of the Black Fort to hold back the encroaching ice, which they did and continue to do with the Sun spires. The Temples at first called this faith in magic blasphemous, but as time went on and the gods did not return or even seem to care the temples became quiet. Many priests were killed after the fall mainly for their willingness to allow the elves to perform their atrocities, people began to ask difficult questions when the temples opened their doors for the refugees, why had the priests and the gods not intervened against the elves, where was their help when it was needed? It was believed that greed had silenced the temples that and a lack of faith in their own teachings. The Temple district is now mostly free of the original religious beliefs, but the area is still considered a holy place and many new religions and cults can be seen there. Doom-sayers hawk their prophecies and warnings from atop the temple steps, seers blind and chained still beg for food and pity on the street corners and refugees still fill the temples. At night strange rituals take place and it is not unknown to see a Relic Knight entering the district after the midnight bell to hunt heretics, abominations and disciples of the Blood Lords.

Faith

With the death of the gods — or at least their disappearance — faith and worship is either nonexistent or has been warped, distorted. Besides the cults, performing their sinister work in the shadows,

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the city is home to a number of religious orders of varying sizes and influence. The following are the more prominent orders, but the variation and number of different religious beliefs are extensive.

Children of the Old Gods

A small order, made up of mostly scholars who believe that the gods never died. Instead, they merely went into solitude until such times the people of the land can prove themselves worthy of their return. The order is rarely seen on the streets of the city preaching. They prefer to sequester themselves in the library, composing eloquent homilies, which attest to the need for man to curb their sinful ways, in order to entice the gods to return. Few bother to read these verbose texts, though the closeness of the Children to the Remnant is enough to convince many that they are keepers of some form of truth.

Order of Bones

Even more rarely seen in the City, the Order of Bones only make the perilous journey to the Last City when in desperate need of supplies. Part of their doctrine, and faith, requires the order to make their home within the bones of the dead giants, still scattered across the land. As to what the Order of Bones actually believes, few are able to say. Paranoid about the importance of preserving the secrecy of their beliefs. At some point in the last two centuries, the order developed their own language. The language is indecipherable to any without access to the order’s inner mysteries. The order claims it has access to the most ancient and insightful of all religious texts — those that are etched into the bones of the giants themselves. Whether this is true or not is really unknown; what is known is that the Order of Bones is split into two sects. One, the Unfallen, believe that the texts were written onto the skeletons of the giants at the moment of their creation. The other, the Remainders, believe that the words were engraved after the giant’s death. While the sects are theologically opposed, they tend to work together without a great deal of animosity. Or at least, this appears to be the case when they visit the City; in their homes, within the temples of nude bone, brutal conflicts are routinely fought.

Disciples of the Daer

The Disciples of the Daer are outlawed within the City limits, as they worship the Elves that fractured the moon. What their actual beliefs are, none have, as yet, troubled to find out. Their religious practices, however, are horrifyingly easy to discern. They perform strange, crude surgeries on themselves, scarring their flesh and making clumsy attempts to graft the limbs of wild animals onto themselves and others. The Disciples were discovered after a number of people had gone

missing in the slums, and witnesses told stories of strange creatures stalking the alleys. The order had established itself in a temple of the Old Gods, long since abandoned, where they had been experimenting on themselves and others. The explanation for these peculiar experiments, extracted under torture, was a twisted attempt to learn the secrets of Elvish science. The order officially no longer exists in the City but sightings and the number of missing people, stolen from the slums, suggest otherwise.

5. The Slums

As with all great cities, there are those that have and those that have not. In the Last City, such a divide is impossible to miss and, there are very few who have anything. When the moon fractured and the world responded with devastating volcanic upheaval, earthquakes and tidal waves, thousands fled north to the Last City and the gateways to the land below. As the gates to the forsaken Dwarven burrows were shut, thousands still clamoured for safety. There was little within the City to sustain them, but there was, at least, space. Within the open areas of the Last City — those places which had once been the pleasure gardens and plazas for the wealthy — crude houses and streets began to grow, built from whatever could be scrounged or stolen. Over time, the slums continued to expand, becoming a sprawling morass of crumbling tenements and swaying, toppling edifices, in which thousands live and die. Ramshackle houses piled one upon another, narrow streets like open sewers and a population which has given up on being anything other than tired and oppressed. Murder, rape and theft are the only real currency in the slums. These quickly extended to the refugee camps outside the city walls, a vast field of tents, huts and ramshackle hovels. Those that cannot get through the city gates end up here at the mercy of criminals, disease, cold and hunger.

The Rot Within

The overflow to the refugee camps from the slums has created issues with security and the integrity of the walls of the city, with sewers running beneath the streets and into the rivers, many that now have dried up these tunnels now provide a way into the city from the outside. This has led to many threats entering the city via the slums. Many of these threats come in the form of cults and spies for the Blood Lords, other threats are corrupted individuals seeking shelter or to satisfy some need or desire. These infiltrations have made the slums even more dangerous and it is not unheard of for hired swords to enter the slums on guild sanctioned ‘purges’

hunting down those that are deemed a danger to the people and safety of the city.

6. Market District

The central market centre of the city, this was once a thriving square catering to the needs of many but now is a mere shadow of its former self. Hunters trade their skins, bottles of fat and carved bone gewgaws to whomever shows an interest, crafters sell weapons and armours of an often-low grade beside tools for farming or re-purposed objects of interest. The odd enterprising scavenger may offer items from below or found out beyond the spires. The more popular traders are those selling ingredients or potions that claim can cure corruption, keep away horrors or magically makes one wealthy, but often guards from the Black Fort either shut these down or strong-arm the trader to the Mages never to be seen again. It is also not unheard of to find people selling their skills, scouts, smiths, navigators and even novice mages have been known to sell their particular expertise to those planning on entering the Pale or exploring the lost roads below.

Noticeboards and even vendors have sprung up offering jobs to any that would care to accept. For many adventurers the market is the hub of the city and the place o find fortune and the odd rare item.

Crime & Punishment

Crime is rampant in the City, and as more and more refugees arrive, the more overcrowded the City becomes. Desperation, hunger and dwindling resources has led to an increase in murder, rape and theft. A City so overcrowded has no space for cells and so other punishments had to be decided upon. Petty crimes typically lead to banishment from the city or being sent to the Gray Order. More serious crime leads to death or dismemberment — murder or rape results in hanging or beheading. Lesser crimes like theft lead to the removal of a hand or ear. The slums deal with crime in their own way, not bothering with the city watch or the guilds. Trials and legality take much too long a time to provide a resolution to crime. It is not unheard of for mobs to burn or impale criminals on the streets as a warning to others. The only exception to this are members of the Thieves Guild who, if hunted, are protected by the guild. The thief council simply steps in and ‘pays’ their respects to the family of the victim, making it all go away. With all things, the larger guilds seem to be above the law, avoiding the consequences of their crimes

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whatever they may be. This has caused significant disputes and a number of active calls to restrict the power of the guilds. The guilds, however, have managed to suppress many of these claims. Such are the advantages of money and influence.

The Gray Order

An order of criminals given the task of patrolling the border of the ice and to maintaining the sun spires, the Gray Order are those unfortunates press-ganged into protecting the City they are excluded from. They are often seen marching along the few roads leading to the city, protecting travellers and refugees from the depredations of bandits…and much darker things. The Gray Order is composed of two parts the first being the Militia — those condemned to walk the ice border. The second are the Rangers who search the forests and fields for criminals and bandits whilst keeping the roads safe.

The Black Fort

Many fear the Black Fort and the Mages, fearing they will become like the elves and begin to dominate the people of the cities, experimenting on them and forcing them back into slavery, but these fears are unfounded though not completely.

Two leagues west of the last city stands the Black Fort, true home to the Mages. Home to those who hold the ice back, for as long as they can. The Fort itself is, as the name suggests, a dark and brooding place; a fortress-built centuries before to protect the north from barbarian tribes. The Black Fort teaches those with the innate ability to wield magic, inculcating those talented few who survive long enough to receive tutelage of the arts of Pyromancy, Necromancy and Sorcery. With the coming of the ice, Pyromancy becomes the most vital of the Arts. Without it, the Last City would cease to exist, and the surface would be surrendered to the ice and to the Blood Lords. Pyromancy is also what lights the roads Below, preserving that civilisation and ensuring that it does not tumble into anarchy, and it has been wielded as a weapon against corruption for decades. Those that study the flame do so in full knowledge of their fate; they will eventually become flame themselves. The fire gradually consumes those who wield it, but it is a future many are willing to accept. Necromancy’s place within the Black Fort remains controversial. For an age, the study of the art of death was forbidden. When the prohibition was eventually relaxed, those who practiced the art did so under strict guidelines, demanding that the art only be used for the healing of others. This led to extraordinary advancements in medicine, with Necromancers able to perform miraculous surgical operations,

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including the reattachment of severed limbs and the resurrection of the dead. These activities fell within the areas of permitted study, but the experimental processes used to achieve the ideal magical method were far less salubrious. Many Necromancers within the Black Fort kept corpses which they continually killed and reanimated, trying each time to restore the dead to full life, rather than to a state of shambling movement. Other experiments were conducted on those whose brains had deteriorated to the point that they were mindless slaves to the Necromancer. When discovered, such practices were violently repressed, though rumours insist that such practices continue today. These same rumours make claims about other directions the Necromancers explored, and there are tales recounted by refugees who reach the City of golems, prowling the night attacking livestock and person alike. There are even accusations of the use of recovered Elvish texts to guide magical research, though the Mages angrily refute such insinuations.

Novices

Every year dozens of men and women, boys and girls attempt to earn the rank of novice in order to join the Mages and enter the walls of the Black Fort to study the various forms of magic taught there. Some of these

do indeed become novices, some are sent away, and others are never heard from again. The role of a novice is hard and can take many years before they become recognised as a fully fledged mage of the particular art they are instructed in. Study within the Black Fort covers a multitude of skills including the healing arts, alchemy, academia and history. Novices are encouraged to see the world and experience the threats it offers, this is a dangerous instruction to enforce as many novices have died in the wastes, but many mages in the Black Fort believe that it is necessary to understand the dangers of magic.

claim that the Mages twisted Elven sorcery to act against itself which is how those created by the elves cannot cross. The Black Order checks on the spires during their patrols as often they have been attacked in order to push them over and quench the flames in ice or have been daubed with blasphemous text in an attempt to nullify the magic’s within. But the magic’s are woven tight, with threads like a web criss-crossing each one, and nothing will extinguish the flame of a Pyromancers heart.

The Sun Spires

Created by the Pyromancers of the Black Fort these spires keep the ice at bay and allow the Last city to grow food and the many refugees to build shelters outside the city walls. It is said that twelve pyromancers gave up their lives to build the spires and that their burning hearts lie at the centre of each one. The Spires also have sorceries etched into their structure which repels abnormalities from crossing the border of ice, these dark powers are ancient and are said to be the words created by the giants, others

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The Pale Lands Between the border of the lands surrounding the Last City and the Ash Lands in the south lies hundreds of miles of ice and snow, dead forests and ruined cities. These lands are hazardous in so many ways it is hard to pinpoint one above the other, but if the cold, starvation, or dehydration doesn’t kill you the bandits, corrupted wild beasts, cultists and abominations to name a few surely will.

High levels of the Warriors Guild are where those that aspire to be Relic Knights can be found though the road to such a claim can be long and dangerous.

Cults and Threats

The wasteland beyond the Last City is a land of danger; wild beasts hunt the forests and snow plains, abominations hide in the dark places, bandits and slavers make life hard for travellers and those trying to survive in the wastes. When the Blood Lords rose, many saw them as new gods, created in the image of those deities long dead. The power and ferocity with which the Blood Lords forged themselves, fiefdoms quickly drew believers, who saw, in their new masters, salvation. And, where there is a belief, there is someone to take advantage of it. Cults dedicated to the Blood Lords quickly sprang to ugly life. The cults themselves are brutal things, predicated on a ruthless commitment to their respective Blood Lord and the infliction of punishment on any who do not believe. The Cults have spread, plague-like, throughout the world. Some have claimed old cities as primitive houses of worship. Others have made their temples beneath the granite like bones of dead Giants. For many, the Cults of the Blood Lords pose the biggest threat to those travelling the wastes. A bandit simply robs you. A cultist robs you and then forces you to join the cult or have your heart cut from your chest. The fighting pits in the west are a huge sacrificial ceremony to the Blood Lords, where many unwary travellers have found themselves facing a beast or abomination for the delight of the ravening masses. In the arena, champions of each Blood Lord compete to prove themselves the strongest and their Lord the most powerful in an orgy of violence.

The Relic Knights

As the Black Iron fell, in screaming shreds from the sky, the armies of man died in their thousands. These killing fields are all now covered by snow. Those who rode forth against the Elves are commemorated in

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endless songs, poems, and paintings. The little joy left to those who inhabit the slums of the Last City, or congregate in the Land Below, are the stories of the Knightly Orders. The greatest and most terrible of mankind’s warriors. Always in the vanguard when battle was joined, none survived the Elves’ final trick. There were only corpses to attest to their valour and, soon after, these two vanished beneath the endlessly falling snow. And so, they wait, encased in ice. The order of the Relic Knights began with the belief that the return of the Orders was the only means by which mankind could be saved. Those who wish to become a Relic Knight must search the battlefields of the past, digging through the snow to find the bodies of their forebears and take from them their armour. Once a complete suit of knight’s armour has been assembled, the owner is ready to be inducted into the Order. Though small, the Relic Knights are widely loved and supported; few of them pay for food or struggle to find accommodation, so long as they are seen to conduct themselves as Knights should. Such behaviour — protecting the weak, warring against tyranny, offering mercy — is unconducive to a long life, after all, and those who follow such codes are to be rewarded. There are many that believe the knights have long gone and should be left in peace beneath the snow, that those that seek out to revive the order are deluded or in some way corrupted. That these so-called Relic Knights are mere shadows of what was and that those that rummage in the ice seeking the armour of the dead are not only stealing but committing sacrilege. But to enter a battlefield and risk the danger of the carrion eaters and the abominations that wander those dark places in order to revive a once honourable order is seen by many as bravery itself tempered with a sense of justice and conviction that should be respected.

The Remnant

The Remnant are an anomaly, totally alien and able to speak and exert powerful control, via telepathy. They have never explained their sudden appearance or their motivation, yet without the knowledge and guidance they provide, mankind would almost certainly be extinct. Were the Remnant disturbed by the Elvish madness, awoken from some aeons long slumber by the

falling Black Iron? Those few who have confronted the Remnant with sword and flame scream that the Remnants are memories of mankind’s sins incarnated to punish us. Others, those who have spent long hours studying the surviving ancient tomes have a radically different thesis. The Remnant are watchers, guardians, placed in the earth by the long dead gods, to preserve humanity and keep the darkness at bay. They are said to be ancient and all knowing, guardians of those that came from the fall. It is unknown how the Remnant sustains themselves, but many have claimed it is from the dreams and thoughts of men, but access to their power offers so much, even this is acceptable. It is said that there are six Remnants. The one that resides within the grand library is unique, living on the thoughts and dreams of the librarians. The librarians claim it is, for this reason, they are able to commune with it, their energy does not infuse and sustain it but instead act as a catalyst, awakening some other form of being within the Remnant itself. It is also said that another Remnant resides within the chambers of the council, although this has never been proven; the fact that almost no successful assassinations have ever been carried out against any member of the council does, however, indicate some measure of protection for its members. A third is placed in the city below. A fourth is said to have been aboard a ship when the ice arrived, consuming the sea and that both the Remnant and the ship that bore it, lie lost on the ocean of tears, trapped in frozen waters. The fifth and sixth are lost, but alive their life force is felt by the known Remnant, within the Library. The Library, with the assistance of the Council, has sent a number of expeditions to recover these lost creatures who may prove pivotal to man’s survival, but without success. The Remnant are presumed to have their own agents, who act on their behalf directly. While few truly know this to be the case, most assume it must be. And they are right. Called the Malice, the Remnant selects their pawns from among the Chimeer and those corrupted by darkness. Why they choose such broken and degenerate beings to pursue the Remnants goals is unknown; speculation amongst those few sufficiently well-informed to recognise the Remnants plans presume it is dictated by some strange, alien sense of pity or they are simply easier to control. The Remnant never speaks of the Malice, but continue to send their agents on deadly missions, to find tokens and talisman of the world before, or to spy on cities under the sway of the Blood Lords. The Malice allows the Remnant to stretch forth across the land, pursuing their increasingly obscure goals.

The Known Cities of the Pale

With the Black Iron came destruction and the loss of knowledge. Some of this knowledge included the maps that were held in noble houses of the known lands and the cities that could be found there. For many, these maps were invaluable, but to others, they were a fancy, an indulgence of the wealthy, and all they knew were the roads and the direction to travel in. Now with the ice and snow, even these are not reliable. Those that choose to travel beyond the protection of the city and the Sun Spires enter a wasteland without form; the snow has covered most roads and landmarks less than the size of a town or city have become buried. Road markers are lost, and roadside taverns deserted or torn down. Travellers are asked to keep records of their travels and to mark locations of cities or even features of the landscape that can aid other travellers to navigate their way, and maps of this kind are highly prized by the Grand Library and others. What follows is a list of cities that are known and a rough location of where they can be found along with any landmarks that will be seen nearby.

Varsara – City of Sails

The city had the largest harbour on the Eastern coast and was a bustling merchant city before the fall, now it stands desolate and ice bound. The harbour is a graveyard of rotted hulls and broken masts, caught in the frozen waters. Inhabited by the ice tribes who guard the city against the Reavers further out who worship the Blood Lord Barston.

Study of the Remnant have revealed a few intresting theories, the first is that when the Black Iron fell it did not fall alone, that with it came life. This theory has led to the belief that the Remnant and the Blood Lords are linked, that they are two parts of a whole, that whole being whatever fell when the moon cracked. If this theory is correct then mankind are pawns in some war between whatever alien life infest the Remnant and the Blood Lords, a game of chess played out by godlike beings. This would explain the obsession each has with the Black Iron and why the Remnant are desperate to find its missing Brethren.

Location – Eastern Shore Distance from the Last City – 40 Leagues

Old Lighthouse

The lighthouse juts from an outreach of rock a few miles off the eastern coast. The lower levels encrusted in ice and the light that once guided ships to the harbour of Varsara now dark. Some say the lighthouse is occupied, that strange lights and sounds have been heard by the tribes as they hunt the frozen sea, many of whom see the old lighthouse as haunted.

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Lortumia – City of Chains

The twin city to Varsara and itself a bustling trade port, Lortumia became famous for its trade in slaves. The city was the scene of a major battle before the fall and the fields outside its gates are said to be littered with the dead. The elves trade in humans was a major factor behind the war that led to the long winter. The city is now home to the Blood Lord Laidon, and the trade in flesh continues.

Location – Eastern Shore Distance from the Last City – 90 Leagues

The Forest of Wrecks Those determined to continue to live in the Pale still fish the Ice lakes and sea. Drilling holes in the ice and dropping lines to catch the fish below, the fact that fish still thrive is a wonder to many and a sign of corruption to others.

The forest of wrecks stretches across the eastern shore, 10 leagues from the coastline, it moves up the coast and encompasses the Shackles and ends 10 leagues beyond the city of Lortumia. This is the home to pirates and reavers, killers and worshippers of Barston. When the war began, and the Black iron fell, many tried to flee via ship, and these met their fate facing tsunamis and ice.

Barche – City of Arenas

The city that held the grand arena that entertained the elves with gladiatorial battles, beast slaughter and various other cruelties. The city is now home to Xertin and his pallid; the arena’s still function as Xertin’s Worshippers scour the land for victims to be flung in the pits for the blood lords entertainment.

Location – Eastern Lands Distance from Last City - 120 Leagues

The Great Wood

In the west close to the mountains of the Dragons Tail is the Great Wood, once a vibrant forest used for hunting and the gathering of herbs. It is now poisoned and rotted, home to abominations and bandits.

Antria – City of Gems

For those that brave the Ash Plains, the first city they find will be Antria, built on trade from gem mining, Antria was once the wealthiest city in the land. Now the city is home to bandits and slavers who describe Antria as a free city, but it is far from free, gripped in the thrall of crime and corruption. Travellers can stay in the city, but they do so at their own risk, the city has laws, but these are very flexible and often ignored depending on the circumstances.

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There is trade in the cities, but this comes with a tax that must be paid and often prices items outside the reach or beyond that of other trade cities. To travel the Ash Plains, a visit to the city is a must if it is only for supplies to get you to your final destination.

Location – Southern Lands Distance from the Last City – 230 Leagues

Crimson Citadel

Called the Crimson Citadel for the amount of dead and dying that grace its walls, and can be found crucified along its many roads, the citadel is home to Axas, greatest of the Blood Lords.

The Dead Marsh

Where the ice begins to melt stands the dead marsh, 30 leagues of bog and swamp that stretches the boarder of the ash fields and acts as a natural border (warning) to all those travelling to the desert of dust beyond. The marsh is the domain of Nicran, lord of the Wight’s that infest this marsh.

The Holy City

The largest city and the second to fall during the war, the holy city was the hub of elven science and belief, and it was here that the black iron was summoned. Outside the walls is the league of the dead, a mass battlefield of corpses buried beneath the snow and ice. The area is filled with carrion, scavengers, corpse eaters and those that wish to take up the mantle of the Relic Knights. The city itself is said to be cursed, home to dark magic’s left unchecked, ghosts of the vile elves and huge sentries said to be formed by sorcery and the bones of those that died on the chirgeon slabs.

Distance from the Last City – 50 League

The Bone Field

South East of the last city can be found the field of bones, a vast graveyard of giants, now just bone. These granite-like protrusions have become the temples and bastions of strange cults and bandits. Deep within where the corruption is at it’s strongest is the cathedral to the flesh and home to the Blood Lord Kial. The abominations that serve the Blood Lord search amongst the bones for victims and ancient devices to aid the blood lord in his experiments.

Distance from the Last City – 90 Leagues

Vorne – City of Spires

The city began as a single tower, a construction of vanity by a wealthy elf, and it soon became a thousand. Also called the city without walls the people of Vorne lived in the clouds, or as close as they could. The spires connected by glass and steel that lit up with alchemical globes at night which could be seen for hundreds of leagues in all directions. Access was from glass boxes lifted by chains operated by slaves. The spires still stand, some of the bridges that connected one to another are broken or buckled, the glass boxes that once ascended the spire powered by the sweat of the oppressed now stand dormant and unusable. It is said that much wealth and knowledge lies unreachable far above, but as yet no one has managed to gain entry.

Distance from Last City – 30 Leagues

Landmarks & Places

The Pale is littered with old temples, ruined roadside Inns and villages and even small towns. Those exploring the Pale may also find Ranger huts, Bandit camps or even cultist covens. Travelling along the roads will bring its own dangers with slaver caravans, ambushes and even soldiers of the Blood Lords. Small forests, marshes and other natural dangers will be encountered, and as you travel closer to the sea, thin ice can often drop the unwary into an estuary or river bringing about death very quickly in the icy waters. Travelling the mountains is often safer in regards to some environmental threats, but there are many other dangers that will replace them, barbarian tribes, cannibals, wild animals and corrupted horrors stalk the cliffs and falling is a serious hazard.

The Land Below As the moon fractured and the land tore itself apart, many fled the surface for the ancient world below, home of the long dead dwarves. This was a perilous choice none had ventured into the Dwarf holds for a long time. No one knew what lurked in the darkness, and whether the potential death which awaited them in the Land Below was any better than the certain death which would come to them on the surface. Many were consumed by fell things in the unexplored passages beneath. More, however, survived and found the dwarven cities intact and magnificently built. The dwarves may have died thousands of years ago, but their cities remained, along with many of the unusual technologies created to secure them. The social order which had existed on the surface quickly imported itself to the Land Below; the first to establish themselves in the dwarven cities were the wealthy families, able to hire guards and workers, to create well defended and protected estates, cannibalising the existing architecture and using these positions of power to assert authority over those who elected to live nearby. Despite the decades spent by man in the Land Below, there are many dark places and tunnels still unexplored. Fear over the strange things which wait

and fester in the hidden regions of the Land Below has rendered the population increasingly insular and reserved. In the early years, regular expeditions through the tunnels were carried out. Now, almost no new ground is examined or explored. Instead, the defences of the cities are reinforced and perfected, with the dwarven technologies augmented. Tunnel spanning doors, moats and collapsible bridges prevent the unwanted from entering, and many are content to stay in the cities or to only walk the protected and illuminated routes, desperate to believe that nothing exists beyond the light.

The death of the Dwarves thousands of years earlier has never been verified and the only evidence of this is what was written in Elven documents. Noises heard by Vagrants from deep below ground may indicate that the Dwarves may still inhabit their cities.

Roads in the Darkness

The cities are linked by roadways, many of the cities have had these roads patrolled and lit with help from the Black Fort. The roads are still dangerous and travel from one city to the next can take days. Often, shorter routes are available but require the use of roads leading through crumbling passages, or places which the dwarves walled off. The roads are also home to the vagrant camps; even in the Land Below, there is not enough space for all to live in comfort. Those who fled the world above and were not part of a noble family or had nothing to offer their new rulers have been forced to subsist, as they can,

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within the labyrinth beneath the earth. These camps are typically set up in old dwarven mining complexes or way-stations. Many are off the roads and are at constant threat from the creatures that live deep in the caves and mines. These vagrants offer themselves as guides for those wishing to risk the quicker routes to the cities, exchanging their hard-won expertise for food. With little edible in the Land Below, food is always scarce for those who have no place in the cities. Such guides are however, rarely entirely reliable. Sometimes, their charge reaches their destination safely; sometimes, they enter the dark never to be seen again. A vagrant family often eats well on such days. The ruling families act unhindered by the laws of the Last City above and this has led to many criminal enterprises. Also small wars have broken out between cities in the past and this is more dangerous for the vagrants and travellers caught in the crossfire.

As a road gets closer to a city patrols will appear, gates and doors barring the way and requests must be made for the way to be opened. Each city has its different laws, and tolls for entry. Traders are usually known and possess a Merchants Guild license, allowing swift access. Messengers and explorers are usually hirelings, retained by a family, carrying their seal to show they have permission to pass. Obviously, depending on the city, possession of such a seal may be a hindrance as much as a boon. Most roads are well made and easy to travel on and in some areas taverns and inns have been set up; these are still rare but have begun to be more widespread as families do not want to seem less benevolent than others. Such rivalries run deep as the dwarven mines, dating back to the first years after the fall.

The Lost Cities

There are currently five occupied cities in the Land Below, each with a population in the hundreds of the thousands. The cities, being of dwarven build are strong but built for smaller people, which means that many of the doorways force people to duck in order to enter, that windows are lower than normal, and ceilings often have to be raised for comfort. A dwarven city is built like a fortress and utilises the stone around it, meaning that many are built into the very earth, with corridors, halls and whole areas going deep into the rock. Thermals from lava deep underground keep the cities temperate, and the little food which can be grown in the Land Below (or food suitable for humans, at least) is as a result of the climate which this heat enables. Most cities have farms dedicated to the production of edible fungi and moss, a few have even begun to experiment with the keeping of some livestock. Rivers can also be found stemming from natural mineral springs, and some of those are home to pale, blind fish which are, at least, edible.

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Trade exists between cities, but this remains subject to the whims of the ruling families; a careless word in a letter can result in all mercantile activity between two cities stopping immediately. A trader may carry their wares for days to only discover that there is now an embargo and they must return to where they came from. Trade with the Last City flows more freely between all the cities — in part because all the Cities Below rely on this trade equally, and in part, because the incurring the wrath of the Merchants Guild by denying their representative’s entrance and care would effectively constitute suicide for the city. Even the Merchants Guild has lost goods in the Land Below, to vagrants and to the shapeless things which hunker in the abyssal darkness.

The Ruling Families

Each city is controlled by a family and the laws within each location are determined by and passed down by that family. This system is frowned upon by the Council in the Last City, who dislike it for its inherent instability. For some on the council, the Land Below might as well be ruled by crime gangs — fitting, some might say, for the underworld. Each city is named for the family who controls it, and any who bear that name are treated as effective royalty — which in many ways, they are. The true dwarven names of the Dwarven cities have either become lost or indecipherable.

Dresen – The Holy City

Dresen was once a city of Dwarven gods, a place of knowledge and harmony. Its fountains were arranged to create exquisite melodies, in the sacred musical language of the Dwarves; its temples stretched everywhere in perfect alignment, honeycomb structures of sacred geometric infallibility. Now it is overcrowded, noisy and home to the Sisters of Stone nunnery. Dresen is the northern most city and was discovered by Taris Dresen, a trader and merchant.

Paxtim – The City of Coals.

Once the hub of the dwarven forges, its soot blackened walls are now home to 40,000 survivors. The city is considered the capital of the crime families as it was discovered and first occupied by the Paxtimian clan, founders of the Grey Rat Thieves Guild. Claims by the descendants that the family now only deal in legitimate business is considered, by most, to be a joke and recounting it, with a straight face, is the most certain way of getting a laugh in Paxtim. Paxtim lies to the east and was the most recent city to be discovered and claimed. Some rumours insist that it was first discovered by vagrants, who attempted to render the

Cults

conurbation a haven for the dispossessed and broken. Instead, they were forced to divulge its location.

Karalk – The Great Gate

Less of a city and more a fortress built to hold back something now entirely forgotten, this dwarven bastion was the first of the cities to be discovered. Its vast towers and gate lead downwards, down to the deepest of the dwarven territories and all must pass beneath its walls in order to reach the other cities. This places the city of Karalk in a position of power as it controls the flow of trade into the below. Carefully suppressed whispers state that something still lurks in the tunnels near Karalk, waiting to return to the surface.

Kazadim – City of Iron

Many Scavengers are secret members of the Seekers and will offer there more valuable and old finds to the ‘cult’. This has pushed the knowledge of the seekers into strange directions which they guard from any outsiders.

The ancient dwarven city of kings can be found to the west of the great road; its iron towers reach up to touch the roof of an enormous cavern, bridges link together vast stalactites hanging from the ceiling, leading to curving staircases and walkways eventually leading back to the city below. The city is home to the grand palace of the last dwarven king, a building that has managed to thwart all attempts to enter it. Huge iron doors locked by mechanisms, entirely unfathomable to the new occupants of the city, bar the way into the palace, but speculation of what wonders and treasures must lie within keep the workers and the thieves guild occupied with attempts to unlock the secrets.

Beremholme – City of Bridges

To the southeast stands Beremholme — once a great mining city. Beyond its southern borders lie the gateways to dozens of mines, through which metal tracks snake their way deep underground. Many of these gateways have been barred or locked up, some by the original occupants and others by the recent occupiers. The city itself is criss-crossed with underground rivers created by a number of natural springs. It is said that the rivers eventually end at a vast underground lake but as of, yet no one has found it. Elaborate iron bridges cross the rivers connecting the different wards of the city, many with the iron tracks found at the mines. It is believed that the tracks once led to all the cities and may lead to many more if only they could follow the tracks for long enough.

Though not as numerous as on the surface, there are a number of hidden cults conducting their pernicious work in the Land Below. These are relatively small and hold little power within the cities themselves, where the ruling families deal with them quickly and viciously. Beyond the gates, on the roads and in the dark, however, the cults thrive. The wretched state in which many vagabonds are forced to live makes them an ideal breeding ground for the Cults, who use their desperation to secure loyalty. Many believe the Cults infiltrate the Land Below in search of old sorcery or clues to replicating the technology of the Dwarfs. Others assert that the elves crawled up to the surface from the Below and that the Cults seek to breed new elves or to make themselves in the elves image. Whatever the truth, the threat from the cults continues to grow, as they traverse the darkness and head deeper into the Below, who knows what they will find?

Seekers of the Long Dead

As the cities settled and life ‘normalised’ deep underground many became curious of who built these cities and many academics and students began to examine the murals, the writings and architecture of the old dwarves. This led to discovery of secret doors that there was no obvious ways to open, strange mechanisms that seemed to have no purpose and the discovery of paintings that told of an advanced race of builders and inventors who had developed new life from the iron and stone they mined. These discoveries created a movement of scholars determined to find out everything they could, but the risks were high and very soon after a number of deaths the families outlawed the pursuit of knowledge outside the gates of the city, for safety reasons. This law pushed the movement into the shadows and soon it was branded a cult by many as the members were fanatical. Hiring dubious Vagrants that often ended in robbery or in some cases injury and death the members would travel deep into the old mines or dark roads as yet unexplored, in the hope to find marvels, artefacts and documents of this presumed dead race. Many expeditions never returned but those that did spoke of the noises of metal upon metal, forges still burning and more cities full of wonders, of course this could all be lies to justify their beliefs, but who knows.

The Seed

Many have heard the tales that the Elves were born of the ancient giants and that the roots of the trees fed on the magic and blood of fallen giants and from this

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spawned the elves, though many believe these were just lies told by elves in order to power some fantasy of dominance the tales persist and some who prospered or loved their elven masters no matter the cruelty they endured believe them fully and hope to bring about the time of the elves again.

of the Deep Church. Many suspect that the families have learnt a lot about dwarf skills from the Church, whose dedicates spend much of their time studying the ancient books of the dead race, supporting their faith through the wealth earned from the family’s patronage.

The seed are a cult of worshippers that hope to bring about the elves return to the world mainly through finding the very roots that birthed them and reigniting that spark. The Seed search the dark places for arcane magic’s and secrets left by the elves. This is often a fruitless endeavour and many of the cult have now gone missing or were found dead. The cults number have diminished so now only the true believers continue the search and these are often insane and rambling shells of humanity, denied entry into city or camp alike.

The Church has recently begun to hire explorers, sending those brave enough out to tackle the dark pathways leading deeper into the earth, all in the hunt for more knowledge and other dwarven artefacts.

The Banished

The Black Fort is not free of troubles and many mages, mainly from the Necromancy school have strode from the path and the laws of the Last City and the Mages guild itself. Experiments outlawed by common decency, the study of ancient magic’s that are declared banned or the inflicting of corruptions upon the innocent however low on societies ladder they stand are all illegal and those that are caught are often banished to the land beyond the spires, but some come back and travel the below. These Banished Mages seek out scrolls and knowledge of the past deep below, in the hopes to find where the elves first formed their arcane lore’s. It is believed that enclaves and covens have been formed, dark places in ancient underground ruins where the nefarious and heinous experiments and studies of the elves can continue, a place of torture and the forming of abominations from flesh and iron that send the echoes of screams even to the cities above. Both the Black Fort and the Families have vowed to seek out and destroy these sanctuaries of death and the Mages that form them, but this has been with little success.

Faith

Some below have adopted the religion of the Dwarves, worshipping the stone and marvelling in the architecture that inspired the worship. These people are considered harmless, and some cities have even allowed the order places to hold their ceremonies and religious teachings, ultimately resulting in the creation

Sisters of Stone

When the city of Dresen was discovered, it was evident it had been a holy place of the dwarves. The centre of the city consisted solely of an enormous stone temple. Surrounding it were hundreds of intricately carved statues, of dwarven heroes or gods, standing watch around the temple perimeter. Within, the walls were adorned with paintings and mosaics of battles and holy ceremonies. Many scholars believe the whole history of the dwarves is etched upon the walls, though dwarven script remains indecipherable. The temple was soon occupied by a holy order declaring itself the Sisters of Stone; the sisters converted the temple into a kind of nunnery. Young girls are taught to read and write, schooled in the history of mankind and given the skills they need to serve as healers and teachers.

Many have wondered if there is any connection between the more respected Deep Church and the Seekers, though no connection has been found similarities do exist.

Though the ruling families state they actively condemn and seek out signs of rogue mages many believe that a few of the families have offered deals in return of magical ‘favours’ and have been known to overlook or turn a blind eye to The Banisheds activities.

The sisters also learn other skills, and, it is for these alternative teachings that the temple has now become famous. Most of the temple has been converted into vast training halls and alchemical laboratories. Here the sisters are schooled in the way of the blade and the explosion, the bow and the use of poison, deception and shadow, warfare and butchery. The Sisters of Stone are reckoned the most potent fighting force in the Land Below and many from the Last City and beyond send their daughters to be taught at the temple. It is said that there are other branches of the sisterhood, spread throughout the world, though they remain entirely secret. Only those few who have become true initiates are taught their locations and how to enter them.

Threats

Many things scurry in the dark in the tunnels and roads uncharted by those that now live below. Secret paths into cities are often utilised by smugglers and assassins, but these paths are fraught with danger, and many rely on the knowledge and guild trust of the Vagrants that live in the dark places.

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When the elves destroyed the dwarves and looted what cities they could, it is said that they sent expeditions into the deeper mines to discover if any dwarves had survived. The expeditions mostly failed, but those that did survive spoke of cities and wonders not seen before, of vast libraries of knowledge and treasures that filled vaults the size of small towns. Forges were seen fuelled by dragons which could form items of pure magic and bend the mightiest of ores to the smith’s will. Why the elves never explored these wonders are anyone’s guess, but many presume it is what they do not tell us that scared the elves and why so many expeditions failed. An aspect of the below that is not spoken of or even acknowledged by some are the deep rumblings heard by many emanating from deep within the earth. Also, the bizarre lights seen by vagrants and scavengers or the strange writings scrawled on walls, often in blood and always in the common tongue. These rumours are frowned upon and even dismissed by many, especially those that are at risk of losing the most if these rumours ever began to be taken seriously.

The Dispossessed

Living along the roads, within the old mining camps and outside the gates are those that have been denied access, the unwanted, the useless and the corrupted. The families have been harsh upon those they see as burdens or undesirable, removing them from the cities and any protection offered. Many would ask why these Vagrants just return to the Last City above, and many do but those that have discovered that the situation was not much better. Some went off into the Pale to meet their doom from the cold or by other means. As time passed, these unwanted created their own laws, designed positions for themselves as guides or thieves, killers and smugglers, anything that would allow them to survive. Also, some had families who needed shelter and food, and these were provided often from some feckless traveller or gullible trader. Life on the outside is harsh and many of those pushed to the edge have found ways to survive, ways often seen as criminal or against nature. The Silent Guild has attempted to monopolise on these unwanted vagrants recruiting many in a guild within a guild, a house of beggars if you will, this is denied by the masters of the Silent Guild and no evidence has proven it to be so, but the Guild is known to commit very little to paper and those that tell tales are often found hanging from bridges or dead in alleys. This recruitment has changed things and travel on the

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roads between the cities has become marginally safer, payments for guides has increased but this is a small price to pay for safety.

The Guilds

The Families hold most of the power below but the guilds do have some sway, the merchant guild organises food and other materials to be delivered to and from the cities and in the past disagreements have halted this until a amicable outcome was achieved, to many this showed that the merchant guild had power over the families but this belief was quickly crushed when many of the merchant guild top members were arrested by the city militias and ceasing deliveries were outlawed for the good of the people. One guild that has prospered even more than the Silent Guild has been the Explorers, a minor organisation in the Last City but below it has some standing. It is believed that this could be due to the fact that many believe that it is safer to explore the old roads and mines of the dwarves then the cities and ruins of the Pale, a belief that is unfounded and in many ways wrong, something that many scavengers and explorers have discovered too late. There is currently no power struggle between the families and the guilds but it is only a matter of time when it could happen, all it would take would be a discovery of something that disrupts the status quo or a shortage of food and materials that would place the control in either one or the others hands.

Mythic Artefacts

Throughout the ancient books studied by the mages and the librarians in the Last City, there has been mention of artefacts wielded by gods and ancient heroes, or elven sorcerers and Dwarven artisans. These treasures have become lost in time, but with the help of the Remnant, many may have been located, or a place found marking the artefacts last known location. Too many, including the Remnant, the finding of these ancient relics, could be the key to turning back the fall or the discovery of secrets buried centuries ago. Unbeknown to these scholars is the fact that the Blood Lords also seek these items and have sent their own agents to scour the ruins for clues to where they may be hidden, but for what purpose is unclear, also what is strange are reports of ghosts seen near the deserted cities and towers of the elves. The remnant stir and warn caution but when pressed, say no more.

Discovering an Artefact

Artefacts are rare and to be honest the only reason anyone knows they exist is from a few pages in old books, in fact there could be hundreds of these relics out there being overlooked or shoved in some box and no one knows. Mythic Artefacts are said to be once used by gods or heroes of renown, but like all thing’s history is not always accurate and relies on the perspective of the author, a hero or god to one person is often a villain or demon to another. The mythic artefacts listed here are those that are known of but there are many more and you should use the guidelines offered here when creating your artefacts. They should not be easy to find, not easy to wield by mere mortals and should often have a cost to owning. They be found broken or lacking any real power, what appears as a mighty sword in the books may be but a mere butter knife in reality, and of course these could just be works of fiction, children’s tales of adventure and mystery

Using Artefacts

The use of an artefact should be both unknown and dangerous; these items do not come with instructions, and any related nearby text will be in an unknown language. Attempting to use the item could result in injury or some other disaster or an actual success. It is suggested that you apply a target number of at least 10 to the use of the item without knowledge with fumbles leading to serious negative results. Characters will need to use Arcane or Lore to attempt to use the item. To gain instruction in the use of an item will involve a journey to the Black Fort or to a Remnant or some other scholar of the ancient world.

2d6 Artefact State 2-5

Artefact is dusty but seems to emanate power, which appears to twist and simmer the air around it

6-11 Artefact seems dormant and shows no sign of being in any way powerful. 12

Artefact is broken in some way.

Artefact Locations

The locations mentioned in the text is the last location the artefact was seen and so that does not mean they will be there still, but maybe a clue to where they were moved to or maybe hearsay of such an item being seen elsewhere could be a clue to another location. This will make finally getting to find one of these relics a challenge and be part of a more extensive campaign. The creator and wielders of these artefacts were cunning and creative so secret doors, traps, magic and other challenges can be included, dark ancient arcane sorceries can be woven around a location in order to protect or hide the relic.

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The Blade of the Archmage

Forged from steel and tempered with the blood of the dwarves, this elven blade was created as a gift for the Archmage Daelias for his work conquering the dwarven capital of Fenkos and halting the defence of the lower tiers. The sword is said to be just over 3ft in length, the hilt made of dragon bone and wrapped in the cured skin of the king of Fenkos. At the centre of the cross guard sits the holy jewel taken from the king’s crown and said to be formed from the blood of the first of the dwarves. The sword itself is highly magical and absorbs energy from the blood of those that it cuts and transfers some of that to the wielder. The blade can slice through any material and the energy it absorbs adds to the blade’s strength and sharpness, making this a devastating weapon it the right hands. Also called Dwarf Bane as it is rumoured to be able to kill a dwarf in a single strike. Last known location: Vorne: Home of an Elf noble

Iron Crown of the Crow God

Krawn the God of Crows was gifted the crown from the master of the god forge Towat Yagin to reward the god for his destruction of the twin giants Vog and Xerta, it is said that the crown is forged from the iron derived from the twin giants blood, and that within the crown the hearts of Vog and Xerta still beat. The crown is said to make the wearer immune to mind attacks and to bless them with mental powers beyond that of mortal and god alike. It is claimed that the crown has regeneration powers and that Krawn still lives but is asleep being kept sustained by the power of the crown. Last known location: The Holy City

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Crowders Axe The axe of Crowder Elf slayer last hero of the Dwarves, crafted by Kaerdin Gato and blessed by the rune smiths of the last dwarven city. Crowder held the gates of Fenkos for 30 days and nights and is said to have killed so many elves the pile of corpses he stood upon lifted the dwarf above the walls of the city.

The axe called Elf Bane and Earth Shaker is known to send a wave of pure energy that would strike those 100ft from the wielder of the axe, it can cut through multiple foes and heal the wounds of the user. It is also claimed that the axe was melted down and used to forge the Blade gifted to the Archmage Daelias, but these rumours are unfounded.

Last known location: Lortumia: Grand Cathedral

Bow of the Sun

Formed from the rays of the sun by the god Herrick to kill the giant champion Bandoro during the battle of the Dragons, it is said that the velocity of the arrow caused earthquakes that formed the Dragon Tail mountains. The Bow is of simple wood but is endowed with the power to create magical arrows as hot as the sun that will burn through any substance they pierce, and that the bows range is infinite. The stories claim that Herrick need only whisper the name of his foe to the bow and the arrow it launched would seek them out no matter where they hid. Last known location: Unknown

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Long Reach of the Daur Wielded by the elven skirmisher Lorjen Ferrik during the conquering of the he would often make references to cutting down humans like they cut their sways’. The pole axe was forged in the dying embers of the great fire dwarven capital city and burnt to death 3000 dwarven women and the dwarfs. It is said that the pole axe screams as it cuts and gathers transferring the essence of its victims to the wielder the body and to enhance the magical capabilities, as more the pole axe kills the more the wielder can

the souls of those harvested imbuing them with power both to heal well as to give strength and endurance, the kill.

Last know location: Antria

Visage of the Daur Worn by the dwarven assassin Herik Kranork to enter the palace of the elven lord Yelon Faressian and assassinate him, the mission was a success and considered the first great blow against the elven destroyers. Herik was hunted down by elven rangers and executed, his body nailed up on the great road as a warning to others, it is said that magic kept the Herik’s corpse repeating the elven phrase ‘Sada Daur usan ur torajak’ which translates to Our Elven Masters are Merciful. The mask is said to make you appear in every way like your target and was created specifically for the purpose of the Elven Lord, which many believe means that it can only take on the appearance of elves. The Sisters of Stone have offered a sizable reward to anyone that finds the artefact. Last known location: Holy City

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surface realm wheat ‘in great that destroyed the children, the last of

Iron Shaper Given by the gods to the dwarven craftsman crafting of the weapons of the gods. The weapons in the destruction of the giants.

Kaerdin Gato as a gift and to aid him on the and armour crafted by Kaerdin were paramount

This simple hammer looks like any other except KG inscribed in the haft. The hammer allows and items and it is believed that many of the

for a small mark of a horseshoe and the initials the wielder to craft magically powerful weapons artefacts were created using iron Shaper.

Last known location: Unknown

Towat’s Fists Master of the God Forge and strongest of the gods, he built is said to have taught the brawling and fist fighting fights disguised as a humble unfair as who could beat a god eventually this irked him, he needed These unassuming leather gloves give the endurance allowing the wearer to fight harder toughness and coordination of the wearer. These to beat Towat by Towat himself and legend has it from the sand circle he vowed never to fight

quartermaster of the armoury Towat was the many of the weapons and armour they wore and dwarves his secrets. Towat was also a lover of and was known to enter many dwarven prize blacksmith. Many would consider this and it is true Towat rarely lost a fight, and a challenge so he crafter Towats Fists. wearer an increase in strength and and longer, they also increase the were given to the only person that as Towat was knocked again.

Last known location: Barche

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Cloak of Gallows Once worn by the Executioner Valis, who dealt with those that the gods condemned to die the cloak was designed to not only disguise the executioner’s true identity but also to give him the strength to strike true and with a single blow. The cloak is made from silk and a fine mesh of an unknown metal all woven together with the hair of Loranda the most beautiful of all the gods. The cloak changes the appearance or cloaks the appearance of the wearer and increases the wearers strength. Last Known Location: Unknown

Blood Gem A fine silver necklace that holds a red gemstone, it is said this piece of jewellery was the final item ever created by the last master crafter of the dwarves before being killed by the elven hero Jarith Torrel. Jarith presented the item to his bride to be on their wedding day and the day before the elven armies entered the surface world for the first time. The gem is said to hold the soul of the ancient dwarven craftsman and will enhance the abilities of the wearer as well as allow them to know the secrets of crafting held by that ancient master. Last Known Location: Crimson Citadel

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The Blood Lords After the fall and the long winter began many of those that had fled to the Last City to avoid the destruction began to make their way back to their homes in the hope to rebuild, thinking that the cold and storms would eventually diminish and life would return to normal. What they discovered was a new horror in the form of the Blood Lords, these demons had taken up residence in the abandoned cities and began to gather disciples to their cause, and it quickly became clear that returning home was not an option.

Who are they?

No one is really sure who the Blood Lords were, some claim they are elves left behind and effected by the very magic they used to corrupt and destroy the land, others believe they escaped the Shackles and were experiments there, humans twisted by arcane chirurgeons. Many rumours and theories exist, what is unquestionable is that before the fall the Blood Lords did not exist. The Blood Lords seem connected, they recognise each other’s authority and no conflict over land or cities have been heard of, they each rule the land they seem built for, almost as if this has been planned. This knowledge of the Blood Lords connection has sparked many of the rumours that this was the last act of the elves to continue to control even after they fled. What is known is that they appeared after the fall and the Black Iron froze the land and this makes many of those that worship the Blood Lords claim they are gods, knocked from their thrones in the heavens and who now rule from their earthly thrones.

regarding the Blood Lords they are vague, but some mages have mentioned that it seems uncanny that when the Remnant discover or request that a relic be found that the Blood Lords also seem interested in that exact same relic, is there a link between the two? The other connection is that both the Remnant and the Blood Lords appeared after the fall, what does this mean?

Should you face them?

To face a Blood Lord is death and discussion on the subject has concluded that it is wiser to whittle away at a lords power, cut off the head of the snake, because it is the disciples of the Blood Lords where their power rests, or so it is believed. It is from the Remnant that most knowledge of the Blood Lords come and from the interrogation and torture of the cult members. The Remnant are vague stating that taking away the source of power in the form of disciples who sacrifice offerings, seek out the relics and protect the cities will be the way to strike back, some Mages of the Black Fort have claimed that this makes us no better than the corrupted as are we not just killing those controlled by evil, and hence being controlled ourselves by what we presume are benevolent beings, the Remnant.

The instructions from the Remnant on how to deal with the Blood Lords has been seen as further proof that what is in fact happening is a power struggle between the two, and the fact that six Blood Lords exist and it is believed that an equal number of Remnant exist indicates a connection.

Whatever your belief or reason facing a Blood Lord will bring corruption, insanity and death and it is advised that you avoid at all cost.

What do they want?

Power seems to be the obvious answer but power through fear as many that have faced them have died, they seem to send corruption out and those affected return as disciples to their lord. But, there is a method to their madness and an agenda, the Blood Lords seem intrigued by past artefacts and have sent out their disciples, cults and killers to seek out the lost relics of the past, they also seem determined to continue the depraved experiments of the elves and many of the lords have a good grasp of arcane magic beyond that of the Black Fort. There has been talk of a connection between the Blood Lords and the Remnant, neither has made a move against the other and if the Remnant are questioned

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Axas - The Lord of Blood & Vein

Axas is the cruellest of the Lords and is known for the gifting blood magic to his priests. He is said to reside within the Crimson Citadel, 80 leagues to the south of the Last City. Those who have been unfortunate to stumble onto the single road that leads to that dreaded place whisper that the Citadel’s walls are covered with freshly crucified sacrifices to Axas, flayed and perpetually suspended in some kind of vile unlife. Even as crows pluck their eyes from their sockets, or flies lay eggs in exposed strands of muscle, they scream Axas’ name, over and over again from ruined throats.

Followers

The Citadel itself was once the home to an elven mage renowned for his experiments and construction of horrors formed from flesh. It is believed that the citadel fell along with the Black Iron as many claimed to have seen the place sundered by a piece ‘as big as a hut’, evidently this was untrue.

The sickly smell of burnt flesh follows the worshippers as they travel as many carry and wave censers containing human flesh and hair or have them hanging from carts. They carry knives and razor-sharp sickles, which are used to attack and skin their victims. Most wear robes or armours made of cured skins (often human).

GM Note

Approaching the Citadel is very dangerous and will lead to attacks from both abominations and worshippers of the blood lord. Reaching the citadel and entering its walls will place the characters in a situation of dire danger, facing Axas will lead to either insanity or death.

Description

The Lord of Blood and Vein, High King over all the other Blood Lords, Axas is said to be elven in appearance, though others insist he is a corpse reanimated, strips of flesh hanging from ruined features. Of course, both may be true. It is known that he walks the land where death lays, feeding off the blood of the slain, drawing it towards him in great crimson ribbons. He demands blood sacrifice, and his followers happily oblige, stabbing, skinning and slicing their victims with tainted blades, pledged to the Blood Lord. Wherever he appears, and whatever visage he wears, veinlike appendages extrude from his arms, moving with sinister intelligence, seeking out the freshly dead to drain.

The worshippers of Axas are a craven people often drinking the blood of their victims or eating the flesh. They travel the wastes in flocks preaching to towns and travellers alike, demanding a tithe or sacrifice to the Blood Lord, falling upon any who deny them in a frenzy of murder and slashing. Often, they are said to wear the faces of those they have killed or of a fallen comrade as a homage to them, and many a traveller has been found dead upon the road their face removed, and the Sigil of Axas burned into their flesh.

GM Note

Travelling worshipper bands are easy to avoid as the smell, and their chanting is often heard before they are seen. Roads where crucified remains or smoking pyres often indicate a route travelled by the worshippers of Axas. Closer to the citadel settlements will be forced to hand over crops and livestock to feed those within the citadel’s walls, with the threat of taking children or settlers if the demand is not met. Many of the people who live within these settlements are underfed, mutilated or branded as a warning to others.

To Face Him

Axas is a sorcerer and master of Blood Magic; he is surrounded by his devoted followers and an aura of corruption which is able to turn most who set eyes upon him insane. Facing Axas is folly but it is believed that he controls all other Blood Lords in the Pale, so face him one day you must.

Few have seen Axas and survived leading many to believe that the Blood Lord does not exist or is a story told to scare people away, but these are lies told to those with no intent on leaving the relative safety of the last city. Many hunters have witnessed the worshippers and seen the aftermath of their rituals, and some even claim they have seen the citadel itself.

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Barston - Lord of Salt and Rust The forest of Wrecks which lies ten leagues from the western coast and includes the shackle isles is home to Barston and his reavers. The bones of their victims hang from the broken masts of ships frozen into the ice around them. The Shackle Isles was once home to pirates before the elves forced them out and turned the islands and into a charnel house of dark surgeries. The war and the subsequent invasion of the shackles turned many of the villages on the isles into ruins, but some believe that this is where Barston calls home, in one of the many abandoned castles on the islands.

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GM Note

The western coast is still home to many small fishing villages struggling to survive, many of these ‘Ice Tribes’ have no connection to Barston and cast a wary eye towards the Forest of Wrecks. But further off the coast it soon becomes clear that corruption spreads beneath the ice, and no friendly locals will be seen.

Description

The Herald of the Blood Lords, the agent of their coming, Barston is the Lord of Salt and Bone. It is said that Barston was once a Pirate captain and scourge of the waters around the Pale Lands and

Followers

The seas around the pale lands are littered with the wrecks of ships frozen to a standstill, and here, amidst these wrecks jutting forth from pack ice, Barton’s followers hide and wait. Pirates, Raiders, reavers and wreckers — all worship and align themselves with the Lord of the Preserved Dead, dragging their victims out from the shore and hunting them through the maze of split-open wooden hulls and toppled masts. Once they are caught, as they inevitably are, the victims have their throats slit, and their bodies packed into salt. Over time, the withered flesh is removed from their bones, perfectly preserved by the salt. The meat is eaten in tribute to the Salt Lord, and the bones are suspended from the masts above the dozens of ruined ships. To many of the ice tribes, Barston is the fish god that exists in the legends and myths, and these have continued to worship him as such. Barston relentlessly drives his followers on to attack travellers and traders, a lord of pirates and reavers would be amiss if he did not.

GM Note

Many of the Ice Tribes became corrupted and fell under the sway of Barston; these are recognisable by the totems of human bones they wear, the signs of corruption and the often-filed teeth. From a distance, they are indiscernible from the normal Ice Tribe’s, carved fish holes in the ice or attacking seals and other creatures that roam the ice.

To Face Him

Barston sits upon a throne of crabs and barnacles deep inside a rusting, rotting hulk. Like most of the other Blood Lords, his appearance causes discomfort and fear. A stench of decay and rotted fish emanates from his skin and blood is tinged with bacteria. that his ship was struck by a piece of the Black Iron causing it to sink. From the wreckage, he crawled changed, twisted bearing the marks of corruption. He was hailed as the fish king and lord of the oceans by the ice tribes and those that lived their lives on the sea; he quickly gathered followers whom he twisted to his insane whims. Barston is believed to be the first Blood Lord to appear, and his preachings foretold the others, some say that the words of Barston gave form to the corruption which whence came to the likes of Axas and Xertin. He has since been known as the Herald. Due to Barstons appearance on the Shackles, many have presumed that he is, in fact, a Ghul, but one that went terribly wrong as it seems that his merging was with a crab or Lobster.

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Kial - The Lord Chirurgeon The great granite like bones of giants protrudes from the snow for as far as the eye can see. These vast monuments to dead gods are now home to the abominations, skull temples of corruption and death and rib cages of chirurgey and melding. Walls created by pelvis and clavicle surround the cathedral in the centre of this vast field. This is the home to the Blood Lord Kial.

Description

It is said that Kial lived on the Shackles, performing ancient chirurgie’s on the people sent there and that he was instrumental in the techniques of melding species together which eventually formed the Chimeers. His work was noticed by the Elven high lords, which led to him being transferred to the Holy City to continue his work there, among the elite of Elven sorcerers and chirurgeons. When the war came to the city, Kial was deep in its bowels amongst the screams and smells of torture and progress, and was unaware that the human armies stood at the gates and assaulted the walls of the city above. It was the thunderclap of raw magic that finally alerted him enough to raise his head from the abomination he was creating upon his table. This sound of a thousand realms tearing and the subsequent cracking of the cities stone, made Kial leave the caverns and cells and venture upwards to the surface, in time to see the Black Iron fall. From there time stands still as nothing was written in ink or blood, and the world changed forever. It was amongst the bones of the fallen gods, the giant’s graveyard as it had become known, that whispers of a Blood Lord with skills of a Chirurgeon began to be heard. They passed from ear to ear and tribe to tribe until eventually the Remnant in the Grand Library of the last city shuddered and declared the birth of a new threat. The malice was sent to see. Hunters watched from the hills above, and the people wondered if the spires would be enough, before going about their day.

blackened the ice around itself with corruption and rancid blood. The screams of the tortured of whatever dark sorceries are performed in that foul place fill the air, a cacophony of suffering, pleasure, chanting and pain. Kial himself is said to be truly twisted, a mass of corrupted flesh that has melded and grown into tumours and cists, a rotting mass of disease erupting with feelers and tentacles that writhe and exude purple globules of sweet-smelling sludge. Below this is still the form of the man he was, still dressed as a Chirurgeon the only clue to who he truly was.

Followers

Those that follow or worship the Blood Lord are twisted by his promises of immortality or physical improvement; they hunt down any that stray to close to the Giants’ bones and drag them to the cathedral for experimentation. The more worthy of the followers eventually become the abominations that now scour the lands spreading corruption and death. It is not clear whether the Order of Bones has any connection to Kial and his followers, as they do share an interest in the bones of dead giants. Some believe that the Order of Bones is a front or an acceptable public face for the Lord of Corruption which allows him access to the Last City and Below, but this has never been proven.

To Face Him

To see the Blood Lord is to be sickened and fearful, Kial oozes so much corruption that any who get to close will begin to twist and change internally and mentally within hours of being in the Blood Lords presence. Those brought to him become his new fascination and are quickly adapted and reconstructed into an image of awful beauty by the lord chirurgeon.

Reports of activity were confirmed, and that at the centre of the graveyard a new edifice had been constructed from the bones of those fallen. A cathedral of cartilage from which poured forth abominations and a creeping darkness that

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Laidon - Lord of Depravity

The harbour city of Lortumia was often referred to as the city of chains due to it’s thriving slave market and transportation of slaves by the elves. The cities purpose made it a focus when the war began; many humans had seen loved ones dragged away, or had experienced the whip and chastisement of slavers to allow the city to stand any longer. The number of slaves contained in the city were subsequently freed as the armies surrounded the walls, assured that the city fell quickly and that the slavers were the ones that now wore the chains.

Description

Laidon had been a human it is said, a slave trader and degenerate that bowed and scraped at the feet of his masters to earn favour at the cost of other humans. His depravity, it is claimed, knew no bounds. Brothels that catered for any tastes, slaves slaughtered for the entertainment of the elven aristocracy, displays of mother eating child, father killing son enforced the belief that humans were nothing but animals. Laidon prospered as others suffered, rewarded for his debauchery and decadence he lived in splendour and wealth despised by other humans if he ever felt remorse for his actions or shame for the wealth he acquired it never showed. As the Black Iron fell, the city lay unscathed, but the tidal waves that followed and then quakes that followed those brought half the city to rubble, and then the ice covered the rest. Laidon survived the destruction, but the corruption had eaten away at his mind and as the destruction settled and the winter crept in Laidon convinced those that had survived to aid him in rebuilding. Those that listened were hopeful that he meant their homes and lives soon discovered that Laidon cared little for those things, and Lortumia once again became the city of chains. As the years have passed Laidon has become more twisted by the Blood Lords corruption, spending time in the presence of Barston and Axas has burnt his mind and curdled his veins, driving Laidon to deeper and darker acts of depravity and fuelling a lust that is now almost impossible to quench. With the help of Kial, he has mastered the art of keeping severed heads alive and now many of these adorn the city walls and the palaces, silently screaming or

being used for lewd acts of depravity. It is said that where Laidon steps the ground blackens.

Followers

Those that follow the commands of Laidon travel the coast capturing slaves to fulfil the appetite of the Blood Lord and his baying maniacs that amass at the city gates to watch the fights in the pits, indulgence in the perversities available in the brothels and join the debauchery, the murders and unspeakable acts seen on the cities streets. The alchemists of the Vapour Guild concoct drugs that can kill or create pleasure, cause hallucinations or murder frenzies, these drugs are pumped into the streets from the royal palace at the cities centre, and a permanent smog hangs above the city to join with the wails and screams from within the city walls. The smog confuses and removes the inhibitions of any that inhale it, and those wishing to enter the city should beware spending to much time in the sweet, sickly smoke may mean they will never leave.

GM Note

Entering the city unnoticed would be simple, but finding anything without instructions or an idea where it could be would be difficult. The city has changed a lot since the fall. Robed worshippers loyal to the Blood Lord will patrol the streets, grabbing people for the arena or just killing them in the streets. The city is truly madness and depravity, and this should be made obvious to the characters before they enter. The thick smog that hangs over the city and the smoke that floats through the streets are toxic, and any character not covering their mouth and nose must make a resistance test against level 2 poison or become disorientated and begin to lose their inhibitions, to much time spent breathing the fumes (1 hour) will make it difficult to leave the city (Will test vs. TN 10).

To Face Him

To view Laidon is to be both repelled and enticed, though his visage is bruised and syphilitic, coated in a thick layer of greying makeup and rouge to give the semblance of life he exudes an aura that makes any that face him become attracted to him, entering into a depraved orgy of corruption and physical pleasure.

Introduction 61

Nicran - Lord of Death and Rot Before the Southern Ash Plains lies the Dead Marshes, a 30 league strip of swamp and bog. Once a great forest that joined with sweeping grasslands that led to the city of Antria and the many mining ventures created by the elves, the fall turned the grassland into a marsh when the snows met the volcanic ash. Corruption seeped in from underground rivers, and the marsh became the home of the dead and their Blood Lord Nicran. This marsh has now been creeping slowly, spreading further out and will soon connect the Dragon Tail mountains with the Sea.

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Description

No one knows from where Nicran came; some believe he was a hunter that was in the forest when the Black Iron fell, others that he was a Chimeer from the shackles that was washed upon the shores of the marsh before the sea turned to ice. Either way, Nicran became a Blood Lord and master of Wraiths. The idea that Nicran was a Chimeer comes from multiple sightings of the Blood Lord and his wings, a trait brought about from the melding of man and beast, in this instance a bat of some kind. Others

the mainland when the Shackles were hit with the Tsunami after the fall. Surviving on corrupted meat and poisoned waters of the Marsh he soon changed into what he is today.

Followers

The marsh has a quality that seems to bring back those that die within its waters and bogs as wraiths and living dead. The rivers that formed the marsh do pass by the holy city, and many presume that whatever powers were used there infected the rivers and lakes nearby, whether this is true or not the fact remains that the marsh is corrupted in a way that brings back the dead. The inhabitants of the marsh are part of a living, corrupted organism; each relies on the other to exist and acts like anyone entering is an invading parasite.

GM Note

The Marsh blocks the way south if the party takes the land route. It is considered haunted by many but also a place of many mysteries, mysteries of which, the Mages guild and others are intrigued to discover. The marsh is dangerous, not just because of the living dead that wander its swamps and forests but also because of the natural dangers, quicksand, marsh mud, and various insects that carry the corruption. Entering is a dangerous decision to make but may end up a lucrative one if you survive.

To Face Him

No one has ever claimed to have seen the Blood Lord in the flesh and the closest there has been to an actual sighting is of an enormous bat flying above the marsh, but this could have just been an enormous bat. more loyal to the Blood Lord say he was an angel sent by the gods to protect those he feels worthy or to give a home to the restless dead. Nicran seems not to venture far from the Marsh he calls home and is content to allow his wraiths free reign to guard their home from intruders and to deal with them as they see fit. Unfortunately, this includes any travelling to the Ash Plains via land and have to pass through the marshes. Also in recent years, it is rumoured that the marsh holds secrets, towers and forts once occupied by the elves, and these places have become of interest to both the mages guild and scavengers alike. The truth is that Nicran is himself dead in some way and relies on his wraiths to gather victims from which he can feed. He was also indeed a Chimeer that was washed up on

Introduction 63

64

Xertin - Lord of Conflict and Murder Barche was once a city of cruelty, men and women were pitted against wild beasts and each other in the grand arena or the numerous fighting pits throughout the city. The heads of those that lost were placed upon spikes that adorned the arena walls. Slaves transported from Lortumia were cut down in mass executions by the more popular gladiators. This is what passed as entertainment in the city of Barche, the city of Arenas. After the fall the city was left relatively untouched, the arena stood intact, and even some of the population survived, but they had become corrupted, ravenous and raging, scarring themselves and eating the flesh of any they captured, the city fell to horror and chaos until Xertin appeared.

Description

Xertin was a gladiator, one of the arena’s greatest fighters, his cruelty knew no bounds, and it was said that he even killed for pleasure outside of the pit, suggesting he was corrupted and broken before the fall. When Xertin reappeared in the city, no one knew who he once was; he had been twisted so much by the elven sorceries that kept him strong and the corrupting power of the Black Iron that many thought him a demon come to punish those that had survived. But all Xertin wanted was to kill and be praised and that is exactly what happened. Xertin is said to stand 8 feet tall, towering over many of his followers, he resides at the grand arena, and insatiable lust for death and murder is forcing his pallid to bring more and more victims to the slaughter. Often content to watch as his champions cut down their victims and feast on their flesh; it is known for Xertin to wade in armed with axe or club to kill all that stand before him, victim and pallid alike. Xertin has also exhibited knowledge of dark sorceries even though before the fall he was known to illiterate and had no interest in arcane matters. A sigil etched into Xertin’s gut could explain these new found powers, but no one that has managed to hear a description of the mark recognises it, and many have presumed that it symbolises some type of barbaric shamanism.

Followers

They are called the pallid, pale skinned and hairless, cannibalistic and insane the pallid worship Xertin as a god, scarring their bodies or piercing their flesh with bones and thorns. The Pallid hunt the land around the city of Barche seeking victims for the arena or to eat. Hunting in packs like beasts and moving faster than any normal human should the pallid are a fearsome sight to behold and horrifyingly dangerous opponents. Many of the Pallid came from the barbarian tribes to the east and Xertin seems to have sway over those tribes with many worshipping him as a god. Anyone walking the mountains caught by these tribes loyal to the Blood Lord will be taken to the city and forced to fight or become food for the Pallid hordes. In recent months reports from hunters and scavengers state that they have seen the pallid miles outside the borders of the city in hunting parties. Fearing that the Blood Lord has begun to extend his reach and maybe even as far as the Last City, bounties have been placed on the heads of the pallid in the hope to discourage them ranging too far.

GM Note

The Pallid have been spreading themselves further from the city, and the region has become more dangerous as a result. Travelling in the area will have a chance to run into a hunting party of pallid and the party may be best avoiding them unless the bounty offered is too much to resist. Entering the city is dangerous, and those thinking of entering to compete in the arena should be ready for a tough fight.

To Face Him

Xertin is a fighter and a killer and to face him is to face death. Xertin never turns down a challenge and his corrupt enhanced strength and stamina means that any who challenge him really should have something planned or it will be a very short fight.

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3

Survival

It was Vena that made me shift that few inches to the left, point up at that damn tree. Arrow missed me by a hair, didn’t miss Vena though, straight through the eye. Vena screamed until I slit his throat. I liked Vena...

A

s you rise from your catharsis and decide now is the time to fight back you will need to learn how the world works and how to operate within it. This is done by learning the mechanics for day to day survival and how to overcome tasks. Learning how to use skills and how your attributes, gear choices and the environment around you influences the result and use of those skills is paramount to success and getting to live another day. Teamwork and knowing each other’s weaknesses is also important, along with understanding your own shortcomings and when to back away from a challenge you cannot possibly win.

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The world beyond the spires or deep within the dark roads are a dangerous place, darkness, weather, foliage, and the animal life are not your allies, and those that walk the roads are more often enemy than friend. Plan your journeys well and your comrades better.

Attributes

You are made up of six attributes that describe you as a being, each will determine how others may see you and will influence the skills that are linked to them. Each attribute will have a value of between -1 to 5, with 0 being the average human attribute. As someone that has risen up to fight back some if not all your attributes will eventually be above the average. Each attribute starts at 0 and you receive 4 points to increase them, this can be four attributes at 1 or two attributes at 2, your choice, you can also reduce one attribute to -1 in order to gain an extra point.

Body

Your Strength, health, and toughness. Your ability to carry heavy loads, to fight off disease and poisons and how well you can take a hit before falling. Body is linked to those skills like fighting with or without weapons, Athletics like climbing, jumping, and swimming, Body also determines Wounds and Resistance.

Agility

Your nimbleness, speed, and reflexes. Your ability to manipulate small items and use hand eye coordination, how quickly you can react to situations and how flexible and fast you are. Agility is linked with using ranged weapons, dodging, and using skills like stealth.

Using Attributes

Each skill will have a Attribute linked to it, the linked attribute will just be the most common one used for that skill. On the character sheet it will look like this: Athletics (BOD) This will also be used in scenarios when a task is mentioned and a skill is recommended to overcome the task.

Mind

Your intellect, memory, and knowledge. Your ability to remember details or information, how much you know of the world and your logic and reasoning when dealing with situations. Skills like Lore, Academics and Arcane are linked to the Mind.

Will

Your mental strength, dominance, and perseverance. This can influence your courage when facing terrors, your ability to control others and to avoid being controlled. Skills like Command, Deception and Meditation use Will.

You can make attribute tests when no skill is available, this is done by rolling 2d6 and keeping the lowest result, and then adding the attribute total.

Instinct

Your perception, survival, and Initiative. Your ability to sense danger, to know where to find water or what plants to avoid, plus your ability to recognise intent or to understand body language. Skills like Awareness, Search, and Navigation use Instincts, along with Survival and Hunting.

Rapport

Your charisma, diplomacy, and communication. Your ability to convince others or to barter for a lower price, to negotiate with administrators or bandits and to use both commands and even signals to communicate with others. Skills like Barter, Info Gathering and Charm will use Rapport.

Attribute Abbreviations Bod - BOD Agility - AGL Mind - MD Will - WILL Instinct - INS Rapport - RPT

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Body Skills

Agility Skills

Athletics

Acrobatics

Levels of Success will allow you to perform superhuman feats or succeed at what seems to be impossible tasks.

Levels of Success will allow for more daring actions such as leaping from branch to branch whilst dodging a hail of arrows.

Brawl

Crafting

Levels of Success will allow the you to perform knockouts or crippling bows, block blades or ranged attacks.

Levels of Success will allow you to repair and create more complex or enchanted items which will offer modifiers to protection and damage.

This skill covers climbing, jumping, swimming, and sprinting, any action that involves strength and stamina. Climbing a rock face or the side of a building, leaping across rooftops or chasms, fleeing from the enemy, or trying to catch your target all use Athletics.

This skill covers the ability to engage in unarmed combat and wrestling, this does not necessarily include any actual fighting knowledge or martial arts training. Used for punching, kicking, and grappling the opponent, also blocking unarmed attacks.

Force

This skill is used to bend bars, lift gates, throw heavy items like barrels or large rocks. Can be used to barge down doors and break crates and locks. Levels of Success will allow you to break down walls, throw carriages and heavier items.

Melee

This skill is used to make Melee attacks using handheld weapons both one handed and two handed, also for parrying and using shields. Levels of Success will allow for counters and ripostes, shield bashes and other exotic attacks.

Ride

This skill will allow you to ride animals, drive carts or carriages, sail boats and use devices like skis and sledges. Levels of Success will allow you to perform actions whilst riding, like shooting from a horse, navigating dense forests and taking actions during chases.

This skill is used to dodge and tumble to avoid damage, swing on ropes or use parkour moves to escape situations. Some acrobatic actions can replace Athletics such as climbing and jumping as long as it is done in a flashy way.

This skill will allow you to repair and create armour and weapons as long as you have the correct tools at hand. Also, you can build traps and smaller items like jewellery, carvings and sculpt ornaments from bone and clay which could be sold.

Ranged

This skill allows you to use Ranged weapons such as bows, spears and slings, also to cast ranged spells and throw missiles. This skill would be modified for aiming and called shots. Levels of Success will allow you to hit distant or small targets, cause more damage or attempt a particular action such as disarming or crippling shots.

Stealth

This skill will allow you to move silently, hide in shadows and even attack foes whilst hidden. Use this to avoid guards or patrols, hide from pursuers and attack from the shadows. Levels of Success will allow you to blend into crowds, move silently over broken glass or remove targets from groups without alerting the rest of that group.

Thievery

This skill is used to pick locks, pickpockets and conceal stolen goods or weapons, also to discover the easiest way to enter somewhere or something locked and to disarm traps. Levels of Success will allow you to steal more effectively, to disarm magical traps or pick magical locks.

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Mind Skills

Academics

This skill is used to show proficiency in reading and writing and basic math. Allows you to understand the common tongue in written form, to fill in ledgers, understand laws and the reading of maps. Levels of Success will allow you to understand other languages, deal with complex math.

Arcane

The use and understanding of magic, spell forming and casting, Sigil’s and alchemy. Taught in the Black Fort to all novices. Levels of Success will allow for the understanding of ancient magic and magical theory, an increase in spell power or potion strengths.

Healing

The healing of wounds using herbs and potions, includes recognising the symptoms of disease and poisons and also frostbite and corruption. Levels of Success will allow surgery on more serious injuries, the purging of diseases and poisons and recognising injuries and weaknesses in others.

Legend

Knowledge of myths and legends, old tales, and rumours. Also includes knowledge of the gods before the fall. Levels of Success will allow the remembrance of obscure stories and or places of interest that have been long forgotten.

Lore

Knowledge of the land, customs, and people both before the fall and in more recent years. Tribal markings of the barbarian tribes, superstitions of coastal people and knowledge of the languages and accents of the Pale. Levels of Success will allow you to recognise old markings or to know from what region a person came from.

Will Skills

Animal Care

The healing and training of animals applies to mainly domesticated animals. Levels of Success will allow the calming of wild animals or any animals that are exhibiting aggression or fear.

Command

The ability to command groups of people, to calm crowds or get crowds ‘fired’ up. Targets will be able to attempt to ignore you with a Will roll. Levels of Success will allow you to gain temporary followers or disperse an angry mob.

Deception

The ability to deceive others by lying convincingly, the use of disguises or forging papers and notes. Levels of Success will make it harder for anyone to see through your deception and for you to deceive more effectively.

Meditation

Allows you to be fully rested in half the time sleeping would but can only be used a three times before actual sleep is needed. Quickens healing, the rejuvenation of stamina, and magical power by double. Levels of Success allows more healing to be done or more stamina earned.

Instinct Skills

Awareness

Noticing threats and dangers, spotting hidden things and traps. This is also used to spot surprises before they happen. Levels of Success will allow you to react against surprise attacks quickly and spot details others may not whether that be a smell, sound, or sight.

Hunting

The hunting of man or beast by tracking, setting traps, recognising signs of illness in spoores. Also includes the skinning and curing of skins and meat.

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Levels of Success will allow you to hunt something in any environment, to notice weaknesses and to earn extra from furs or meat that you have to sell.

Search

Levels of Success may lead to more info than expected and even regular information exchanges.

Levels of Success will allow you to find more than expected, extra clues or items.

Negotiate

Foraging, building shelters, dealing with extremes of weather, and finding water. Also helps you recognise poisonous plants, rotting foods and unclean water. Levels of Success will allow you to find more food or water, to recognise more obscure poisonous plants.

Rapport Skills

Barter

Allows you to barter for a good price on buying and selling, and to recognise when you are being ripped off by a trader. Levels of Success will help get better prices and even loans from those that may not be forward about offering them.

Charm

The ability to charm the same or opposite sex in order to get them to agree to you or act more favourably towards you, also to entice attraction and to win over potential enemies. Levels of Success could lead to gaining potential allies, to win arguments and even gain riches.

Etiquette

Understanding of customs and cultures, how to act within certain societies or groups. Being polite and humble in certain ‘high class company’ Levels of Success will allow you to blend into any function and feel like one of the crowd.

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Knowing who to talk to in order to gain information, this is normally related to the criminal classes but can also include how best to talk to scribes and administrators to gather important information.

Allows you to search for hidden items, or to search areas from above for camp-sites or hidden caves, is enhanced by telescopes for distance.

Survival Characters may not start with a load of skills but they can gain more through advancement see pg 124.

Info Gather

The ability to negotiate business deals with high level people or negotiate your freedom or the freedom of others with criminals. Knowing what someone wants and knowing what they will accept. Levels of Success could lead to better deals and outcomes.

Skill Rankings

Skills have five ranks which determine how many dice you roll and at what level you are considered at in that skill. Your Species and Roles will give starting Rankings in some skills and often these will crossover (See Character Creation Chapter). Having no ranking in a skill indicates no knowledge of it.

Rank

Dice

Known

1

Trained

2

Adept

3

Expert

4

Master

5

Being a master in a skill is the highest you can become at which point the only way to improve is to find master work equipment.

Performing Actions Not all actions should rely on a dice roll, and those actions which are considered routine or easy should just be allowed to succeed, the only time dice should come into play is if the action has a consequence to failure such as injury or missing something important. Combat is one area where rolling is a must due to the dangerous nature of the actions involved. A GM could call for a dice roll when the situation is tense or dangerous and an action that would seem simple in a normal circumstance may suddenly become more difficult because you are being chased or injured. When called to roll dice you will have a pool of D6 (six-sided dice) equal to your skill rank to roll, once rolled you choose the highest dice as your result, for example:

3,2,5

Example

Niki’s result is a 7, her characters Body attribute is a 2 and this she adds to the dice roll giving Niki an overall total of 9. The Target Number Niki had to beat or equal was a 9 and because Niki’s result is exactly 9 her character has succeeded.

Target Numbers (TN)

Every action has a Target number that you must equal or beat in order to succeed, this target number can be influenced by environmental and circumstantial factors which could change the difficulty Target Numbers are based on how complex the action is deemed to be and this complexity goes from Easy to Near Impossible as shown on the table below.

Rolling three dice with this result would indicate that 5 is the highest number.

1,1,2

Rolling three dice with this result would indicate that 2 was the highest number

The rolling of a 6 will always be the highest result but rolling a number of 6’s would increase the result by 1 for each extra 6 rolled, so for example

2,6,6

Rolling three dice with this result would be a total of 7, the highest result of 6 plus a +1 from the extra six rolled.

Example

Niki has a rank of Expert in her Athletics Skill which means she rolls 4 dice, Niki rolls her dice and gets the following result

2, 4, 6,

6.

The highest number rolled is a 6 which becomes the result but Niki has rolled two, so the second 6 becomes a +1 and makes the total of the roll 7 (6+1=7)

Once the dice have been rolled you then add your attribute number and any other modifiers or penalties, the end number is your total which you then compare to the Target Number needed.

Difficulty

TN

Easy

3

Average

5

Difficult

6

Hard

7

Very Hard

9

Extremely Hard

11

Near Impossible

12+

If you plan on using a number between two difficulties, for example 8, then it is suggested that you use it as if it is for Very Hard task, rather than just a Hard task.

The above numbers are examples and can be adapted by the GM as they see fit, but they should work fine for all situations.

Modifiers

Certain circumstances can affect the difficulty of a task by making it harder or easier, climbing a rock face which may be easy on a dry day will be harder on a day of rain or snow, picking a lock will be much harder when you are trying to get it open before the guard returns. Modifiers come in two types those that change the difficulty of the task and those that change the characters ability to do the task.

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Modifying the Difficulty

The GM should only modify the difficulty of a challenge because of environmental or outside influence, such as weather or danger, situations the characters cannot control. Below are examples of how a difficulty could change due to these external factors. The Exploration Chapter starts on pg 140

Situation

Modifier

Wet or Icy surface

+2

Darkness

+3

Fog or Smoke

+2

Wind and Rain

+2

Mud

+1

Danger

+1

Immediate Danger

+2

Partial Light

+1

The modifier would be added to the Target Number of the challenge.

Modifying the Ability

The characters ability can be modified by injury and the use of specialised tools and equipment, also by help from others (see Cooperation below). For information about Wounds and Fear see pgs 152 and 153

As you become more injured you will receive penalties to your skills from -1 to -5, these penalties come off the dice roll result, so for example if your highest dice was a 6 and you have a -3 penalty than the result is reduced to a 3. Fear can also cause a penalty to your abilities causing the character to become stressed and flustered, and these can range from -1 to -3. Hunger, dehydration, and sleep deprivation also places penalties on your actions with the longer you go without food or sleep the harder it is to concentrate on tasks. On the bright side some items will offer bonuses to actions, climbing gear, lock picks and even healing kits will make the task simpler by giving a +1 to +3 bonus to the roll. Ability modifiers will be gone into more detail in the Injury and Survival sections of the Exploration Chapter.

Levels of Success and Failure

Often you will roll much higher than you need or much lower and these will then begin to give levels of success or failure. Combat actions have different results regarding levels of success than non - combat actions and these will be gone into more detail in the Exploration chapter. For every two levels you are above the target number you gain a benefit and for every 2 levels you are below the target number a drawback. These benefits and drawbacks can be consequences such as triggering an alarm, or a trap, gaining more information or a bonus to your next action. The benefit or drawback should relate to the circumstances and is ultimately up to the GM, though offering it up to the other players to choose can sometimes be fun. The number of levels above or below should also affect the severity, someone that rolls 2 levels above the target number should have a lesser benefit than someone that rolled 4 or 6 levels above and vice versa. Levels of success and failure are a good way to make the characters feel they have succeeded amazingly or failed horrendously.

Example

Niki is attempting to unlock a door before the guard returns, the Lock is pretty simple and only has a TN of 6, but with the imminent approach of the guard this adds a +2, making the TN an 8. Niki has a Adept Rank in Thievery so she rolls 3d6

5, 6

3

and rolls a and . Niki’s Agility is 3 and she is using a lock-pick which is +1, altogether Niki gets a 10 (6 + 3 + 1 = 10). A result of 10 is 2 points above the TN of 8 so the GM decides that Niki not only unlocks the door but also gains a +1 to her next action.

Cooperation

A character can aid another character with certain actions, this will be determined by the type of action and whether more than one person can be involved, all crowding around a lock in order to try and pick it is unlikely to work, but aiding in healing or giving someone a boost over a wall are totally feasible. When attempting to cooperate the helping character will give a +1 bonus to the character performing the action which then can be added to the dice roll to help beat the target number. Of course, even during cooperative actions levels of success and failure are still in affect.

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Rolling without a Skill

If you have no rank in a skill, then you still get to roll two dice but instead you take the lowest number rolled on the two dice as your result, you still add an attribute and any of modifiers and you also receive the same penalties.

Choosing a Different Attribute

Sometimes a skill is used in a way that does not seem to fit the attribute it falls under and this is fine, just choose the most relevant feeling attribute and use that instead, for example Healing may involve intricate surgery to remove an arrowhead and you might feel that Agility would be better instead of Mind, or you could use Thievery to stake a location out and this might use Mind or Instinct rather than Agility. If you feel a particular use of a skill calls for a different attribute, then bring this up with the GM and work together on deciding which would be best.

Attribute Tests

Sometimes an attribute test is needed, this will not happen very often but will be needed to resist poisons or disease. When a test is called for you roll 2d6 choosing the highest result and add the attribute. As long as it is equal to or higher than the target you succeed.

The study of spells and the learning of spells cannot be done during combat but can be done whilst traveling and resting.

The Brewing of Potions

You cannot brew or mix a potion whilst in combat, but you can use a ready-made potion. The mixing or brewing of potions are a skill and can only be used during resting or travelling. The mixing and brewing can take time and are subject to the same modifiers as any skill used in the same way. The finding of ingredients for potions can be done during combat and will be subject to the danger or stress modifiers applied to all skills.

Downtime

Your downtime is often when you rest or take a break and can only be done in safe locations, such as cities, camps or Ranger huts etc. During downtime, the passing of time is different and so you can accomplish a lot during these breaks, brewing potions, learning spells, repairing gear and learning new skills or improving skills to higher ranks.

The rules regarding normal/spells etc actions being performed during combat are a bit loose, the GM should ultimately make the call. If the character has cover such as being besieged in a house then the brewing of a potion could be possible, the learning of a spell or even performing surgery, as long as the right tools are at hand.

Normal Actions during Combat

You can choose to perform a normal action during combat rather than perform a combat action. Normal actions that are performed during combat should receive a modifier for either danger or stress based on the situation.

Opposed Actions

Opposed rolls are rolls that involve either a character versus an NPC or character versus another character, example would be arm wrestling, chases or holding a door to stop someone entering and so forth. With opposed rolls each player or a player and GM rolls the appropriate skill, adds the appropriate attribute and any modifiers and the highest result wins, it is as simple as that. Some opposed rolls are a forgone conclusion based on factors such as attribute total etc and this should be a judgement call by the GM.

The Casting of Spells

The use of non-combat-based spells works the same as using any skill and still are prone to the same modifiers. Some spells may take a certain amount of time to perform and this does not change in noncombat situations.

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4

Characters

They say that once there were more species, centuries ago, not sure if that is true and I guess it doesn’t matter now either way. Bloody cities are over crowded with what we have so more would just add to the problem, and besides the damn elves would have probably done away with them anyway.

Behind the Grand Cathedral in the Last City, out of ear shot of the

chained priests and the howling preachers, is a crypt to the Last Knight, the one that led the first charge against the elves and took back the city. The corpse was allegedly dragged from the battlefield before the ghouls and the corpse robbers flocked to pick at the bones and returned here to the cathedral to be a monument of human bravery and strength. The crypt was built using the stones from the house of an elven lord, and what a marvel it is, adorned with a fresco of the famous uprising, marching soldiers led by a shining knight, no images of screaming, missing limbs, or soldiers shitting themselves as they die, all very heroic and now after so many years weathered and worn. Over the last decade skulls have begun to appear here, said to be an epitaph to those that brave the Pale that seek to drive back the corruption, the ‘heroes’ of the people, this macabre monument placed beside the crypt of the first knight is visited often by someone because the pile of skulls forever grows. Could this be your last resting place, will your skull grace the pile, or will you be the one that makes a difference that pushes back the corruption and strikes down the Blood Lords?

I

n order to explore the Pale, you will need to create a character, and this is done through character creation. There are a number of steps to creating a character some of which we will do now and others that happen during the game and when your character has earned the experience or fulfilled what they need to advance. The Black Iron RPG is designed to be hard, to make you feel like death awaits around every corner and in every ruin. The world is trying to kill you and that is just a reality. As a player you must work with the other players and your GM to build a party that will complement each other and survive.

Base Attributes

The six attributes all begin at 0 this is an average; you then receive 4 points to spend on your attributes as you wish so this can be 1 point on four attributes or 2 points on just two attributes. You can also choose to reduce an attribute to -1 and by doing this you will gain a point to spend on another attribute of your choice.

Example

By reducing an attribute to -1 you will recieve an extra point to spend elsewhere, but remember that the attributes -1 total will be deducted off skill rolls that use that attribute, so reducing it now may offer more points but could be something you regret later. No attribute can be reduced to -2.

Your choice of species will also give you attribute boosts, and you will be able to increase your attributes and Skills by using experience earned, see Advancement Section.

Base Skills

Everyone receives the following skills at known, Melee or Ranged, Survival, and Barter, all other skills are at unknown. If you receive the skill again then it moves up one rank.

Example

Clever planning could make a character strong in certain areas. Skills stack so receiving the skill Survival numerous times will indicate that you are gonna be pretty good at surviving. It is recommended that the players spend a bit of time checking out their options before deciding on what to play, and making a plan of action to get the best out of character creation.

This skill rank ‘stacking’ only happens during character creation and once the game begins skills can only be improved by experience.

Derived Stats

Each character has a number of Derived Stats which detail the ‘behind the scenes’ mechanics such as wounds, stress, Initiative etc these are Derived from the attributes of the character and so will be detailed at the end of character creation so that they can be done and finished quickly.

Optional Choices

Once you have chosen a species and a Role you can call character creation complete, choosing a guild or cult is optional and the character can spend their lives only ever being the Role they chose for themselves. A party of characters can be made up of guild and cult members as well as characters that are neither.

The Iron Die

Every character receives an Iron Die, a D6 which can be rolled in order to change a result or to check whether a spell has attracted the corrupted. This dice has many uses and we will go into further detail in the Exploration chapter.

A character can choose to join a guild at any time and as long as they can match or beat the pre-requisite than they are in. Alternatively, the character may never join a guild and though this could limit them in certain ways it will make them free agents.

For more on the uses of the Iron Die turn to pg 145

Choosing a Species

There are only 3 species to choose from in The Black Iron, with more coming in the future. Your choice of Species will offer you attribute points, a number of skills and a list of Traits that can select from. Your choice of species will also determine how others act towards you and in some cases where you will be allowed to go and what cults and guilds you can join as well as what Roles you can take on.

There are plans for more species options in future source books for the Black Iron.

It is a good idea to have a party with a good selection of species within it and the GM should restrict the choosing of non-human options as Half- Elves and Chimeer are rare due to low numbers.

Movement Distance

All characters have a base 30ft movement rate, this doubles for running and triples for sprinting. Being crippled in the legs will reduce this to half.

Characters

81

Chimeer

Half human, half beast hybrids created by the elves on the Shackle Isles. Shunned by many as corrupted monsters you must hide your animal side in order to survive amongst ‘civilised’ people and not be sent out beyond the spires to fend for yourself.

Starting Attributes Animal

Attribute +1

Wolf

INS+AGL

Bear

BOD+INS

Lizard

BOD+AGL

Wild Cat

AGL+INS

Rat

AGL+MND

Boar

BOD+ INS

Starting Skills Animal

Skills at Known

Wolf

Athletics. Brawl, Stealth, Awareness, Hunting.

Bear

Force, Athletics, Brawl, Awareness, Stealth

Lizard

Athletics, Acrobatics, Brawl, Healing, Survival

Wild Cat

Hunting, Awareness, Stealth, Acrobatics, Survival

Rat

Athletics, Awareness, Stealth, Survival, Search

Boar

Athletics, Force, Brawl, Search, Survival

Traits

Once the animal is known this will give you a unique Trait.

Appearance

You can choose to have your character appear more animal like or more human, with difficulties in communication and with civilised areas stemming from the more animal option. These difficulties could be penalties to Rapport and Bartering. You can choose to have physical animal traits such as hair colour, eye types and skin discolouration or scaling depending on the animal.

A small island called the Shackles lies off the eastern coast of the Pale, originally the home to pirates it was invaded by a large elven force sent to eliminate the pirate threat to shipping and fishing. The elves quickly took control of the island and the pirates were either killed or fled. What the elves found were fortresses and small towns all thousands of years old and presumably built by the dwarves. The elves spent decades on the island experimenting and testing magical powers and effects, some of these experiments involved humans in one form or another and it is now known that the fortresses of the island held vast dungeons converted into cells and torture rooms. These experiments were mostly barbaric as the lives of the humans were seen on par with animals to the dominant elves meaning that nothing was left off the table, and the Chimeer are the result of some of these horrifying practices.

Chimeer Characters

The Chimeer are the result of elven experiments involving the melding of humans and animals through magic, originally it is believed the elves were planning on building vast armies of melded and it is believed they had limited success at this as one of the cities sent out beasts that seemed strangely human in movement and even intelligence against the armies of humans during the war before the fall. But it seems the elves took these experiments much further and the result of this are the Chimeer. Each Chimeer has been melded with a wild animal which animal It was can sometimes be obvious on those Chimeer that are more animal than human and on the less animalistic not so clear. This can be a problem when travelling the Pale as many towns and villages and even guards of the Last City and the below will see Chimeer with more animal like features as being corrupted and will either attack or at least refuse entry through the gates. Chimeer characters should fall into the lesser animal bracket mainly to make life easier and to be able to function like the human members of the party. For those that choose to have their Chimeer look almost like a normal human they will have an option to share their heritage with the party or not and likewise party members may have suspicions of the Chimeer character and how that is played out should be part of the fun.

Most Chimeer will not remember their childhoods with the average age in game play being around 20-25.

Appearance

Chimeer who bear more human traits than animal will still have signs of their animal side, whatever that may be, they may not be obvious, but they should be there. The eyes are often a give away as are the hands or feet. Signs could be subtle like hair colour or slight scaling to skin (which can be covered up), elongated canines or a stub of a tail under clothing. Other signs could be a keen sense of smell, night vision or excellent hearing. The player should decide how obvious the signs are of the characters animal side, how much they wish to tell the party and how much they wish to embrace or cast away that side of themselves.

Creating a Chimeer

The first step to creating a Chimeer involves finding out what your animal half is derived from, this is done randomly as a Chimeer has no control over the process. The player rolls on the table below which will determine the animal they were melded with and the Trait they receive.

D6

Animal

Trait

1

Wolf

Sense of Smell: +1 Awareness rolls using smell

2

Bear

Strong: +1 to Strength based tasks like barging doors etc

3

Lizard

Regeneration: Character heals twice as fast as normal

4

Wild Cat

Dark Vision: Character can see well in darkness

5

Rat

Strong Gut: Poisons and Disease are at half potency.

6

Boar

Tough: Character has a tough hide which adds +2 to armour.

The player chooses two attributes that gain a +1 and 5 Skills that begin at Known, this should be discussed with the GM and should reflect both the animal and human sides of their character, for instance by rolling Wolf you may begin with Agility and Instinct and +1 with the skills Athletics, Awareness, Hunting, Stealth and Search at Known.

Chimeer tend to have short lifespans naturally, with the average Chimeer living to about 35 to 40 years, on the flip-side they tend to mature quicker than a normal human with maturity being reached by the age of 12.

Characters

83

Half Elf

Born of an elven father and a human mother you are the last memory of the elven race and their cruelty. You are either more human or more elf, what you decide can change your life and how others see you.

Starting Attributes - Elven +1 Agility, +1 Mind

Starting Attributes - Human +1 Body, +1 Agility

Starting Skills - Elven

Athletics, Acrobatics, Arcane, Survival and Awareness.

Starting Skills - Human

Athletics, Survival, Barter, Hunting and Arcane.

Elven Traits Night Vision Balance Conduit

Human Traits Courage Conduit Resistant

Appearance

If you have chosen the Elven Heritage option, life will be tougher when mixing with others, -1 Social interactions. If you have chosen the Human Heritage option than you can disguise your elven side will, but some may see though it. Otherwise you are treated as if you are human.

Born of an elf father and human mother the half elves are the last memory of the elven race and their cruelty. During the final years of elven rule, the elves began experimenting on human females to discover whether they could procreate with the elves and if the result would lean more to the dominant elven gene or the lesser human. The humans had always been stronger physically than the elves and fear of an uprising by the humans led the elves to attempt to create a hybrid, a race which had the strength of humans but the magical aptitude and higher mind of an elf. Human females were impregnated by elves, always against their will and placed in birthing rooms, cells were the pregnant female would spend the entirety of her pregnancy. On the day of the birth the child would be examined and if the child showed more human than elven traits they would be disposed of in various ways, the mothers returned to their cells and allowed to recuperate for 14 days before the experiments would begin again. Those children showing elven features indicating the purer gene were kept and brought up by elven parents. These are the half elves of today.

Half Elf Characters

Like Chimeer Half Elves are rare and find it difficult to fit in. Many half elf children that survived birth because of their prominent elven looks changed as they grew taking on more human traits, and this can vary from person to person. Those that look more human have an easier time in the cities and towns whereas those that exhibited strong elven features tend not to last very long amongst humans, this has led many half elves to cut their ears or scar themselves in order to look like their elven fathers. As a half elf you can choose to have more human or more elven traits, this doesn’t mean appearance but what you have taken genetically from your parents.

Appearance

Those half elves that have more elven features will try to hide the fact in various ways, the less extreme solutions are often growing their hair long or wearing hoods and hats in public but even then, that often does not work. In game terms those characters that have the elven trait selection will have the more elven appearance and this should be dealt with however the player wants. The GM may be less harsh on half elf characters allowing them to just have a harder time than normal by adding penalties to social tasks, but this should be discussed.

Those half elves with more human features will be treated as any normal human would and their more agile movement or being more attuned magically can be easily explained away by training or other reasons. Appearance is linked to how human or elven you want the character to be, there are benefits to both and the world the GM decides to create, what laws, prejudices and fears they emphasis will affect you more in one way than the other.

Creating a Half Elf

The first step is choosing which ancestry will be the dominant one, once this has been decided just take the benefits and penalties that apply.

Elven Ancestry

You have the dominant elven gene

Starting Attributes +1 Agility, +1 Mind

Starting Skills

Athletics, Acrobatics, Arcane, Survival and Awareness all at Known.

Traits choose one Night Vision - You can see in natural darkness without penalty. Balance - You receive no penalty moving on narrow ledges or branches. Conduit - Casting Magic takes less effort only using half the stamina to cast.

Human Ancestry

You have the dominant human gene.

Starting Attributes +1 Body, +1 Agility

Starting Skills

Athletics, Survival, Barter, Hunting and Arcane all at Known.

Traits choose one Courage - You gain +1 to Will rolls when facing fear. Conduit - Casting Magic takes less effort only using half the stamina to cast. Resistant - You are more resistant to disease and poison with the potency of each being 1 less.

Characters

85

Human

The most prevalent and diverse race in the Pale. They control the Last City and rule the cities below. Humans are adaptable and survivors, they can be loving and cruel, poets and warmongers.

Starting Attributes +1 Body, +1 Instinct

Starting Skills

Lore, Crafting, Hunting, Barter and Survival.

Traits choose one Courage Resistant Ambidextrous

Appearance

Humans differ wildly in appearance from tall to short, fat or thin. hair and skin colour can go from white to black. often their appearance will indicate from what part of the Pale they are from.

Formed from the blood of the gods the humans became the master of the surface world, learning to grow and build and eventually the first city was created, but unbeknown to the humans a war raged beneath their feet and it was a war they would suffer the outcome of.

only affected others. But when the war ended, and the Black Iron fell, the corruption spread and it was the tribes and their indifference that were infected first. Those tribes that could attempted to flee and some ended up in the mountains north of the Last City and safely behind the Spires.

The humans had thrived in the Pale for hundreds of years before the elves arrived, and they had thrived pretty well. Built to adapt the humans could survive in most environments and this had spread them not only across the land but into the mountains and the seas. Cultures sprung up as did regional accents, religion became important to many and altars and temples could be found in many towns and villages. Life was harsh but good for most. Of course, there was still crime, still those that would take from others, the world was not any kind of paradise.

Many humans fell to war and then later to corruption and the lure of the Blood Lords, these are what make up the largest part of the cults, bandits and slavers, not to mention the corrupted that plague the Pale. But behind the walls of the Last City and deep within the dwarven ruins humans continue to thrive and many have begun to fight back.

This all changed when the first elven scouts emerged from the gate. The gate had always been a mystery but after a while it had become more of a feature, something that people would give a sideways glance at as they passed, or others claimed was the door to the crypt of the dead gods. When it opened that surprised everyone. The first ones to see what would emerge were the worshippers, the believers. Cries of the gods returning were heard throughout the streets and many rushed to see this miracle, but all they witnessed were the slaughter of dozens of priests and believers at the hands of the elves, and so it began. The elves control of forces completely alien to the humans and their warlike attitude took the people of the surface by surprise, they had not expected a war so suddenly, they had fought wars amongst themselves but often these were ended with discussion and agreements, but these new people from beyond the gate had no empathy, were not interested in diplomacy just slaughter and control, and within months the surface, burning and bloodied belonged to the elves.

Human Characters

Humans are the most common species in the Pale, most towns and villages are human, the Last City is mainly human, and your party will be at least 80% human. When the last war began many humans, who had not joined the army fled for safety to the last city or walked the roads as refugees, fleeing the elven lords and their revenge. This movement disrupted the cultural differences of the humans as they all mostly ended up in the Last City which was ironically the first city to fall to the humans.

Appearance

Humans vary vastly in appearance from short and tall, to thin and fat, dark hair to light hair, dark skin to light skin. Accents vary, customs are unique, and clothing goes from rags to well made and expensive. What makes you different is often your attitude and how you see the world, the way you treat others and your moral codes. People of the north tend to have fairer hair and paler skin, whereas people from the Ash Lands in the south will have darker skin, with those living on the coast ruddy complexions. Because of the refugees the Last City is a metropolis of cultures.

Creating a Human

Creating a human character is the easiest of the all as you only have one set of stats to choose from.

Starting Attributes +1 Body, +1 Instinct

Starting Skills

Brawl, Crafting, Hunting, Barter and Survival all at Known.

Traits choose one

Courage - You gain +1 to Will rolls when facing fear. Resistant - You are more resistant to disease and poison with the potency of each being 1 less. Ambidextrous - You can use both hands equally and receive no penalty for duel wielding weapons.

Those barbarian tribes in the mountains were mostly untouched by the war and to many it was news that

Characters

87

Roles

Fighters

90

Born to fight whether it be with blade, fist or club, you are the front-line of every conflict and the heroes that storytellers speak of, but those are pretty tales of princesses and vanquishing evil the truth is much grimmer and much more shit stained. To be a fighter is to have a life of glory and defeat, soaked in blood sometimes your own often that of others, it is to face your fears with a grin and deal with whatever is out there in the darkness. With bloody Axe I reap, With sharpened blade I cut, With torn fists I strike And with my dying breath I curse.

Primary Attribute - Body 2+ Wounds +5 Initiative +2

Base Skills.

Melee/Ranged, Healing, Force

Brawler

Your strength and size made you almost perfect for the pits, slugging it out with other brawlers for wealth and reputation. The pits are not place’s for weakness, many die in the bloody sand of the pit floor, and many others are injured beyond repair of the Necromancers. But that is the risk you take in the pits. You are a Brawler, your fists and feet are your weapons, often leaded gloves are allowed, or backbreaking wrestling moves will win the day, in the end, whoever is left standing wins.

Skills

Brawling, Awareness, Athletics.

Specialisation

Iron Fist (Brawl) - When using just your fist you do +1 damage.

Sell Sword

They call you a mercenary, killer, adventurer and sometimes even bandit, but you are just trying to survive in a messed up situation, there are things out there in the ice and darkness that want to kill us and it is often up to the few to stop that from happening, asking for payment seems like a small inconvenience. They say join the Militia, why would you do that? Taking orders, patrolling streets, risking your life for just enough to feed yourself is a fool’s game, you’re better than that.

No job is unworthy or dishonourable, as long as they pay or there is a promise of wealth and fame at the end of it then it’s worth doing, but the reward has to match the danger, reputation is everything and your profession hinges on your reputation.

Skills

Melee (Swords), Negotiate, Acrobatics.

Specialisation

Dirty Fighter (Melee) - During combat you can attempt to use Dirty Fighting rather than a normal attack. This will involve an attack to stun or disorientate the opponent for d3 rnds if successful.

Warrior

You are the weapon, the avenger and the wall holding back the horde. You go where you are needed and kill what needs to be killed. You have trained with the most brutal of weapons. walked miles in the heaviest armour and spat in deaths eye. You are a killer there is no denying it, you have no interest in heirs and graces, don’t care if someone is noble or a beggar, they all die the same. If something needs to be killed or someone needs protecting you are sent, you do not fear death you embrace it and up to now it has not been you that death embraces back.

Skills

Melee (2 handed), Athletics, Command.

Specialisation

Sunder (Melee) - During combat you can choose to sunder the opponents shield if they have one. On a successful hit the opponents shield is either broken or ripped away making it useless.

Starting Gear

Weapon of choice, light or medium armour, Pack, Healing Herbs pouch, winter clothing (common).

Characters

91

Hunter

92

The Hunters have become a lifeline for many town and village, braving the wastes to bring back food, skins and other valuable crafting materials. Even the cities above and below rely somewhat on those willing to venture and hunt. But this is only one aspect of what many that call themselves hunters do, some hunt more dangerous prey, namely corrupted monsters and criminals. The wastes are dangerous, and for many, the only protection they have is a good hunter or two that are willing to face the threats to protect the people.

Primary Attribute - Instinct 2+ Wounds +3 Initiative +2

Base Skill

Awareness, Athletics, Survival

Bounty Hunter

You are hired to hunt down criminals and bandits both inside and outside of the cities. Bounty hunters are given licenses to ply their trade allowing them to ignore certain rules, such as killing in public, damage to property laws etc. Outside of the city you track your prey across the pale, often facing dangers you have not been paid to kill, but often there is a nearby village or town that will show their appreciation known that the monster is dead. Bounty Hunters have become more popular as the cities have become more overpopulated, both above and below the guilds have relied upon Bounty Hunters to deal with annoying criminal threats and ridding the city of undesirable problems.

Skills

Hunting, Ranged, Stealth.

Specialisation

Tracker (Hunting) - You receive +1 to Hunting when using it to track a human.

Monster Hunter

As hunters go you are unique, you do not hunt for food or materials, and you are not licensed by the guilds instead most of what you do is for the glory or because some village or town has hired you to kill the monster that threatens their lives.

handy to have around, for this reason, more than any other.

Skills

Hunting, Ranged, Lore.

Specialisation

Marked (Hunting) - +1 damage against a particular type of threat.

Survivalist

You hunt to survive, wild animals that are not corrupted in some way are hard to find but in order to feed yourself and provide food for others you must find and hunt them. Sometimes when hunting is sparse you will offer to guide travellers or be a scout for an adventuring party, it,s good to spend time with others, but not too much time. You have trained on how best to survive out there in the cold and you are the best equipped to do so, travelling the Pale without you is a death sentence, but still many try it. But eventually you will find their corpses and sell what you can, it will keep hunger from the door for a while.

Skills

Crafting, Ranged, Hunting.

Specialisation

Forager (Survival) - Choose above or below, and when foraging for food you gain a +1 to the Survival Skill.

Starting Gear

Bow + 20 arrows,, Pack, Healing Herbs, Rations, Winter Clothing, Light Armour.

Monster Hunters often join parties heading into the pale, as this is where the monsters are, they have faced horrors and seem to be less to run when faced by some of the corrupted terrors of the pale. Monster Hunters have a good knowledge of their prey and are often

Characters

93

Novice

94

A student of the arcane and the mysteries. You spend your days in the grand library or one of the many guild houses established by the Black Fort that tutor and select Novices. To become a member of the Black Fort is not an easy task, and the work is hard and dangerous with Novices leaving or dying before they reach evaluation. Novices are expected to not only know their histories but also to have knowledge of the world outside the guildhall doors and the city gates, and many are sent on tasks to test their resolve, temper their knowledge and measure their ability to avoid corruption.

lesser rings of the art. The responsibility placed on these mages is high, and the Black Fort select very few Novices to take on the role.

Primary Attribute - Mind 2+

Skills

Stress +5 Initiative +0

Specialisation

Base Skills

Academics, Lore, Meditation

Necromancy

Novices often start as students of local healers before beginning the study of Necromancy and joining a guildhall. The Black Fort is very aware of the power and misuse of that power that Necromancy is often associated with and keeps a close eye on the Novices. The art of Necromancy is the study of healing through the study of death and what causes death, and this includes poisons, disease, and death by other means. You aspire to be a Necromancer and have studied the lesser rings of the art. The study of Necromancy is thwarted with problems mainly related to the elves and their studies of death that gave Necromancy a bad name. The Guild tutors keep a close eye on students and what they are studying.

Skills

Arcane, Healing, Crafting.

Specialisation

Battle Medic (Healing) - You suffer no penalties when administering healing in a combat situation.

Pyromancy

The Fire Mages are highly respected throughout the Pale as those that hold back the ice. Fire is a highly destructive force and has been the one element that has been consistently beneficial against the corruption and that which it spawns. But the life span of a mage is often short unless they use their powers with caution.

Arcane, Healing, Ranged. Heat Immunity (Meditation) - Whilst meditating you cannot be injured by fire or heat of any kind.

Sorcery

Sorcery is the darkest art taught by the Black Fort and one that is frowned upon by many of the guilds and Lords of the cities both above and below. Sorcery is very much linked to the elves and their experiments. Though the art of Sorcery is older than the elves and was first used, and many believe created, by the giants, much of the study of the art comes from elven manuscripts and research.

Novices are sent out by the Black Fort to learn about the real world and face many of its dangers, this practice has been questioned as many Novices have never returned, but the Mages Guild has prospered as only the strongest Mages protect the cities.

You aspire to be a sorcerer and have studied the first levels of the art. Many sorcerers are feared, and those that study and practice the art are often refused entry to cities and towns, this is more about prejudice against the elves than an actual understanding of the art though.

Skills

Arcane, Ranged, Force.

Specialisation

Ancient Tongue (Arcane) - You can read and understand ancient languages.

Starting Gear

Winter Clothing (Common), Writing gear, Scroll Case, Weapon of choice, Light Armour.

You aspire to be a Pyromancer and have studied the

Characters

95

Scavenger

96

Searching through the ruins of the past can be a dangerous past time, but it can be highly rewarding, which is the only reason anyone does it. Scavengers travel those paths others fear, and many join with parties for safety in numbers. Scavengers exist both above and below ground, with those below travelling the ancient unmapped dwarven roads and those above going to the ruins of the elven cities to find artefacts, knowledge and wealth. Those that return are sometimes hailed as heroes and become well known amongst the guilds others have been blamed for several issues due to their unearthing of knowledge that some feel was best left lost.

Primary Attribute - Mind 2+ Wounds +3 Stress +2 Initiative +0

Base Skill

Athletics, Awareness, Lore

Knowledge Broker

Seekers of knowledge and lore, you search the ancient libraries of the dwarves the ruined cities of the elves and unearth those secrets wanted by Mages and rulers alike. The value of lost cartography, forbidden incantations, and damned experiments is high as long as you know the right people to offer it too. The Knowledge Broker is not just someone that finds the knowledge but is often the one that also has access to knowledge, many keep the most important finds to themselves or study their discoveries before passing them on.

Skills

Academics, Negotiate, Legend

Specialisation

Decipher (Academics) - You know your Dwarf from your Elven and you know the many important shields and sigil’s, +1 Academics to decipher text.

The understanding and knowledge of a relic are not just recognising it’s worth but also the possible implications of handling such dangerous artefacts.

Skills

Barter, Legend, Search.

Specialisation

Archaeologist (Legend) - You know the ancient myths and tales and gain a +1 to Legend to recognise a relic from the legend it has.

Treasure Seekers

Wealth and profit is the only law, and what you search for has to be worth something to someone. Old books and scrolls are hard to shift, and who knows what an artefact looks like? Give them gold, silver and famous pieces of art and they will find a buyer. Treasure Seekers are rare amongst Scavengers as money is really no longer a recognised currency, and often what they find is exchanged for favour and reputation.

Skills

Legend, Search, Barter.

Specialisation

Evaluate (Barter) - You know the value of what you have and gain a +1 to barter to get the best price you can.

Starting Gear

Climbing Gear, Pack, Weapon of Choice, Winter Clothing (Common), Chalk, Lantern, Light Armour.

Relic Hunter

The elves are known for their powerful magical artefacts, and the dwarves created mechanical wonders that still operate in the cities today, finding more of these relics is the goal of the Relic Hunter. Dealing with unknown magic’s and ancient contraptions is a dangerous job, and each Relic Hunter must understand the risks and prepare themselves for all eventualities.

Characters

97

Tribal

98

The mountains were safe they said, the corruption would not enter the passes and climb the cliffs, and with this life went on. Hunting, fishing and growing food, life was good until the other tribes started to change, they became more aggressive, some reverted to eating their dead or killing other tribes for food. The very thing the elders said would not happen did, corruption spread, and many tribes changed. A few of the tribes, yours included headed north through the dragon tails to reach the Last City and the protection of the mages in the Black Fort, this is now where you live, in the mountains overlooking the city. Some of the tribes have set up villages and farms and have integrated until now they are not of the tribes any longer, but you and your people still follow the old ways and stay in the mountains.

Primary Attribute - Body 2+ Wounds +4 Stress +2 Initiative +1

Base Skill

Animal Care, Awareness, Survival

Brave

You protect the tribe from dangers that wish to take what you have or destroy the tribe altogether. This is your calling and what the ancestors chose for you and you are proud to be the tribe’s strength. You trained with the other Braves and as you came of age were sent out to seek your first kill, in your case this was a mountain cat that had killed a hunter of the tribe. You sought out the cat, and with your spear, you slew it and returned with its head, from that day you became a Brave. There are bigger dangers in out there than mountain cats, and you will do what it takes to protect the tribe, even if that means travelling to the city and joining with teams to hunt down the corrupted monsters that live on the ice. One less monster is one less danger to the tribe.

Skills

Melee, Athletics, Ranged.

Specialisation

Strong (Melee) - You can use a two handed weapon in one hand.

Hunter

You hunt animals for food and skins and what you catch feeds and clothes the tribe. You were taught to respect the animal and to make its journey to the afterlife as easy and painless as possible. Many of these so-called civilised people do not respect the kill and leave carcasses lying around to rot; those people do not understand how to hunt. You went on your first hunt as a child and since then spend most of your days and nights in the mountains. You can track an animals for miles and have learnt to be patient. Recently you have also found yourself hunting and killing monsters, not for honour but to keep the tribe safe.

Skills

Hunting, Ranged, Search.

Specialisation

Skinner (Hunting) - You are trained in skinning and curing; you get twice as much and a 10% better price.

Shaman

You were chosen along with a few other select children to be taught by the Shaman; this is a great honour in your tribe, and one day, you will lead a tribe yourself. You spend your time in study, gathering herbs, understanding the mountain, and how it changes, how the animals move when danger is close also speaking with the ancestors. You have knowledge of the land and can commune with nature, some of you can speak with spirits and see the animal totems worn on the aura of others. You sense things others do not and can sometimes perform what some would call magic, but you know as gifts from the earth.

Skills

Arcane, Legend, Lore.

Specialisation

Ancestor (Arcane) - Once per session you can call upon an ancestor for aid, this aid comes in the form of answers to a specific question.

Starting Gear

Weapon of Choice, Light to Medium Armour, Pack, Tribal Gewgaws, Herbs, Rations, Water-skin,

Characters

99

Vagrant

100

When the Black iron fell many fled to the Last City or the cities below for sanctuary and safety, this led to overcrowding which in turn led to many people being forced to sleep on the streets or in the case of the below, outside the city gates. Any that could not find a home or a role within the city would eventually become part of the vagrant classes, and as the year’s pass, these people grew a society of their own. Not all the vagrants are criminals, but most are, mainly out of necessity rather than being that way inclined. The vagrant society has been treated badly by the cities, and this has created more tension and more criminals and in recent years criminal guilds

Primary Attribute - Agility 2+ Wounds +2 Stress +1 Initiative +2

Many merchants wish to get to their destination quickly and without bother, and this is where you come in. The number of refugees that flooded in changed the landscape of the city and made the roads dangerous for travellers and many now rely on guides to find where they need to go. As an honest guide, this can put food in your belly and even a roof over your head, a dishonest guide can gain even more benefits.

Skills

Survival, Lore, Legend.

Specialisation

Base Skills

Awareness, Search, Stealth

Navigator (Survival) - You can find your way in almost any environment and in darkness. +1 to survival when used to navigate tunnels and paths.

Basher

Thief

You protect the camp from unwanted attention and to make sure other camps don’t try to take over and steal what little food the camp has. Bashers are also known to wait in ambush for caravans or travellers to take what they want from those that have more. Many Bashers become the strong arm of the guilds that have grown in the larger camps to protect the leaders of the guild and to stop any disputes from turning to violence. It is also known that Bashers enter fighting pits under instruction from guilds to challenge Bashers from other guilds as a show of strength.

Skills

Brawling, Force, Negotiate

Specialisation

Intimidate (Force) - You receive +1 to using your strength to intimidate others.

Guide

You offer yourself as a guide to help others to navigate the dangerous streets of the Last City or the roads and tunnels of the below. You are of your knowledge of the dark places and know many short cuts and secret places. Many Guides work for the criminal guilds, and it is their job to lead people into ambushes or dead ends, where Bashers await.

Very few thieves work outside the guilds, but some have no choice, guilds are only established in the larger camps or certain areas of cities and working outside the guild’s protection is often dangerous. You can work for or outside a guild this is a choice, you do not have to share what you steal with anyone. You could be a cut-purse, mingling with the crowds in the market squares cutting the purses from belts, or you could be a burglar breaking into the homes of the wealthy (though compared to you everyone outside the camps is wealthy), stealing whatever you can sell or trade. The work can be lucrative but holds a large price for those that are caught.

Skills

Acrobatics, Deception, Thievery.

Specialisation

Pickpocket (Thievery) - You are extremely good at picking pockets and gain a +1 when doing so.

Starting Gear

Weapon of Choice, Lock Picks (1), Pack, Rope, Crowbar, Pouches.

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Guilds and Cults Since the fall there has been a rise in Guild and cult activity both in the Last City and the cities below, and many have joined one or the other for the benefits they bring, especially those wishing to expand their roles and influence in the world.

Many more Guilds and Cults will become available as more Source Books are released for the Black Iron.

Characters can join either a Guild or Cult suited to their role as shown in the Recruitment section of the guild or cult, once joined they must follow the organisations rules for membership.

Recruitment

Each Guild and Cult will only accept those they feel best suit their purpose and agenda. These requirements are listed within the Guild and Cult and can be as simple as only accepting those that play a particular role or more detailed such as Skill levels and attributes.

Membership Ranks

Each of the Cults and Guilds have five ranks of membership, each rank will offer a specialisation and other benefits, but often in order to gain a rank that will be doing something for the guild or cult, sometimes this may be counter to what you want or the rest of the party.

Benefits

Benefits to joining can be access to better gear, contacts, information, specialisations, more respect, and access to areas that would be considered out of bounds to many.

Roles that must Join a Guild

There are certain roles that have to join a guild the most obvious of these is the Novice. The Novice begins at Rank 0 of the Mages Guild which is based in the Black Fort. Vagrants are also encouraged to join the Guild of Silence as operating within cities as a thief without the protection of the guild will lead to an untimely death, of course if you feel you are good enough without the guilds protection than that is your choice.

Choosing a Guild

Guilds are very obviously linked to certain roles and they will accept characters that have adopted that role as long as they fit the criteria of recruitment. A character does not have to join the guild (except for Novices) and consider the benefits of not joining such as not having to do the guilds bidding, keeping all your findings, and so forth.

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To make things simple it is advised that characters only attempt to join the guild their role is designed for.

Choosing a Cult

Cults are different than guilds as they are often based upon faith or a belief rather than laws and profits. Any Role can join a Cult but there are not as many to choose from as Guilds, (we will be creating more in future Black Iron source books). Some Cults tend to look for specific requirements in recruitment, even though every role is accepted that doesn’t mean that every species or gender is also allowed, and the two cults listed here will show that they only accept certain people.

Joining Both

A character can in theory join both a guild and a cult, there is no rule against it, though they may find themselves in situations when what you have been asked to do may conflict with each other at which point a choice must be made which may end up with your dismissal from one or both.

GM Notes

A guild or cult may ask the character to perform certain tasks and often these tasks may be connected to an adventure the character is involved in or about to become part of, these tasks can often go against the adventures original purpose and may jeopardise the adventure. The character can choose to ignore the guild or cults wishes and this will obviously delay any rise in rank they would otherwise receive. This choice should be down to the player and they can choose to inform the other players or not. Also, sometimes a number of players may have opposed tasks, again the characters can share their instructions if they wish but this could make for some interesting role-play and possible conflict which should bring up questions of loyalty etc.

Guild and Cult Descriptions

Each Guild will have their mark and whether they are based above S or below A or both, these markings are important as they indicate where the guilds main influence lies.

The Black Fort The Mages Guild can be found both in the Last City and the cities below, with much more sway in the Last City. They accept anyone that claims to have some form of magical ability as Novices and also those that have experience in research and ancient languages as scribes. The guilds houses are often unassuming buildings in the city, it is claimed they send out a magical marker which only those with some ability will be able to recognise. Otherwise the administrative centres of the cities will have a representative that will test scribe and recruit academics they feel would benefit the guild. The Black Fort is responsible for the sun spires that hold the ice and corruption at bay and this has allowed the guild to dictate and hold power over the Last City and the down below, as both would be overrun without the spires. In the past the guild has threatened to cease maintaining the spires because of some law that was passed that the guild did not agree with, laws that have been quickly changed due mostly to the guild’s threats. Being part of the guild comes with a certain amount of power and the further up the ranks you move the more power you receive, and this is legal power rather than magical. Mages cannot be arrested by the militia of cities they must be handed over to the nearest guild house and the mage will be dealt with by the guild once it is determined if any crime is committed. It is safe to assume that as a mage this will often mean at the worst demotion to a lower rank and at best a stern word not to do whatever was again, at least in sight of the militia or witnesses.

Guilds Purpose

The guilds purpose is the study of magic and the corruption, this is the most basic explanation, but the guild does more than this. The Black Fort which is only accessible by guild members is home to a small hospitable, various research areas, a large library, a number of dungeons, large herb garden and many other safe areas for the study of ancient magic.

Recruitment

The guild recruits only those they feel are worthy and gifted. Those that have chosen the Novice Role will be at Novice Rank within the guild immediately. The guild has been known to accept membership from Scavengers that follow the Knowledge Broker and Relic Hunter Paths. The recruits Mind or Will must be at least 2 or higher

Guild Member Ranks

There are two forms of membership within the guild. The first is the administrative which covers the scribes, librarians, and Scavengers. These play an important role in the day to day workings of the guild and also the acquiring of certain items. These members have restricted access to the Black Fort and limited benefits. The second and most important members are the Mages themselves. Once the student has chosen their path, they will be sent to fulfil their purpose with study and experimentation, only those that survive and show themselves with potential are given Novice status within their chosen field. Each of the three fields of study then give benefits as the Mage climbs the ranks.

Gaining Ranks

To move up ranks you will be asked to accomplish tasks, retrieve items, show aptitude in your abilities and to obtain information. Once you have achieved what was asked you will them be assessed and your new rank approved, with this will come the benefits of that rank. The following pages goes into detail regarding the ranks of the different paths you can study, what is needed to obtain each rank, and what benefits you will receive by doing so. All Novices no matter the path receives the Alchemy Specialisation for the Arcane Skill.

Due to restrictions to the Black Fort to non-guild members many believe that much more goes on within its walls, and this is true. Laws that restrict the study of elven texts or the practice of elven magic and research do not apply to the Mages Guild, meaning they can and have dabbled in dangerous and some would consider evil practices.

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Necromancer

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The study of life, disease, and death. Much of what you will learn as a Necromancer involves the healing of the wounded and sick, and the study of these unfortunate will aid you in your magical studies also. The three R’s of Necromancy is what you strive for Resurrection, Regeneration and Reanimation.

Rank 1 - Novice

Prerequisite: • •

Show Aptitude Mind at 2 Benefit: You receive the Alchemy specialisation for the Arcane skill which adds a +1 to all Arcane rolls when using Alchemy. Equipment: Novice robes, Ashes of a Past Master which give +1 to casting enough ash for 5 castings.

Rank 2 - Medicae

Prerequisite: • • • •

Fulfil two tasks for the guild. Arcane at Adept Mind at 2. Successfully diagnose a Disease. Benefit: Your advancement costs for improving Mind is now at guild prices. You receive the Purge specialisation in Healing which gives a +1 when dealing with disease and corruption. Equipment: Medicae Robes, Staff of the Dead Wood which gives +1 to ranged casting, Scroll on common diseases and there symptoms and cures.

Rank 3 - Chirurgeon

Prerequisite:

Fulfil three tasks for the guild. Resurrect a recently deceased person. Benefit: You gain access to the Guild Store for reduced prices on herbs and other paraphernalia. You receive the Surgery specialisation for the Healing skill which adds +1 when performing Surgery tasks. Equipment: Chirurgeon Robes, Surgery tools +1 to Surgery tasks, Herb pouches for brewing potions. • •

Rank 4 - Re-animator

Prerequisite: • • • • • •

Fulfil five tasks for the guild, Healing at Expert, Arcane at Expert, Mind at 3, Will at 3. Reanimate a corpse and control it. Benefit: You have access to the guild hospitals and research labs. You can now advance the Arcane Skill at the guild cost, you can also advance the Will attribute at guild prices. You are welcome at all guild houses and will be offered a bed and food. Equipment: Re-animator robes, Staff of Control gives a +2 bonus to control corpses.

Rank 5 - Necromancer

Prerequisite: • • • • •

Arcane at Master, Healing at Master, Mind at 4, Will at 4. Fulfil seven tasks for the guild, Enlist three new Novices Benefit: You receive the Guild Seal which allows you to speak for the guild in all matters and you are given control of a guild house. You receive the Advanced Casting specialisation for Arcane which adds a +1 to all casting tasks. Healing spells heal by +2 wounds or can reduce Corruption by 1 point. Equipment: Necromancer Robes, Staff of the Master which acts as a seal of office. Guild House.

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Pyromancer

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Called the burning heart of the Pale, Pyromancers are considered heroes to some and corrupted lunatics to others. The manipulation of flame that eventually engulfs the mage will allow the pyromancers charred heart to power the sun spires that surround the Last City.

Rank 1 - Novice

Prerequisite: • •

Show Aptitude Will at 2 Benefit: You receive the Alchemy specialisation for the Arcane skill which adds a +1 to all Arcane rolls when using Alchemy. Equipment: Novice robes, Ashes of a Cremated Heart which gives +1 to casting, enough ash for 5 castings.

Rank 2 - Spark

Prerequisite: • • • •

Fulfil two tasks for the guild. Meditation at Adept Mind at 2. Summon Fire Spirit Benefit: Your advancement costs for improving Will is now at guild prices. You receive the Cleansing Flame enhancement which gives a +1 damage when using Pyromancy against corrupted. Equipment: Spark Robes, Staff of Ashen Wood which gives +1 to ranged casting.

Rank 3 - Flame

Prerequisite: • • •

Fulfil three tasks for the guild. Arcane at Adept Erect a Sun Spire - Obtain a charred heart and build a spire out in the Pale. Benefit: You gain access to the Guild Store for reduced prices on herbs and other paraphernalia. You take no damage from fire. Advancement costs for improving Meditation now at guild prices. Equipment: Flame Robes, Globe of Eternal Flame an ever-burn lantern acts like a standard lantern but needs no oil.

Rank 4 - Inferno

Prerequisite: • • • • • •

Fulfil five tasks for the guild, Arcane at Expert Meditation at Expert, Mind at 3, Will at 3. Summon a Fire Elemental and control it Benefit: You have access to the guild workshops and research labs. You can now advance the Arcane Skill at the guild cost, you can also advance the Will attribute at guild prices. You are welcome at all guild houses and will be offered a bed and food. Equipment: Inferno robes, Staff of Flames gives a +2 to ranged fire attack rolls.

Rank 5 - Pyromancer

Prerequisite: • • • • •

Arcane at Master, Meditation at Master, Mind at 4, Will at 4. Fulfil seven tasks for the guild, Enlist three new Novices Benefit: You receive the Guild Seal which allows you to speak for the guild in all matters and you are given control of a guild house. You receive the Advanced Casting specialisation for Arcane which adds a +1 to all casting tasks. Fire spells deal +2 damage or can +3 against Corrupted Equipment: Pyromancer Robes, Staff or the Master which acts as a seal of office. Guild House.

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Sorcerer

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Students of the past and the forbidden, the most controversial and dangerous of the magical paths. Sorcerer’s are considered a necessary evil by the few and just evil by the many. Called witches, devils, and servants to the elves, they are feared and eyed suspiciously by many of the other guilds and the nobility.

Rank 1 - Novice

Prerequisite: • •

Show Aptitude Mind at 2 Benefit: You receive the Alchemy specialisation for the Arcane skill which adds a +1 to all Arcane rolls when using Alchemy. Equipment: Novice robes, Staff from the Heart Tree, the roots of the heart tree’s were said to have been corrupted by the blood of the giants, and gave birth to arcane magic and the elves, +1 to Arcane Magic Tasks.

Rank 2 - Adept

Prerequisite: • • • •

Fulfil two tasks for the guild. Arcane at Adept Will at 2. Learn the First Circle Benefit: Your advancement costs for improving Mind is now at guild prices. You receive the Read Elven specialisation to the Academic Skill which gives a +1 to read Elven script. Equipment: Adept Robes, Scroll of Discovery, when cast will highlight ancient magic, can be inscribed in your personal Grimoire.

Rank 3 - Mage

Prerequisite: • • • •

Fulfil three tasks for the guild. Academics at Adept Find an Artefact of Power Learn the Second Circle Benefit: You gain access to the Guild Store for reduced prices on herbs and other paraphernalia. You are surrounded by an aura of power that can cause fear in corrupted creatures (-1 to resist fear rolls per Mages Rank). Advancement costs for improving Arcane now at guild prices. Equipment: Mage Robes, Pendant of Protection gives +1 defence against magical attacks.

Rank 4 - Archmage

Prerequisite: • • • • • •

Fulfil five tasks for the guild, Arcane at Expert Academics at Expert, Mind at 3, Will at 3. Learn the Third Circle Benefit: You have access to the guild workshops and research labs. You can now advance the Arcane Skill at the guild cost, you can also advance the Will attribute at guild prices. You are welcome at all guild houses and will be offered a bed and food. Equipment: Archmage robes, Ring of Purity will protect against corruption adding +1 to resistance.

Rank 5 - Sorcerer

Prerequisite: • • • • • •

Arcane at Master, Academics at Master Mind at 4, Will at 4. Fulfil seven tasks for the guild, Learn the Fourth and Fifth Circles Benefit: You receive the Guild Seal which allows you to speak for the guild in all matters and you are given control of a guild house. You receive the Advanced Casting specialisation for Arcane which adds a +1 to all casting tasks. Spells deal +2 damage or +3 against Corrupted Equipment: Sorcerer Robes, Staff or the Master which acts as a seal of office. Guild House.

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The Guild hires many that are not followers of the path, these are mostly scribes, librarians, herbalists, and minor workers, but amongst these are others that can gain favour from the guild and rise up within the ranks. These ‘associates’ of the guild are often scavengers that will seek out relics and artefacts, or warriors that protect the mages from those that would wish to do them harm. Characters can choose to join the Black Fort as an associate, they will have a rank and could gain some favour and prestige within the guild, though not to the same level as a Novice. Below the ranks for associates based on their deeds and the benefits they would receive.

Rank 1 - Associate

Prerequisite: •

Show Usefulness Benefit: You gain access to the guilds outer rooms. Equipment: Seal of association will show you are aiding the guild and are on guild business.

Rank 2 - Friend

Prerequisite: • •

Perform a task for the guild Find or collect items for the guild Benefit: You gain access to the guilds outer rooms. Can stay at guild houses for a maximum of 2 nights Equipment: None

Rank 3 - Trusted

Prerequisite: • • •

Perform two tasks for the guild Find or retrieve an artefact Give 10% of wealth to guild Benefit: You are considered a trusted associate of the guild and come under guild protection. You can use the guild seal to aid in info gathering and negotiation with a +1 to both skills when seal shown. Equipment: Ring of Warning, will grow warm or vibrate when corruption is within 50ft.

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Rank 4 - Confidante

Prerequisite: • • •

Perform three tasks for the guild Find or retrieve two artefacts Protect a Guild Member Benefit: You are a confidante of the guild, you sit upon its council as a neutral voice, you will sometimes be sent to guild meetings in the city as a representative of the guild. You have access to the guild stores, and one attribute advancement costs are at guild prices. Equipment: An item of your choice enhanced to +1.

Rank 5 - Master

Prerequisite: • • • •

Perform five tasks for the guild Find or retrieve three artefacts Dedication to the Guild Protect the Guild Benefit: You are given control of the associates in a guild house, you command the guards, scribes, merchants and assistants. One skill of your choice can be advanced at guild cost. You can call upon the guild to aid you. Equipment: A seal of your office within the guild, one item of your choice enhanced to +2.

The Gray Order Originally started as an option for criminals who had deserted or committed serious crimes to earn back some honour by patrolling the border between the Sun Spires, the Gray Order other time developed into a small guild of hunters and other adventurers who dedicated their lives to protecting those still trying to survive in the ice or travelling the roads. The order is split into two parts, there is still a large number of convicts that patrol the borders around the Last City, and as long as there is crime this will never ever change, but now the order also has a Ranger unit. These Rangers are mostly made up of non-criminals wishing to do their part, though a small number of Rangers are still criminals. The Rangers have become an extension of the cities military and are considered the law in the Pale. They patrol the roads, guide travellers and merchants and protect the small outposts and villages still found in the Pale, their job is dangerous, but they have helped keep the northern lands free of many threats.

Recruitment

The Gray Rangers of the Pale tend to recruit those that already have a knowledge of tracking, and hunting and this has led to a lot of Hunters joining. The guild offers a sort of deputy status where a hunter can continue their role but also be a representative of the guild without committing to the order fully, this does not allow the hunter to earn the benefits of ranks but those offer them the benefits of being associated to the Ranger, which is often shown by food and a place to sleep.

In the below the Gray Order has started a small unit of Rangers willing to risk the darkness and tunnels. The members come from Scavengers, some Hunters, and a few Vagrants, who some believe join up for the clothes and meals. At the moment the order is struggling in the Below due mainly to the families who are reluctant to have some outside source patrol their roads, but time will tell if this changes. The Gray Order is a guild in structure, they have ranks, guild houses in the cities and a Master but are not recognised by the city council and have no say in matters of importance. This is due partly to the fact that many still see the order as a group of convicts. Amongst the citizens though it is a different story with the Rangers being hailed as heroes and protectors, and many people would take the word of a Ranger over the word of a city administrator any day.

Guild Purpose

The Gray Rangers main purpose is to patrol the roads and lands of the Pale, but they have been known to act as scouts for travellers and explorers. The lower ranks are encouraged to join up with groups to learn the land as best they can and to be seen by the people that still exist out there.

Guild Ranks

For those that commit there are five ranks within the guild each offers benefits and reduced costs to advances.

Characters

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Gray Ranger

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Rank 1 - Recruit

Rank 4 - Tracker

Prerequisite: • •

Show Aptitude Ranged at Trained Benefit: You receive the Badge of the Recruit showing you are a member, a good quality Bow along with good quality light armour in Ranger colours. Equipment: As above plus Flint & Steel, Pack, 5 days of Rations, Water Skin, Healing Pouch.

Rank 2 - Scout

Prerequisite: • • •

Range the Pale for a month Hunting at Trained Instinct 2 Benefit: You receive the Scout Badge allowing you to take on scouting jobs. You gain the Forage specialisation which adds +1 to Survival when foraging. You also receive a 10% Ranger discount with traders. Equipment: None.

Rank 3 - Forester

Prerequisite: • • •

Take on and complete three scouting jobs Ranged at Adept Agility 3 Benefit: You receive the Forester Badge. You gain the Trapper specialisation which adds +1 to Hunting when placing and disarming traps. Advancement for Instinct is at guild cost. Equipment: High quality bow and high quality light armour in forest colours. Three animal traps, salt and skinning knife.

Prerequisite: • • • •

Take on and complete five jobs for the guild Hunting at Adept Survival at Adept Instinct 3 Benefit: You receive the Tracker badge. You receive the trackers knife a high quality steel hunting knife, this is a symbol that you represent the guild and can be trusted. Advancement for Hunting is now at guild cost. You also receive a 20% Ranger discount with traders. Equipment: As above.

Rank 5 - Ranger

Prerequisite: • • • • •

Take on and complete seven jobs for the guild Ranged at Expert Hunting at Expert Instinct 4 Agility 4 Benefit: You receive the Rangers badge and the Tracker specialisation which adds +1 to hunting when tracking. Also the Quick Aim specialisation to Ranged which allows you to make a ranged attack as if you have spent a round aiming. Equipment: The Rangers Blade, high quality steel dagger, Rangers Band a unadorned simple steel ring that allows the Ranger to move without leaving tracks.

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The Silent Guild Before the fall there were a number of small thieve gangs that controlled particular areas of a city, this was a risky business as the elves would often send patrols to find and hang the thieves publicly, dismantling the gangs and any that supported them. When the humans fought back against the eleven oppressors many of the thieves showed their support to the uprising by using their skills to gather information and even to assassinate those that could be troublesome to the rebels. Once the cities started to fall to the human liberators and the thieves were hailed as heroes, but like all things it did not last. As the sea’s began to freeze many pirates fled landward and continued their piracy amongst the chaos of the fall, profiting from the refugees that fled to the Last City and stealing from those that fled the city for the below. As the months passed the thieves became more organised and took on a Pirate democracy, creating a council of thieves and mimicking the guilds by having ranks, laws, and a hierarchy. With bribes and threats the guild gathered allies from the other guilds both above and below, and with this came influence and power. The Silent Guild got its name because it never talks, it does not sit on city councils it does not make public speeches, but it does have a say, either by speaking through the other guilds, or via threats and assassination. Many laws have been passed that has benefited the Silent Guild, many deals made funded by thieves’ gold. They may not speak but their voice is heard. The guild is made up of a number of houses each has their speciality, House of Blades, House of Beggars and the House of the Cat, all have masters that sit upon the council of the Guild, each house abides by the laws and each donate a percentage of their profits to the guild master which in turn allows the guild to invest in legitimate businesses and pay bribes.

Guild Purpose

The guilds purpose is not as clear cut as you may think, yes it is a guild of thieves but rarely do these thieves steal for any that cannot afford it, the assassins tend only to kill those that threaten everyone with their beliefs or actions, and the spies often spy for the other guilds and even the nobility. The guild does not harbour corrupted or cults that worship either the

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Blood Lords or the elves and they have been known to actively seek out cults or corrupted from their districts. Thieves from other cities need make themselves known before acting within that city otherwise they will be punished, and any thief known to have killed a child will be publicly killed themselves. Many thieves are recruited or join explorations as their unique skill set can be an advantage, and having someone well versed in the ways of stealth and silent murder comes in handy when facing bandits or cultists (the guild does not recognise those bandits or criminals that operate within the Pale, often seeing them as corrupted or depraved).

Guild Recruitment

Recruitment is done differently in the guild with possible candidates being approached by a member who sees the value in that person to the guild. This has led to many Vagrants being recruited and occasionally a Sister of Stone being approached with unfortunate results.

Guild Ranks

Members do not have to climb the ranks, and many are happy to be taught what they need and never climb any higher. In order to become a house, boss the member does need to understand and study every aspect of what the guild does, and this is reflected in the ranks.

Thief

Introduction 115

Rank 1 - Beggar

Rank 4 - Assassin

Prerequisite: • • •

Find a Guild House Swear Loyalty to a Boss Thievery at Trained Benefit: You receive permission to act within the bosses district, you are taught the symbols of the guild. Equipment: Five common quality lock picks, crowbar.

Rank 2 - Cut purse

Prerequisite: • • •

Take on 2 jobs for the guild Hand over 50% of earnings Stealth at Trained Benefit: You gain access to a fence to sell on stolen goods and to buy at 10% discount. You also can buy advancements to Thievery at guild cost. Equipment: You receive common quality light guild armour, receive a common quality palm knife, and five good quality lock picks.

Rank 3 - Blagger

Prerequisite: • • • •

Take on 4 jobs for the guild Hand over 40% of earnings Rapport at 3 Thievery at Adept Benefit: You receive the Disguise specialisation to Deception which adds +1 when wearing a disguise. You can buy advancements to Stealth at guild cost. Equipment: You receive a Guisers kit and have access to the guilds wardrobes.

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Prerequisite: • • • • •

Take on 6 jobs for the guild Hand over 30% of earnings Will at 3 Agility at 3 Stealth at Adept Benefit: You receive the Poison specialisation to Crafting which gives a +1 to making poisons. You have access to a Alchemical Fence who will sell you ingredients etc at a 20% discount. You gain a contact either amongst the administration, city guard or another guild. Equipment: You receive a Poisoners kit and good quality black clothing (+1 Stealth). You also receive a good quality steel dagger and hand crossbow.

Rank 5 - Capo

Prerequisite: • • • • • •

Take on 8 jobs for the guild Hand over 10% of earnings Will at 4 Agility at 4 Stealth at Expert Thievery at Expert Benefit: You become a Capo of your own gang, you can recruit members who all follow the Ranking system, you still have a Boss that you answer to. You can buy advancements to Deceive at guild costs. You have three contacts who can be administrators, militia or from another guild. Equipment: You receive high quality light armour, access to your own fence, a good quality hidden blade.

The Malice Not a guild or even a cult but more an agency that does the bidding of the Remnant and was established within a year of the Remnant setting up home in the Grand Library. The Malice are all Chimeer and it is believed that only Chimeer are excepted, why this is no one knows but maybe the Remnant feels some affinity with the hybrids.

The most loyal and trusted Malice speak for the Remnant and often a Malice will be seen off to the side during guild meetings, not saying anything but making sure that it is known that the Remnant is watching. This has led many guild masters to fear the Malice and to start rumours that the Remnant may not be all they seem.

The Malice are a secret group, if you are a Malice you never speak of it and deny it if asked. Orders are received via either note or telepathy and often these orders will coincide with what the Malice is currently doing. Though the group are secret it is not unknown for the Remnant to insist that a Malice join a group openly in order to lead the group or to look for something specifically whilst with the group. The Remnant will hire parties to seek out relics and have a Malice go along as security or as the Remnants eyes and ears. Joining the Malice has allowed many Chimeer the freedom they would often not be privy to, the protection of the Remnant allows them to walk the cities freely without arrest or banishment, this freedom has sickened more of the less tolerant guilds or noble families that see the Chimeer as aberrations or corrupted elven experiments, but the power and the knowledge the Remnant has forced these prejudices to remain unspoken or acted upon.

The Purpose of the Agents

The Remnant are not able to travel, or so it is believed and hence some form of trusted agent was needed in order for the Remnant to move about in places they could not. Also, the hunt for specific information, relics or even other Remnant could not be left to hired swords as often the value of what they sought was more tempting then fulfilling the job, so the Malice were created.

Agent Recruitment

Agents must be Chimeer and they must be loyal. Often a Chimeer is approached by a Malice or sometimes the Chimeer will speak directly to the Remnant in the Grand Library.

Agent Ranks

The Ranks of an agent are based on trust, aptitude and loyalty with the Remnant bestowing gifts upon those most in favour. There is no real hierarchy amongst the Malice but a respect for deeds done.

The Malice are loyal to the Remnant and will do whatever is bid, they will dispose of any that get in the way of performing their service. The Remnant make sure that the Malice are equipped well and are trained by the best. If injured the Malice are healed, they are housed and fed and though their needs are low they are catered for.

Characters

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Malice

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Rank 1 - Seed

Prerequisite: • • •

Pledge loyalty to the Remnant Must be Chimeer Survival at Trained Benefit: You are an agent of the Remnant and cannot be touched by the laws of any city Equipment: You receive the mask of the Malice

Rank 2 - Proven

Prerequisite: • • •

Fulfil two missions for the Remnant Mind at 2 Awareness at Trained Benefit: You receive the Lip Reading specialisation to Info Gather which adds +1 when reading lips from a distance. Equipment: You receive good quality light armour and the cloak of the Malice.

Rank 3 - Loyal

Prerequisite: • • • •

Fulfil three missions for the Remnant Rapport at 2 Info Gather at Trained Awareness at Trained Benefit: You will now receive telepathic instruction from the Remnant. You can buy the Awareness advance and Instinct Attribute advance at guild cost. Equipment: You receive the blades of the Malice, two good quality steel daggers.

Rank 4 - Trusted

Prerequisite: • • • • • •

Fulfil four missions for the Remnant Instinct at 3 Agility at 3 Rapport at 3 Info Gather at Adept Awareness at Adept Benefit: You receive the Two Weapon specialisation for Melee which allows you to strike twice per round at the same or different targets. You can now buy the Info Gather skill and Rapport Attribute advance at guild cost. Equipment: None

Rank 5 - Voice

Prerequisite: • • • • • •

Fulfil five missions for the Remnant Instinct at 4 Agility at 4 Rapport at 4 Info Gather at Expert Awareness at Expert Benefit: You receive the Talent to send telepathic messages to others across a distance of 200ft. You also receive the Spot Artefact specialisation for the search skill which makes artefacts glow. You also speak for the Remnant when it is unable to speak for itself. Equipment: You receive the True Blades of the Malice two high quality daggers of unknown metal that ripples with a strange force and does +2 damage or +4 against corrupted.

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Sisters of Stone It is said that the founder of this holy order was a pirate that fled the frozen seas, that this pirate was so overcome by the beauty of the temples in the City of Dresen that she fell to her knees and wept vowing to no longer pillage and steal but to devout herself to the stone gods. The story tells of the pirate using her wealth to establish the holy order called the Sisters of Stone, and this is partly true.

itself, she began to put phase two into action and this was to create a school of assassins and spies that would effectively place the power in Dera’s hands. Along with the cooking classes and sewing was training in weapons and stealth, with herbalism was the creation of poisons. The girls learnt how to manipulate through both mental and physical means in order to gather information or learn secrets. Soon the hidden elements of the temple were sent out to learn, kill and The founder was indeed a pirate by the name of Dera steal not just wealth but knowledge. Val Gayet, and she had fled with her ships to the pale as the seas froze. Dera had been invited to help The Sisters of Stone is considered the most holy of build the thieves guild in the Last City which many orders and many are proud to send their daughters of her pirate comrades felt was ripe for the picking, to study the important life lessons. Amongst the but instead, with no intention of sharing her ill-gotten underworld the order is feared and envied, the Silent gains with a bunch of drunken sailors, she went below Guild tolerates the Sisters either because of fear, due to to see what that had to offer. the sharing of profits or for as long as they stay away from each other’s territories. It has been known for Dera found herself one of the first to enter the city of each to show mutual respect for the other and even to Dresen and was indeed overwhelmed by the statues work together. and temples of the dwarves, this had a profound effect on her and with this a plan was hatched. Dera decided to create her own thief ’s guild posing as a holy order. At first it was easy to establish herself as a priestess The order seems to have a two purposes the public one amongst the chaos and she had enough money to bribe which involves the education of girls and the hidden purpose of assassination and spying. Not all girls are the family members who questioned her venture. taught the hidden skills and only those that show As time went by it become obvious that what Dera aptitude and often have no family connections are had started was slowly becoming a place for lowlifes ever taken into the inner sanctums of the temple, this and drunkards that felt that with a woman in charge means that only the best are chosen and that outsiders they could do what they liked. Fights would break out can never tell what type of sister they are dealing with.

Purpose of the Order

in the temple halls and Dera was ignored or laughed at when she tried to regain control, something had to change. Dera called together some of the most ambitious female criminals she knew, gave them a large bag of whatever they wanted and instructed them to kill everyone in the temple, which they did.

Soon after with the aid of the same female assassins that had helped clear the temple the Sisters of Stone was formed, a holy order of women that would offer healing, prayer, and meditation to any that needed it. They would train girls in the arts that many families valued, such as sewing, cooking, herbalism, and other wholesome activities, and offer a spiritual education. Many of the noble and merchant families began sending their daughters to the temple to become educated. Dera and the other sisters would take in orphan girls or approach Vagrant families offering a better life for their daughters and the temple grew. After a few years and once the order had established

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Recruitment

Sisters are recruited as children mainly with many having normal lives outside of the Temple once they reach a certain age, though still recognised as Sisters. This was done in order to add another layer to the deception. Only females are recruited.

Order Ranks

The orders ranks start once the sister begins to become active in the orders various missions. Those that stay as priestesses do not acknowledge a ranking system but instead use seniority, and are the ‘front’ of the order, administering comfort and healing, as well as offering prayers and listening to confessions. Those sisters that are trained in the various secret arts have five ranks.

Sister of Stone

Introduction 121

Rank 1 - Initiate

Prerequisite: • • •

Must be Female Agility 2 Stealth at Trained Benefit: You enter the temple and start your training, you receive the Poison specialisation for Crafting which adds +1 to the skill when crafting poisons Equipment: You receive the Robes of the Initiate.

Rank 2 - Acolyte

Prerequisite: • • •

Crafting at Trained Thievery at Trained Will at 2 Benefit: You receive the Back Stab specialisation for Melee that allows you to use Agility rather than Body. You can now advance Athletics and Stealth at guild cost. Equipment: You receive the Robes of the Acolyte and the Dagger of Stone, good quality dagger.

Rank 3 - Daughter

Prerequisite: • • • •

Perform 2 Assassinations for the Order Learn a secret for the Order Stealth at Adept Agility at 3 Benefit: You learn the Shadow Stalker specialisation for Stealth which gives +1 when using shadows. You can advance Thievery and Agility at guild cost. Equipment: You receive a good quality light armour and good quality hand crossbow.

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Rank 4 - Oracle

Prerequisite: • • • • •

Perform four Assassinations for the Order Learn two secrets for the Order Thievery at Adept Charm at Adept Instinct at 3 Benefit: You have access to two contacts which can be from nobility, militia or merchant in any city Below. You have access to the Temple stores for healing or poison supplies. Equipment: You receive the Robes of the Oracle, these robes are your badge of office and will mark you as a priestess of the order, you will be allowed access to most places without question and you will speak for the order.

Rank 5 - Sister

Prerequisite: • • • • • • •

Perform six Assassinations for the Order Learn three secrets for the Order Stealth at Expert Acrobatics at Expert Crafting at Adept Instinct at 4 Agility at 4 Benefit: You receive the Wall Run specialisation for Acrobatics allowing you to run across or up vertical surfaces. You can now advance Charm and Acrobatics at guild cost. Equipment: You receive high quality light armour of the guild (+1 to Stealth).

Fighters Guild Many believe that the Fighters guild began after the fall as a way for sell swords and fighters to find work, but that is not quite correct. The truth is much more interesting in that it was a secret guild of fighters that started the uprising, they protected the blacksmiths as they forged the weapons and armour and they trained those that wished to fight, all in secret and under threat of discovery by elven militia.

Purpose of the Guild

The guild was formed in the capital, now called the Last City and it was the first city they captured, cutting off all communications of the elves so that the next two cities fell without warning. Because the guild was already established, the city fell quickly as those taking it were already inside the walls with key members in positions of trust or with help from the thieves’ guild.

Recruitment

The strongest of the guild were the knights that rode at the vanguard of the ever-expanding human forces, moving across the Pale collecting volunteers from farms, towns and villages as the elven forces were pushed back or eradicated on the spot. It was the greatest moment in the guilds history and one that assured that the guild, once re-established after the fall, would receive a place at the table. The guild is now the largest one next to the merchant’s guild and the guilds master is currently head of the city council. Below there is a fighter’s guild in each of the cities and they command the militias and guards that patrol the roads and walls. The guild has a lot of influence and members are seen as heroes by some

and protectors by many. Unfortunately, there is a large section of people that blame the guild for the fall, claiming that life may have been hard under the elves but at least there was food and less dangers from disease and monsters.

The guilds overall purpose is to train those wishing to learn in the martial arts, this ranges from pit fighting to archery, fencing to pole arms. It also acts as a place where warriors can be hired for guard work, fighting bouts, tourneys, and exploration

Anyone is welcome into the guild, but they do ask for an annual payment of metals and ores in order for them to forge and repair new weapons and armour.

Knights Armour

To become a Relic Knight you must find and return a set of knights armour, these are only found on the battlefields from the last war. To retrieve the armour you must scour the battlefield defending yourself against ghouls and other threats that can be found picking at the dead or stealing what valuables can be found there. This should not be an easy task and can if not careful cut short the guild career of even the best fighters.

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Relic Knight

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Rank 1 - Squire

Prerequisite: • • •

Melee at Trained Ten Barter Chits value in metals Body 2 Benefit: Access to the training halls and the choice between One Handed or Two Handed specialisation which adds a +1 to Melee for that type. Equipment: None

Rank 2 - Pit Fighter

Prerequisite: • • • • •

Fulfil two contracts for the guild 20 Barter Chits of Metal Win a Pit Fight Brawl at Trained Agility at 2 Benefit: You receive the Knock-down specialisation for Brawl which allows you to knock an opponent down rather than cause damage. You can advance Melee at guild cost. Equipment: You receive good quality iron gauntlets, and the seal of the guild.

Rank 3 - Archer

Prerequisite: • • • • •

Fulfil three contracts for the guild Compete and Win in an Archery tourney 20 Barter Chits of Metal Ranged at Trained Body at 3 Benefit: You learn the Full Draw specialisation for Ranged which allows you to use Body rather than Agility for Ranged damage. You can advance Ranged and Agility at guild cost Equipment: Good quality bow.

Rank 4 - Sword Master

Prerequisite: • • • • • •

Fulfil five contracts for the guild Win a Sword fighting competition 20 Barter Chits of metal Melee at Adept Athletics at Adept Agility at 3 Benefit: You do +1 extra damage with Melee attacks and you gain +1 to initiative. You can advance Body and Force at guild cost. You gain access to the guild forge and traders for discounted weapons and armour. Equipment: You receive the blade of the guild, a good quality melee weapon of your choice and also good quality medium armour.

Rank 5 - Relic Knight

Prerequisite: •

Find a suit of Knight Armour on a Battlefield and return it to the guild • Fulfil 7 contracts for the guild • Melee at Expert • Ranged at Adept • Body at 4 • Agility at 4 Benefit: Once you have found and returned a suit of Knights armour it will be repaired and returned to you. As a Relic Knight you will be a hero of the realm with all that it brings. The armour is full plate and you will receive the Armour Trained specialisation to Athletics which cancels out any penalties to wearing full plate. Equipment: You receive a full set of Relic Knight Armour.

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Specialisation List Role Specialisations

Skinner (Hunting) - You are trained in skinning and curing; you get twice as much and a 10% better price.

Ancestor (Arcane) - Once per session you can call upon an ancestor for aid, this aid comes in the form of answers to a specific question.

Strong (Melee) - You can use a two-handed weapon in one hand.

Ancient Tongue (Arcane) - You can read and understand ancient languages. Archaeologist (Legend) - You know the ancient myths and tales and gain a +1 to Legend to recognise a relic from the legend it has. Battle Medic (Healing) - You suffer no penalties when administering healing in a combat situation. Decipher (Academics) - You know your Dwarf from your Elven and you know the many important shields and Sigil’s, +1 Academics to decipher text. Dirty Fighter (Melee) - During combat you can attempt to use Dirty Fighting rather than a normal attack. This will involve an attack to stun or disorientate the opponent for d3 rnds if successful.

Tracker (Hunting) - You receive +1 to Hunting when using it to track a human.

Guild Specialisations Advanced Casting (Arcane) - Adds a +1 to all casting tasks. Alchemy (Arcane) - Which adds a +1 to all Arcane rolls when using Alchemy Back Stab (Melee) that allows you to use Agility rather than Body for damage and to hit.

Evaluate (Barter) - You know the value of what you have and gain a +1 to barter to get the best price you can.

Cleansing Flame (Arcane) - An enhancement to fire based spells which gives a +1 damage when using Pyromancy against corrupted.

Forager (Survival) - Choose above or below, and when foraging for food you gain a +1 to the Survival Skill.

Disguise (Deception) - Adds +1 when wearing a disguise.

Heat Immunity (Meditation) - Whilst meditating you cannot be injured by fire or heat of any kind.

Forager (Survival) - Choose above or below, and when foraging for food you gain a +1 to the Survival Skill.

Intimidate (Force) - You receive +1 to using your strength to intimidate others.

Full Draw (Ranged) - Allows you to use Body rather than Agility for Ranged damage.

Iron Fist (Brawl) - When using just your fist you do +1 damage.

Knock-down (Brawl) - Allows you to knock an opponent down rather than cause damage

Marked (Hunting) - +1 damage against a particular type of threat.

Lip Reading (Info Gather) - Adds +1 when reading lips from a distance

Navigator (Survival) - You can find your way in almost any environment and in darkness. +1 to survival when used to navigate tunnels and paths.

Poison (Crafting) - Gives a +1 to crafting poisons

Pickpocket (Thievery) - You are extremely good at picking pockets and gain a +1 when doing so.

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Sunder (Melee) - During combat you can choose to sunder the opponents shield if they have one. On a successful hit the opponents shield is either broken or ripped away making it useless.

Purge (Healing) - Gives a +1 when dealing with disease and corruption. Quick Aim (Ranged) - Allows you to make a ranged attack as if you have spent a round aiming

Read Elven (Academics) - Gives a +1 to read Elven script

Free Climb (Athletics) - You can climb as if you are using a climbing kit.

Shadow Stalker (Stealth) - Gives +1 when using shadows for stealth.

Guild (Lore) - You know Guild Lores and structures and receive a +1 when using or recalling the knowledges

Spot Artefact (Search) - Artefacts glow when a successful search is achieved. Surgery (Healing) - Gives a +1 to tasks involving healing by skill rather than potion. Trapper (Hunting) - Adds +1 when placing and disarming traps Two Weapon (Melee) - Allows you to strike twice per round at the same or different targets Wall Run (Acrobatics) - Allowing you to run across or up vertical surfaces.

General Specialisations

Healing (Animal Care) - You have learnt how to diagnose and heal animals and gain a +1 when doing so. Herbs (Healing) - You have a basic understanding of Herbs and there uses and receive a +1 to recognise and use herbs. Mounted Combat (Riding) - You receive no penalties for fighting or using ranged weapons whilst riding a horse or travelling in a wheeled vehicle. Mountain (Lore) - You have a knowledge of the mountains and the flora and fauna. You receive +1 when recalling or using this knowledge.

Barge (Force) - Adds +1 when forcing down doors or other barriers.

Nautical (Lore) - You have knowledge of the sea, ships and the fauna and flora found there. You receive +1 when using or recalling this knowledge.

Blacksmith (Crafting) - Allows you to use crafting fro repairing weapons and armour.

Rappel (Athletics) - You receive a +1 when using rope to rappel down buildings or mountains.

Blind-fighting (Melee) - You do not receive penalties for fighting in pitch darkness.

Seduce (Charm) - You receive a +1 when trying to use your natural charms to persuade another person.

Calm (Negotiate) - You can calm down a potentially dangerous situations.

Sense Corruption (Awareness) - You get a tingling sensation when corruption or a corrupted creature is within 15ft of you.

Cartography (Academics) - Your map making skills allows you to revisit locations easily, gain +1 to Navigate when using map, and sell the maps you make.

Spoor Analysis (Hunting) - You can tell from the spoor of the creature what physical condition it is in and receive +1 damage against it.

Conceal (Thievery) - You can conceal items on your person, anyone trying to find the item is at -2 to Search.

Throw Voice (Deception) - You can throw your voice to deceive others.

Distract (Stealth) - You receives +1 to stealth when attempting to distract a guard or dog.

Tinker (Thievery) - You get +1 to disarming or setting traps in devices such as locks, boxes etc.

Dwarven Tales (Legend) - You know legends and tale of the Dwarves, and will recognise dwarven architecture.

Tribal (Etiquette) - You are knowledgeable on tribal customs and know how to act amongst tribes. You receive +1 to dealing with tribes and tribals.

Focus (Meditation) - You can spend 4 hrs.. meditating on a skill and the next day receive a +1 to that skill.

Tumble (Acrobatics) - You can break falls and only receive half damage from falling.

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Advancing & Derived GMs can if they like offer more Character Points in order to give the characters a boost at the start, below are some guidelines. Standard - 100pts Survivors - 130pts Adventurers - 160pts Heroic - 200pts

Once you have chosen a species, role, and guild you are on to the end section, which is where you get to spend your character points, work out the Derived stats and learn how advancing your character works.

Guild Cost

Character Points & Advancing

Spending Points

For this section, your Character Points will act remarkably similar to experience points and so by combining these two systems will not only help you improve your character now, but also teach you how this will work in the future. The only difference is that at this stage you can only advance a character’s skills to Adept and an Attribute to a max of 4.

Guild Advancement costs only come in effect after character creation has ended and once your character has reached that Rank in the guild.

You can spend your points on both Skills and Attributes, but in order to by a new level in a skill or a new attribute total you must own the previous levels. Any unspent points are lost.

Example

The player decides to advance her characters Athletics, she already has athletics as Known so she could advance it to Trained for 30 pts, if she had wanted to advance Athletics to Adept, she would have to advance to Trained first.

You have 100-character points to spend and in order to spend them you must follow the table below.

The game is designed to be tough and the easier you make it the less that becomes a evident.

Advancement Table Skill

Attributes

Advance

Cost

Guild

Advance

Cost

Guild

Unknown to Known

20

10

0 to 1

20

10

Known to Trained

30

20

1 to 2

50

30

Trained to Adept

40

30

2 to 3

70

50

Adept to Expert

50

40

3 to 4

100

70

Expert to Master

70

60

4 to 5

150

100

Earning Experience

You earn experience playing the game and the GM can award experience for the following reasons: • • • • • •

Succeeding or failing a task Playing your character well Completing missions Discovering Relics or Artefacts Destroying Corruption Exploring a new area

The experience given should vary from 10 to 20 points per session, this experience can be spent on advancing the character, unspent experience can also be saved and will carry over from session to session. Characters only gain ranks in the guild by fulfilling guild prerequisites.

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Buying Specialisations Characters can buy Specialisations with experience points, and the cost will vary based on the type of Specialisation. Type

Cost

Role

50

Guild

100

General

25

Each skill can hold up to three specialisations.

Derived Stats

Every character has a number of Derived Stats that can be completed once their Species and Role has been decided and the 100-character points spent. These Derived Stats are determined by the characters Attributes and so may change throughout the course of the game as the attributes change.

Corruption

Every character begins with 1 Corruption point and this is a permanent point so it can never be removed. This permanent corruption of one indicates how everything is in some way corrupted. The character can gain up to 10 corruption points with each point earned having a different effect on the character and how others view them. Corruption will be gone into more detail in the Exploration chapter.

Damage Bonus

Damage from attacks can be affected by the characters attributes with Body adding to Melee and unarmed attacks and Agility adding to Ranged attacks.

Initiative

Before combat, all characters roll Initiative to determine in what order they act, this is done by rolling a D6 + Agility or Instinct

Stamina

Stamina has two tracks, the first (Physical Stamina) represents the characters ability to survive without food, water, or sleep, and the second (Mental Stamina)

determines the number of spells they can cast before becoming exhausted and tracks damage from mental attacks

Physical Stamina = 10 + Body Attribute Mental Stamina = 10 + Will Attribute

Wounds

You have a wound track that deals with damage from physical attacks, falling, burning and so forth. The Wound track starts at 10 and is increased by the Body Attribute up to a total of 15.

Read more about Corruption on pg 144

Wounds can be reduced through certain poisons or disease as well as increases in corruption. As the tracks deplete the character will receive penalties to all rolls.

Stress and Courage

You can also experience Stress from shocks and fear and this is indicated by a Courage rating that works via Levels of Success and Failure. Your Courage is your Will + Instinct Attribute divided by 2, round up. .

Armour and Toughness

Your Armour Points are found in the armour section of the Gear section. Armour Points reduce damage. Toughness is equal to your Body Attribute and can also help in reducing damage, it represents your ability to shrug off damage that is minor.

There is more detail on Armour and Toughness on pg 151

Both Armour and Toughness is discussed further in the Combat section which can be found in the Exploration Chapter

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Character Creation Step by Step

This is a break down of the steps on making a character and to help with this we will join Niki as she creates Tornee a Human Monster Hunter.

Step 1: Attributes (pg77)

Niki starts with spending her attribute points Niki wants a character to be good with a Bow so she places 2 points of the four she receives into Agility, Niki then places a point in Body and the final point in Instinct, this give her an Attribute spread of Agility 2, Body 1, Instinct 1, Mind 0, Will 0 and Rapport 0. Niki gives it some thought and decides that her character will be a bit antisocial and reduces Rapport to -1, this gives her a point to spend elsewhere and she places that in Will, so now her spread is: Agility 2, Body 1, Instinct 1, Mind 0, Rapport -1, Will 1

Step 2: Base Skills (pg77) Niki’s chooses the following base skills, which all begin at Known. Ranged, Survival and Barter. Niki is thinking some kind of Hunter would be cool. Step 3: Species (pg78)

Niki is not to fussed about joining a Guild as she likes the idea of Tornee being a bit of a loner, but she skims through the selection and decides that at some point Tornee may join the Gray Rangers as they seem to be a natural fit, or maybe she may become a Sister of Stone, this would be a secret membership where she can assassinate people as side job. But at the moment Tornee will be Guild free.

Step 6: Character Points (pg124) Niki now has 100 points to spend on Tornee which sounds like a lot. First Niki decides to give Tornee a Melee skill and spends 20 points on improving Melee to Known, not great but it will do as she never intends to get to close. Niki bearing this in mind decides to increase Ranged from Trained to Adept which costs 40 points, also as a Monster Hunter Tornee will need a better Hunting skill so with the final 40 points Niki increases Tornee’s Hunting from Trained to Adept. With all the points spent Niki moves onto the final step.

Niki has decided that she wants Tornee to be Human. As a human she receives a +1 to both her Body and Instinct Attributes and receives the following skills at Known: Lore, Crafting, Hunting, Barter and Survival. Niki already has Barter and Survival at known which means these increase one step to Trained.

Step 7: Derived Stats (pg125) Tornee’s Attributes are now Body 2, Agility 2, Instinct 2, Mind 0, Rapport -1, and Will 1, these will affect her Derived Stats, so Niki begins to quickly work out what she has.

Niki then chooses her Trait and decides to go with Courage which gives a +1 to her Will when facing monsters.

Tornee’s Melee Damage is +2 and her Ranged is +2

Step 4: Role (pg85) Niki knows she wants Tornee to be a hunter so turning to page 89 she checks on her options and goes for Monster Hunter. But first as a Hunter Tornee receives the following skills at Know, Awareness, Athletics and Survival, but Tornee already has Survival at Trained so that now increase one step to Adept. The Monster Hunter also gains some skills these also start at known, Hunting, Ranged and Lore, again Tornee already has all of these at Known so they all move up to Trained. Tornee also receives a specialisation of Marked which means when that she does +1 damage against a chosen threat, so Tornee chooses Fanatics. Once done Niki copies the starting gear, she has on to her character sheet.

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Step 5: Guild (pg98)

Tornee starts with 1 Corruption point like everyone else.

Initiative will be a D6 +2 with either Agility or Instinct which is good. Tornee’s Physical Stamina is 12 and her Mental Stamina is 11 Her wounds are 12 which is above the average. Tornee’s Courage is 2 (Will 1 and Instinct 2) but Tornee has the Courage Trait which increase Will by +1 for this but because her Will is only 1 it makes no real difference. Niki makes a metal note to improve Tornee’s Will, she is going to need it if she intends to hunt monsters. Tornee’s Toughness is 2 which is not too bad. Niki has completed her character and is ready to venture out into the Pale

Character - Tornee Species - Human Role - Monster Hunter Guild - None

Attributes

Agility 2, Body 2, Instinct 2, Mind 0, Rapport -1, Will 1

Derived Stats

Corruption - 1 Wounds - 12 Physical Stamina - 12 Mental Stamina - 11 Toughness - 2 Initiative - D6 +2

Courage - 2 Damage Bonus - Melee +2, Ranged +2 Athletics - 1d Awarness - 1d Barter - 2d Crafting - 1d Hunting - 3d Lore - 2d Melee - 1d Ranged - 3d Survival - 3d

Skills

Trait

Courage +1 to Will when facing Monsters

Specialisation

Mark +1 Damage against Fanatics

Starting Gear

Good Qaulity Bow + 20 arrows,, Pack, Good Qaulity Hunting Knife, Healing Herbs, Rations, Winter Clothing, Good Qaulity Leather Armour.

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Gear and Trade After the fall and the sun went out, not much was left. The cities lay either destroyed or under a sheet of ice and those that survived fled to the last city or to the below. As things slowly went back to normal the opportunity to rebuild arose, and it was soon discovered that many of the crafters that once built the tools and temples had perished.

In the upcoming Last City supplement there will be more detail regarding traders and smiths available to the characters.

The cities of the Pale and the Below lack quality crafters, some did survive and are sought after, but along with the lack of armourers and weapon-smith, tailors and builders is the lack of materials to build what is needed. This lack of skill and material is reflected in the quality of items available to the characters, many characters start with either low or good quality items, but these definitions on quality is based upon what is available at the time.

Barter

Traders can be found both on the road and in villages and the Last City and the cities of the below, Traders on the road will often be reluctant to carry lots of trade goods unless they have a cart or mules, but often these traders will have more exotic items.

Item Quality

Low-quality items are knocked together with lowquality materials by barely skilled crafters, so, for example, a low-quality sword would be a sharpened piece of Iron with some leather wrapped around an end section for a grip, a low-quality bow will be a flexible stick and some catgut. Good quality will indicate a bit more time spent and maybe better materials used. A sword will look more like a traditional sword with a discernible hilt and a cross-guard, whereas a bow will be more sturdy and may come as short or long.

Straight Exchange – This involves bringing items to a trader and exchanging those items for different items that the trader has, this is often dependent on what is available and what is needed by either or both the trader and character.

When you begin to get into High Quality the rules begin to change, many crafters cannot forge a highquality sword but can repair one, so many of the highquality items available are built from various items found and brought to the crafter. Finding a broken sword in the wastes should not be discarded, bringing that sword to a crafter will allow them to mount your current blade into the hilt, improving the weight or balance of the weapon.

The value of an item will change from place to place and from time to time, so just because you got a good deal on some rabbit furs last week with a trader, does not mean that this week that trader would offer the same deal.

Master-work items are the rarest find of all and are often magical in some way, again most master-work items are found in the wastes, stories of lost masterwork items have spurred many an adventure-seeking these legendary swords or artefacts.

Chits – Traders can give Chits for the value of items bought to them that are cannot exchanged due to lack of goods or lack of any thing that is needed by the character. These chits are either metal stamped coins, a sealed letter of value or sometimes engraved pottery or wood. All traders accept Chits in exchange for goods and services.

Master crafters do exist but are very expensive or live out there amongst the ruins, fabled masters of the forge contemplating the grand design while sitting cross-legged on a mountain top is a romantic view that many crafters have of these mythical characters. Finding a master crafter will lead to the creation of truly wondrous objects if you can afford the price.

Barter always indicates some form of deal being struck, and this is definitely the case, with characters attempting to get a better price. Barter is the obvious way to do this but Negotiation, Charm and Deceive could all work depending on what you are attempting to obtain and how you wish to obtain it.

Crafting

Everything is bought through barter; this is done in two ways straight exchange or Chits.

Any character with a crafting skill can create a lowquality item or repair one as long as they have the materials to do so. The GM should set the difficulty based on what the character is trying to accomplish. Repairing armour or a weapon would involve finding

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a material that can be either sewn or welded on in the case or armour or welded or replaced with a weapon, often a repair could lead to an upgrade.

Upgrades

Upgrading a weapon or piece of armour can only be done by someone with the Blacksmith specialisation and access to a forge. To upgrade the character must first have the pieces they need to do the upgrade, so a worn chain mail shirt will allow the blacksmith to repair it to make it wearable, all parts of a sword will allow a blacksmith to rebuild the weapon. A low quality sword of iron will be heavy and do less than damage, but replacing the blade with one of steel with make it lighter and sharper, or replacing the low grade hilt with one made of better materials will improve the handling. A character can start with a low quality weapon and rather than obtain a new sword just keep improving the one they have, meaning that they may only buy one weapon their whole life. The same applies to armour though finding the parts to improve that could be more difficult. Difficulty based on Quality

Wear and Tear

All low and good quality weapons will suffer from wear and tear, becoming blunt, falling apart or just plain breaking is always a risk. Rolling levels of Failure can indicate that the weapon or item has either broke or become less efficient in some way.

Crafting Weapons

The crafting of weapons requires two things the materials and the skill, neither of which is easy to acquire.

Materials

When we talk of materials we are not talking of Iron ore or Trees but more broken versions of what you would like to make, though the raw materials can be found it is much easier to use or repair what is already available like old armour and weapons found in ruins, taken from enemies or traded for from tribes and villages in the pale. Often one item can be used to repair another; two old steel swords could be melted down to reforge a new one, whereas scraps of chain mail could be linked together to form a shirt. The haft from an old iron axe could be used to hold a better quality steel or obsidian axe head and so forth.

Tools and Materials Available

LQ

GQ

HQ

Current Material

Improved by

Iron blade

Steel Blade

Bare minimum of both

8

10

14

Birch Wood Haft

Hickory Wood

Bare minimum tools, plenty of materials.

7

9

13

Leather

Cured Leather

Plenty of tools, bare minimum materials

8

10

14

Pine Wood

Yew Wood

Steel

Obsidian

Plenty of tools and materials

6

8

12

Obsidian

Black Iron

Skill

Characters with the Crafting skill can repair weapons and armour and sometimes based on the Level of success could turn a low-quality item into a common quality item as long as they have the materials. Characters that wish to forge or reforge new weapons and armour will need the Blacksmith Specialisation. The GM should decide the difficulty of what the character is attempting to do based on materials and tools at their disposable, the above table is a suggestion.

Black Iron

The chunk of rock and Iron that was called down by the elves scattered as it hit the land causing pieces of it to be sent all across the pale, these pieces can be reforged and are highly sought after by master craftsman as the Iron is said to be unbreakable and magical in nature. Of course, others claim that the corruption seeped from the Black Iron and spread, causing the rise of the Blood Lords and the foul beasts that now prowl the ice.

There are smiths that can work with Black Iron but they are hard to find and may ask for a lot in return. This will be explored in future supplements.

Finding chunks of this metal will allow you to forge new weapons and even armour, as long as you can find a smith capable.

Characters

133

Worn Gear Items

Cost*

Descriptions

Clothing

5/7/10

Standard Clothing

Climbing Spikes

5

Attached to boots to aid climbing. Adds +1d to climbing rolls

Packs

4

Adds 6 free slots

Pouches

2

Adds 1 free slot and up to 5 can be worn

Sack

1

Adds 3 free slots

Ski’s

5

Used to move quickly, increases movement by 5

Snow Shoes

4

Cancels movement penalties for deep snow

Snow Goggles

8

Used to avoid snow blindness

Warm Clothing

8/10/12

Used to travel the Pale, furs, hoods, gloves

Carried Gear

134

Items

Cost

Expendable

Slots

Description

Animal Traps

2

-

4

Used to trap animals

Bedroll

5

-

3

A padded blanket with a tarp.

Candles (5)

2

Lasts 3 hrs..

1

Candles will light a 5ft area

Chalk (3)

1

-

1

Used for marking paths

Clay Bottle

2

Holds 1 pint

1

Can hold 1 pint of fluid

Compass

10

-

1

Rare. adds +1d to navigation attempts

Excavation Kit

20

-

7

Shovel, pick, bucket and trowel

Firestone

12

-

1

Small stone that when rubbed heats up

Flint & Steel

2

-

1

Used for lighting fires

Grapple

3

-

2

Attached to ropes. Will add +1d to climbing

Lantern

4

Lasts 2 hrs..

2

A Lantern will light a 20 ft area

Lantern Oil

2

Has 3 uses

1

Used in the lantern lasts 2 hrs..

Leather Ties

1

-

1

Used for tying objects together securely

Lock Picks

5

-

1

Will add +1d to Picking Locks

Oil Cloth

3

-

Rations (5)

3

Has 5 uses

2

To wrap items to stop them freezing or getting wet 5 Days of food

Repair Kit

20

-

3

Everything needed to repair armour and weapons

Rock Salt

2

Has 3 uses

1

Used to preserve meat and grit ice

Rope

2

-

3

50’ of hemp or fibre rope

Scroll Case

3

Holds 5 scrolls

2

Can hold up to 5 scrolls securely

Skinners Kit

6

-

3

Kit for the skinning of animals

Spyglass

20

-

1

Rare. Allows user to see distant objects

Tent

5

-

5

Will hold one person comfortably

Tinderbox

3

Lights 2 fires

3

Used for the starting of fires

Torches (3)

1

Lasts 1 hr.

3

A Torch will light a 10ft area

Trophy Hook

3

-

2

Allows hunters to display their kills

Water-skin

2

Holds 1 gallon

2

Holds 1 gallon of liquid

Writing Kit

9

3 Contains pens, paper and ink * Cost is for Low/Good/High Quality

Encumbrance

Each character has several free slots equal to their Body x 3, for every slot used above this the characters Stamina is reduced by 1 point. Buying Backpacks, Pouches and Sacks will increase the number of available free slots.

Gear Descriptions

Equipment comes in two kinds Worn (w) and Carried (c). Worn items do not take up slots whereas carried items do, and each carried item takes up a different number of slots Pouches, Packs and Sacks – These allow you to carry more gear without costing too much more encumbrance. Each will add several extra free slots. Up to five pouches can be worn. Lanterns, Torches and Candles – These are used to light the dark places, each one lights a different radius and lasts a different length of time to the others. Snow Gear – Used for travelling the Pale, will aid in survival Fire-Stones – Stones harvested from the below, expensive and rare these stones when rubbed heat up warming the user and warding off the cold. Tools and Kits – Used by those with the skills to understand their purpose, Low-Quality tools and kits will give a -1d penalty to the skill.

Expendable Items

Some items are expendable such as candles, torches etc. Unlike other items like food and drink which the character can control, it is much harder to regulate how quickly a candles burns or lantern oil is used up, so when these items are used they last several hours, the GM regulates this and decides when the time has passed. Out in the Pale, some items can freeze up causing them to degrade faster, this is up to the GM, but items that are not wrapped in oil clothes can freeze or become wet and useless.

exists. Rare items should not be available everywhere and should turn up only occasionally. Characters cannot have rare items at creation.

Guild Costs

Most of the items, weapons and armour listed can be bought from Guild stores once the option becomes available. The Guild cost is 50% of normal trade cost. Guild stores cannot be bartered with.

Value

Items that are sold to traders are valued at half their sale cost rounded down, so if an item costs 5 Barter Chits to buy that same item is valued at 2 Barter Chits to sell back to a trader.

Transportation

Travelling across the pale can be dangerous not just because of the bandits and monsters but also the ice and cold. Animals like horses and dogs are also affected by the cold and also need to be kept warm and fed regularly, using the Animal Care skill, the GM must be aware of whether the characters feed and take care of any animals when they camp. Vehicles like the Wagon and Carts come wheeled, but for an extra 20bc, they can be fitted with skis which will allow them to travel across dangerous areas of ice as well as frozen lakes and rivers easier

Some vehicles come with a set of spare skis that can be switched out by removing the wheels of the vehicle and replacing them with the skis. Using skis on roads, gravel and rock will damage the skis permanemtly.

Use

There are two ways to use Potions, Poisons and Salves and these are shown under the Use column, the first way is Applied, this means that it needs to be either applied directly onto the wound in the case of healing items or applied to a weapon in the case of poisons. Ingested means exactly that the item must be eaten or drank to gain the effects.

Resistance

All poisons and diseases can be resisted by rolling higher than the potency with a Body Attribute Test.

Cost

All costs are in Barter Chits. Costs can be adjusted to emphasis different locations if the GM wishes.

Rare

Some items are rare; this is mainly because they are no longer made or the means of creating them no longer

Characters

135

Transportation and Lodging Type

Cost

Description Lodgings

Low quality Inn

1bc per night

Often found in villages

Average quality Inn

3bc per night

Standard city Inn

Good quality Inn

6bc per night

High end city Inn

Transportation Cart

30bc

Open box on wheels pulled by a horse

Horse

70bc

A good quality riding horse

Sled

40bc

One or two person sled pulled by 6 dogs

Sled Dogs

15bc each

A dog trained to pull a sled

Wagon

85bc

Closed box and insulated, pulled by a horse

Potions, Poisons and Salves Type

Cost

Use*

Potency

Effect

Potions and Salves Frostbite Salve

18

Applied

-

Will heal the effects of Frostbite

Healing Salve

20

Applied

-

Will heal 1d6 Wounds

Healing Potion

35

Ingested

-

Will heal 1d10 Wounds

Purge

50

Ingested

-

Will purge poisons and disease from system

Barrier Weed

100

Ingested

10

Blocks magical ability in mages for d10 rnds

Poisons Blindness

35

Ingested

8

Will cause blindness for 1d6 rnds

Lung Rot

45

Ingested

9

Reduces Stamina by 1d6 per rnd

Paralysing

60

Applied

8

Causes paralyses for 1 day

Slow Rot

30

Applied

7

Does 1d4 wound damage per rnd

Diseases

136

Type

Potency

Cause

Effect

Marsh Shakes

3

Leeches or Ghoul bites

Uncontrollable shakes with a -3 penalty and death within two days if untreated

Gut Rot

3

Eating rotten or corrupted food

Vomiting and Diarrhoea. Victim is unable to act, will cause death if untreated

Black Boils

4

Bite from Carrier either human or animal

Black Boils appear on the body, if not treated victim will day within a week.

Running Death

4

Tainted Water

Victims inside turn to water and run from their orifices, Victim will die in two days.

Corpse Sweats

3

Undead or digesting corpses

Victims starts to sweat and eventually collapses. Left untreated death will come within a week

Red Fever

2

Animal bites

Victim becomes feverish and begins to hallucinate and become aggressive

Armour and Shields Type

Cost

AP

Break

Modifiers

Availability

Low Quality Armour & Shields Hide

15

2

4

-

Layered Hide

20

3

5

-

Plated Hide

35

4

6

-1 Stealth

Wooden Shield

30

-

10

+1 Parry

Good Quality Armour & Shields Reinforced Leather

35

4

5

-

Plated Leather

75

5

7

-1 Stealth

Chain

150

5

9

-2 Stealth

Reinforced Shield

75

-

15

+2 Parry

Rare

High Quality Armour & Shields Reinforced Chain

225

6

12

-1 Stealth

Scale

300

7

15

-1 Stealth

Half Plate

200

7

20

-2 Stealth

Rare

Full Plate

500

8

25

-3 Stealth

Rare

Relic Knight

-

10

30

-3 Stealth

Very Rare

Metal Shield

100

-

25

+2 Parry

Armour Points

Your armours AP reduces the damage caused by weapons by the amount of the AP, so wearing Chain armour will reduce any damage by 5 points.

Break

When the maximum is rolled on the damage dice, this will effect the armour’s integrity, and for each maximum rolled the armours break level is reduced by 1. Once the armours Break reaches 0, it no longer protects the wearer and must be either repaired or discarded.

Repairing Armour

For each break level that the armour has dropped to adds another -1 penalty to repair it, so if the armour has dropped five break levels the player would receive a -5 penalty to repair it. A character can opt to just ‘Patch’ up the armour which will only repair a certain number of break levels rather than all of them.

Shields

Shields are used to parry attacks, and with each successful parry they are used for the break level of the shield will drop by 1 point. It is much harder to repair a shield, and they must be repaired someone with the Blacksmith specialisation and a workshop, often with low or good quality shields, it is cheaper to buy a new one.

Modifiers

Some armours will effect stealth because of there bulk or materials, this effect is shown via a modifier which will give a penalty to the roll by the player from -1 to -3 depending on the armour type.

Rare

Some armours are rare; this means they are either hard to have made unless a qualified Blacksmith is found or they have to be discovered by the person wishing to wear them and often this will lead to them having to be repaired. To repair a rare item would be a difficulty of 10 at the minimum depending on available materials and tools.

Relic Knight Armour

Finding the armour of the Knights that freed the world from elven tyranny is difficult to do and the armour is considered rare. This is not armour that can be bought hence there is no price marked but if the GM wants to give the characters a chance to buy Relic Knight Plate then the cost should be double to triple that of Full Plate. See Relic Knight Armour on pg 137

Characters

137

Melee and Thrown Weapons Type

Damage

Modifiers

Axe, Hand

1d6s

-2 to hit

Club

1d6b

Dagger

Throw

Hand

Break

Slots

Cost

x2 Body in ft

1h

10

3

5bc

-2 to hit

-

2h

8

3

2bc

1d4s

-2 to hit

x2 Body in ft

1h

5

1

2bc

Hammer

1d6b

-2 to hit

x1 Body in ft

1h

8

2

5bc

Spear

1d6p

-2 to hit

x5 Body in ft

2h

6

4

3bc

Staff

1d4b

-2 to hit

-

2h

6

4

2bc

Sword

1d8s

-2 to hit

-

1h

8

4

5bc

Low Quality

Good Quality Axe, Hand

1d8s

-1 to hit

x3 Body in ft

1h

15

2

7bc

Axe, Battle

2d6s

-1 to hit

-

2h

18

4

10bc

Club

1d8b

-1 to hit

-

2h

12

3

4bc

Dagger

1d6s

-1 to hit

x4 Body in ft

1h

10

1

3bc

Hammer, Hand

1d8b

-1 to hit

x4 Body in ft

1h

15

2

6bc

Hammer, War.

2d8b

-1 to hit

-

2h

28

4

10bc

Spear

1d8p

-1 to hit

x7 Body in ft

2h

10

4

5bc

Sword, Broad

1d10s

-1 to hit

-

1h

15

4

7bc

Sword, Great

2d10s

-1 to hit

-

2h

18

5

10bc

Sword, Short

1d8s

-1 to hit

-

1h

13

3

6bc 20bc

High Quality Axe, Battle

3d8s

-

-

2h

25

4

Dagger

1d8s

-

x8 Body in ft

1h

15

1

9bc

Halberd

3d6s

-

-

2h

20

5

18bc

Hammer, War

3d8b

-

-

2h

25

4

20bc

Hatchet

1d10s

-

x6 Body in ft

1h

20

2

12bc

Spear

1d10p

-

x10 Body in ft

2h

15

4

12bc

Sword, Broad

1d10+2s

-

-

1h

25

4

15bc

Sword, Great

2d10+2s

-

-

2h

35

5

25bc

Sword Short

1d10s

-

-

1h

20

3

12bc

Master work Axe, Battle

4d10s

+1 to hit

-

1h/2h

-

3

500bc

Dagger

1d10s

+1 to hit

x8 Body in ft

1h

-

1

200bc

Hammer,War

4d10b

+1 to hit

-

1h/2h

-

3

500bc

Spear

2d6+2p

+1 to hit

x10 Body in ft

2h

-

4

400bc

Sword

2d10s

+1 to hit

-

1h/2h

-

3

600bc

Unarmed Attacks

138

Head-butt

1d6

-

-

-

-

-

-

Kick

1d6

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Punch

1d4

-

-

-

Iron Gauntlet

d4+3

15

2

6bc

Leaded Glove

d4+2

12

1

2bc

Weapon Descriptions Low Quality Weapons – Made from low-grade materials like stone, bone and untempered irons, these weapons are often heavier and harder to use due to their rough design. Leather is sometimes wrapped around the lower part of a weapon to serve as a grip.

Like armour, weapons can be repaired as long as the correct skill and repair kit is available to do so. Otherwise, the character can take the weapon to a smith and pay for the repair to be made.

Good Quality Weapons – Made using better materials but often still heavy and difficult to wield for long periods. They will be built with good quality materials and often come with grips and a hilt with cross guards etc. Good quality weapons look like the weapons most people expect to see. High Quality Weapons – made with durable and lighter materials like steel, and fired wood, these weapons are the top end for most people in the pale. High-quality weapons are not easy to come by, and a skilled armourer is needed to repair or build them. Master-work Weapons – Extremely rare and sought after weapons made with a variety of materials from ancient steel, obsidian and Black Iron, these weapons are rarely made and are almost always magical in nature. These weapons must be found with the prices on the table just being a presumed cost.

Melee Weapon Damage

If the attack with a Melee weapon is rolled with certain number of Levels of Success they may do extra damage, this can be linked to the damage letter seen next to the dice damage on the table. Stabbing/Slashing (s) – Weapon either stabs or slashes or even both, this can cause bleeding damage. Bludgeon (b) – Weapon causes Bludgeoning damage, which can stun a target. Piercing (p) – The weapon pierces the target which can also cause bleeding damage.

Modifiers

Preparing to Attack

A Bow can be nocked as a free action but a crossbow will take 1 round to load, meaning that when using a crossbow you get to attack every other round.

Cost

The cost represents the average cost in barter chits; this may change to reflect the location that the weapon is bought. Master-work weapons cost is a low amount, and most weapons will cost a lot more if they can be found, it is much easier to find these weapons out in the Pale then with a trader.

Range

Both thrown and ranged weapons have a range. For thrown weapons, the range is in feet and is related to your Body. For ranged weapons, the distance is in yards. The range given is the furthest range possible, and GMs can offer modifiers to characters who attempt to hit such extreme ranges.

The weapon modifiers represent the weight and quality of the weapon and how those factors will affect the use of the weapon.

Ranged Weapon Damage

Break

Ammunition Bows and Crossbows can be used with different ammunition but often these more unique and dangerous ammunition types can be rare and expensive.

Weapons like armour will break or become unusable over time; this is shown in-game with the break number. Each time the character rolls a 1 for damage with the weapon, the break number is reduced by one. Higher quality items take longer to break.

Damage from ranged weapons can be increased by extra levels of success being rolled by the player.

Characters

139

Ranged Weapons Type

Damage

Modifiers

Range (yds)

Break

Slots

Cost

Low Quality Bow

1d6p

-2 to hit

50

6

4

8bc

Sling

1d4b

-2 to hit

25

5

1

2bc

Good Quality Bow, Long

1d10p

-1 to hit

200

10

4

12bc

Bow, Short

1d8p

-1 to hit

80

12

3

10bc

Crossbow

2d6p

-1 to hit

150

15

5

15bc

Sling

1d6b

-1 to hit

50

20

1

4bc

High Quality Bow, Hunting

2d6p

-

200

20

3

20bc

Bow, Long

2d10p

-

300

20

4

25bc

Bow, Short

1d10p

-

100

25

3

20bc

Crossbow, Hand

1d8p

-

100

15

2

45bc

Crossbow, Light

2d6p

-

150

15

3

60bc

Crossbow, Heavy

3d6p

-

300

25

5

75bc

Sling

1d8b

-

60

30

1

Master-work Bow, Hunting

3d6p

+1 to hit

300

-

3

400bc

Bow, Long

2d10+2p

+1 to hit

500

-

4

600bc

Bow, Short

1d10+2p

+1 to hit

150

-

3

400bc

Crossbow, Dwarven

4d6p

+1 to hit

500

-

5

1000bc

Sling

1d10b

+1 to hit

75

-

1

200bc

Ammunition Arrows

Cost 0

10bc for 20

Armour Piercing

Standard

-2 Ignores Armour

20bc for 10

Broad-head

+2 Causes Bleeding

15bc for 20

0

12bc for 20

Armour Piercing

-2 ignores Armour

30bc for 10

Broad-head

+2 Causes Bleeding

25bc for 20

Bolts Standard

Stones

140

Standard

0

0

Sharpened

+1

10bc for 50

Guild Weapons and Items Weapon

Damage

Slots

Special

Guild Daggers Palm Dagger

1d6s +1

1

Concealed

Rangers Blade

1d6s +2

1

None

True Blades of the Malice

1d8s+2

1 each

+4 damage vs.. Corrupted

Ashen Wood

1d8b

4

+1 Ranged Casting

Control

1d8b

4

+2 to Controlling Undead

Dead Wood

1d8b

4

+1 to Ranged Casting

Flames

1d8b

4

+1 to Magic Fire Attacks

Heart Tree

1d8b

4

+1 to Arcane

Master

1d10b

4

+2 to Arcane

Guild Staffs

Guild Gear

Type

Slots

Effect

Globe of Eternal Flame

2

Everlasting Lantern

Guisers Kit

4

Needed to use the Disguise Specialisation

Pendant of Protection

1

+1 Defence against Magical Attacks

Poisoners Kit

4

Needed to use the Poison Specialisation

Rangers Band

-

Ranger leaves no Tracks

Ring of Purity

-

+1 Resistance

Ring of Warning

-

Grows warm when corruption is within 50ft

Surgery Tools

4

Needed to use the Surgery Specialisation

Guild Weapons and Items are only available via the Guild and cannot be bought from a normal trader, though they could be taken from a dead or alive guild member.

Relic Knight Armour

When the armour was crafted for the knights many were built using the same design as old plate armour. The elves never used heavy armours and so the art of making the chain and plate armours had almost been forgotten by human blacksmiths. This lack of knowledge means that Relic armour is much more sought after as only the best smiths worked on it. It is rumoured that some suits of armour had been crafted with magical elements, or in this case antimagical runes etched into it, along with other effects, making the armour much more valuable and desirable by those seeking it. When a suit of relic armour is found the player must roll on the following table to discover if any magical effects had been etched into the metal.

D6

Effect

1

Nothing

2

+1 Body when wearing the armour

3

+2 Magical Resistance

4

Light - Stealth modifier removed

5

Healing - Heals d6 wounds once per day

6

Strong +2 AP and Break

Magical Resistance is described in more detail in the Arcane Chapter.

Characters

141

5

Exploration

I once heard that a whole party of people just disappeared once, got up, stripped camp, and moved on, then splash! The whole lot just disappeared.

Ice lake they tell me, weight made it crack and before they knew it, they was dead. Only survivor was a Hunter, had the mind to mark it on a map they were keeping. Damn good Hunter that.

T

he world is a place of cruelty and horror, those with sense stay behind the city walls and accept their fate, produce the food, keep the ores coming in and serve the guilds and their betters. But, there are some among the people who feel the need to venture out, to risk their lives beyond the spires. They try to resurrect a dead land, try to recapture the world before the fall and carry on. Sadly they often are found staked out guts hanging, impaled upon spikes, or if they are blessed dead in the snow, frozen. There are those amongst us that are destined to face the Pale, to walk the tunnels of the Below or the ice of the Above. Those that face the horrors and try to fight back. Every day the ice gets closer and the corrupted howl at our borders, our cities have become breeding grounds for cults of the Blood Lords recruiting those that feel left behind or hopeless. This infection, this creeping pestilence needs to be cut out and burnt, and often it takes those willing few to do the deed.

Some parts of the cities just feel like at any moment they could explode, this is not only due to resentment but also poverty and fear. This should be made clear to the players that they feel watched and in constant danger of attack as they pass through the city.

The cities are the safe havens, places with high walls and armed men walking the streets. Administrators and Guilds are making sure that supply lines stay open that even the poorest are fed, and to some real degree this is true, (though few see the machinations behind the walls of the guild houses and the assassinations of dignitaries). But as the years have moved on since the fall, and the Pale has become more and more under the control of the Blood Lords, some of the rot has seeped in. The mass of refugees that flooded the cities brought with it chaos and those that supported the rule of the elves, that harboured resentment to their fellow humans for bringing the world to its icy knees. This resentment and anger grew and became a threat. Travelling through the Last City and the cities below is relatively safe during the day, there are dark alleys where murders may lurk, and the overcrowding does allow the petty thieves to pick their targets easily. But generally, the streets are safe. The merchant and administration districts tend to have larger patrols of better armed and better-trained men, but that is to be expected. After dark, especially in the Last City, it becomes much more dangerous. The cults hold their secret rituals and some, mainly in the slums, will openly hunt out victims or parade their beliefs without fear of retribution. The night is also when the corrupted walk the streets. In the Below the problem of cults and corrupted is not so bad, the families hold a tight rein on who they allow to enter the cities, and this has helped limit the reach of the corrupted and the Blood Lords. Unfortunately, this does not reach as far as the tunnels and Vagrant camps that have been built upon the roads and caves. Reports of strange noises are reported daily

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of unnatural sounds of chanting coming from deep below, encounters with strange creatures and even rumours of missing people are whispered throughout the cities and have even reached the Last City above.

Travel across the Pale

There are few ways to travel across the pale if you stick to the roads you can use wheeled vehicles like carts and carriages, mostly the roads stay clear from years of use, but it is not unheard of for roads to become blocked with snow or ice making wheeled vehicles useless. Many travelling traders have fitted sledges to their vehicles, dispensing with wheels altogether. This allows the traders to travel fast across open land, though passing the sun spires suddenly make the vehicle harder to use, at least it is safer. Horses and riding animals can be more straightforward for groups but then comes the extra care needed for the animals when resting, a horse will freeze just as quickly as a person in the ice, extra food needs to be brought and finding food for yourself, and the horse making foraging more difficult and time-consuming. Walking the Pale will take time and journeys will be longer, food will run out, and the dangers of hypothermia, frostbite, snowdrifts and other natural threats will need to be considered. Those that choose to walk can obtain snowshoes which makes travel by foot slightly more accessible and faster as shown opposite.

Leagues Per Day* Snow Ice Mountains

Travel via

Roads

Walking**

8

5

4

3

Snowshoes

7

8

7

-

Mounts

16

12

10

12

Wheeled

14

5

5

5

Sledge

16

12

10

5

14

8

Dog Sledge 14 14 *League = 3 Miles ** Walking Pace is 30ft per round

Travelling the Below

The dwarven roads that connect the cities are wide and well made, making travel easy both on foot or using vehicles or mount. Closer to the cities they are patrolled and the main issue many will face will be the gates and gaining access as some cities restrict this to traders, residents or those with passes supplied by either a family or guild. The mines, tunnels and caves lead deep underground, and many have never been explored and can become hazardous the deeper you go, but the lure of ancient treasures and more abandoned dwarven cities is, for many too much of a temptation to not try. Vagrants have discovered roads that will shorten a journey and even secret ways into the cities that bypass the gates, and they will offer their services as guides to those wishing to avoid the scrutiny of the guards. This has led to a few problems, and the many feel the reason why corrupted or cults even exist in the well-guarded cities. Scavengers in the pay of the Guilds or the Mages will venture downward often because of some passage in a dusty tome that speaks of an ancient artefact hidden in a yet to be discovered dwarven city. What they have found has been vast cave systems, more well built dwarven roads that stretch to unknown locations, narrow mines and tight tunnels. Claims of voices speaking in an unknown language. Constructed chambers filled with pipes that hum and rattle, and the sounds of terrible monsters from deep below are discovered. On the roads, travel can be made at a good pace, and they are wide enough for wagons to travel two, sometimes three abreast. Most roads are well lit and free of problems, but once you step off these roads,

everything changes. Travelling the tunnels can often be hazardous and narrow passages can become more extensive and then disappear to nothing. Keeping track of direction can be difficult without a map or someone with good direction sense. Darkness is absolute except for those chambers that are home to a strange fluorescent fungus, but these are rare. It should go without saying that once you leave the roads that vehicles and mounts will become useless and travel by foot will be the only option, as climbing and manoeuvring through small crevices and areas will not allow for the luxury of transportation.

An upcoming source book on the below will go into more detail regarding the politics, crimes and lore of the cities. Also what lives below will be revealed and what can also be found hidden there.

Food and water are not as much of an issue below as they would be above, with natural springs, small creatures and edible fungus easily found as long as you know where to look. But other dangers will exist, caveins, unknown poisons or creatures, traps set hundreds of years ago and monsters that crawl from the depths or have wandered the mines and tunnels unaware of the world above.

Survival

It is the cold that can be the first threat to your survival. Living in the Last City can be cold, though the Sun spires keep most of that at bay, they cannot hold back the wind or the ice storms that can tear through the city and rip those not quick enough in reaching shelter to shreds. Beyond the city, there are the swamps, poisoned forests, corruption and disease, and of course the ice and snow. Lakes and rivers may appear to be solid ground to the ignorant, but one wrong step and you can plunge to an icy death. Knowing how to find food, water and shelter can be the difference between dying in the snow or returning safely.

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Stamina

Your Stamina reflects your endurance and the will to go on. Hunger, thirst, tiredness and some diseases can weaken your stamina, and this will have a knock on effect when attempting tasks or engaging in combat. For every 2 stamina you are reduced by you will receive a -1 penalty to all task rolls. GMs can if they want ignore the weather issues if it becomes too much like paperwork, this would reduce some of the danger but it is optional.

When wearing good quality winter clothing, you will lose 1 stamina point every three hrs.. of travel. When wearing high quality winter clothing, you will lose 1 stamina for every four hours of travel.

Resting for 4 hrs.. will restore half of the stamina lost, whereas resting for 8 hrs.. will restore all lost stamina.

A fire stone will adjust the above as shown below

Weather

With a fire stone and wearing poor quality winter clothing, the stamina loss is 1 for every three hours of travel.

The area around the Last City is cold, but it is not cold enough to stop the growing of food and the breeding of livestock. The mountains behind the city provide both shelter and fresh water; many thrive within and around the city reasonably well without much issue. Once you step beyond the Sun spires, everything changes, the cold hits you like a hammer and if you are not prepared, hypothermia can quickly follow. Warm clothing must be worn at all times, and the warmer and better made the clothing the longer it will keep away the cold.

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When wearing poor quality winter clothing, you will lose 2 stamina points every two hours of travel.

With a fire stone and good quality winter clothing, the stamina loss is 1 stamina for every four hours of travel. With a fire stone and high quality winter clothing, the stamina loss is 1 for every five hours of travel.

Food and Water

Food and water are sparse both above and below ground, but many have learnt to find both in the harshest of environments. Obtaining provisions is a good start for long journeys, but you can only carry so much and rations and water-skins only last so long, and often you can be days away from anywhere that can provide what you need unless you learn to forage.

Water – Melting snow and ice can help with keeping

your water rations high as long as you have a pot to boil it in. You should drink at least a pint of water per day; otherwise, you will lose two physical stamina points for every day you do not drink.

Food – You must eat at least one meal per day, but you can go for two days without eating before losing any stamina points. If you do not eat for two days, you will lose 1 physical stamina point per day until you eat again.

Foraging

Below ground, it is much easier to find water in the form of streams, and underground lakes, those that have made their homes in the mines and tunnels have cultivated many of the fungi that can be found there into food. The cities below still rely upon the farms that have been encouraged to thrive around the Last City above for much of their meat and grains. Those travelling the tunnels will benefit from having someone that knows the best places to find water and the safest fungi to eat, as many of the mushrooms and moulds can be highly poisonous. Issues can also arise as you get deeper underground as many of these tunnels have never been explored, and this can lead to the discovery of new fungi or creatures that could be as edible as they could be deadly. The table below shows modifiers to the Forage roll.

Location

Food

Water

Forest

-1

-1

Ice Waste

-3

-2

Frozen Lake

-3

-

Marsh

-3

-3

Ash Wastes

-3

-3

Mountains

-2

-2

Tunnels

-3

-2

Old Mines

-2

-3

Ruins

-2

-2

Last City Region

-1

-2

The GM should adjust the above table based on the Grittiness of the world they have created, or how desperate the situation is.

Sleeping

You can go for two days without sleeping, but for every day after that, your physical stamina is reduced 2 points. You can go each day with 4 hrs.. of sleep, and this will sustain you for a week or more, after which you will need 8 hours of undisturbed, comfortable sleep or start losing 1 physical stamina per day.

Disease

Ruins, caves, ranger huts, old roadside taverns and so forth can all be used for shelter, and this can be found pretty easily, the only issue is when they are already occupied.

Bites from animals and undead are another hazard encountered by those exploring the ruins both above and below with the Marshes to the south being a cesspit of infected leeches and marsh wraiths.

Other travellers can also be met on their way to the Last City, most often these will be traders but sometimes they may be refugees fleeing their home. Many people thought they could resume their lives after the fall and returned to their towns and villages only to face fanatics and cults or worse dangers.

Some of the dangers you will face as you explore the pale are diseases; these can take many forms and be caught in many ways. Most common diseases in the pale are those found in rotten food or tainted water, above ground this is a growing threat as more and more rivers, and animals become infected, below it is less common.

Every disease has a potency, and it is this number that you will need to equal or exceed with a Body Attribute Test. The purge potion can be used to eradicate the disease in the early stages, but if that is not available a good Necromancer should be able to help.

Dangers and Obstacles

As you travel through the world, you will encounter threats and obstacles. Below is a list of the most common based on region.

Location

Threat/Obstacle

Rivers and Lakes

Thin Ice

Coastal

Ice Raiders/Thin ice

Ruined Cities

Cultists/Corrupted

Marsh

Wraiths/Swamps/Leeches

Open Road

Bandits/Cultists

Tunnels

Corrupted/Cave ins

Mountains

Tribals/Cultists

Forests

Bandits/Corrupted/Poison

Mines

Bandits/Corrupted

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Corruption

When the world fell, ripped apart by the Black Iron something was released, from where no one is sure, but with the corrupted came the corruption. It is thought by many of the Mages of the Black Fort that it was an experiment by the elves that was released when their laboratories were destroyed or the magic that contained whatever foulness they had created faded, but none of these theories have ever been proven. There are two facts that are known the first is that everyone has corruption, this cannot be undone just controlled, and the second is that with the corruption also came the Remnant, what connects the two no one knows or even knows if there is a connection, but the Remnants importance and the fact that many revere them as the last of the gods means that maybe that question will never be answered. Every character begins with one corruption point; this cannot be removed and is part of the DNA of that character. Unfortunately, that one point will become the foundation that corruption can build upon, meaning that you are very susceptible to being corrupted further.

Gaining Corruption

It is recommended that GMs allow players to map out how they see the Pale and make note of key features like Corruption hotspots etc.

Unlike diseases, corruption does not have a varying potency that can be resisted, that is not to say it does not have a potency at all or cannot be resisted. Corruption has a persistent potency of 8 across the board, no matter the way it was transferred or encountered.

Location

There are a number of locations throughout the pale where a miasma of corruption hangs, these pits cannot be seen, or smelt or heard which makes them extremely dangerous. Often the first signs that corruption is present will be in the wildlife, and any foliage, twisted, weeping trees, grass that tears and shatters like glass, animals deformed and rabid are all indicators of corruption. The Sense Corruption specialisation can be invaluable when exploring certain locations in the Pale. There are a number of known locations of corruption that are best avoided if possible, and the Grand Library are always appreciative of anyone informing them of more or drawing maps showing there locations. The known locations are:

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• • • •

The Shackles and many of the wrecks that surround the island. The Great Wood has many patches of corruption within it, the fact the Great Wood is not wholly corrupted is some what of a mystery. The Crimson Citadel has a strong corruption presence; this includes the battlefields and torture gardens that surround it. The Dead Marsh just oozes corruption.

Below ground seems to be less infected from the corruption that festers above, but maybe that is because many that live below are reluctant to delve deeper and search out what can be found in the darkness. Failing a Body Attribute Test check will always give 1 point of corruption to the character and for every point of corruption you have is a penalty to the resistance test.

Attacks

Being attacked by a corrupted monster or carrier of corruption is the fastest way to gain corruption, it is also the only way that it cannot be resisted as the corruption goes directly into the bloodstream. Wearing thick clothing and armour will help lessen this risk as they will protect against tooth and claw, another option is to remove the area of injury through amputation quickly. Many also believe that the corruption can be slowed by a tourniquet slowing blood-flow, but this has never been proven. Other Rumours • Drinking the blood of the beast that infected you will cancel out the affects (False) • Ghuls cannot be infected (False) • Breathing in the smoke from a burning corpse will stop corruption (False) • Being bitten a second time by a different carrier will cancel out corruption (False)

Items

Strangely enough, some items are known to carry corruption, more often than not, these items are magical in nature and are the artefacts of the elves. This has led many to believe that the corruption is in some way magical and linked to the ancient sorceries used by the elves, why they are linked cannot be determined, speculation has been made that the corruption was not deadly to the elves or they had found ways to control or even cure it, this idea that the elves had created or found a cure has led many adventuring parties to their doom as they search ruins under the orders of the Black Fort.

These ancient artefacts are very sought after not only by the Mages but by other guilds, in the misguided belief that they will offer power of some kind and the Remnant who wish to collect these items for their own reasons, reasons they have yet to share. When discovering an artefact, it will not be obvious at first if it is corrupted, often the corruption will only manifest once it has been used, activated by the magic held within the item. Once this happens, you can resist using the guidelines above (corruption potency 10). This resistance must be made each time the item is used.

Using Corruption

Corruption can be a benefit, albeit a benefit with a twist. You can call upon the corruption coursing through your veins to push you that bit further, by using a corruption point you will gain a single total success. This can be done once per session, the corruption does not disappear it just cannot be used in this way again. Using a corruption point will allow you to succeed at all types of challenges, but at a cost, each time you use a corruption point you open yourself up and become a beacon for further corruption, this means that for each point spent, you receive two back, the one you used and an extra one. So that one point of corruption you had has now become two.

The Cure

So is there a cure for corruption? Probably yes, but not for the genetic foundation the single point all characters begin with, that will always stay there. The Mages believe that somewhere out there are clues or writings on a cure or at least a defence against corruption this would have been made by the elves in order to protect themselves and at least protect those humans loyal to them. Finding this cure or preventative is one of the great challenges facing the Black Fort, everyday the corruption creeps ever closer to the Last City, everyday victims are brought in from the wastes suffering from various effects caused by corruption.

Corruption Effects

As your corruption increases, you will start to change both physically and mentally. The table opposite shows this with a list of explanations below.

Appearance – The character’s appearance can change in various ways, and this is the decision of the GM and

player. It will not be like a Ghul as these are merged with animals, but more twisted. This change will go in stages with the final stage horrifying to look at with a Fear Rating.

Rage – When in a rage, you will attack anyone nearby friend or foe, you cannot be directed and you cannot target one person in particular. Rage will last until you succeed in a Will test, you are dead, or everyone else is dead. Voices – Voices will whisper in your mind, calling for you, telling you to do things against your nature. This will not happen all the time, and the GM should bring them forth during stressful times or whenever they feel appropriate.

A resourceful GM could have a lot of fun with the various corruption effects and have them creeping up on the character slowly.

Language – You will be able to speak, understand

and read the ancient language of the Giants, this will be handy as there are a lot of ancient tomes in the library or in the Black Fort needing translation, if only they could keep you lucid long enough.

The Iron Die

Every character receives an Iron Die, this six-sided dice has two purposes, the first is to allow the character to improve their chances by adding the Iron Die to a roll and adding the result to the total.

Example

Your opponents rolls 9 for their attack but you only managed to roll a 6 for defence, you decide to use the Iron Die and the result is a 5, you add the 5 to your 6 which makes 11 and you parry the attack. A player can only choose to use the Iron Die once per session, but the Iron Die has many other uses, it is used during magic casting to determine if the spell attracts any corrupted, it can be used by the GM to determine how lucky you are in those life and death situations. The Iron Die is very versatile and should be used to determine situations that normal dice or decisions cannot make, a 6 should always be a success and a 1 a fail.

When using the Iron Die to improve a roll this can only be done once per session and those not include the use of the Iron Die for magic or Luck etc.

GM Note

You can decide to use the Iron Die as a luck dice as well, calling for a Iron Die roll when a character has failed an important roll that could either lead to their deaths or a major complication to the party or current mission. The Iron Die can have many useful applications.

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Corruption Table Corruption 1-2

150

Effect There are no physical or mental effects from the corruption evident.

3

You will start to show physical signs of corruption, this could be yellowed eyes, slight scaling of the skin, black blemishes and so forth. This will have no adverse effects. Positive: Your resistance to poisons and disease will increase by +1

4

The physical symptoms become worse and more noticeable, your skin will become greyish, your eyes bloodshot, your veins will thicken and become darker, hair may begin to fall out and speech slurred. Positive: You are now immune to Poison and Disease Negative: All social interactions are at -1.

5

The first of the mental symptoms will manifest in a form of rage, you will burst into fits of anger at the slightest provocation, attacking, verbally abusing and spitting at everyone near by friend and foe alike. Positive: Your Brawl modified by +1 Negative: To suppress the rage is a Will Attribute Test vs.. 8

6

Your Physical symptoms worsen as you become hunched and begin to exude a overpowering stench. Positive: Your Body increases by 1. Negative: All social interactions are at -2

7

You will start to have physical ticks and verbal outbursts which will be uncontrollable, you begin to hear whispers and strange voices summoning and goading you. You have urges to walk off into the pale, but when asked will have no idea where you are intending to go. Positive: You can now sense other corrupted. Negative: A Will Attribute Test vs.. 8 is needed to stop yourself following the whispers

8

Your skin thickens and your ability to talk is almost gone and what is left of your hair falls out. Entry into the cities will be forbidden and you will be attacked by militia and other people, as they see you for what you are. Positive: You can now see in the dark clearly. Your wounds increase by +2 and your armour is +1. Negative: You will be attacked on sight by ‘civilised’ people, other corrupted can sense you. You have a Fear Rating of 7

9

You will begin to think and talk in an ancient language, no one other than the Blood Lords and the Remnant will be able to understand you. You will be able to read ancient scripts but not be lucid long enough for it to benefit anyone. By this point you are no longer in control of your rage or mental state and only have a basic understanding of self. Positive: You have use of the ancient language of the giants and can read the ancient tomes. Negatives: You will burst into rages more often and attack anyone near by, this requires a Will Attribute Test vs.. 10 to suppress.

10

You are a monster fully corrupted and deformed, the Blood Lords call for you. The GM will take control of your character and you will either attack the party or flee into the pale. Positives: None Negatives: You lost your character and have a Fear Rating of 9.

Combat and Injury

Exploring the ruins and dark places above or the tunnels and caves below is a dangerous occupation, and you are going to face things that wish to kill you, other than the weather or disease. Combat is a fact of life, and you will need to be prepared before leaving the relative safety of the cities.

Movement

You can move a short distance as a free action, and you can move a long distance by using up all your actions. Distance is measured in Touch, Near, Short and Long:

Turn Order

Before entering combat, a turn order needs to be determined; this should be done before any other roll is made. It is suggested that Agility be used for Initiative when the characters are aware of an attack whereas Instinct is used when they are not and walk into an ambush.

Initiative

Each combatant involved in combat must roll their Initiative, this involves rolling a D6 and adding the Agility or Instinct Attribute to the result. If two combatants roll the same Initiative, then it is decided in various ways, as shown below. Both Combatants are PCs then the character with the highest skill goes first.

The GM can also decide to completely miss out rolling for Initiative allowing the characters to always act first and Ranged or long weapons to always strike before melee.

If one of the combatants is an NPC, then the PC always goes first. Ranged always goes before Melee if both are prepared.

Distance

Touch

Arms Length

Near

5 Yards

Short

25 Yards

Long

100 Yards

Extreme

200+ Yards

Act

You can perform one action during your turn; you cannot perform a non-attack action if your last action was a melee attack and you are still engaged with your opponent Attack – This includes either a melee, brawl, throw or ranged attack. These will be gone into more detail later in this section. Use Item – As long as you are not currently engaged in a melee or brawl, you can use your action in order to use an item.

The GM rolls for the NPCs and can opt to roll for the NPCs as a whole if there are more than 4 of them, rolling for each would be time consuming.

Skill – You can choose to use a skill as long as you are not engaged in a melee or brawl action; this can be any skill. Be aware that using a skill means you cannot react to an attack.

Weapons Ready – If the party is weapon ready, meaning they already have their weapons drawn and arrows nocked, then they always go first.

Healing – You can perform healing on yourself or someone else as long as they are a short distance away, healing will cancel out your react opportunity.

Surprise – If the party is surprised then the attacking

Casting – You can cast magic during your action and depending on the type of spell will act either as a melee or Ranged attack or as a skill.

party receive a free round of attacks on the party before Initiatives are rolled, once the round has ended Initiative is rolled as normal.

Hesitation – By hesitating, you give the opponent the advantage, meaning that for the initiative they get to roll 2d6 and choose the highest roll.

Combat Actions

During combat, many actions become restrictive as you attempt to avoid injury and flying missiles. Combat is hectic, confusing and fast, and this is reflected in how you can act during it. You can move and act during your turn, and you can react during someone else’s turn.

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Type

Reaction – You can also react to the actions of another combatant, as long as you are aware of the action. Often a reaction will be a defensive action such as parry or block, other times it may be a dodge or diving into cover. The reaction is unique in that you can react even if it is not your turn. Defence – You can defend against an attack by parrying, dodging or blocking the attack this is an opposed roll. You would use Melee for a Parry or Shield block and Athletics to dodge or dive into cover.

Example

You have entered what appears to be abandoned shack on the side of the road, the shack does show signs of habitation, a fire pit has been laid, and an old blanket lies in the corner. From the ceiling, strange totems have been fashioned from bone, and looking at them makes the you feel strange. As you search the shack you makes an awareness check, the GM also rolls and declares that you have heard a noise from outside, someone is approaching the shack stealthly. You draw your sword and step to the shack door. Peering through a crack between the boards you see two men approach, each is heavily scarred and are clearly cultists. Not wishing to be boxed into the shack you pull open the door and step out, the two cultists clearly were not expecting to see you and hesitate, giving you the advantage if you want it, you do. You roll 2d6 for initiative and get a 3 and 5, you take the 5 and add your Agility of 3 giving you a total of 8, the GM rolls for the two cultists, and they get a 6 and a 5. You go first. You move the short distance to the first cultist and attack, your Melee is Adept and Body is 2, so you roll 3d6 and get a 3,4,1. You take the 4 and add your Body of 2 making 6. The cultist can attempt to parry but must roll 6 or more to succeed, the first cultist has a Melee of Trained and a Strength of 3, the dice come up 2 and 1, taking the 2 and adding 3 means that with only a 5 the Cultist fails to parry and takes 5 points of damage.

Close Combat

Close combat includes any attacks made at Touch range and uses either the Melee or Brawl skills.

Attacking

Attacking is an opposed roll and includes both melee and brawl. You roll to attack, and the opponent must roll to defend with the highest result winning. If the result with levels of success has extra options (see Levels of Success).

Disengaging

You can disengage from close combat by stepping back, this will mean that you can no longer attack unless you step back into close combat.

Parrying

Parrying is done with a weapon, normally a sword or dagger. To parry you make a melee opposed roll vs.. the attacker’s melee roll.

Shields

Shields allow you to block an attack and will add a bonus to the Melee skill when used to block. Using a shield means that you can only carry a single handed weapon. In order to use a two handed weapon or ranged weapon, you must drop the shield.

Stealth Attacks

The important part of a stealth attack is the stealth, managing to reach your target without being spotted. This is done with a Stealth vs.. Awareness opposed roll, if successful, the attack is considered a success. If the stealth roll generates more Levels of Success than the Awareness roll of the target, the extra successes count as +1 extra damage done per extra Level of success. Successful stealth attacks ignore armour.

Two Weapon Combat

Using a weapon in each hand is possible and will allow for two attack actions per turn, but the off hand attack is at -2 unless you have the Two Weapon Talent.

Stance

You can choose to use a Stance, this will be either defensive or offensive. A defensive stance will increase your Parry by +2 but decrease your attack by -2, whereas an offensive stance will increase your attack by +2 and lower Parry by -2.

Ranged Combat

The use of Bows and thrown weapons fall under the purview of Ranged Combat. Shooting bows etc. works in the same way as Melee and unarmed combat the only real difference is how the target can react. Thrown weapons and Arrows cannot be parried so the target can either block the attack with a shield or attempt to dodge the attack using Acrobatics as an opposed roll. A Bow can be nocked as a free action, but a crossbow will take 1 round to load, meaning that when using a crossbow you get to attack every other round.

Range

Ranges are in feet for thrown weapons and yards for ranged weapons. The range shown is the longest possible range for that weapon to be accurate and

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Unlike Bows, Crossbows can also be braced or rested against something in order to make the shot even more stable, if this is allowed then bracing a crossbow will add +1 to the roll.

cause the amount of damage listed. Ranges beyond that which are listed, accuracy and damage become lower.

The difficulty for making attacks would normally be an opposed roll but for instances when the target is unaware, then a Target Number comes into affect.

Modifiers are to the attack roll.

• •

Situation

Modifier

Darkness

-1

Fog

-1

High Wind

-1

Beyond Range

-1

High Ground

+1

Low Ground

-1

Aiming

You can make an aimed shot; this will increase your skill by +1 for each round you spend aiming, and if successful, you hit what you aimed for. The target can still attempt to block or dodge the attack.

Called Shots

A called shot differs from an aimed shot as they are often done instantly without spending time to focus on a target. To make a called shot, you must declare what your target is, and this can be a small item to a specific body part, which will give a modifier. Called shots are great when you don’t have the luxury of time to aim but want to make a precision shot. • • • •

Head -2 Modifier Arm - 2 Modifier Legs - 1 Modifier Hand - 3 Modifier

Cover

With Ranged combat line of site is important and this can be obscured by cover. To shoot at someone in cover applies a penalty to the shot based on the type of cover. • • • •

Quarter Cover -1 Half Cover -2 Three-Quarters Cover -3 Full Cover - No Shots

Stealth Ranged

Many ranged attacks can be described at stealth attacks as often the opponent is not aware they are happening, where the attack is coming from and not prepared to block or avoid the attack. Any attack made against an opponent who is unaware of either your presence or that the attack has been made cannot attempt to block or dodge the attack. Armour is still in affect.

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Head or Arms – TN 10 Body or Legs – TN 9

Magic

Magic that acts as a ranged attack will be treated as one with the same rules for cover and line of sight. Some magic acts differently depending on the spell, and this will be described in the spells description.

Mounted Combat

Attacking from a horse or vehicle will apply modifiers as the motion and ground that is being moved across can effect aiming and balance.

Melee

Attacking with a melee weapon whilst riding a horse or inside or on top of a moving vehicle will reduce your attack by -1, it will also reduce Parry by -1, dodging will be impossible.

Ranged

Shooting from horseback or whilst inside a moving vehicle will reduce your attack by -2, aiming will not be allowed but called shots can still be made.

Levels of Success

During combat you may roll more than you need to succeed or less than you need to succeed these are called Levels of Success (LoS) or Levels of Failure (LoF). For skills these will create special circumstances that can help or hinder what you are attempting to do, whereas in combat they can have a much more deadly outcome.

Levels of Success

For every two points you are above the TN (you need 8 and you roll 10 for example) you gain an effect, this will be determined by the numbers of levels with every two points equalling a level. You and the GM can decide what the effect will be based on the current situation or what you were attempting, below are a few suggestions: • • •

Lvl 1: Extra damage, Shield Bash, Second Shot. Lvl 2: Counter Attack, Knock Down. Lvl 3: Second Attack, Stun, Third Shot.

Levels of Failure

Combat can also take a less than favourable turn and drawbacks can appear through failures, like with

successes for every two points you are below the TN you have a Level of Failure (you need an 8 and you roll a 6 for example). Like with levels of success the failure should be discussed with the GM what that would mean based on the current situation. GM Note I suggest that however badly they fail characters should never die on a level of failure, unless they were attempting something stupid or it was clearly obvious, they would die. Below are a few suggestions of what a Level of Failure could look like: • • •

Lvl 1: Staggered, +1 armour damage Lvl 2: Dropped Weapon, Snapped Bowstring Lvl 3: Stunned for a rnd, +2 damage

Trebles

Rolling Trebles is a critical success if they are treble 6’s and a critical failure if they are treble 1’s. A critical with double damage and ignore armour, whereas a failure will result in a injury or broken weapon. The GM should match the effect to the task being attempted.

Damage and Healing

Getting injured and even dying can feel inevitable in the Pale, but as long as you are careful, stay protected, you should be able to keep the wounds to a minimum. If you are prepared, there is no reason for your character to die or suffer irreversible damage.

Armour and Toughness

You have both Armour Points and Toughness Points; your Armour Points represent how much damage the armour negates and can be found listed with the armour type. Your Toughness is equal to your Body Attribute and will also reduce damage, but in game terms the Toughness is reducing the effects rather than the wound itself.

Rolling a Treble may also lead to a level of success, for balance it is suggested that the player chooses one or the other, but if the GM allows it and maybe for situations which may call for it both effects can be used.

Damage that is lower than either the armour or toughness is considered to be either minimal or has been deflected in some way, minor cuts and bruises are not considered life threatening.

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Example

You are facing off against the cultists and one of them manages to hit you, they are using wicked looking axes and the attack does 2d6 + 3 damage the GM rolls and inflicts 11 damage. You are wearing good quality reinforced leather armour which has an AP of 4, this reduces the damage to 7, your Toughness is equal to your Body of 2 which reduces the damage again to 5, meaning you take 5 wounds from the attack.

Wound Track

The wound track starts at a base 10 + Body Attribute and is decreased by taking damage. The track on the character sheet shows what penalties you receive the more you are wounded, and these penalties effect all rolls made by you whilst at this wound level. When a critical strike is achieved and maximum damage is inflicted the limb is considered crippled, if this is a leg, movement is halved. An arm will limit use for two handed and most ranged attacks, and a head will cause unconsciousness. Chest criticals reduce Physical Stamina to half.

Weapon Damage

Weapons can do different types of damage based on the type of weapon they are. Heavy weapons like hammers and clubs will bludgeon, whereas weapons like daggers will slash or stab. These types of attacks can have extra effects. Bleeding – Weapons that stab, pierce or slash can cause bleeding. Whenever an injury is suffered, the target will begin to bleed and lose 1 Stamina per round until the bleeding has been staunched. Stun – Weapons that Bludgeon can stun the target, causing them to become disorientated and even unconscious for a short time. If an Injury has been achieved, then the target is stunned for 1d3 (1d6/2) rnds during these rnds they will be unable to attack and will be at -2 to parry, block, or dodge.

Healing

Once wounded, you must heal in order to survive not only the harsh environments of the Pale but any further conflict you may face.

Wounds

The healing of wounds can be done by either using the healing skill, Magic or healing potions. Potions will heal back a number of wounds equal to the total rolled on a 1d10, healing salves are used mainly for burns and will heal a number of wounds equal to the number rolled on a d6. Some spells will heal, and like the healing skill, the target number that must be equalled or beaten is derived from the wounds taken. For every wound the TN to heal is increased by 2, so healing someone with 3 wounds will be a TN of 6. Success means that you have healed d6 wounds.

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Healing wounds removes any penalties the injured person may of received. Wounds can also be healed with rest, for every 8 hrs.. of rest and relaxation you will receive back 1 wound. Resting like this will involve a soft bed, food and safety.

Dying

If you lose all your wounds, you will collapse and be unable to act; this will continue until you are healed or you take further damage which will result in your death. Bleeding will continue to reduce Stamina and reaching zero in stamina whilst collapsed will be instant death.

Other Injuries

Below are a few other situations where you may become wounded, the damage of each is weighed against your Toughness.

Crippling

Injuries from Critical strikes can cripple which will reduce movement and use of limbs. When this happens instead of offering modifiers the character will lose the use of the crippled location.

Falling

For every 3 yards that you fall you will take 1d6 damage. Using the Tumble specialisation will half the damage taken.

Frostbite

Frostbite affects the extremities like fingers and toes and is slow acting and will drain 1 wound per day until treated. Once the Frostbite has removed half the wounds of the PC that appendage will fall off.

Drowning

You can hold your breath for a number of rounds equal to your Body Attribute x 3 after which you will lose 1 Physical Stamina per rnd until you either drown or are rescued.

Fire

Fire will do an initial 2d6 damage and then an extra 1d6 per round until extinguished. Armour and Toughness will effect damage.

Armour and Fire

Leather, Hide, and quilted armours will be reduced to half AP after being set alight. Metal armours such as chain and Plate will exacerbate the problem by increasing the damage each round to 2d6.

Fear and Stress You will face moments of stress during your journeys across the Pale or the tunnels below, and this stress can affect you in different ways. You have a Courage Rating which is treated similar to an Attribute test, the Courage Rating is your Will + Instinct Attribute added together and divided by 2 and rounded up.

Example

You have a Will of 2 and an Instinct of 3 added together makes 5, this number is then divided by 2 and rounded up to make 3 (2+3=5/2=2.5 rounded up). The result is your Courage Rating (CR).

Using Courage

•

• • •

Failure: You retreat backwards unable to act for 1 rnd Lvl 1: You flee until you can no longer see the threat Lvl 2: You collapse in shock for d4 rnds Lvl 3: You suffer a heart attack taking 2d6 damage (armour and Toughness have no effect)

Injuries from Failure

You can suffer from failing a Courage roll as your mind ceases to comprehend what you are seeing and retreats to protect itself you will suffer shock and collapse, or if the stress is just to much for the body and shuts down causing heart failure.

Monsters and threats will have a Fear rating similar to a TN, when you face this threat you must roll your Courage which acts similar to an Attribute test (2d6+CR) if the result is equal to or higher than the TN than you succeed, if it is less than you fail.

Shock is not permanent but can be dangerous as you effectively collapse unconscious for up to 4 rnds unable to move or defend yourself, other party members can defend you or drag you away but there is not cure for it.

Levels of Success

Heart Failure can kill, your body will basically shut down causing massive system shock, damage from this will hit you directly and internally causing up to 12 wounds, which could kill. Your toughness and armour will not help you with this, and again this could floor you.

A simple success means that you are unaffected by the threat and can act normally but as with using skills and combat the better your success the more you can do. With every two points you are above the TN you are at a higher Level of Success and you and the GM can discuss what that means based on the current situation or choose from the list below. Every two points you are above the TN equals 1 Level of Success. • • • •

Success: You Face the Fear Lvl 1: You face the fear and gain +1 to your next action. Lvl 2: Your courage encourages others and those around you gain +1 to their next action. Lvl 3: You are bolstered and will be at +1 to Courage rolls when facing that same threat in the future.

To avoid this happening enter areas carefully and try to be aware of your surroundings, avoiding nasty surprises could be the difference between life and death.

Limiting Fear

Monsters are scary but there will come a point when they stop becoming as scary, and this is done by lowering the Fear of a monster by 1 every few times the characters come across them. This does not included the Corrupted who vary so wildly from each other that everytime one is encountered it is like the first time.

Levels of Failure

Like with combat and skills you can also have a Level of Failure when facing horrors. When you fail discuss with the GM what that will look like or use the examples below. For every 2 points under the TN you will have 1 Level of Failure.

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6

Arcane

The gods listened to the watcher’s observations and prepared for war.

W

hen giants walked the Pale, they formed sorceries, twisted nature and corrupted the forces that bind the cosmos. This interference sent a tremor through the realms, which eventually reached the gods. Watchers were sent to discover the nature of the disturbance, and they quickly travelled to the Pale and the realm of the giants. The giants had corrupted everything, oceans had turned black, the forests became twisted and diseased, and the animals that had once thrived now were dead or mutated. The experiments and sorceries of the giants had tainted everything, and their greed was immense. The watchers knew that soon the giants would turn their corruption to the other realms and that their insatiable need to devour and infect would never stop.

Magic is rare and hard to do, it is also dangerous. Very few non-mages have ever seen magic being used and when it is it can be loud, bright and scary. Players should remember this when using their magic in public.

The gods listened to the watcher’s observations and prepared for war. With heavy losses, the gods finally defeated the giants and left their carcasses to rot upon the earth, and with that, the gods declared the world dead, removing the sigil’s and wards and closing the gateway to the world forever or so they thought. Centuries past and the blood of the giants slowly seeped into the earth, feeding the roots of the mighty forests deep underground. These corrupted roots gave rise to new life, a twisted corrupted being that declared itself Daur, or nature, this first of its kind, who would eventually become the Elves. Clawing their way through the earth, they encountered the dwarves; the Daur were imbued with the power of the giants; sorceries ran through their veins and with this, they first enslaved and then burnt the dwarves within their cities. Eventually, the elves reached the surface world and saw that it was beautiful, where the blood of the giants had seeped into the dark places and corrupted the below, the blood of the gods that had fallen had instead nurtured and renewed the above and had formed new life of its own, the people that called themselves Human. The elves saw potential in this world without a roof, where the below was cramped and dark the above was open and light, and the power that ebbed through the land and the oceans was of the purest kind and was powerful. So began the era of domination.

How Magic Became

It was the elves that introduced magic into the world, they had sorcery running through their veins, and they had quickly sought out the artefacts of the giants, increasing their power in order to dominate the world and those that lived upon it. For decades the humans marvelled in the power of the elves, saw them as gods, feared their magic and felt helpless before it. But what the elves had discovered very quickly as they experimented on the humans was that every human had an untapped well of power deep inside them, a power so strong that it could destroy the elves in a blink of an eye, a power akin to that of gods, and this secret the elves held close for fear that the humans would rebel. Many of the experiments conducted by the elves on their human victims were to see if this power could be tapped, could be utilised by the elves to enhance their own abilities, almost like human batteries, and even though they had learnt to drain this power from the human the power itself was too pure and would kill the elven host. It was by mistake that the humans discovered their potential. The first sign of power came from a small child in a village by the sea, or so the story goes. The boy’s dog had become injured whilst running through a small wooded area and the child so upset by this and unwilling to leave the injured pet managed to heal the dog through magic. Some at first claimed that the boy had called upon the gods and they had listened, but the child had insisted that he had touched the dog and the injury had healed. This revelation began investigations into other claims of magical power being used by humans, and this began the era of enlightenment.

Magic is Dangerous

All magic has it’s dangers, no one can wield such power without either paying the price or taking a risk, and as you develop and start to use more powerful magic’s, the risks and costs will also increase. Depending on what school of magic you choose, it will determine the dangers that you could face if you attempt to cast spells that sap too much power. Many mages from the Black Fort have regulated their usage and never exceeded their reach and have lived with very little danger but there are those that wish to push the limits, and these mages soon reap what they sow.

The Magical Paradox

The unspoken truth, or magical elephant in the room is that magic is the cause of so much horror and

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death, when the elves wielded it they did so in order to control, experiment, torture and gain power, it was magic that brought down the black iron, which turned the world to ice. Magic created the corrupted and even, possibly the Blood Lords. Many realise the paradox in knowing that the very power that almost destroyed the world Is the very same one that many rely on to save it.

The Agenda

The Mages Guild has an agenda, a secret purpose that is only ever told to those novices that have earned the right to represent the guild in the world. This agenda is to make the guild powerful to the point of control over all other things, this is not calling for outright uprising but slow methodical revolution, a coup to place the Black Fort on the throne whatever the cost.

Mages are not loved and some even look upon them with suspicion and hatred, but for many they are a necessary evil, and to others the next phase of the world’s evolution.

The Black Fort

The Black Fort is the name of the Mages Guilds main guild house, the building itself is an old fort used before the fall by the elves to patrol the roads leading to the Last City which was then the capital city of the North. The building itself is large but squat and those that have been inside claim that most of the Fort is deep underground. When you approach the Black Fort for the first time you will get a feeling of tightness in the chest like the very air has been sucked out of your lungs, your skin will begin to prickle and a feeling of anxiety will come over you. Some say this is a warning others that this is the magic from the Black Fort seeping out and affecting the very land around it.

Becoming a Novice

Anyone that shows any affinity to magic must declare themselves to the guild and become a Novice, this involves living and training at the Black Fort until such times as they deem you ready to re-enter the world, this training can take 5, 10 and even 20 years meaning that Novices come in many ages, though it is said that mages that never progress beyond Novice are expected to offer themselves up as aid to the guild and this means that they either become servants or test subjects.

Learning by Doing

Once the guild has decided that you can return to the world outside the Fort you will then begin moving up the guild ranks. Mages learn by doing, using what they know in real life situations, seeking out relics and knowledge and aiding others is expected. The guild needs always come first.

Not Declaring

There are those that have powers that never declare, keep themselves hidden from the guild, and this is possible to do. To deny your power is to never use it and these fall into two categories the first are those that are not aware they have power or have never felt it within themselves, the guild states that this would describe most people as everyone has the ability with a little nudge to discover their power.

In a future supplement there will be an option to play as a rogue mage, hiding from the guild.

The second are those that feel the magic coursing through their veins but deny it any release, this can be from fear of the power, or of the guild. You may not wish to become a novice or be tested by the guild, and you would think this would be your choice, but the guild seeks out these hidden mages, claiming it is for the safety of all.

Note

The hidden mages will be a subject in a future source book for the Black Iron, where we will delve further into how to play as a hidden mage and the enclaves that have sprung up in direct opposition to the Black Fort.

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Using Magic

Spell Levels

Whatever school of magic you practice, you will learn a number of spells, these spells are given a difficulty number to indicate the complexity of the spell, this is the number that must be beaten or equalled by rolling the Arcane skill

Each spell has a number of levels of complexity and power, basically the more complex a spell the harder it is to cast and the bigger impact it will have on the world. In game terms this means that the difficulty number for higher level spells is a larger number often making it impossible for Novices to even contemplate casting such powerful magic.

Mages can increase their chance by using props or items like herbs, but this depends of the type of magic and the spell being cast.

Spell Cost

Like all skills Magic uses Levels of Success and Levels of Failure but the results of each can vary from spell to spell.

Disciplines and Spheres

There are three disciplines a mage can choose from Necromancy, Pyromancy and Sorcery, these three disciplines are then separated into Spheres of study (the Sorcerers call these spheres circles). When choosing the spells you learn as a Novice you can take the spells from each of the spheres of your discipline or from just one, it is your choice as you will be taught all spheres of that discipline.

Learning Spells

As a novice you will learn a number of spells equal to your Mind Attribute, these can be any spells from your chosen disciplines list. Each time you go up a Rank in the Guild you are taught one new spell of your choice. As a mage you are expected to go out there and discover and study new spells or devise your own based on what you have learnt. Magical books and scrolls will hold spells that can be learnt by the mage and this takes a number of days of study based on your Arcane Skill level and your Will.

Arcane

Will Attribute 1 2 3 4 5

Known

10

9

8

7

6

Trained

9

8

7

6

5

Adept

8

7

6

5

4

Expert

6

5

4

3

2

Master

5

4

3

2

1

Once you have learnt the spell it is presumed that you are able to attempt to cast each level of that spell.

Every spell has a cost, not just to the world but also to the caster. Magic wears away at a mage physically and mentally and can lead to death if not monitored and used responsibly. It can also be dangerous to others, and this means those that are not often a target of a mage. Most spells will absorb Mental Stamina, exhausting the mage mentally. Reducing the mental stamina of a mage to zero will have two effects, the first being the temporary effect of collapse, reaching zero in mental stamina will cause the mage to fall unconscious, this will act as sleep and the stamina will replenish over time. The second effect is physical, each discipline has a point when the magic will take you over in one way or another, and each mage has 5 chances to avoid this. Each time the mage pushes themselves too far and collapses from mental exhaustion they need to cross off a catalyst, these are 5 boxes under the mental Stamina track, once all 5 catalysts have been crossed off the mage has become the magic and no longer exists. The catalyst is different for each discipline with sorcerers becoming arcane energy, Pyromancers will slowly become a living flame and Necromancers shrivel and eventually fall into dust.

Casting

There are various methods for casting, and each will have its benefits and drawbacks. All casting no matter the source involves an Arcane vs.. Spell DN roll.

Casting from Knowledge

Each mage will have learnt a number of spells from the spheres within their discipline and this will allow them to cast these spells from memory, this is the quickest way to cast magic but is limited by what the mage has learnt. Casting from memory can be done each round on the Mages turn.

Casting from Scrolls

The mage can create or obtain scrolls which have magical spells inscribed upon them, this allows the

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mage to carry a number of spells they have not learnt. Scrolls do not disappear once used or turn into a puff of smoke; they can be used repeatedly but casting from a scroll will take two rnds to do.

Casting from Books

There are many ancient books that hold formulae for spells, and these can be read and utilised by the mage either by taking the time to copy the spell from the book to the scroll or learning the spell and committing it to memory. Casting directly from a book can take time and to do so will take 3 rnds to do.

Casting from Items

Some items hold magical spells, how this works is to first transfer power into the item and then whispering the spell to be stored. The spell still costs to cast but instead of leeching the stamina of the mage it will take the power from the item. Casting from an item is like casting from knowledge, it can happen within a single round for as long as the item has power.

Rituals The alerting the corrupted to your presence through the use of magic often means cultists and the Corrupted monsters like abominations.

Some disciplines have ritual spells, these are spells of power that take a lot of preparation and time to cast. A ritual can take days to complete but some do have quick alternatives, but these often have a higher rate of failure or more drawbacks for the mage, so think carefully when performing a quick ritual. During a ritual, the mage cannot be disturbed and must have the relative items and props to perform the ritual.

Dangers

All spells can attract trouble and sorcery is the most dangerous, but even Pyromancy and Necromancy can alert the corrupted to your presence. Each time a spell is cast of either Pyromancy or Necromancy an Iron Die is rolled and on the result of a 1 something stirs

Creating Items and Scrolls

A mage can create ways of making spell casting and storing easier by using scrolls and items which they have created during their downtime.

Creating a Scroll

Scrolls allow mages to carry spells they have not memorised; a scroll has no real power it is basically an easy way to read and cast a spell then carrying around a large grimoire. To create a scroll the mage writes the spell on the scroll precisely as it is spoken when cast, this does involve a roll of the Academic skill and will have the same difficulty as the spell would be to cast from memory as well as the same mental stamina loss.

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Example

Your mage has discovered a spell in an ancient tome, but instead of carrying the large book around you decide to grab some parchment, ink, and inscribe the spell onto a scroll. The spell DN is 9 so in order to copy the spell onto the scroll you would need to make an Academic roll Vs.. a DN of 9, you would also lose the Mental Stamina cost of the spell.

Once the spell has be inscribed the scroll can be used as often as you like.

Creating an Item

Spells can also be stored inside items, these are normally jewellery, weapons, or staffs. In order to create a magical item first you need to empower it, and this involves transferring mental stamina to the item. As the mage leeches their own stamina it will enter the item at a one to one ratio, so for four points of stamina the mage leeches four points of power enters the item. Once the item has been charged the mage must then whisper the spell into the item, this is similar to casting, it has the same difficulty number that needs to be equalled or beaten and takes up the same stamina. Once this has been done the item can cast that spell as long as the power exists. Items do not have a limit to the amount of power they can hold, a mage could spend weeks sending power into an item every day, replenishing their stamina through sleep or meditation, and then sending more power the next day and so on. Once the spell has been transferred no more power can be added until the current power is exhausted and then the whole process starts again.

The Danger of Items

Items can be unstable and each time an item is used there is a chance it will backfire or just explode. If the Level of Failure for casting the spell is ever 6 or more the item will explode, with the current power level determining the damage and radius of the explosion.

Stored Power

Result

01-25

d10 damage in a 5ft radius

26-50

d10 +3 damage in a 10ft radius

51-75

2d10 damage in a 20ft radius

76-100

4d10 damage in a 30ft radius

Necromancy The art of Necromancy sprung from the study of death and healing, the surgeries performed by the Black Fort on the corrupted and on those unfortunates consumed by the ice helped build the skills of the budding necromancer. It is also said that those instructions and books discovered in some of the elven prisons and towers used by their own surgeons have aided the Black Forts understanding of the melding of flesh and iron as well the reanimation of dead tissue. The Black Fort hold their studies and resources close to their chest, and it is forbidden for both novice and mage to speak of their training and some of the more secretive practices of the guild, but it is strongly believed that the Fort breaks the laws and have begun to dabble in more dubious research.

Dangers of Necromancy

Every necromancer must understand the risks of their art and that these risks can be deadly or at least can wear the Mage down over time if they are not careful. The art of healing can involve transferring of the mages vital essence into the patient, the art of purging diseases and poisons can cause the Mage also to become infected or poisoned. Those necromancers dedicated to aiding others have died at a young age after giving their all to their patients.

illegal within the Last City, and the Below, the creation of golems, the raising of the dead and the draining of health are all considered against the laws of the Black Fort.

Necromancy Spells

Necromancy spells are listed with a Dark or Light or Neutral Descriptor; this will indicate how the spell will be perceived by anyone seeing the Mage performing the spell. Spell cost will not only be in stamina but in health if applicable and will state whether the loss is temporary (t) or permanent (p).

Necromancy Rituals

Some magic used by necromancers is more akin to rituals, long drawn out processes that require various items and hours spent either working upon the subject or weaving the necromancer’s life force and magical energies. These rituals can take days to complete, and the necromancer will need to have their full concentration on what they are attempting to achieve, this means that rituals are often performed during downtime.

Spell List

Necromancy is what many consider a tainted art, one which can be used for both good and bad, but unfortunately, the Mage cannot learn the good without also understanding the bad. But whichever path you decide to travel the effects on your health and mind will be the same.

Below is a list of Necromancy spells separated into the three spheres of learning. Novices can choose a number of spells from any sphere equal to their Mind Attribute.

Increasing the effect of a spell or exerting yourself will come not only from your stamina but sometimes your health, this can be temporary, but often it is permanent. Permanent loss of health will affect your wounds. Purging a disease or poison will force you to roll resistance against that same disease or poison although at one potency level less, if you fail, then you have cured the patient but have now inflicted yourself.

Each spell will have a description of what it does, how much stamina it will cost to cast, the difficulty number for casting and the effects from Levels of Success and Failure.

Restoring temporary health that has been lost is as simple as a good night’s sleep. Unfortunately, a permanent loss cannot be reversed, and you will begin to suffer the more health you lose until eventually, you will literally die for your art, some feel this is acceptable.

A break in concentration during rituals will mean the loss of progress and materials with the Mage having to start over.

Spell Descriptions

Abbreviations • • • • • • • •

STL - Mental Stamina Loss POT - Potency AoE - Area of Effect (Ft) LoS - Level of Success LoF - Level of Failure Prop - Item used to enhance DN - Difficulty Number WL - Wound Loss

The flip side of Necromancy is what is considered

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First Sphere - Healing

All necromancers learn healing and the ability to Purge poisons and disease. Many necromancers never deviate from the healing sphere and spend their lives in the service of others. Some spells will cost the necromancer wounds as they transfer their own life force into the patient.

Spell: Cure (Light) Casting TN: 5+POT, STL: 1+ POT Prop: None, Type: Touch The necromancer draws disease from the victim, taking it partially into themselves. This spell will work on all diseases. If successful, the necromancer must roll resistance against the disease, albeit it with a -1 to the disease potency.

LoS

2 - Disease POT -2 for resistance 4 - Necromancer does not need to resist disease 6 - Necromancer gains a +1 immunity to the disease permanently

LoF

2 - Spell fails and necromancer must resist disease at full POT 4 - Spell fails Necromancer must resist disease at full POT and also loses +1 stamina 6 - As above and the patient takes d6 wounds.

Spell: Healing Aura (Light) Casting TN: 7, STL: 5 WL: 1 for 1 Prop: None. Type: Ranged, AoE The necromancer sends out an aura of healing that will encompass anyone with a 6ft radius of the necromancer. The necromancer decides how many wounds they will heal if successful.

LoS

2 - Necromancer heals +1 wound 4 - As above and spells AoE expands by 4ft 6 - Necromancer loses no Stamina and heals +2 wounds.

LoF

2 - Spell fails necromancer loses the stamina and wounds. 4 - Spell fails and everyone with 6ft takes 1 wound 6 - Spell explodes and everyone with 6ft takes d6 wounds.

Spell: Purge (Light) Casting TN: 5 + POT, STL: 1 + POT Prop: None. Type: Touch The necromancer draws out any poisons from the victim taking the poison partially into their own body. The necromancer will need to roll a resistance against the poison but at a -1-potency level.

LoS

Spell: Heal (Light) Casting TN: 6, STL: 3 WL: 1 for 1 Prop: None. Type: Touch The necromancer transfers his own life force into the target to heal the target’s wounds. This is as simple as laying on of hands on the wounded area.

LoS

2 - Necromancer heals +1 wound 4 - Necromancer loses only half the wounds they would normally. 6 - Necromancer loses no Stamina and heals +2 wounds.

LoF

2 - Spell fails but necromancer loses +1 wound 4 - Spell fails and patient takes +2 wounds 6 - As above and the patient takes d6 wounds.

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2 - Poison POT -2 for Resistance 4 - Necromancer does not need to resist poison 6 - Necromancer gains a permanent +1 when resisting the particular poison.

LoF

2 - Spell fails necromancer must resist poison at full POT 4 - Spell fails as above and the necromancer loses +1 stamina 6 - Spell fails as above and necromancer takes d4 wounds.

Second Sphere - Death

To understand the discipline necromancers must also learn those spells that are considered forbidden. Necromancers that focus fully on this sphere are often seen as evil mages.

Spell: Drain (Dark) Casting TN: 6, STL: 1 + Stamina Drained Prop: Piece of rancid meat +1. Type: Touch The necromancer can drain the life (Stamina) from a victim using that life to heal their own stamina . The stamina can come from any living creature that is within 10ft of the necromancer. Draining all stamina will kill the victim.

LoS

2 - Necromancer receives +1 stamina more then they attempted to drain. 4 - Necromancer can transfer the drained stamina into another being, this will involve casting Heal but with no Wound loss. (they can only replace up to what they have drained) 6 - As above but necromancer does not need to cast the Heal spell, just touch the injured party

LoF

2 - Spell fails necromancer transfers 1 stamina to the target. 4 - Spell fails necromancer transfers d6 stamina to target 6 - Spell fails as above and the necromancer loses and extra d4 stamina.

Spell: Wound (Dark) Casting TN: 6, STL: 2 per d4 wounds Prop: Bloody dagger +1 to roll. Type: Ranged The necromancer can cause physical wounds to open up on the target these will not stun or stagger the target but will act like wounds in every other way, modifiers etc. Spell ignores armour.

Spell: Shatter (Dark) Casting TN: 7, STL: 5 Prop: Bone Shards +1 to roll. Type: Ranged The necromancer can shatter bone inside the body of the target, this will cause d10 wounds and also crippling effects to movement and using weapons (reduces movement and skills to half). The necromancer should declare the location that they wish to shatter. Uses called shot modifiers

LoS

2 - Bone Shatters and causes +2 wounds 4 - Bone Shatters and target is down and out. 6 - Bone Shatters and cannot be healed.

LoF

2 - Spell fails and is directed at a nearby ally. 4 - Spell fails and rebounds onto caster 6 - Spell fails boosting targets toughness by +3 for six rnds.

Spell: Sensory Death (Dark) Casting TN: 7, STL: 4 Prop: None. Type: Ranged The necromancer destroys the targets senses, the caster must choose the sense they wish to destroy, be it sight, hearing, smell, or taste (touch cannot be destroyed). On a success that particular sense is removed and modifiers to the target set. Affect lasts d10 rnds.

LoS

2 - Targets loses sense for an extra 2 rnds 4 - Target also loses a second sense, necromancers choice. 6 - Target loses the sense permanently

LoF

2 - Spell fails and targets senses are instead improved 4 - Spell fails and rebounds on caster for same effect. 6 - Spell fails and affects everyone within 6ft of caster both friend and foe.

LoS

2 - Necromancer inflicts +1 wound 4 - Necromancer inflicts +2 wounds 6 - Necromancer inflicts + 4 wounds

LoF

2 - Spell fails necromancer takes 1d4 wounds 4 - Spell fails necromancer takes 1d6 wounds 6 - Spell fails everyone within 6ft of necromancer takes d4 wounds.

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Third Sphere - Rebirth

Ultimate goal of every Necromancer is to beat death and decay and this is often done in the sphere of Rebirth. This is an extension of the Healing sphere, but can if used in certain ways also extend within the Death Sphere.

Spell: Corpse Tongue (Neutral) Casting TN: 6 + Age, STL: 3 Prop: Grave dirt +1 to roll. Type: Touch The necromancer can commune with a corpse, ask the corpse a single yes/no question on a subject they would know or have some knowledge of. The corpse age affects the DN. 1-5yrs +1 6-10yrs +2 11-50yrs +3 51 to 100yrs +4

LoS

2 - Corpse will answer a second question 4 - Corpse will answer a third question 6 - Corpse will answer a fourth and fifth question in detail

LoF

2 - Spell fails Corpse answers but it may not be true, roll a d6 1-4 it is a lie, 5-6 it is true. 4 - Spell fails but corpse answers with a lie 6 - Spell fails and the corpse curses the caster, the necromancer is at -2 to all skill checks for d6 days

Spell: Regenerate (Neutral) Casting TN: 9, STL: 7, WL: 4 Prop: None. Type: Touch The necromancer can attempt to regenerate a lost limb or organ. The process takes up to 2 hours of concentration by the necromancer with each ten minutes calling for a new skill roll to continue the spell. The stamina and wound loss is for completing the spell, you should adjust the loss if the spell fails.

LoS

2 - Spell Success and stamina loss only 5 4 - Spell success and wound loss is halved 6 - As above and patient is +1 for actions involving regenerated limb or organ

LoF

2 - Spell fails stamina loss +1 4 - Spell fails wound loss +1 6 - Spell fails stamina and wound loss +2

170

Necromancy Rituals

Rituals take time and effort compared to standard spells, the necromancer needs total concentration for sometimes days at a time and a number of props and other items in order to complete the ritual. At any point the ritual is disturbed or stopped everything must start afresh and everything used up to that point is lost including stamina and wounds.

Ritual: Create Golem Time: 36 hrs. Casting TN: 10. STL 1 every 5hrs, WL: 6 Props: Body parts, corpse ash, surgery tools,

skinners kit, 8 pints of fresh blood.

The necromancer must arrange the body parts on a table or flat surface before beginning the ritual. Once the ritual begins the necromancer must slowly empty the corpse ash and blood over the parts after stitching each part of the body together all done whilst reciting the ritual at all times. As long as no mistakes were made the golem can then be empowered by the necromancer’s own vitality (WL) after which the golem should awaken. The success of the ritual will determine the abilities of the golem, but a basic golem will follow out simple orders (go there, lift that, follow me) but will need to be refreshed each day with 2 pints of blood and 1 WL of the necromancer.

LoS

2 – Golem can follow more complex commands, drive a carriage, recognise items and so forth 4 – Golem is as above but can also communicate in a basic way with caster. 6 – Golem is as above and only needs 1 pint of blood per day, without close scrutiny golem looks alive.

LoF

2 - Body parts are ruined and will need to be replaced. 4 - Golem stutters into life but it is a drooling, corrupted thing that will attempt to flee. 6 - Golem lives but is insane, it will attack caster and anyone nearby (see Flesh Golem).

Ritual: Reanimate Time: 2 hrs. Casting TN: 8. STL 4, WL: 4* Props: Corpse ash. The necromancer reanimates a nearby corpse that is controlled by the necromancer for a short amount of time (d4 days). Reanimated corpse continue to keep any physical abilities but lose all mental function with these being supplied by the necromancer. *For every corpse above the first that is reanimated the WL and STL increases by 1.

LoS

2 – Corpse has +1 wounds 4 – As above with a +1 to attack 6 – As above with +2 wounds and +2 attack

LoF

2 - Ritual fails and caster loses +1 stamina 4 - Ritual fails corpse/s animate and turn on caster 6 - Ritual fails as above but corpse/s have +2 wounds and +2 to attack.

Ritual: Resurrect Time: 24 hrs. Casting TN: 10. STL 6, WL: 6 + 2 perm* Props: Four pints of blood, all corpses belongings

Ritual: Remove Corruption Time: 1 hr. per Corruption Point Casting TN: 8. STL 2 + 1 per corruption Props: None The necromancer can remove the corruption gained from attacks or other means; corruption can never be reduced to less than one. For the corruption to be removed, the necromancer must either absorb it, adding it to their own corruption or transfer the corruption to another living thing. To transfer corruption the target for the transfer must be within reaching distance, and the corruption will use the necromancer like a conduit.

LoS

2 – Ritual success 4 – Ritual success caster receives no corruption from the transfer 6 – Ritual success as above and stamina cost is halved.

LoF

2 - Ritual fails 4 - Ritual fails the corruption fails to transfer and is added to the casters pool. 6 - Ritual fails as above but the corruption doubles.

The necromancer can resurrect a recently deceased target to a point where they can accept normal healing to repair any injuries. The target must have died within 12 hrs. in order for it to return to its normal self. A Target will often return with memory loss of the last d6 days. *To return target to 1 wound will cost the caster 2 wounds permanently.

LoS

2 – Target awakens with 4 wounds and only d4 memory loss 4 – As above with no memory loss 6 – As above and caster only lose 1 wound permanently.

LoF

2 - Ritual fails target cannot be resurrected. 4 - Ritual fails caster loses 3 wounds permanently 6 - Ritual fails as above but caster also loses 2 stamina permanently.

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Pyromancy

Considered the noble art by many and this is due mostly to the fact that Pyromancy is what keeps the ice and corruption from the gates of the city, pyromancy is the hardest and most devastating of the three magical disciplines. Pyromancy began out of necessity with the encroaching ice the Last City needed to find a way to protect itself, discoveries found in the dwarven ruins indicated a form of magic that used the energy of fire that would allow a mage to channel that energy and release it in a different form. After months of study it was discovered that the energy that fuelled fire was not much different to the energy coursing through living things and pyromancy was born. Early experiments resulted in the Pyromancers pushing themselves too hard and this led to early death, this was unfortunate as those that could harness the energy were rare, but when it was discovered that the heart of the Pyromancer continued to burn after death the sun spires were invented and the barrier that kept the Last City safe was erected. Unfortunately, the sun spires need replenishing, and this relies of sacrifices by the Pyromancers. Many Pyromancers who suffer injury or become too old will offer their hearts for the city, and because of this pyromancy is the most respected discipline taught by the Black Fort

Dangers of Pyromancy

Children are taught not to play with fire and for good reason it will burn and engulf you, and this is something every novice learns during the study of Pyromancy. Apart from the obvious dangers of trying to control huge amounts of fiery energy the use of fire will slowly engulf the mage, starting as a ball of heat in the stomach and blossoming out to slowly turn the mage into a living flame and then finally energy itself. Over the years this immolation has been slowed and a careful Pyromancer can live years studying and practicing the art.

Pyromancy Spells

All pyromancy spells are performed using stamina to determine how many spells can be cast and how frequently they can be used. Many spells are area of effect spells and these can be dangerous not just to the mage but to those are around them. Fire is an uncontrollable force that the mage is trying to control, and it takes a lot of effort to stop it raging out of control.

172

Pyromancy Rituals

There are no pyromancy rituals as trying to harness flame for long period of time would cause a massive build-up of energy that would eventually become unstable and erupt. Many rooms and areas were destroyed in the early studies before this was considered a bad idea.

Spell List

Below is a list of Pyromancy spells separated into the three spheres of learning. Novices can choose a number of spells from any sphere equal to their Mind Attribute.

Spell Descriptions

Each spell will have a description of what it does, how much stamina it will cost to cast, the difficulty number for casting and the effects from Levels of Success and Failure.

Abbreviations • • • • • • •

STL - Mental Stamina Loss POT - Potency AoE - Area of Effect (Ft) LoS - Level of Success LoF - Level of Failure Prop - Item used to enhance DN - Difficulty Number

Many Pyromancy spells have a type and often this type is Ranged with a number, the number indicates the range that the spell will travel at standard stamina cost, any extra points spent will extend this base range

First Sphere - Heat

Pyromancy is about temperature as much as it is about flame, and every Pyromancer novice learns to control their own temperature as well as the temperature around them.

Spell: Absorb Casting TN: 6, STL: 1 Prop: None. Type: Ranged, AoE 10ft+ The pyromancers can absorb all the heat in an area, causing the location to freeze. The amount of stamina loss is 1 per 10ft area. The Pyromancer must expel the heat elsewhere and can do this by casting melt, Jet, or Ball. For each round that the heat is not expelled the caster loses 1 wound.

LoS

2 - Stamina loss is halved (rounded up) 4 - Heat can be held for 2 rnds without wound loss 6 - Caster can cast either Jet or Melt immediately without a need to roll.

LoF

2 - Spell fails and stamina cost is doubled 4 - Spell fails but heat is absorbed causing 2 wounds per round. 6 - Spell fails heat is absorbed and explodes from the caster causing d6 damage per stamina used to everyone within 10ft.

Spell: Boil Casting TN: 5, STL: 1 Prop: None. Type: Ranged, AoE 10ft+ The Pyromancer can boil any fluid nearby, this will include everything from water to blood, the distance of the fluid can delay the process. Fluids within 10ft of the Mage will boil within a round and for every 10ft beyond another round is added. Sustaining the boil will cost 1 stamina per rnd of boiling. Boil is also an AoE spell with a standard casting covering a 10ft area. When boiling blood or some other bodily fluid all targets within the A0E take d6 damage per rnd as long as the spell is sustained.

LoS

2 - Range increases to 12 ft and AoE increases to 15ft. 4 - Target will take 2d6 damage per round 6 - As above plus the AoE doubles

LoF

2 - Spell fails and caster loses double the stamina 4 - Spell fails and caster takes d6 damage from their own blood boiling. 6 - Spell fails and everyone within 10ft of the caster takes d6 damage as their blood boils.

Spell: Burn Casting TN: 6, STL: 2+ Prop: None. Type: Touch This allows the caster to burn what they touch, damage inflicted is equal to number of stamina points used by the mage, with a d4 for each point. Items like wood, paper, and foliage will burn as expected, wet items will take +1 stamina to burn and items soaked in oil will take -1 stamina to burn. Targets wearing metal armour will not burn but they will begin to boil within their armour with affects similar to the Boil spell. Leather armours will burn causing 2 breaks per rnd.

LoS

2 - Stamina loss is halved. 4 - Damage increases to 2d4 per round 6 - Burn targets will also receive the effects of the Boil spell.

LoF

2 - Spell fails double the stamina lost. 4 - Spell fails casters clothes catch alight, d4 damage 6 - Spell fails as above with 2d4 damage

Spell: Melt Casting TN: 5, STL: 2 Prop: None. Type: Ranged, AoE 2ft Pyromancer can melt any substance from ice to iron, stamina loss will vary from 1 to 5 depending on what the mage is attempting to melt, (Ice covered watering hole 1, Iron Bar 3, etc). Metal armours can also be melted with anyone wearing the armour taking Boil damage

LoS

2 - Stamina loss is halved 4 - Mage can reshape Iron 6 - As above but AoE is doubled

LoF

2 - Spell fails double the stamina lost 4 - Spell fails any metal on caster melts 6 - Spell fails as above but effects everyone or thing within 5ft of caster.

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173

Second Sphere - Flame

The control of fire and how to form and manipulate it in order to turn it into a tool and a weapon.

Spell: Ball Casting TN: 6, STL: 1+ Prop: None. Type: Ranged 10ft, AoE The Pyromancer can form a ball of fire and then throw it as a weapon. This spell will absorb heat around the mage temporarily and can be combined with the Absorb spell. The more heat absorbed, and the more stamina used the larger the ball of flame and the more damage done.

For every stamina point used in the spell the damage increases by d6 damage. For every 2ft area of heat around the mage absorbed the ball grows an extra foot in diameter, which in turn affects the AoE of the spell. Creating a 20ft diameter fireball will need to absorb heat from a 40ft radius, and if it does 10d6 damage that will cost 10 stamina.

174

LoS

2 - Diameter increase 2ft for no extra cost 4 - Damage is increased 2d6 for no extra stamina 6 - Both diameter and damage is doubled

LoF

2 - Spell fails and double the stamina is lost 4 - Spell fails and spell explodes in front of caster 6 - Spell fails and ball expands to double the size and damage then explodes in front of caster.

Spell: Ignite Casting TN: 5, STL: 1+ Prop: None. Type: Ranged 10ft The Pyromancer can make a flammable object nearby ignite. Candles, torches, dry bushes even trees can be forced to burst into flame. Objects doused in oil will burst into flame with less effort (-1 Stamina). The range can be increased by exerting more stamina, but the standard range is 10ft for every stamina point used.

LoS

2 - Spell costs less to cast 4 - Caster can ignite two extra objects in the area 6 - Caster can ignite four extra objects in the area

LoF

2 - Spell fails and caster loses double the stamina 4 - Spell fails as above and the object burns out 6 - Spell fails and caster ignites nearest party member.

Spell: Jet Casting TN: 6, STL: 1+ Prop: None. Type: Ranged 3ft x 2ft The Pyromancer launches a jet of fire from their palm, this follows the same rules as the Ball spell with the amount of heat absorbed and the number of stamina used to determine the length and damage of the jet. For every 1 ft of heat absorbed the jet extends an extra 2ft from the casters palm, and with every 1 stamina pt used damage is increased by d6. The end of the jet can be made to cover a wider cone by expanding a further point of stamina per 1ft spread.

LoS

2 - Range and damage is increased one step for no extra stamina cost. 4 - Only half of the stamina needed is used 6 - Cone of jet extends outward for 20ft and does 2d6 damage to all it engulfs.

LoF

2 - Spell fails and casters hand bursts into flame causing d4 damage per rnd 4 - Spell fails as above but d6 damage 6 - Spell fails and reserves engulfing anyone within 20ft of caster in flames and causing 2d6 damage per round.

Spell: Wall Casting TN: 7, STL: 1+ Prop: None. Type: Touch 3ft x 3ft x 1ft The Pyromancer creates a wall of flame, this can be straight or curved, thick or thin. Anything passing through the wall will take fire damage. The wall starts as a 3ft tall, 3ft long and 1ft thick wall of flame with each dimension being expanded 1ft per stamina point used. The walls thickness will take time to pass through causing more damage to any that does.

LoS

2 - Wall burns extra bright and causes 2d6 damage to anyone passing through it per round 4 - Wall can be moved by the caster 6 - Wall will stand for d6 rounds without any stamina use by the caster (effectively allowing the caster to place it and walk away).

LoF

2 - Spell fails and caster loses double the stamina 4 - Spell fails caster transfers 5 stamina to nearest corrupted horror. 6 - Spell fails as above and caster gains one corruption point.

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Third Sphere - Combust

The ability to cause the very air to burst into flame or intense heat is to manipulate the very laws of the universe and to risk a misfire or self-immolation.

Spell: Explode Casting TN: 7, STL: 1+ Prop: Fire. Type: Ranged The Pyromancer causes any nearby flame to explode outward, causing damage to anyone nearby. As the caster forces more stamina into the spell the explosion becomes larger and more intense. To the point when a simple candle could blow apart a building.

Source

STL

AoE

Damage

Candle

1

1ft

1d4

Torch

1

3ft

1d6

Camp-fire

2

6ft

2d6

Burning Building

4

15ft

5d6

Extra stamina will increase AoE and Damage by 1 step.

LoS

2 - Spell increases 1 step without extra stamina cost 4 - All flames in the area explode spontaneously. 6 - Spell increase 2 steps without extra stamina cost

LoF

2 - Spell fails and caster loses double the stamina 4 - Spell fails and flame nearest to caster explodes 6 - Spell fails as above with double damage

Spell: Flash Casting TN: 5, STL: 1+ Prop: None. Type: Ranged, AoE The Pyromancer throws an orb of light which flashes after travelling a number of feet based on stamina spent (1 per 5ft). The light when activated stuns everyone in a 20ft radius for 2d6 rnds.

LoS

2 - Radius increases to 30ft 4 - As above and stun lasts 3d6 rounds 6 -As above plus all stunned take d6 damage also.

LoF

2 - Spell fails lose double the stamina 4 - Spell fails and casters party are stunned d6 rnds 6 - Spell fails and caster party are stunned 2d6 rnds

176

Spell: Heat Seeker Casting TN: 8, STL: 1+ Prop: None. Type: Ranged The Pyromancer sends a spear of energy at a preselected target, this bolt of energy will follow the target for as long as it has stamina charging it (1 stamina per 2 rounds of travel) or it strikes the target causing 5d6 damage. The spear will only travel in a straight path.

LoS

2 - Spear will travel around corners 4 - Spear can now pass through walls and doors 6 - Spear will pass though living beings causing d6 damage to each.

LoF

2 - Spell fails and double stamina lost 4 - Spell fails spear targets innocent NPC 6 - Spell fails spear targets member of party

Spell: Trap Casting TN: 7, STL: 2+ Prop: Sigil. Type: AoE The Pyromancer marks an area of a floor, wall or door with a sigil that when passed by anyone other than the caster will detonate causing 3d6 fire damage, by spending twice as much stamina the caster can choose to have a delayed detonation or a double detonation with each detonation doing 2d6 fire damage.

LoS

2 - Only half stamina lost 4 - Sigil detonates with double damage 6 - As above but with 1 extra detonation

LoF

2 - Spell fails double stamina lost 4 - Spell fails and explodes causing damage to caster 6 - Spell fails as above but with double damage

Sorcery

The art of sorcery leads back to the arcane magic studied and created in some part by the elves and passed on to them by the death of the giants. The elves had used sorcery for decades to experiment, torture and enslave humans, so the study of it by the Black Fort is considered dangerous and the following of a dark path. The mages guild has attempted to justify this study by claiming that to understand the elves and what they did involves studying how they did it and maybe once understood gain the ability to reverse it. This explanation may appease some but not everyone. The Black Fort pay highly for elven texts and relics in the hope of expanding their knowledge and use of sorcery, after all it was sorcery that created the Chimeer, the corrupted and possibly even the Blood Lords, and imagine what the mages could achieve by fully understanding the magic and rituals involved in the art. The worries of many is not just what the mages intend this power for but what have they already attempted in trying to learn and harness it. Tales have come from the Black Fort of diabolical experiments, strange noises and weather patterns that seem to emanate from the Mages fortress, and the strange and sometimes disorientating feeling that many get as they pass by the Black Fort. Being a sorcerer is to be both feared and despised, few sorcerers are seen as heroes or saviours but are often viewed to be as dangerous and untrustworthy as the elves themselves and every novice that follows this path is warned that the path is not easy.

Dangers of Sorcery

The study of sorcery is dangerous and is possibly the most dangerous path of all, it is also the study of something that is truly ancient. The origins of sorcery begins with the giants and their sorcery tainted blood is what formed the elves, or so the stories say. Sorcery is linked to the corruption and in some way to every living thing in the Pale, including the Blood Lords who practice a darker and more dangerous form of the art themselves, called Blood Magic, and many of the Warlocks that control the cults will be fluent in this dark magic. What is unspoken is the similarities between Blood Magic and Sorcery, and how often they cross paths.

To practice sorcery is to accept and be open to corruption, more sorcerers fall to corruption than mages of the other two paths combined, and this alone speaks of how dangerous the study of sorcery can be to those weak willed or morally flexible. It is also believed that Cultists will actively tempt sorcerers to join their cause offering power and knowledge in exchange for giving themselves to the Blood Lords.

Sorcery Spells

The study of sorcery teaches five circles of power and it is said that each one takes the mage closer to the ancients, many presume that the ancients refers to the Giants that first created the discipline, but in recent years study has shown that maybe the Remnant are also linked in some way. All sorcery spells use stamina for casting, and they vary from touch to ranged. Due to its ancient roots many spells will skirt what some would consider ‘light’ magic and the sorcerer will face corruption as a real threat as the use of sorcery can attract the corrupted and the corruption. Sorcery can both alert and invite corruption, to alert means that any corrupted monsters nearby will sense the spell and move towards it. To invite means that the very spell itself can corrupt the caster and a resistance roll must be made to resist it.

Sorcery Rituals

There are a few rituals that can be performed but mostly these are long winded and ultimately destructive both to the caster and the target and should be performed with caution.

Sorcery and the Iron Die

Because casting arcane magic is linked to corruption the mage may attract the attention of corrupted monsters this can be determined by an Iron Die and within the text of each spell, we will indicate an Iron Die opportunity by this symbol a, on a roll of 1 or 2 something has sensed the magic and is coming, for this the use of the Iron Die does not fall into the single use per session rule. Regarding corruption from casting then the mage would need to make a resistance check and the Iron Die would act as per the rules in that instance.

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177

Abbreviations • • • • • • • • • •

STL - Mental Stamina Loss POT - Potency AoE - Area of Effect (Ft) LoS - Level of Success LoF - Level of Failure Prop - Item used to enhance DN - Difficulty Number VS.. - Opposed Will roll Corruption - Either Alert or Invite Symbol a - Use the Black Die

First Circle

The first circle is the discipline of protection and defence, most sorcerers learn at least one spell from this circle in the beginning in order to prolong their lives against attacks from both friend and foe alike.

Spell: Protection Casting TN: 6, STL: 2 per rnd Prop: None Type: Self Corruption: Alert a The mage creates an invisible force that surrounds themselves and protects them from all damage both physical and magical. The spell lasts for as long as the mage has stamina to keep it active. The mage cannot cast or take any actions whilst sustaining this spell.

LoS

2 - The stamina cost is halved 4 - The Spell allows the mage to move and will move with them 6 - The mage can perform actions but not cast spells.

LoF

2 - Spell fails and double the stamina is lost (4) 4 - Spell fails and the shield explodes with an AoE of 5ft and causing d6 damage 6 - Spell fails and explodes with an A0E of 10ft and 2d6 damage

Spell: Push Casting TN: 6, STL: 1 per 50Ib/5ft Prop: None Type: Touch Corruption: Alert a The mage converts their stamina into kinetic energy and pushes away the object or opponent, without touching them. For every 1 stamina used the caster can push back a target of up to 50 Lbs five feet back, the more stamina converted the heavier the target and the further the distance.

LoS

2 - The spell pushes back the target an extra 5ft 4 - The spell effects two targets 6 - The mage can choose to lift the target up to the push back range.

LoF

2 - Spell fails and mage loses double the stamina 4 - Spell fails and mage is pushed back instead 6 - Spell fails and everyone within 20ft of the mage is pushed back.

Spell: Shield Casting TN: 5, STL: 1 per 10pts of damage Prop: None Type: Self Corruption: Alert a The mage creates a shield in front of themselves or someone else. Unlike Protection this spell only protects the caster or target in one direction, it does not surround the user. The shield can protect against 10 points of damage per 1 stamina used, once it has deflected the max amount of damage it protects against the spell shatters.

LoS

2 - The shields protection increases by 5 pts 4 - When the shield is hit the attacker takes d4 damage. 6 - As above but attacker takes 2d4 damage

LoF

2 - Spell fails and double stamina lost 4 - Spell fails and random enemy receives the shield at 10pt protection 6 - Spell fails and two random enemies receive the shield at 10pt protection.

180

Spell: Warding Casting TN: 5, STL: 1 +1 per 25ft Range Prop: Chalk Type: AoE Corruption: Alert a The mage creates a sigil and places it on a wall, floor, or entrance. If anyone other than the mage passes the sigil the sorcerer will be alerted. The range of the Ward is 25ft per stamina used and placing the ward costs 1 stamina to do.

LoS

Spell: Levitate Casting TN: 7, STL: 1 per 5ft rise/1pt per rnd Prop: None, Type: Self Corruption: Alert a The mage can levitate up to 5ft above ground per stamina point used and can travel horizontally up to their movement base, crippling has no effect on levitation. Mages can perform actions whilst levitating and the effect will last one round per extra stamina point used.

2 - Range of the Warding is doubled 4 - The Warding does d6 damage against any trespassers within its range 6 - The warding does 2d6 damage to any trespassers and the range is doubled

LoS

LoF

2 - Spell fails and double stamina lost 4 - Spell fails and mage loses the use of their legs for d4 rnds. 6 - Spell fails as above but extends to 2d4 rnds

2 - Spell fails and double stamina lost 4 - Spell fails as above and a roll of 1-3 on the Iron Die will alert nearby corrupted 6 - Spell fails as above except a roll of 1-4 alerts nearby corrupted.

Second Circle

The mage learns to control forces which will allow them to move themselves and others.

Spell: Kinesis Casting TN: 6, STL: 1 per 25Ib and throw 10ft Prop: None, Type: Ranged Corruption: Alert a The mage can lift distant objects and either move them or throw them. This spell will not allow delicate manipulation of an item such as placing a key in a lock. This spell works similar to Push and with every 1 stamina used the mage can lift and move up to 25Ibs in weight and move or throw it 10ft.

LoS

2 - Stamina loss is halved 4 - Throw distance is doubled 6 - Mage can suspend object in the air for d6 rounds without stamina loss.

LoF

2 - Stamina loss halved 4 - Mage can double their movement base 6 - Mage can triple their movement base

LoF

Spell: Spirit Path Casting TN: 9, STL: 6 Prop: None, Type: Self Corruption: Invite The mage can enter a spirit world that runs alongside their own and bypass locations in the real world. The spirit path is often seen as a silver path in a world of darkness. The mage must have a clear idea of their destination in order for the spirit path to form. This Is often used to avoid dangerous locations or even armies, allowing the mage to reach their chosen destination safely.

LoS

2 - Stamina loss is halved 4 - Mage gains +1 corruption resistance 6 - Mage gains +2 corruption resistance

LoF

2 - Spell fails and double stamina lost 4 - Spell fails and player rolls an Iron Die, on a roll of 1-2 nearby threats are alerted. 6 - Spell fails as above and if corruption resistance fails the mage gains +2 corruption

2 - Spell fails and double stamina is lost 4 - Spell fails and the mage takes d6 damage from strain 6 - Spell fails and mage is unable to move for d10 rnds, can take no actions and feels rooted to the spot.

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Spell: Teleport Casting TN: 10, STL: Varies Prop: None, Type: Varies Corruption: Alert a The mage can teleport themselves and others to a place they can either see or know of. The stamina cost varies based on distance and how many are to be teleported, see table below.

Range Number to be Teleported in Miles 1 2 3 4 5 3 4 5 6 7 <1 4 5 6 7 8 1-2 5 6 7 8 9 2-3 6 7 8 9 10 3-4 7 8 9 10 11 4-5 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 5+ LoS

2 - Stamina cost is halved 4 - No corrupted are alerted 6 - As above

LoF

2 - Spell fails double stamina lost 4 - Spell fails all teleported roll an Iron Die for the alert. 6 - Spell fails but mage and whoever was chosen take 5d6 damage as forces attempt to rip them apart

Third Circle

The mage can control the spirit realms and manipulate it in various ways.

Spell: Ghost Form Casting TN: 9, STL: 4 +1 per rnd after the first Prop: None, Type: Self Corruption: Invite Mage becomes ghost like for 1 round allowing them to pass through walls and suffer no damage from physical injury. When in ghost form the mage will not be able to touch or manipulate anything or one and no one will hear the mage if they speak or shout out.

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LoS

2 - Stamina loss is halved 4 - The mage can make a single attack which will break the spell causing them to lose ghost form 6 - The mage can choose to make an attack or prolong the spell for an extra rnd.

LoF

2 - Spell fails Stamina lose is doubled 4 - Spell fails and mage begins to glow brightly, this will last d4 hours 6 - Spell fails mage receives an instant corruption point.

Spell: Telepathy Casting TN: VS, STL: 1 per 10ft Prop: None, Type: Ranged Corruption: Alert a The mage can send messages or speak to someone mentally, the range is determined by the amount of stamina used. Targets can attempt to resist the telepathic link with an opposed Will roll. Once linked the mage can communicate fully with the target for as long as they are within range.

LoS

2 - Stamina cost is halved 4 - Range is doubled 6 - As above

LoF

2 - Spell fails stamina cost is doubled 4 - Spell fails Mage is struck with terrible head pains causing them to be stunned for d6 rnds 6 - Spell fails mage loses their mind literally, they stand and drool, unable to talk, move or take any action. The mage can be led and fed but will not do so for themselves, this will last d3 days.

Spell: True Vision Casting TN: 7, STL: Varies +1 per rnd Prop: None, Type: Self Corruption: Alert a The mage can spend stamina to enhance their vision for 1 rnd as shown on the table below.

Cost

Vision Type

1

Night Vision - See clearly in moonlight

2

Dark Vision- Can see clearly in darkness

4

Infrared - Can see heat signatures

6

All of the above, switching between each

LoS

2 - Stamina cost halved 4 - Visions lasts an extra rnd 6 - Vision lasts 2 extra rnds

LoF

2 - Spell fails stamina cost doubled 4 - Spell fails mage has permanent red eyes 6 - Spell fails mage goes blind

Fourth Circle

The mage learns how to use their power offensively and can attack their targets either close up or at range.

Spell: Crush Casting TN: 7, STL: 2 per d6 crush dmg Prop: None, Type: Ranged Corruption: Alert a The mage uses their power to crush the target, be it a living thing or not, the more stamina used the more pressure exerted on the target which translates into damage. The mage can very easily crush stone into power or a person to death.

LoS

2 - Stamina loss is halved 4 - Damage is increased 2d6 6 - Mage can choose two targets

LoF

2 - Spell fails stamina loss is doubled 4 - Spell fails Sorcerer stunned for 1 round 6 - Spell fails bones in the sorcerers hands are crushed (1-3 Left, 4-6 Right) and crippled.

Spell: Pain Casting TN: VS., STL: 1 per d6 damage Prop: None, Type: Ranged Corruption: Alert a The mage inflicts pain upon the target, this pain is internal and will not cause any scars or visible marks on the targets body, the more stamina used the more damage inflicted or the more targets affected.

LoS

2 - Stamina cost halved 4 - Damage increased by d6 6 - Damage increased by 2d6

LoF

2 - Spell fails stamina cost is doubled 4 - Spell fails damage is reverted back on Mage 6 - Spell fails damage is reverted back on anyone within 5ft of mage.

Spell: Paralyse Casting TN: VS., STL: 2 per rnd Prop: None, Type: Ranged Corruption: Alert a The mage causes the target to become paralyzed for a number of rounds based on the amount of stamina used. The target must be in line of sight for the spell to take effect. The target can attempt a Will opposed roll against the spell.

LoS

2 - Stamina loss halved 4 - Mage can paralyse target outside of line of sight. 6 - Target is at -2 to Will roll

LoF

2 - Spell fails stamina cost is doubled 4 - Spell fails mage is paralyzed for the number of rnds. 6 - Spell fails mage an those close to the mage (within 5ft) are paralyzed for the number of rnds.

Spell: Strike Casting TN: 6, STL: 2 per d6 damage Prop: None, Type: Ranged Corruption: Alert a The mage strikes out with an invisible force to attack the target or targets. The damage caused depends upon the stamina used to power the force. The range is a maximum of 5ft from the mage.

LoS

2 - Stamina cost is halved 4 - Range extended to 10ft 6 - Mage can strike everyone in a semi circle in front of them.

LoF

2 - Spell fails and stamina cost is doubled 4 - Spell fails and mage strikes out at those around them both friend and foe. 6 - Spell fails and the mage is wrapped in energy causing 2d6 damage per rnd.

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Spell: Tendrils Casting TN: 8, STL: 2 per Tendril Prop: None, Type: Ranged Corruption: Invite Black tendrils erupts from the hands of the mage, lashing out at the target (range 5ft) and burning them. The mage can decide the number of tendrils that appear by spending more stamina. Each Tendril will do d6 damage against the target.

LoS

2 - Stamina cost halved 4 - Range is increased to 10ft 6 - Target bursts into flame and takes fire damage.

LoF

2 - Spell fails stamina cost doubled 4 - Spell fails and the mage gains 1 corruption point 6 - Spell fails Mage bursts into black flames burning anyone nearby with 2d6 damage. The mage burns for a rnd per stamina spent.

Spell: Waste Casting TN: VS., STL: 2 per rnd Prop: None, Type: Ranged Corruption: Alert a The sorcerer chooses a target and attempts to drain them of stamina (2pts per rnd), slowly wasting away the targets mind and body. The loss of stamina will affect the target as usual and the sorcerer can choose to either discard the stamina or absorb it, renewing their own stamina pool. The target can resist with an opposed Will roll.

LoS

2 - Stamina loss halved 4 - Targets resistance at -2 6 - Targets resistance at -4 and they lose an extra d6 stamina if they fail to resist

LoF

2 - Spell fails and stamina loss doubled 4 - Spell fails sorcerer stamina reduced by 1 permanently. 6 - Spell fails and sorcerers stamina reduced by 2 permanently.

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Fifth Circle

The mage learns how to influence and manipulate the senses and minds of others.

Spell: Control Casting TN: VS., STL: 4 Prop: None, Type: Ranged Corruption: Alert a The mage attempts to take control of the target and make them act or say things that are against their nature or belief. The target can attempt a Will opposed roll to avoid the control.

LoS

2 - Stamina cost halved 4 - Target is at -1 Will to resist 6 - Target is at -2 Will to resist

LoF

2 - Spell fails and stamina loss is doubled 4 - Spell fails target is aware of the attempt 6 - Spell fails and severe head pains stun the mage for d4 rnds

Spell: Invisibility Casting TN: VS., STL: 5 Prop: None, Type: Ranged Corruption: Invite The mage fogs the mind of the target so that they can no longer see the mage, effectively making the mage invisible, though they can be heard and felt. The stamina points spent will increase the number of targets affected, targets can also attempt to make an opposed roll.

LoS

2 - Stamina loss is halved 4 - Mage cannot be heard 6 - As above and mage can attack whilst staying Invisible

LoF

2 - Spell fails stamina loss is doubled 4 - Spell fails and effects mage instead but mage can attempt to resist. 6 - Spell fails and effects mage but mage cannot resist.

Spell: Stun Casting TN: VS., STL: 3 adds +1 to roll Prop: None, Type: Ranged Corruption: Invite The mage freezes the mind of the target effectively stunning them, the target can resist with a Will opposed roll. The more stamina used the stronger the effect and the longer the stun lasts. The target will stand frozen unable to move or speak for the duration of the stun.

LoS

2 - Stamina is halved 4 - Duration of stun is doubled 6 - Target dies

LoF

2 - Spell fails and stamina loss is doubled 4 - Spell fails and mage becomes stunned for the duration. 6 - Spell fails and mage is drained of mental stamina

Spell: Terrify Casting TN: VS., STL: 5 +1 per target Prop: None, Type: Ranged Corruption: Alert a The mage fills the mind of the target/s with terrifying images causing the target or targets to become scared and fearful. Targets need make a fear resistance check or flee the area.

LoS

2 - Stamina loss halved 4 - Target is at -1 to fear check 6 - Target is at -2 to fear check

LoF

2 - Spell fails stamina loss doubled 4 - Spell fails and sorcerers own mind is filled with horror, they must pass a fear check. 6 - Spell fails sorcerer tempts corruption and they are inflicted by 1 corruption point.

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Creating Spells The spells shown here are just a selection of spells that are possible for a Mage to conjure, and it has been known for mages, in particular, elven mages to create spells on the fly, based on knowledge they have learnt. Many more recent mages have started attempting this often with good results.

How to Create Spells

A player can opt to use the following rules to create spells for their mage to cast, this must be done with the agreement and help of the GM. The spell must also fall into the chosen discipline of the mage so basically Necromancers will not try to create Pyromancer spells and so forth. To create a spell the player needs to have an idea of what they wish to do before anything happens and discuss with the GM the possibility of the spell happening, this is based on the difficulty of the spell, the stamina it will cost and the effect. Other factors for creating unique spells could include nearby sources such as a

pool of blood, an open fire etc, and the environment the character is in. Any spell created by the mage can be transferred to a grimoire, scroll or item and can also be taught to others. As long as the GM agrees the spell will act as expected but will be also determined by the Levels of Success and Failure like all other spells and these should also be decided by the GM based on the complexity, power and effect of the spell being attempted. The table below shows the difficulty of a spell based on a number of effects and the stamina this would cost the mage to cast. The table will give examples of effects and the GM should feel free to change this or even increase the difficulty based on the situation. Also some spells will allow the target to oppose the spell with a Will resistance roll This is done similar to an Attribute roll. The GM should also decide whether the casting of the spell will invite or attract any corruption to the mage.

Spell Creation Table Target Number

Example Spell Effects

Stamina Loss

Easy (3)

Light a candle, boil a pot of water, heal a single wound, drain a small rodent of stamina, deflect a missile, lift a small item.

1

Average (5)

Light a bonfire, boil a barrel of water, heal a few wounds, drain an animal of stamina, create a shield, lift a table.

1-2

Difficult (6)

Set fire to a house, boil a pool of water, purge diseases, drain stamina from a person, Throw a person, create a protective layer.

2-3

Hard (7)

Burn a stone tower, boil a lake, heal a group, drain stamina from range, levitate or teleport short distances

4

Very Hard (9)

Burn a village, cast a huge fireball, resurrect the dead or regenerate a limb, create a force wall or teleport miles

5

Extreme (11)

Burn a large town, turn an army to ash, create a golem, create an undead army, push back a large force or cause a tornado

6

Near Impossible (12+)

Burn a city, boil the blood of an army, resurrect an ancient corpse, create an army of golems, instant kill a god, travel to other worlds.

7

Mages can only create spells from their own school of magic.

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A Note on Shamanism

The tribes that live in the mountains along the western edge of the Pale are known to believe in a form of shamanism, these beliefs and rituals differ from tribe to tribe from burning particular plants and breathing in the smoke or painting themselves with the ash to full on sacrifice of enemies and the consuming of hearts and other organs. This ancient tribal rituals existed even before the fall and it seems from writings that the elves allowed these practices to exist as they were of no threat or significance. There is no evidence to suggest the elves in any way tested the beliefs of shamanism or the herbs and other props they use to see if they did what the shaman claim. Since the fall created a need to understand those that would threaten the survivors existence has become more important the Black Fort has investigated claims by tribes and their shaman of their beliefs, mainly as a way to discover if it was something that firstly threatened the Last City and second if it was a discipline that had merit enough to study within the guild? What was discovered is a bit of a mixed bag, it would appear that the shaman and other members of the tribe can indeed contact ancestors and these ancestors will answer questions and offer advice, but beyond that there is no evidence that the shaman show any magical ability. What is not said within the study and has been held back by the guild is what the ancestors are and where they are communicating from, some mages believe that it could be a combination of certain herbs and a part of the participants mind acting together, but many more mages feel that these ancestral communications are in some way connected to the Blood Lords and explains why so many tribes accepted and now worship them very same Blood Lords. The guild encourages caution by all Novices and mages alike when dealing with tribals and in particular those that practice shamanism or communicate with their ancestor spirits, it may not be what it seems.

A Note on Blood Magic

The Black Fort has investigated reports by mages and others that have returned from the Pale that various cults have shown signs of using magic, though these reports are few and far between they have been frequent enough to indicate that the cults do have magical knowledge. To presume that only the mages trained in the Black Fort have access to magic is to make the same mistake that the elves did when they presumed humans could not use or even manifest magical abilities. The Black Fort are fully aware of ‘renegade mages’ that refuse to join the guild and have created enclaves in the dark places below, so a belief that some of these renegades may have entered the Pale and offered or were forced to share their talent and knowledge with servants of the Blood Lord is valid and somewhat worrying.

More on Shamanism and Blood Magic will be found in future source material.

Study by the guild has concluded that as many of these renegades have raw untrained talent what they are teaching is only what they know and may have no knowledge on how to tap into their mental wellsprings of energy. This could lead to the use of so-called Blood Magic, where the cults are gathering energy from sacrifices, cutting themselves or others and storing that energy within items rather than casting directly from an inner talent. Reports would confirm this as many cults carry symbols and items of their faith such as staffs, bells, skulls, bones and so forth. Witnesses who have seen this cultists perform magical acts and know the disciplines (i.e. Mages) have confirmed that in all cases it is Sorcery that is used or at least a version of it and as of yet no cultist seems to have grasped the use of Necromancy or Pyromancy. These would confirm that many of the Blood Lords are either elven in nature or where created by the elves. Mages and all entering the Pale are advised and indeed ordered to eradicate these practitioners of Blood Magic whenever possible, and any remains or evidence returned to the Black Fort for examination.

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7

Guidance

Further south you go the worse it gets, if the cold don’t kill ya then some other bastard will.

To take on the role of a GM in any RPG is a big step, your players will have expectations and you will be required to prepare in advance. The job of running games can be fulfilling, exciting, rewarding, and frustrating, players that disrupt or tell you where you went wrong are abundant and can break the immersion and fun for everyone else. The following guidelines are designed to help you out in preparing and running an adventure, I will also share secrets that only you will know and give you options and adventure seeds that you can use.

As a GM you will also be expected to have something prepared whether that be a short adventure or a longer campaign. With an adventure I would recommend that everything you need is in place, maps, NPCs, threats, and locations, with a campaign have at least the first couple of sessions set up and ready to go.

The important part of every RPG is for everyone to have fun, and hopefully this chapter will insure this happens at your table.

Make sure you have extra dice, pencils, and scrap paper, if you are playing virtually this step is not as important and for conventions this will be in some ways expected.

At the Table

Improvise

In recent years, the gaming table has become virtual for many people, and this has allowed many to play with others outside of their friend list. This is also the case with conventions where you will meet people from not only all over the country but sometimes the world. When playing with people that you play with regularly you will know what they will or will not enjoy, groups that play a lot of fantasy RPGs may not be to open to playing Sci-Fi and so forth. Also friends tend to be a lot more forgiving and more open to speak up as well as accepting of any mistakes. This is not often the case with virtual or convention games. Playing an RPG with people you have never met before and may never meet again means that running and playing may be more difficult, as you, and they attempt to gauge personalities. An RPG like the Black Iron has many adult themes and can be very dark, and sometimes people may not like that. I would recommend that you state before play begins that the game will have adult themes, horror themes and some situations that may offend some people. Make this clear from the start, because there is nothing more annoying than someone employing some kind of x card mechanic in order to derail the adventure half way through, your party is made up of a number of individuals not just one, if after you state the intent of the game someone throws an x card, then you warned them and they should leave the table, you should not be forced to change the adventure.

The GMs Role

As a GM you are expected to know the rules to a decent level and understand the world in which the game is based. Some rules or situations may take you

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by surprise and for this you have two options to look the ruling up or improvise (see below) you should choose whichever option you are comfortable with and you feel the group would be ok with.

Learn to wing it, to think on your feet. An understanding of the rules and experience will help with this, if something comes up that you did not expect (and it will) then be prepared to react almost instantly with a solution or ruling.

State Changes

Also make clear to the players any rules changes or optional rules you are using, this way you will bypass any confusion or disagreements later.

Be Impartial

If a character makes the wrong decision then let them deal with the consequence of that decision, if something bad happens because of dice then allow the character the opportunity to come up with a solution. Example The character attempts to jump a crevice, they have the skill to do it and make a run up, but the player rolls badly, and the jump has failed, should the character fall to their death? Probably not, have the character grab hold of the edge, or grab a branch jutting further down. The character attempts to jump a crevice and the player knows that they do not have the skill to make that jump and they fail, should they fall to their death? Yes, the player was relying on the GMs good nature to survive, maybe give the character a chance grab that branch but only if the character is important to the adventure. The Black Iron is a game of danger and survival, not a game of heroics where gods intervene to save the characters even when they are stupid.

Fudge Rolls

There has been many discussions on whether GMs should fudge rolls, basically state a roll was different than what is actually was. This is up to you and as arbiter of the world and judge then you must do what is needed to keep the players engaged and to move the fiction forward. If a roll you have made you feel will halt the game in its tracks then I say fudge, if it kills off half the party, I say reveal the roll and let the players come up with solutions.

The Pale

The world of the Black Iron is a dangerous place, it is covered in ice and snow and filled with corrupted monsters, dangerous cults, and cannibalistic tribes to name a few. As a GM you will need to manage this through encounters and obstacles.

Encounters

Though the Pale is full of dangers not all encounters lead to a fight or running for your life, some can actually be useful or lead to further adventure. As the GM you will need to plan out the encounters well and how often they will happen. Characters should not be facing threats around every corner and a certain degree of common sense should be used, for example the average bandit will be far from a lair of a beast or the temple of a cult, likewise cults will avoid other cults and also beasts.

The Black Iron is a game of survival and horror and this is best shown by making the threats that characters face rare but deadly, use sounds to create tension, have characters find indications of danger such as ravaged wildlife, large prints in the snow or blood flecks. Sounds such as a bell could indicate a cult nearby, don’t ever explain just let the players guess and use their imaginations. Below is a table of encounters that can be used when the characters are travelling the Pale, the table is split into two parts actual encounters and signs of threat, you can roll on each separately to keep the characters on the edge of their seats.

Obstacles

With most of the land under snow and ice many dangers are hidden from travellers, lakes may not be as solid as they seem, hidden roots or holes can injure horses and walkers alike. Climbing and jumping ice covered surfaces and crevasses becomes more difficult as a single slip could see you plummeting to your death. Weather can be a killer, with snow storms not only freezing you but also obscuring vision, hail stones as big as rocks can kill instantly, freezing rain and even just the damp penetrating clothing and boots can lead to frostbite and ailments that could see the lose of limbs, finger, toes and other extremities.

Encounter Table 2d6

Encounter

2d6

Signs of Threat

2

A camp-fire with a trader and his son

2

A splash of blood in the snow

3

A group of refugees hiding in a cave

3

Smoke rising in the distance

4

A wagon stuck in the snow

4

The sound of a bell on the road ahead

5

A bandit camp, with d6 bandits

5

Chanting coming from within a cave

6

A temple of a blood cult, d6 cultists

6

A dead horse and upturned wagon

7

A holy man and his apprentice walking the road

7

A discarded pack full of wares

8

An injured grey ranger

8

The sound of screams coming from nearby

9

A corpse field, ghouls feast on the remains

9

Dismembered corpse and drag marks

10

A travelling trader heading to the city

10

A still warm camp fire

11

A Scavenger seeking a nearby ruin

11

A bloodied sword stuck into the earth

12

Cannibals searching a hut

12

An arrow embedded in a sign post or tree

See Mapping the Pale for more detailed tables that can be used.

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Travel will need to be planned and shelter marked out for possible resting spots as the weather can change instantly, causing you to stray off the road, or worse. As the GM you will need to decide when weather patterns change, how much the cold will affect those without adequate clothing or gear, especially at night as temperatures drop. A snow storm can divert people from a path, it may even reveal something that was once hidden like a building or a marker of some kind.

Frostbite

For every two days of travel in the Pale the characters must make a body attribute roll vs. a difficulty that starts at 3 and goes to the next difficulty level for every extra two days spent travelling the Pale. The clothing that the characters are wearing will modify the roll as shown below. • • •

Poor Quality will modify roll by -1 Good Quality will modify roll by – 0 High Quality will modify roll by +1

Characters that find shelter and remove their clothing and dry it will start the process from the beginning, so if the characters have travelled for 6 days and then rest and dry and repair their clothing, then once they start travelling again the DN is reduced back to 3.

Example The characters have been travelling the Pale for 2 days and the GM calls for a Body Attribute Roll Vs. a DN of 3, each character is wearing good quality clothing and they each roll with successes across the board. Two days pass and the GM calls for another round of Body Attribute rolls this time against a DN of 5. If any of the characters had been wearing poor quality clothing their rolls would be with a -1 modifier. If the Body Attribute test fails, the characters will have developed frostbite and will lose 1 wound per day until it is healed. Healing frostbite will involve finding a warm and dry location and healing the infected area. If the wounds from frostbite ever reduce the wound total the infected area will need to be removed.

Hail

Being caught in a hail storm can be dangerous and characters should reach shelter as quickly as possible. For every minute (round) that the characters are in the storm they are hit by 1d6 hail stones doing 1d4 damage each on the head and shoulders, characters not wearing helmets will not get the benefit of armour.

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Snow Blindness

Whilst outside snow blindness can happen, the glare from the snow can have an actual affect on certain actions. Snow Blindness is an optional rule that a GM can use if they want, this will apply modifiers to aiming and attacking whilst in snow during the day. I would suggest modifiers of -1 or -2 to rolls. These modifiers can be cancelled out by snow goggles.

Mapping the Pale

Before the Pale there were maps but not many, maps took time and were expensive, so they were only found in the Palace of the capital and the holy city. Some sailors had basic maps of the coastline but nothing in any way detailed. Most people followed the roads, knew their local area and new where the nearest city or large town was and the direction of many of the other cities, but pointing to them on a map would have been beyond the knowledge of most. After the fall this did not improve, most of the maps that did exist were lost, the ice and snow changed the landscape and the destruction got rid of many landmarks and some locations, meaning that even those that knew their area were now not really too clear on where anything was. Attempting to create new maps would be time consuming, dangerous, and expensive, and the chance of finding a cartographer with that level of skill almost impossible. Those venturing out into the Pale are asked to make maps of their journeys, noting landmarks, length of travel times and dangers. Librarians and academics would then compile these maps to gain an overall picture of the land. This has not worked out to well as the dangers to travellers often either means they are never seen again or mapping their journey takes last place to survival and just reaching some kind of safety. The map opposite is the only known map of the Pale from before the fall of the Black Iron and this is what most journeys are based upon. You should encourage the players to map their journeys, a piece of white paper would be apt, mark out the Last City to the north, with the mountains above the city and heading down the western side, and that is all the people are currently sure of. Hex paper would be great as then each hex could be a League of travel (League = 3 Miles). Below is a location table that you can use to add major locations to the map ahead of time or in preparation of the characters travelling there.

Threat

Environment 2d6

Environment Threat

Ruin

2d6

Threat

2

Forest

Yes

No

2

Corrupted Beast

3

Frozen Lake

No

No

3

Bandits

4

Marshland

Yes

No

4

Cultists

5

Small Wood

Yes

Yes

5

Slavers Lesser Corrupted

6

Ruined Village

Yes

Yes

6

7

Old Tower

Yes

Yes

7

Ice Raider

8

Crossroads

No

Yes

8

Wraith

9

Snow Field

No

Yes

9

Lich

10

Battlefield

Yes

No

10

Greater Corrupted

11

Crater

Yes

No

11

Ash Raider

12

Ruined Town

Yes

Yes

12

Ruin Dweller

Roll once for the Environment and then based on the result of the Threat and Ruin roll on those tables. You can make three rolls, one for each column in order to mix up the results and keep the party guessing.

This table is optional and should be used also for many dangerous random encounters. Re-Roll if original rolls makes no sense.

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Ruins

Restrictions and embargoes can happen at anytime and GMs should roll a D^ to determine if the city that the characters are travelling to has currently any issues or if any conflict has broken out. Rolling a 1 on a D6 would indicate some issue.

Sometimes Vagrants and Scavengers will mark the roads to indicate that hidden supplies are near by, a good ambush spot or a location of interest is close. There are also claims from some scholars that the roads themselves hold secrets to the Dwarves, but as yet these secrets have not been found.

2D6

Ruin

2

Old Shack

3

Blacksmith Forge

4

Castle

5

Old Mine

6

Shrine

7

Roadside Tavern

8

Noble House

9

Tower

10

Village Hall

11

Temple

12

Old Fort

The Below

To the north of the Last City rise the Dragon Claw mountains they sweep from the sea in the east and join the Dragon Tail mountains to the west. The city stands in the mountains shadow and in fact the city was built from stone quarried from the mountain itself. As the city walls grew workers unearthed a great iron door. The door stood 29ft high and was elaborately carved in glyphs and images unrecognisable to the humans. What lay beyond the door no one knew and all attempts to open the door failed, for decades it was attempted by many, but the door stood firmly shut. As the Black Iron fell and those that survived fled north towards the Last City and the protection of the mountains the great door opened. Many tried to enter the city, but as more and more people arrived for refuge the city had to close its gates and those left outside cast their eye towards the now open great door. The door revealed tunnels, mines and road ways crafted by unknown hands, and beyond these stood cities carved from the very mountain itself. As the refugees poured in through the great door those in front pushed forward along the ancient roads and eventually began to populate these cities and the Below was formed.

Cities in the Dark

Unlike the Last City, the cities Below do not have a council or even a King, they are run by the families of the first people to settle the city after the fall. These families have held on to power by bribery, assassination and intimidation and are little more than dictators. As the years have passed the Guilds have had more rights and say in how the cities are run, trade and some laws, but as many of the trade guilds are as corrupt as the families, these changes often only benefit those that profit from them. Each of the families are suspicious of the other and this has erupted in skirmishes between the cities on more than one occasion, also embargoes, the barricading of roads and restrictions to the citizens of one city entering another have happened, and in fact it is often the case that a trader will be denied entry to a city on the basis that they also traded with another city which is run by a family that is currently in some kind of dispute or conflict with this cities family, it can become very petty and often deadly. Each family is constantly on the watch for anything that would reinforce their position, or give them the edge over another family and this has led to funded expeditions into the dark areas deeper below in the hope to find artefacts or knowledge that would raise a family above another in standing.

Dangers in the Dark

Many of the roads that connect the cities are patrolled and lit by lanterns, this is done under agreement of the cities and is mainly for the traders that move from the Last City above and between the cities below. These roads which are well made often have caves or smaller less well-made roads branching off into the darkness. Some of these less patrolled areas have been explored, and the caves are often used to house Vagrants that have been either denied entry to a city or banished for crimes. The dark roads will sometimes lead to dead ends and are thought of as mining tunnels as ancient tools have often been found there, but many go down deeper, lead to more doors, stairways or just the edge of vast deep holes. Those that have ventured deeper claim to hear sounds ranging from weird animal like growls and cries to strange metallic clanging, some have even claimed to have heard voices speaking in a strange language. All the families, the Black Fort and even the other Guilds have mounted expeditions into the Darkness in the hope to find wealth and knowledge, many of those

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expeditions have returned with little but some have returned with strange devices and ancient books and scrolls. All have said that the roads go much deeper and that many become well-made and broad, leading some to reason that with well-made roads could come more cities. Many horrors live down below, creatures never seen by humans anywhere in the Pale, and some tell of devious and intricate traps, metal horrors that belch hot smoke and other terrors. The Below Source Book will be coming soon from FeralGamersInc.

Mapping the Dark

Like the Pale no one has attempted to map the Below except for the Vagrants that will attempt to force their scrawls to whomever is willing to pay. The maps they offer are often just of the roads and the positions of each of the cities and any important locations in between. Maps of the tunnels and dark roads are yet to be produced and it is known that both the Guilds and the Families will pay good money to anyone producing such a map.

Creating Adventures

Creating adventures be they one shot scenarios or week long campaigns are never easy and can be harder when you are either new to RPGs or new to a setting. Read the background section, know the rules, and try to imagine the world, adventures can start with a Guild or a Family, can be an NPC who is injured or missing, or could just be curiosity. One shot adventures should be completed in one or two sessions, these are often ‘go to and fetch that’ missions or ‘go to and kill that’ missions. Campaigns build up, they have many layers, what may seem obvious often isn’t, when the characters arrive at the location maybe someone got there first, or the object/ threat/hostage/person is not there, where could they be? Below is a number of seeds that could start a short or long adventure.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

A Trader never arrives at the Last City Cult activity is found outside the Sun Spires Vagrants are being snatched from the streets/ Dark Roads An anvil must be reclaimed from a village in the Pale Travellers are being killed along the Dark Roads Strange magical markings in blood are found on the walls of the city A guild has found and is hiding a corrupted artefact The location of an elven library has been discovered Ice raiders have attacked a small village The family wish to have someone removed Strange noises are heard deep underground along with cries for help Slavers are hunting and capturing Rangers Corruption is spreading in the slums The vagrants whisper of a shadow creature haunting the dark roads.

The Feel of the World

The Black Iron is a Grim-dark Roleplaying Game, the characters live in a harsh world where most everything is trying to kill them, they are often not heroes, heroes are not needed just survivors and those willing to go to the places or do the things other people are not willing to do. Those that do not take care to know their surroundings, think they can just take anything on or do not prepare themselves well will die, it is that simple, and players need to understand that going in. Every adventure should be a challenge so when the characters are triumphant it will mean so much more and the rewards so much greater.

There will be Deaths

Characters will die, not may, will, which is why preparation and working together is so important. But what do you do when a character dies? You move on or if they have a Necromancer at hand, they can attempt to resurrect the dead character. Characters should really only die due to their actions or the actions of others not because of dice rolls, if the characters attempt something and they are perfectly capable of achieving that thing but the dice roll terribly, play it out, have them hanging from their fingertips, slowly bleeding to death, ignored by the trader or whatever the outcome but never allow a die roll to determine a characters ultimate fate.

For many death is a way of life, the world is a terrible and harsh place to live and many characters will have seen friends, family and loved ones die before their time. This realisation will eventually hit new players quickly and hopefully lead to more thought out adventures.

Guidance

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If you are confident as a GM and have a small party you could allow each player to have more than one character active, so that if one does die the other is already in the party. This would mean more work especially during combat but could fix any issues with a party becoming underpowered.

Characters should die when their player makes a stupid choice ‘my character who has just picked up a sword for the first time will take on the master swordsman’ they will die, ‘my mage is near death and exhausted but will attempt to create a huge fireball’, they will probably die along with everyone else nearby, ‘I am crippled in one leg but I will still attempt to jump the chasm’ yeah they’re dead. Everyone has limitations and understanding that is key to survival. If a character dies never allow a player to just appear with a new character, wait until they reach a town or a city and then have the new character enter, having someone just arrive from nowhere is unrealistic. If the party is less likely to survive due to the loss of a party member then maybe they will come across the new member in a ranger hut sheltering from the cold, or held captive by cultists and begs the party to free them, never allow them to just appear from nowhere.

NPCs

As GM you run the Non-Player Characters or NPCs, this includes the monsters, traders, bartenders, farmers, cultists and the guild leaders, anyone or thing that is not controlled by the player is controlled by you. How an NPC acts towards the characters should be determined by what they ultimately want, those that want nothing could be curious or indifferent, those that want trade would be more friendly and agreeable, those that want to stop or kill the party are always aggressive and cunning. Some NPCs may look down on the characters because of the NPCs social standing or power, others may revere the party for their bravery and deeds. Base your response on what the characters have done recently if they have anything of value or if they come across as scary or kind. Try to see the party from an outsider’s perspective.

NPC Attributes NPC Type

Ave Attribute

General skills Combat Skills Arcane Skills Wounds

Vagrant

+1

2d6+1

3d6+1

None

11

Trader

+1

3d6+2

2d6+1

None

11

High Ranking

+2

3d6+3

2d6+2

1d6+2

12

Commoner

+1

2d6+1

2d6+1

None

11

Militia

+2

2d6+1

3d6+3

None

13

Vagrant - Those from the slums or the Dark Roads Trader - Those that sell and create High Ranking - The administrators and Guild Master Commoner - The labourers and workers Militia - The soldiers that enforce the laws and guard the cities

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Experience

Unlike some RPGs the Black Iron does not reward characters for the amount of loot they have or for just killing things, this we feel creates a game of murder hobos when the only thing that matters is the chant of ‘kill it and search the corpse’. Instead experience is given for succeeding in tasks, completing missions, fulfilling Guild goals, and learning something new. As the GM you can hand out experience for the first-time encounters of a creature or other threat but not every time that same threat or creature is encountered. The amount of experience should reflect how well the character achieved the task etc. And this can be done in three ways. 1. Individual experience for each character. 2. Group experience that the party shares 3. Less individual experience per character and a small group experience that the group can share.

Characters should receive between 1-5 experience per session based on their performance and what was achieved.

Optional Rules

Luck/Fate Points

It is possible to create a luck or fate point mechanic that characters can use to re-roll a fail or to cancel out damage and so forth. This can be implemented very easily by stating that each character has one luck or fate point per session and once used does not return till the start of the next session.

Advantage and Disadvantage

Instead of using modifiers for certain tasks you could say that a character is at an advantage or a disadvantage, this would work by saying that the player rolls the Iron Die with the roll and adds the result to the total for an Advantage or minuses the Iron Die result from the total. This would make the game flow quicker but would be inconsistent with modifiers.

Guidance

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8

Bestiary

There are some strange stories told by those that travel the dark places, whether they can be believed or not who knows! I’ve heard that Bears the size of houses roam the snow, that people that you can see through live deep underground and horrors formed from the remains of living people scream through the night.

If even half of what I’ve heard is true you ain’t getting me out there, I’ll stay here where the ale is and all I have to worry about is a knife in my back or dying of some plague or other.

Meanwhile...

The party has approached a hut in a dead forest, they soon discover Axas Cultists have taken shelter in the hut along with a prisoner, a woman tied to a cot bleeding and unconscious. The party decide to rescue the woman and put an end to the cultist. Tornee the parties Monster Hunter managed to attract the cultists forcing one to leave the hut, but Tornee was spotted. Tornee kills one of the Cultists with a shot through the throat, but the other two cultists are hiding in the hut. GM: The Cultists are in a good position in the hut and they have a hostage, what are you planning? Fade: I will cast a Flash inside the hut, which should stun everyone inside, at which point the others should be able to go in and clean up. Borlan: Sounds good, as soon as it goes off, I will run in. Jenfa: I will as well. Tornee: I will wait outside for anyone that tries to make a run for it. GM: Ok so Fade I need a roll, the hut is around 30ft away. The Flash spell cost 1 Mental stamina plus a further 1 for every 5 ft the spell needs to travel, so altogether the spell will cost 7 Mental Stamina to cast. Fade rolls their Arcane and gets 4, 6 and 6 adding his mind this comes to 9 (6+3) which is also 2 levels of success (DN of spell is 5). This increases the spells radius to 30ft and stuns everyone inside for 3d6 rounds. Fade then rolls the Iron Die and gets a 1, oh no. Fade also rolls 3d6 for the stun and gets 10, so the cultists are stunned for 10 rounds. Borlan: I’m going in roaring a battle cry. Jenfa: I dive in as well. GM: Ok so you both burst into the hut, the cultists are blinded and waving their sword around, they will be able to hear you but are at -2 to dodge or parry. Borlan: I will attack one of them. Borlan attacks and gets 1,3 and a 4 Borlan’s Body Attribute is +3 but his weapon quality reduces this by -1 so altogether he rolls 6 (4+3-1) the cultist attempts to parry and rolls a 5 and 6 with a Body of 1 this would have parried Borlan’s attack but the -2 reduces it to 5 and Borlan strikes. Borlan’s sword does d10 +3 damage (+3 for Body ATT) he rolls a 7 which comes to 10 damage, great hit the cultist drops to the floor. Jenfa: I will throw a dagger. Jenfa’s Ranged is 3d6 and he rolls a 2.2 and a 5, with Agility 2 this makes 7, weapon quality reduces this to a 6. The cultist can’t dodge as he cannot see it coming so Jenfa hits doing 4 points of damage. GM: Ok so one cultist is down and the other has a dagger sticking out of him, Tornee roll Awareness. Tornee has a 2d6 Awareness and rolls a 3 and 4, her Instinct is 3 which gives a total result of 7. GM: You hear something coming through the trees. Fade: Oh dear this could be my fault Tornee: I will ready my bow and shout out to the others. GM: Borlan and Jenfa you both hear Tornee shout a warning

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Borlan: I will go outside and see what the problem is. Jenfa: I will stay here and untie the woman. GM: So everyone outside hears the sound and soon the air is filled with a strange smell, a mix of rot and sulphur, as the sound gets louder the smell gets stronger. Tornee: I will back up and scan the trees. Fade: I will ready a fireball. Borlan: I will use the hut as cover. GM: With a strange buzzing noise and a crash, a Greater Corrupted bursts from the trees, it has homed in on Fade as his magic attracted the Corrupted. I need everyone except Jenfa to roll courage against a fear of 8. Borlan’s Courage is 2 so he rolls 2d6 and gets a 3 and a 3, which altogether makes 5 and a fail, this Is one level of failure and Borlan backs up stunned for 1 rnd Tornee’s courage is 3 and she rolls 5 and a 6 with a total of 9 which is a success Fade has a courage of 1 and rolls a 2 and a 6 with a total of 7 this is a fail, but Fade decides to use his Iron Die and gets 6 which increases the total to 13, success. Tornee: I’m gonna shoot the abomination. She rolls her ranged and gets 2,5 and 5 her agility makes this an 8, she also has a -1 for her bow quality so a total of 7. The greater Corrupted is ponderous and slow to move so has to make an attribute test and rolls a 5 and 5, but its Agility of 0 means it fails to dodge and Tornee has hit with a level of success, Tornee goes for an extra d6 of damage. She rolls a 6, 5 and adds her Agility and gets 14 total. Fade absorbs the heat from a 10ft radius creating a 5ft diameter fireball and uses 4 Mental stamina to do 3d6 damage. Fade rolls his Arcane and with his Mind Attribute gets an 8 which is 1 level of success, the fireball is now 7ft in diameter. The fireball hits doing 12 damage. Burning, the Corrupted lashes out at Tornee the nearest target, its attack roll is a 2,4 and 6, and with its Body that is a 9, Tornee needs to beat 9 to avoid. Tornee has Acrobatics at only 2d so she rolls and gets a 2 and 4 but with her Agility of 3 this is only a 7 a fail and a 1 level of failure, Tornee stumbles and takes damage of 10 pts, her armour reduces this to an 8. Tornee has to roll for corruption resistance and beat 10, Tornee rolls a 3 and a 4, her Body is only 1 which makes 5 and a fail, Tornee states she will use her Iron Die and rolls a 5, with a sigh of relief Tornee fights off the corruption. GM: New Round Borlan: Good, I’m ready to kill this thing.

As you travel the Pale and the Dark Roads you will encounter threats, these can range from Bandits trying to survive and banished from the cities, to slavers and cultist gathering disciples and slaves for the Blood lords or monsters from Corrupted horrors to twisted beasts the result of elven experimentation and the fall of the Black Iron. What follows is a selection of threats you could encounter during your travels, there are many more horrors infesting the world both above and below and these will be discussed in later source books.

Where and What

Each threat will be marked by either an a or s to indicate if they can be found in the Pale or below in the ancient cities and dark roads. It has been known that certain threats mostly seen in the Pale have been found on the dark roads and sometimes those horrors that infest below have been spotted wandering the ice and snow, but it is rare.

Fear Ratings

Most threats have a fear rating which acts like a difficulty number. When faced with such a horror you must roll 2d6 plus your courage and beat the threats fear rating. Multiple sightings of the threat will lessen the fear rating of the threat until eventually they no longer scare you.

GM Note It is suggested that the fear rating of a threat goes down by 1 each time they are faced by the character, and also that when travelling with someone that does not fear the threat others will gain a +1 to their courage due to that person’s confidence. For more on Fear and Stress check out page 151.

Threat Abilities

Some threats will have unique abilities, and these will be described within the description. Abilities that fall under the same title may differ drastically from one another so each entry should be read carefully.

Aural Attack

The threat screams or makes a noise that can disorientate, stun or call others for aid. This will vary amongst threats and the effect will differ.

Corrosive Blood/Mucus

The threats blood/Mucus is corrosive and will eat away at metals and skin equally. When struck with a slashing or piercing weapon the weapon will take 1 Break damage, arrows will be unusable after being used against the threat. Slashing can cause splash back and when attacking this threat with a melee slashing weapon roll the Iron Die and on a roll of 1 the attacker is hit by splash back which will cause 1 wound per rnd until washed off.

Corruption

The threat is corrupted and when they successfully attack with a claw, bite, or tentacle the target must make a resistance vs. 10 check or gain 1 Corruption Point.

Natural Armour

This threat has natural armour and has no need to wear armour to protect itself.

Natural Weapons

The threat has claws, pincers, teeth, or other natural weapons and has no need in carrying a weapon.

Each sourcebook and supplement released for the Black Iron will have a mini bestiary within, adding more monsters and abilities to what is listed here.

Poisonous

The Bite of this threat is poisonous, with the potency and effect of the poison varying by threat.

Resilient

The threat is resilient, either immune to poisons, or has regenerative powers.

Transformation

The threat can change its form in order to either confuse, travel or attack, this will differ amongst threats.

NPCs

There will be a selection of NPCs at the end of the Bestiary that lists the most common people that the characters will encounter, these should be adjusted to indicate whether they are important personalities or not by the GM.

Threat Description

The following pages describe the most common threats that the characters will encounter in the Pale or the Dark Roads. There are many more.

Bestiary

201

202

Ash Nomads

They appeared as if from nowhere, formed from the very ash itself. Three of them, their grey blades held out as they moved like dancers around us, what was their intent? Fennin loosened an arrow but it seemed to pass straight through its target without any sign of injury, what unholy horrors are these.

From Dust

Many claim that the Ash Nomads that plague the southern ash plains are what is left of the people that once inhabited the towns and villages that once stood there. With skin the colour of burnt sand and faces that are featureless it is clear that these are abominations formed from magic’s. What makes the Ash Nomad truly frightening is there ability to turn into the very dust they live upon, this strange ability allows the Nomad to appear as if from nowhere and to travel through the very ash itself. This unique aspect of the physiology also acts as a form of protection as it has been stated that blades and arrows will pass through them without any obvious physical harm.

Slavery

The Ash Nomads travel the ash plains moving from city to camp, and from stronghold to market selling their wares and slaves, slaves that were once unwary travellers. Nomads will attack caravans and traders as they cross the plains, stealing their goods and enslaving anyone they feel would collect a good price on the slavers block. They will fight and kill anyone that resists and becomes to much of a threat but generally the Nomads seek to capture.

No Loyalty

It is not clear whether the Nomads are beholden to any Blood Lords, but it is presumed they are not as the Ash Plains have managed to resist their influence, though cultists and fanatics have been known to explore the plains. It is known that somewhere in the plains can be found a piece of the Black Iron and many at the Black Fort has pointed to this as the source of the nomad’s strange powers, though the location of the piece of rock is yet unknown.

The characters are approached by a member of the Mages Guild who asks if they are willing to travel south and capture one of these ash demons they have heard live amongst the dunes, he claims that these demons can turn to dust and that is when it should be imprisoned within this container, they then pass a large earthenware jug with a wooden stopper to the party, the jug has been engraved with strange Sigil’s designed to trap the demon inside and stop them from reforming.

Stat Block Attributes

Agility +4, Body +3, Instinct +3, Mind +3, Rapport +0, Will +2

Skills

Acrobatics: 4d, Melee: 4d, Stealth: 5d, Awareness: 3d, Hunting: 3d, Survival: 4d

Fear Rating

Ash Nomads have a Fear Rating of 6

Abilities

Transformation - Ash Nomads can transform into dust

at will, this allows them to travel through the dust plains undetected. Whilst in dust form they cannot be injured, cannot attack and travel at twice normal speed.

Derived Stats

Wounds: 13. Initiative: +3, Toughness: +3

Armour

Armour: A collection of leather, cloth and metal armour which seems to be part of the Ash Nomad. AP 3

Type

Weapons Damage

Range

Sword

1d8s +3

-

Dagger

1d4s +3

6ft

Spear

1d6p +3

15ft

Adventure Seeds

The most likely place the characters will encounter the Ash Nomads is when they travel the Ash Lands to the city of Antria. As they walk across the grey dunes, the City of Gems in the distance, they are suddenly surrounded by faceless humans that erupt from the dust around them. The nomads surround their prey, moving in formation, almost dance like, wielding ancient weapons. The characters may have been travelling to Antria, but they presumably would prefer to get their as free folk and not victims for the slave markets or the fighting pits that now fill the city.

Bestiary

203

204

Bandits and Villains

We saw the cart first, turned over on its side, the horses dead their bodies riddled with arrows. As we drew closer a man appeared, he had not seen us as he bent down and drew his dagger and commenced to cut of the finger of the corpse on the ground. We then knew the cart and its driver was a victim of bandits, scum that prey on the weak to fill their own bellies.

The Unwanted

Bandits can also be encountered in the poorer parts of the Last City or any of the cities below, often if there is a character in the party who is part of the Thieves Guild this may prevent bandits attacking, but not all bandits are in the guild. Bandits can also be hired, sent out to harass or attack the party by persons unknown, or someone that has a vested interest in stopping the characters achieving their goals.

As the refugees flooded into the city to escape the turmoil it quickly became clear that the walls would not contain everyone and soon the gates were closed, many fled underground to find refuge there but what most found where ancient strongholds ruled by criminals and opportunists and those that could not pay or trade for a place within these ruins were denied access.

The deeper you enter the Pale the more corrupted the bandit gangs will become; no bandit settlements will exist beyond a certain point and likewise below many bandits will stay close to the roads. This means that the further the party travels motives will change, bandits will be more aggressive, sometimes they will be slavers and will attempt to capture rather than kill, and their attacks may include a corruption element.

Many of these unwanted found a home in the refugee camp outside the city walls, gaining employment in the farms that quickly sprung up, others returned to the Pale in the hope to find their homes intact, this was not the case.

Stat Block Attributes

Desperation, anger and just pure greed and evil intent led many to become bandits, and villains. Most bandits close to the Sun Spires or to the patrolled roads of the below only steal and rarely kill, others with hatred will kill and steal, sometimes taking it one step further and selling their victims to the fighting pits or as food for the cannibal cults.

Agility +2, Body +2, Instinct +1, Mind +0, Rapport +1, Will +1

Civilisation Anew

Packs - Bandits tend to travel in packs of up to 5 individuals and will have ways to communicate quietly, animal noises etc.

The Grey Rangers have reported that large permanent camps are appearing in the Pale, groups of rejected rebuilding the towns and villages, these places are home to organised groups of bandits or as many now refer to them liberators or providers. These camps and new villages have opened their gates to anyone that would wish to join them and some have heed the call, an option of life on the city streets with an empty belly or life in the Pale with three meals a day has tempted many to take up the call of banditry.

Adventure Seeds

Bandits can be encountered anywhere and often via an ambush. The characters could be following a trade road through the pale when they come to a road block placed by Bandits. They could be travelling the dark roads and bandits appear from the shadows. The bandits encountered do not always have to be killers they may outnumber the characters and just demand their supplies or a ‘tax’, some bandits will just attack, no discussion, no demands they just attack and take.

Skills

Acrobatics: 2d, Melee: 3d, Stealth: 3d, Awareness: 2d, Hunting: 3d, Survival: 3d, Ranged: 3d

Abilities

Derived Stats

Wounds: 12. Initiative: +2, Toughness: +2

Armour

Armour: Mainly animal hides and leather. AP 2 Type Sword

Weapons Damage

Range

1d8s+2

-

Dagger

1d4s+2

4ft

Spear

1d6p+2

10ft

Bow

1d6p+2

50yds

Bestiary

205

206

Beasts

Our Hunter stopped and went silent, holding up a hand for us to be quiet. I strained my ears but heard nothing, seconds passed and then I heard it, a slight noise, a snuffling, then a scratching against wood. As I listened I heard the sharp crack of a branch, it echoed through the dead trees and almost instantly our Hunter was running, we followed, what were we running from, I could hear it crashing through the trees behind me, heard the panting growls, I thought I was dead. Up ahead was a hut, the Hunter held the door wide yelling for us to hurry, as the last one burst into the hut the door was slammed and the Hunter told us to be silent once more, how long we sat there listening I do not know, but soon the darkness descended and we slept. That was my first encounter with a Blight Bear.

Description

Many of the wildlife died off after the fall, unable to survive the harsh cold and corruption, but some survived and adapted. Predators such as Wolves, Bears and Wild Cats managed to survive by feeding off the remains of the species that perished and continue to hunt smaller creatures like Rabbits and Birds. In a similar way to bandits the beasts become more corrupted the deeper you get into the Pale, this is not to say that the Wolves and Bears that hunt near the Sun Spires are not dangerous just that if you get bitten by one it will hurt but it will not spread corruption. Closer to the cities it is common to see Wolves especially and sometime even Wildcats close to farms or in the mountains hunting and in recent years as food has become more scarce encounters with Wolves have risen. In the below it is rare to encounter any of these animals as they tend not to do well in the confines of the tunnels and against the many vagrant camps.

Adventure Seed

Encountering Bears and Wolves will happen often, closer to the city they will be hungry, and this may make them more aggressive. Bears tend to be loners but are dangerous and wolves will travel in packs. Most of the predators will be more prevalent at night but a good fire should keep them at bay unless they are really desperate.

Stat Block Attributes

Bear Agility +2, Body +5, Instinct +3, Mind +0, Rapport +0, Will +1 Wolf Agility +4, Body +2, Instinct +3, Mind +1, Rapport +0 Will +1

Skills

Bear Athletics: 3d, Melee: 4d, Stealth: 2d, Awareness: 2d, Hunting: 3d, Survival: 4d Wolf Athletics: 3d, Melee: 3d, Stealth: 4d, Awareness: 3d, Hunting: 4d, Survival: 4d

Fear Rating

Beasts have a Fear Rating of 7

Abilities

Corrupted: Can transfer corruption to target Natural Armour: Thick skin and fur adds towards Toughness and armour. Natural Weapons: Will use Claws and Bite

Derived Stats

Bear Wounds: 15. Initiative: +3, Toughness: +6 Wolf Wounds: 12. Initiative: +3, Toughness: +3

Armour

Armour: Both have Natural Armour of AP2

Type

Weapons Damage

Range

Bear Claws

1d8s +5 x 2

-

Wolf Claws

1d6s +2 x 2

-

Bear Bite

1d6p +5

-

Wolf Bite

1d4p +2

-

The deeper into the Pale the more corrupted the beasts will become, and these are true Blight Beasts, corrupted and mutated versions of Bears and Wolves, driven insane by the corruption which has made them fearless and more aggressive. The characters would encounter these in wooded areas or close to the few pockets of civilisation that still exists. Finding a cave which could be shelter for the night may be the home to a Bear. Camping at night may entice wolves especially if you are cooking a recent hunt.

Bestiary

207

208

Blood Lord Knight

As we watched the group of fanatics spread out across the road digging with their hands in the snow and ice, their skin was almost blue from the cold, but they did not seem to even notice. Behind then stood a huge figure, covered in scars, a dead look in its eyes, this was a fabled Knight of the Blood Lords, said to be created with dark blood magic. The knight snarled at the fanatics, whipped and kicked them to work faster, whatever it was they were digging for I will ever know cause as I we watched the knight seemed to turn its baleful gaze towards where we were hiding, at which point we ran as fast as the ice would let us, we ran for how long I cannot say, but my skin still itches just remembering that gaze.

Unto Death

It is said that the Sorcerer’s of the Blood Lords have an endless supply of body parts taken from the arena’s and these are used to create golems of flesh and corruption. These golems become the Knights and commanders of the fanatic hordes. It is said that these Knights are the ears and eyes of the Lords and that when a Knight speaks, he speaks with the tongue of his master.

Rare and Deadly

Knights are rare, they stay close, within a 10-mile radius, to the cities of the Pale, the reason for this is the connection they share with their Lord. They will send out orders to their fanatics and sometimes travel with them to command order but often they are rarely seen. Knights are deadly, retaining the memories of the warriors they were created from they can be brutal opponents, hard to kill and lacking any fear. They are often armoured, and sometimes this is with the armour of the human knights that led the armies against the elves.

If a Blood Lord is watching they will summon other Knights to confront the characters.

Stat Block Attributes

Agility +3, Body +3, Instinct +2, Mind +1, Rapport +0, Will +2

Skills

Acrobatics: 2d, Melee: 4d, Stealth: 2d, Awareness: 2d, Hunting: 2d, Survival: 4d

Fear Rating

Knights have a Fear Rating of 7

Abilities

Resilient: Knights are immune to poison. Undead: Do not feel pain and ignore most injuries, this gives

them increased Toughness and can only be killed with fire or beheading.

Derived Stats

Wounds: 13. Initiative: +2, Toughness: +5

Armour

Armour: Chain AP 5 or Plate armour AP10 Type

Weapons Damage

Range

Sword

1d10s +3

-

Dagger

1d6s +3

6ft

Adventure Seed

As the characters get close to cities the chance of encountering a Knight will increase. They are always leading a group of Fanatics and will allow them to attack first only getting involved at the end where they will wade in and kill fanatic and enemy both. Facing a Knight should be a major encounter, they are brutal and will not stop until the target or they are dead, they will call for reinforcements which will mean another group of fanatics will appear. If the knight is within 10 miles of a city, they will also have a direct link to the Blood Lord who may react or suddenly pay an interest in the characters, which may be something they do not want. It is rare to face two knights and this would only happen if the characters are unlucky enough to meet at a crossroads with two fanatic groups, or if one knight falls they will sometimes, like wasps, send out a signal to warn and call upon other knights.

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210

Cultists

It was the bells, the strange smell of a pungent incense on the air that alerted us that a cult was drawing near. We quickly moved to the side of the road and hid behind the fallen trees and debris of what I presumed had once been an inn. The bells got louder and soon we saw them, two walked in front ringing bells and dancing in some kind of trance, their lips forever speaking the name of their Blood Lord. Behind these came a larger figure, I would say man but it was more beats than man, it dragged behind it a cart filled with bodies, the stench of the rot from these corpses eclipsed by the incense that burnt in the holders that were being swung by the final two cultists that followed behind.

these are scattered all over the Pale which characters can stumble upon, what adds confusion is that other cults not aligned to the Blood Lords also exists within the Pale and the characters will have to decide which one they have just encountered as on the surface they are often similar. Characters will often hear a cult before they encounter them, or they will find totems and symbols of the cult scattered around, these should be used as a warning that they are about to face something very dangerous.

Stat Block

Worshippers and Lunatics

After the fall, many cults appeared, at first, they worshipped the dead gods or the Black Iron, some even prayed for the elves return, misguided and lost fools desperate for another to solve their problems or give them purpose. These cults grew and were quickly subverted to the worship of the Blood Lords, whether they were offered a boon or they were lied to and convinced that what they seek could be found in praise of the Lords, who knows. Since these early days, most cults are now just vessels to spread the corruption and lies of the Blood Lords. I say most as there are still cults that pray to the dead gods or the Black Iron, but these are rare and hard to find. The cultists walk the pale offering salvation to those they meet, promising lies to the small settlements that still exist. Those they can not convert they destroy and curse.

Temples of Blood

Many cults have made their homes in the calcified bones of the dead giants, or in the old temples of the elves. They often offer these as places of sanctuary and healing in order to entice those in need, this always ends badly for those enticed. These temples are controlled by priests and these are best avoided as they have been blessed with sorceries by their Lords and are able to wield blood magic, their cultist brethren are all too willing to sacrifice and bleed to power their priests magic, plan your strategies before attempting the destruction of such a temple.

Attributes

Agility +1, Body +1, Instinct +2, Mind +2, Rapport +1, Will +2

Skills

Acrobatics: 2d, Melee: 2d, Stealth: 3d, Awareness: 3d, Hunting: 2d, Survival: 3d, Arcane: 3d, Lore: 3d

Abilities

None

Derived Stats

Wounds: 11. Initiative: +1, Toughness: +1, Stamina: 12

Armour

Armour: A collection of leather, hide and cloth AP2 Type

Weapons Damage

Range

Sword

1d8s +3

-

Dagger

1d4s +3

6ft

Spear

1d6p +3

15ft

Magic Sorcery: Some Cultists will have access to sorcery spells of various types. This should only be available to 1 out of every 10 Cultists

Adventure Seed

Cults can appear in many different guises, from places of sanctuary where they offer healing, safety, and food, to places of ritual and sacrifice, where your blood will power their priest. All cults have only one purpose and that is to guide you to the Blood Lord and to accept corruption. Cults adopt old temples ruins and the bones of dead giants and

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212

Fanatics

We were being hunted, at first none of us had sensed it but as we travelled further south the air seemed to change, became oppressive, almost marsh like, even though we were surrounded by snow and it was bitterly cold. The night was drawing in and good sense told us to rest, build a fire, eat, because with night comes the real cold, the ice. But as we stopped to contemplate this it was clear that none of use wanted to stop, it was then we knew, we were being hunted. No words were spoken but we all scanned the ruins and frozen trees around us, each gave a pleading look to the others to keep moving, escape this place, find somewhere we could defend, then the howling began.

most dangerous, cannibals, mutilators, debaucher’s, and rapists, they are the lowest humanity can stoop. Often dressed in the skins of victims, their genitals exposed and often disfigured to appear engorged and weeping, the fanatics are insanity personified and should be destroyed whenever encountered.

Blood Hunters and Slavers

Xertin – The Pallid are a dangerous force to face, often Tribals that have fell under the sway of the Blood Lord they are further twisted by dark magic’s to become faster and stronger than normal humans. They cover their skin in white pigments or ash to make them appear pale like their master and will mutilate themselves with bone and iron hooks. Those they capture are brought back to the city to either feed the population or be thrown into the arena.

Every Blood Lord has their army, and these are made up of the fanatics, hordes of slavering, insane killers that will throw themselves into flames in reverence to their master. Berserker’s and corrupted they pour across the pale in bands, hunting, killing, and enslaving depending on the desires of their lords. Each band of Fanatics are led by a Knight, these will occasionally travel with the band but will never stray to far from their Lords throne, but instead will unleash the band with instructions. The fanatics are fodder, abused and used by both the Knights and the Priests, goaded, murdered, sacrificed, and unleashed all in the name of the blood lords.

Colours of Hate

Fanatics try to emulate their lords, and this can be seen in how they appear, you can tell which Blood Lord the fanatics belong by their scars, mutilations, and clothing.

Axas – The Fanatics of Axas graft slivers of metal onto their

Nicran – The Blood Lords commands no fanatics but does

control those that have arisen from death in the marsh he calls home, the Liches, Wraiths and undead that defend their home from invaders. They like their Blood Lord never leave the marsh and are content to feed on whatever washes through.

Stat Block Attributes

Agility +3, Body +3, Instinct +2, Mind +0, Rapport +0, Will +0

Skills

Acrobatics: 3d, Melee: 4d, Stealth: 3d, Awareness: 2d, Hunting: 3d, Survival: 4d, Ranged: 3d

Abilities

fingers, carve the symbols of the lord onto their skin and shave their heads, they keep trophies. The more blessed of the fanatics carry strange globes that have a miasma of corruption emanating from it and can be used to strike down their enemies.

None

Barston – The Reavers or the Blood Lord are found amongst

Armour: A collection of leather, cloth and hide armour. AP

the wrecks of ships and upon the shackle islands. Sometimes they leave the ice for the Pale, but this is rare. The Reavers mutilate themselves and replace their limbs with large crab claws fashioned from bone and iron, they stink of fish and rot. Life on the ice is harsh and many Reavers are cannibals.

Kial – The followers of this blood lord have all been victims to

the torture and mutilation of the his knives, many are corrupted, unrecognisable fusions of beast and human, and it is said that many of the corrupted were once followers of Kial, victims of a chirurgeon that enjoyed his role too much.

Derived Stats

Wounds: 13. Initiative: +3, Toughness: +3

Armour

2

Type

Weapons Damage

Range

Sword

1d8s +3

-

Dagger

1d4s +3

6ft

Spear

1d6p +3

15ft

Bow

1d6p+3

50yds

Laidon – The depraved fanatics of the lord of perversion are

the most insane of all the followers and are seen by some as the

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214

Greater & Lesser Abominations

Product of Experimentation

Of all the horrors created by the elves, the corrupted were the worst, not just because they are deadly, horrifying to look upon or the sounds they make, but because of the knowledge that this thing used to be a person, or persons. When the elves fled their experiments ended also, no longer were people going to be rounded up to be cut up, stitched together or changed by magic, this would be the end of the atrocities, and much more immediate threats were encroaching upon those that had survived the war. Now almost a decade later with life returning to normal as best it can the Blood Lords arrive to continue where the elves left off. More travellers and Rangers are reporting sightings of corrupted, more twisted, and viler then anything the elves ever created, and everyday these sightings get closer and closer to the Last City.

The Shape of Horror

The abominations come in all shapes and sizes and are generally broken down into two types, the Lesser and Greater. The Lesser are smaller less developed of the two, though still deadly they tend to be easier to kill, and fewer enhancements and can look more human. The Greater are always larger, are fully developed and have much more abilities. The Greater are tougher and are much more aggressive. Abominations are created by Chirurgeons with most being formed by Kial, a Blood Lord, it is known that the Blood Lords fanatics will hunt the areas around the lord’s cities looking for victims to bring to the operating table. Due to this created aspect, abominationss vary, with no two looking the same or even having the same abilities, this can make them extremely unpredictable and dangerous. Abominations are loners they are rarely seen in groups or pairs; they are either sent out to do a specific task or discarded by the creator to just roam around freely and survive. Whatever mind their once was in the individuals that were fused together to create an abomination has long since disappeared into madness, but some have claimed that finding the face of a loved one peering out from the mass of an abomination they have witnessed a spark of recognition, but this is just considered wishful thinking.

GM Note The Corrupted can appear in any form and with a number of unique abilities, no two corrupted is the same. If the party does encounter a corrupted then decide whether it is Greater or Lesser and then roll on the table below to determine unique features.

Abomination Abilities Table

2d6

Ability

2

Corrosive Saliva - +3 damage from bites

3

Sense Heat - Can sense body heat +2 Awareness

4

No Pain - Feels no pain cannot be stunned

5

Corrosive Blood - Will dissolve metal weapons

6

Sense Vibrations - Can sense movement +2 Awareness

7

Bone Weapons - Limbs are dagger sharp

8

Shape Change - Can change shape to fit environment

9

Venom Spitter - Can spit Venom 30ft (d8 damage)

10

Resilient - Has +2 Toughness and +2 Wounds

11

Regenerate - Will regenerate 1 wound per rnd

12

Aural Attack - Will scream (2d+2) causing stun for d6 rounds

Lesser Abominations roll 3 times, Greater Abominations roll 5 times Re-roll duplicates or increase abilities stats

Stat Block Attributes

Greater Abomination Agility +2, Body +5, Instinct +4, Mind +0, Rapport +0, Will +1 Lesser Abomination Agility +3, Body +3, Instinct +4, Mind +0, Rapport +0, Will +1

Skills

Athletics: 2d, Melee: 3d, Stealth: 1d, Awareness: 2d, Hunting: 3d, Survival: 4d

Fear Rating

Greater Abominations have a Fear Rating of 10, Lesser Abominations have a Fear Rating of 9

Abilities

Corrupted, See Table Above

Derived Stats

Wounds: 13. Initiative: +3, Toughness: +3

Natural: AP 3 Type d6 Bone Limbs

Armour Weapons Damage

Range

1d8s +5

-

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Lich

It rose from the marsh, rotted vegetation and slime hanging from its limbs, it seemed to stand there for a short time almost like it was gathering its bearings and then others rose up alongside it. As one they shambled through the marsh, with one purpose, one mind. If a noise attracted one it attracted them all, as one moved, they all moved. We watched as they shuffled past their corpse stench washing over us, but we did not move, we could not, if just one of these living dead heard us we would have to deal with all of them, and something told us these things were relentless, unforgiving and hungry.

Relentless Dead

As the battle against the elves raged it left a road of dead behind it, many of these rotted into the earth some ended up in the rivers and streams, cast there to pollute the water of villages and towns or just to stop wild animals from seeking out the carcasses. Those undead that ended up in the many rivers that once flowed washed up in what would eventually become the great marsh that separates the Pale from the Ash lands and is now the domain of the Blood Lord Nicran. When the Black iron fell it sent a wave of arcane magic that corrupted everything it touched, the following quakes and eruptions finished what the war had begun and turned the world to ice. With this new world came the Blood Lords and their domains, and with Nicran came the undead. As the marsh expanded so did the undead that populated it, fuelled by ancient magic the corpses of the armies that marched against the elves marched again. At first, they roamed the Pale seeking blood to feed upon until Nicran reigned them in and took control, now they roam the marsh and its banks seeking out travellers and the unlucky.

have no real martial skill and these are the most common. The bite of a Lich is infected and will cause corruption or at the least some kind of disease, their claws are long and sharp, and they feel no pain. The only way to kill a Lich is to remove the head or burn.

Stat Block Attributes

Agility +2, Body +3, Instinct +2, Mind +0, Rapport +0, Will +1

Skills

Athletics: 2d, Melee: 3d, Stealth: 2d, Awareness: 2d, Hunting: 3d, Survival: 2d

Fear Rating

Liches have a Fear Rating of 7

Abilities

Corruption, Resilient: Immune to Poisons,

Derived Stats

Wounds: 13. Initiative: +2, Toughness: +3

Armour

Armour: A collection of leather, cloth and metal armour AP 3 Type Sword Claws x 2

Weapons Damage 1d8s +3 1d4s +3

Range -

This has made the Ash Lands harder to reach as to do so involves a journey through the marsh of up to three days. There are ruins of towns and villages that still stand on the banks and shallow parts, which lay unexplored but deadly and many have said that they can be used as shelter, but only if the dead are not aware of your presence.

Rotted and Armed

It is said that some of the Liches seem to retain the knowledge they had in life, at least the last few days of life and as most were part of the armies that fought in that final war, these Liches have been known to still use weapons and even still wear the armour they died in. Many Liches are farmers or townsfolk who got caught up in the fighting and

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Marsh Wraith

At first, we thought it was a pile of detritus, of old rags and bones washed up and caught on a branch or lodged in the bank. As we drew near the smell was of ammonia and rot, damp, and vinegar, we decided to avoid it for the stench alone it was then we heard the sound, a low keening, that rose to a scream, we became disorientated as this pile of waste suddenly move and became a terror beyond words, a living thing of bones and jellied flesh, white and glistening pus like. The whole pile was the Wraith, and it began to move, almost drifting towards us on the foetid water of the marsh. Tiny frail bone-like arms, dozens of them reached out, its talon like hands grasping at the air, but we were stunned we could not move, and it was getting closer…

Living Marsh

Appearing as a pile of leaves and mud on the banks or islands of the marsh the Marsh Wraith is a deadly killer that will attempt to grab anyone that wanders to close. They are known to scream loudly to disorientate their prey and this is also known to summon Liches who have learnt that a Wraith scream often leads to food. The Wraith can drift on the surface of the marsh and has control in where that drifting takes them, though it was once believed they had no control, this has since been disproved. This ability to drift can allow them to get close to their victims who will often overlook a pile of leaves and mud or will not even notice the slow movement towards them.

218

Against multiple foes they will always scream to give them the edge and allow them to grab at least one victim, Wraiths are surprisingly strong and once grabbed they drag the person into their body of mud and moss and slowly devour them adding the bones, hair and clothing to its structure.

It is believed that a Wraith begins as a single corpse like a Lich that gets caught up in the vegetation of the marsh and gets stuck, unable to move just collect anything that floats by, corpses, sticks and other detritus, until eventually they become a Wraith

A Thousand Corpses

Marsh Wraiths are loners and can grow to immense sizes as they digest and expand with new victims, what may start as a small pile of flotsam against the bank of the marsh may, years down the line become and island of bone and other remains covered in moss and marsh grass.

Stat Block Attributes

Agility +2, Body +4, Instinct +3, Mind +0, Rapport +0, Will +1

Skills

Athletics: 0d, Melee: 3d, Stealth: 5d, Awareness: 2d, Hunting: 1d, Survival: 4d

Fear Rating

Marsh Wraiths have a Fear Rating of 7

Abilities

Corruption, Aural Attack (3d +2) causes stun for d6 rounds, Natural Weapons

Derived Stats

Wounds: 14. Initiative: +3, Toughness: +4

Armour

Armour: A mass of debris which has accumulated over years makes them well protected with an AP 6 Type Aural Attack Claws x 2

Weapons Damage D6 Stun D4s +4

Range 100ft -

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220

Pale Ones

We had hit another road, the torches seemed to flare into life whenever we reached one of these main routes almost as if some magic made everything brighter. The road was as well made as you would expect from its ancient dwarven architects and we all knew that it would lead somewhere, hopefully not just another road that led to a cave in or one of them doors with no way to open. We picked up the pace, and even spent time studying some of the statues and carvings that lined the walls, its strange how the brighter the light the more confidence it creates. Up ahead was another tunnel that disappeared into the darkness, we had long since stopped exploring these as they either led to dead ends, labyrinth’s, or large caves, and we had neither the time nor the provisions to explore every dark hole. As we drew near one of us heard what they described as breathing, we stopped and looked and what peered back was pale, multi-limbed and disfigured, it stank of corruption and age. It moved backwards into the darkness and was gone, we hurried on and for the rest of the journey through those dark roads felt we were being watched.

Born in Darkness

The deeper you go the stranger things become and the more surreal the carvings and devices are. Those narrow twisting tunnels dug out by the ancient dwarves are now home to bizarre monsters that have been born to the darkness, whether they existed before the pale no ones knows.

Stat Block Attributes

Agility +3, Body +5, Instinct +3, Mind +1, Rapport +0, Will +0

Skills

Athletics: 4d, Melee: 4d, Stealth: 3d, Awareness: 3d, Hunting: 3d, Survival: 4d

Fear Rating

Pale Ones have a Fear Rating of 7

Abilities

Natural Armour, Natural Weapons, Corrupted, Huge grows as tall as 10ft, Multi-limbed has four arms, Dark Vision.

Derived Stats

Wounds: 15. Initiative: +3, Toughness: +5

Armour

Armour: Natural with an AP 3 Type Claws x 4

Weapons Damage 1d6s +5

Range -

Are they what remains of the dwarves, did the elves experiment before reaching the surface or did the blood of the ancient giants create more than just the elves? Of all the weirdness that exists below the most dangerous and unusual are the Pale ones, large hulking, multi-limbed ogres, hairless and as pale as snow. It is known to tear its own skin off as a way to allow it to grow larger and then its flesh hardens and becomes the new skin of the creature, this is why many sightings have shown the Pale Ones to have gashes or cuts. A Pale One will not actively attack a party but will follow and watch, waiting for an opportunity to snatch a character that falls behind, or is injured. They are solitary creatures and so facing a party is often a bad idea, though they will fight if cornered. Pale Ones will eat what they catch whether that be rodents or characters and they do not negotiate or communicate in anyway, as of, yet no one has heard a Pale One make any kind of sound accept for a deep breathing growl.

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222

Rot Golems

It was the stench that hit us first, it was overpowering, then as we got closer, we heard the wheezing, we had found what we had been seeking. Two days ago a Ranger had been killed, the hut they had been staying in smashed to tinder, and only large tracks and blood smears were left heading into the forest. Our Hunter, a Guild member of the Grey Rangers and had been tasked to find the missing Ranger. Though we all knew there was no chance our hunter had to believe that the Ranger could have survived, she had to find out and we agreed, she was on point for this one, we would take her lead. Now after two days of trekking through the snow we had found the beast. It stood maybe 15 feet and was almost as broad, the stench washed of it in waves, there was no sign of the Ranger, but either way the monster had to die.

Adventure Seed

Rot Golems can appear anywhere but thankfully due to their size can be heard, smelt, and seen coming more often or not. The first signs that a Rot Golem is in the area should be destruction, buildings, trees etc should all appear as if a rock just rolled through. Tracking the Rot Golem is simple and the Last City as well as a few of the Cities Below have placed bounties on proof of kill. Rumour has it that the elves had a way to control Rot Golems and if this could be found it would save a lot of time and maybe even create a new force to protect against the Blood Lords, though many feel that using corrupted monsters to fight corrupted monsters is just asking for a disaster to happen.

Created from Dirt

Originally created by the dwarves and then corrupted by the elves the golems are monsters of pure magic. Once linked to their creators they are now abandoned and insane, roaming the Pale and the dark roads destroying and repeating their orders given centuries before. The dwarves created many wonders and some of these were the various golems they designed for specific roles, Iron Golems to protect the great dwarven houses, Stone Golems to mine the tunnels and carry the loose rock away and the Earth Golems to destroy the monsters sometimes discovered in the darkness, it is these Earth Golems that become the Rot Golems. Many Earth Golems were sent ahead to clean out tunnels and caves, making the areas safe for mining or habitation and this is where the elves trapped and corrupted them, turning them back against their creators, driving the golem mad as it went against its purpose. Once the golem had acted out its purpose the elves would ignore it and allow it to wander, killing indiscriminately and destroying anything in its path. Many dwarves died not realising that the Golems were now an enemy.

Released upon the Surface

When the elves eventually entered the world above then sent the golems out first to destroy any threat or opposition, and once again were left to just wander off in this new confused world. Most were killed and those that managed to avoid the hunters eventually died off. The elves experimented with building golems and the Earth Golems were their best success, fuelled by corruption they would be used to destroy resistance or ‘criminal’ groups that the elves wanted disposed of.

Stat Block Attributes

Agility +2, Body +5, Instinct +2, Mind +1, Rapport +0, Will +1

Skills

Athletics: 1d, Melee: 3d, Stealth: 3d, Awareness: 3d, Hunting: 2d, Survival: 4d

Fear Rating

Rot Golems have a Fear Rating of 6

Abilities

Corrupted, Natural Weapons and Armour, Resilient will regenerate 1 wound per rnd.

Derived Stats

Wounds: 15. Initiative: +2, Toughness: +5

Armour

Armour: Combination Natural and worn with an AP 5 Type

Weapons Damage

Range

1d8s +5

-

Club

1d10b +5

-

Stomp

1d8b +5

-

Claws x 2

After the fall many survived but once again without purpose or a master and these ended up wandering the Pale completing their purpose on auto pilot until instructed otherwise.

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224

Ruin Dwellers

We pushed through the trees and came to an old ruin; we would not have spotted this place from the path which goes to show it pays to explore. Our Scavenger had a ‘good feeling’ about this ruin and she quickly moved into what she described as the main hall. The whole area was open to the elements and most of the wooden walls and furniture had rotted over the years and snow cover. The west end was still covered by a part of the roof and we could see the remains of a tapestry, our scavenger said that this had been a temple of sorts, and that the tapestry would have shown some god or other, this was a good place to find precious metals she claimed as she began to make her way towards the tapestry. Suddenly she stopped, held her hand up to stop us and indicate silence. Then we heard it, a strange snuffling, gnawing noise. From behind a low wooden wall appeared a being, covered in rot and fungus, stinking of corruption, this was a Ruin Dweller, a rare and dangerous creature to behold.

Trapped by Time

It is said that Ruin Dwellers were once people and that they inhabit the ruins which were most important to them when they still had some kind of humanity, whether that is true or not, no one has ever discovered, but it is a fact they tend to find certain locations important and will defend them to death. The Black Fort on studies of Ruin Dwellers have discovered that time moves differently for them, which is why they are so fast and that this displacement of time is due to interaction with a piece of the Black Iron, how this is possible no one can say, but it would explain the rarity of the monsters.

Monsters in Name Only

situation. Dwellers will protect their homes to the death and the party should quickly realise that, and the creatures speed and aggression should make it clear that it will not be an easy fight.

Stat Block Attributes

Agility +5, Body +2, Instinct +3, Mind +2, Rapport +0, Will +2

Skills

Acrobatics: 4d, Melee: 3d, Stealth: 5d, Awareness: 3d, Hunting: 3d, Survival: 3d

Fear Rating

Ruin Dwellers have a Fear Rating of 6

Abilities

Corrupted, Natural Armour, Natural Weapons, Poisonous from Spores, Dark Vision.

Derived Stats

Wounds: 12. Initiative: +3, Toughness: +2

Armour

Armour: Fungus and wood like protrusions act as armour giving the Ruin Dweller an AP 3

Type Claws x 2 Spore Pods d6

Weapons Damage

Range

1d6s +2

-

Pot 8

10ft

Ruin Dwellers are not aggressive, in other words they do not actively seek out conflict and it seems that they are only violent when protecting their homes, those that have come across one of these creatures have found that if they back away slowly and create distance the Ruin Dweller will ignore them. The option most people take when facing a Dweller is often aggressive and that is when they often regret that decision, what appears to be a fungal encrusted and skeletal figure suddenly becomes extremely fast and dangerous very quickly, striking with bone like claws, spores that burst forth from the pods that form from the creatures body and the ability to jump and dodge at terrific speed makes the Ruin Dweller a threat worth avoiding.

Adventure Seed

Any ruin can be home to a Dweller and often the party may stumble upon one without knowing. At this point what is left is what knowledge the characters have of these monsters and how they will use that knowledge to best deal with the

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226

Shrike

The light from the our torches seemed never to light more than a few feet around us and this alone made travel through the tunnels more dangerous, if we were to be ambushed we would not know before it was too late to react, it made everything much more tense than it should have been for just a well-armed and well trained group. I heard a hiss and stopped, our Hunter had moved ahead, and the hiss indicated we needed to slow down and be quiet. We had reached a rather damp part of the tunnel and I was up to my knee’s in stagnant, stinking water. Wading on I practically bumped into the Hunter who gave me an annoyed stare and then pointed. Up ahead was what at first glance seemed to be a glowing skeleton until it shifted, whatever the thing was its skin glowed and was translucent, probably from living underground for so long. Its arms ended it sharp blades and its feet were tendrils that waved and probed the ground, in fact these tendrils grew from the things back and face, stroking the rock around it, leaving slight luminescent trails like that of a slug, it was truly horrific.

Bones that Glow

Shrikes will shy away from light, hiding in the dark places until the light goes out and then striking from the shadows either as ambushes or stealth attacks. They are not effected by magical light and seem not to even notice this form of illumination.

Adventure Seed

Anywhere there is darkness there could be a Shrike, the deeper the party goes the more likely they will come across Shrike. Shrike will set ambushes and even follow a party just waiting for an opportunity to strike. They never use weapons or armour but are immune to magic in every way, so they will not be discovered, damaged, or weakened by magical means, magical weapons will act as standard weapons against them, and they ignore magical defences used by their targets.

Stat Block Attributes

It is believed that the Shrike were created by absorbing arcane residue from when the elves ruled the below and that many of the Shrike were once elves themselves, banished from the cities for crimes or other slights against the elven lords. Centuries of living underground, absorbing magic, and evolving to match their environment is what has made the Shrike what they are today.

Agility +4, Body +4, Instinct +3, Mind +1, Rapport +0, Will +1

Shrikes thrive in the darkness and those that have observed them have notice that they seem to seek out pockets of old magical energy trapped in veins of ore in the rock or weird luminescent fungi. Shrike also feed off the small animals that also live below, bats, rats, and other rodents.

Abilities

Shrikes are loners and it is rare to see two Shrikes at the same time, they are also territorial and stories do exist of scavengers witnessing Shrikes fighting as one gets to close to another’s area, but how territory is set out is unknown by anyone but the Shrike themselves.

Killers in the Dark

Shrikes are aggressive and will attack anyone or thing they see as a threat, and even though they look weak they are far from it. It is known that Shrike can absorb magic and are unaffected by magical attacks, in some cases even deflecting the spell back at the caster. They are also fast and can squeeze through the smallest of cracks or holes.

Skills

Acrobatics: 4d, Melee: 4d, Stealth: 3d, Awareness: 3d, Hunting: 2d, Survival: 4d

Fear Rating

Shrikes have a Fear Rating of 7

Corrupted, Natural Armour, Natural Weapons, Dark Vision, Immune to magical attacks, Corrosive Mucus.

Derived Stats

Wounds: 14. Initiative: +4, Toughness: +4

Armour

Armour: Natural armour gives them an AP 2, Corrosive Mucus covers their bodies see Corrosive Blood/Mucus.

Type Arm Blades x 2

Weapons Damage

Range

1d8sp +4

-

The other element of the Shrike is the mucus they exude from their tendrils which have formed from their backs, faces, hands and feet. This mucus is acidic and will corrode metals and woods and this fluid is often coating their territory making passing through those areas dangerous.

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228

Tribals

The Last City had become home to some of the tribes that had fled to the northern mountains, through either trade or safety, and it was lucky for us to have a member of these tribes amongst us to help navigate through the mountains of the west. It is said that the mountains lead to another land free of the corruption, but this is just rumour. The journey we had taken had begun in the Dragon Claws at the tribes village and we had travelled westward from there, the journey had been hard but no real danger approached us and those few days had been the safest I had ever felt, surrounded by stone, with someone that had been born and raised amongst them boosted the parties confidence. This all ended on day four when the first totems were encountered, these were marks bordering the territory of the Tatua Tribe, man eaters and flayers, from this point onward the journey would get much harder and confidences would fray.

still remembered the raids from Tribals, of the fear and hunger forced upon them by these fearsome wild folk, and this created suspicion and even anger towards the tribes, giving many that had lost everything something to direct their anger at. It was the merchant guild that changed everything. The guild had secretly decided to send a delegation to the tribes to talk and negotiate, by this point the tribes had over the months found life hard, living on little to no food and constantly watching from attacks from the tribes to west and from the Last City, the delegation was treated with suspicion. Eventually deals were struck, food like grains etc in exchange for skins and furs, and the Tribes would be welcome in the City for as long as they agreed to protect the city from the other tribes and dangers coming from the north.

Stat Block

Of the Mountains

The Dragon Tail mountains have always been home to the tribes and they have always been problematic, even the elves had attempted to wipe out or control the many settlements without much success. There is no way to know how many actual tribes exist, but they range from groups of 20 families all the way up to hundreds, from small camps of tents to towns with stockades and dedicated militia. Before the fall the tribes would occasionally send raiding parties down into the farms and small towns that stood at the foot of the mountains, often to steal food and livestock, this would lead to hunters and town militia entering the mountains to retaliate, or calls for the elves to respond in some way, often leading to nothing actually changing. After the fall many did not pay much thought to how the disasters and other upheavals would affect the tribes and they no longer seemed a threat. Years passed in the Pale as the Last City rebuilt and expanded, and as the cities below established their laws and borders, surviving the best they can in this new world of ice and snow. In the mountains it was a different story. With the changes came starvation and disease, and with this came conflict as tribes invaded one another, some unified against a common enemy and others were eradicated completely, for those that called the Dragon Tail home the world changed in more than one way.

Attributes

Agility +3, Body +3, Instinct +3, Mind +2, Rapport +1, Will +2

Skills

Acrobatics: 2d, Melee: 4d, Stealth: 3d, Awareness: 3d, Hunting: 4d, Survival: 3d, Ranged: 4d

Abilities

Aggressive, Cannibals, Corrupted.

Derived Stats

Wounds: 13. Initiative: +3, Toughness: +3

Armour

Armour: Armour can vary from animal hides, leather and chain with an AP 2 - 5

Type

Weapons Damage

Range

Sword

1d8s +3

-

Axe

1d10s +3

-

Dagger

1d4s +3

6ft

Spear

1d6p +3

15ft

Bow

1d6p +3

50yds

Acceptance or Cannibalism

As the snow fell and the corruption leaked in cannibalism became the new norm for many tribes, others accepted aid in return for praise from the Blood Lords, throwing in their lot and becoming Fanatics. Some tribes fled, traveling north towards the Dragons Claws that shadowed the Last City in the hope they would gain protection or at the least acceptance. Though years had passed and life had been traumatic many

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Non-Player Characters

What follows is a selection of characters that the players may interact with during their journeys into the darkness or across the Pale. These are for use by the GM if they are ever needed for Barter, Diplomacy or even conflict within the game.

Trader

Traders will be the main NPC most characters will interact with during the game, many have set up shop in the cities but some still walk the roads both below and in the Pale, though travel through the Pale has become more dangerous of late. Traders are hardy and cunning, those that live in the cities will have trade stores selling various items, but those that travel will only carry the most valuable or most needed stock, and do not mistake value with wealth, a spade to a farmer is as valuable as a diamond to a jeweller.

Stat Block

Militia

They guard the gates, patrol the streets and keep the rabble and criminals in check, some are corrupt others withhold the laws fervently. Every city has a Militia, most are paid by the councils or the guilds and this payment is often in the form of a roof, three square meals and a little bit of power and respect. Not all Militia are good and some will commit crime or take their authoority to far. Any issues to occur, fights breaking out, disputes with price, someone caught stealing or other more serious crimes will often involve the militia being called who will then attempt to either sort out the problem, arrest someone or investigate further. Every city will have cells to hold prisoners and some form of court to enact sentencing if needed. Public executions are common.

Stat Block

Attributes

Agility +1, Body +2, Instinct +1, Mind +2, Rapport +3, Will +1

Skills

Barter: 3d Melee: 2d, Academics 3d Awareness: 3d, Charm: 2d, Survival: 3d, Negotiate: 2d.

Courage

Abilities

Attributes

Agility +2, Body +2, Instinct +1, Mind +0, Rapport +1, Will +1

Skills

Athletics: 2d, Melee: 3d, Awareness: 2d, Search: 3d, Survival: 3d, Command: 2d

Courage

Derived Stats

Derived Stats

Wounds: 12. Initiative: +1, Toughness: +2

Wounds: 12. Initiative: +2, Toughness: +2

Armour

Armour

Armour: None to Light AP 2 Type

230

Weapons

Abilities

Armour: Often a Uniform AP 3

Damage

Range

Sword

1d8s +2

-

Dagger

1d4s +2

6ft

Type

Weapons Damage

Range

Sword

1d8s +2

-

Spear

1d6p +2

15ft

Bow

1d6p +2

50yds

Civilians

These will be encountered in every city both above and below, they are the farmers, the beggers, the serving folk and the fisherman, often in need and always around. Civilians can often be the background hum in a city or a key part of an adventure. They can be witnesses, victims and even antagonists. Many civilians will have no opinion just wanting to get on with their lives, but others may form mobs to hunt down the corrupted in their city, or become the witless members of underground cults lured in with the promise of food or revenge. Civilians are a great resource and can be used for most situations and even adventure seeds, never underestimate civilians.

Noble

The guild masters, the administrators, the heads of families, the spoilt sons and daughters, the teachers and the merchants. these are the people with wealth that can buy allegiance and sometimes innocence. Often corrupt, sometimes pompous always in need of someone willing to do the dirty work, whether that is lifing crates in a warehouse or dispatching a rival. The characters will have dealings with nobles, especially if they are in a guild. Offers of work will often come from the wealthy members of society and even some of the problems will lead to nobles and their daliance with cults or search for power which often leads them into the arms of the Blood Lords.

Stat Block

Stat Block

Attributes

Attributes

Agility +0, Body +1, Instinct +2, Mind +0, Rapport +1, Will +1

Skills

Crafting: 2d, Brawling: 2d, Awareness: 1d, Hunting: 2d, Survival: 3d, Barter: 2d, Legend: 1d

Resistance

Abilities

Wounds: 12. Initiative: +2, Toughness: +2

Armour

Armour

Armour: None or Light Armour AP 1

Dagger

Abilities Derived Stats

Wounds: 11. Initiative: +0, Toughness: +1

Type

Skills

Athletics: 2d, Melee: 3d, Awareness: 3d, Academics: 3d, Hunting: 3d, Survival: 3d, Ranged: 2d, Negotiate: 2d, Etiquette: 3d, Riding: 2d, Lore: 2d, Command: 2d, Deception: 2d

Courage

Derived Stats

Weapons

Agility +2, Body +2, Instinct +1, Mind +2, Rapport +2, Will +2

Armour: Good Qaulity Light

Damage

Range

1d4s +1

6ft

Type

Weapons Damage

Range

Sword

1d8s +2

-

Dagger

1d4s +2

6ft

Bow

1d6p +2

50yds

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231

The Anvil

A Starting Adventure for the Black Iron

GM Intro

The adventure should not be long enough to worry too much about starvation or dehydration, but injuries and rest should be a factor, finding shelter other than the forge should be hard to do and unless the party has healing herbs injuries can become serious fast.

As the GM take your time and prepare for surprises as players will almost never do what you are expecting, have them draw a map with markers if they like, maps are valuable. Bear in mind the cart that the characters have and the animals that are pulling it, they can also be targets for food etc, and losing the animals will make their journey much slower and harder going.

The party must make sure they have everything they need; they will receive a cart and horse which they must return if possible, the employer may stretch to throwing in snow shoes and a bundle of arrows but everything else will need to be supplied by the characters themselves.

Game Intro

There are a number of ways you can get the characters involved with this adventure which will feel natural and not forced. The following are examples of adventure prompts.

The following adventure is for starting players and GMs to help get into the world of the Black Iron. The adventure will have Info points and links to page numbers for rules and information so that the GM can learn or look them up quickly.

The adventure is set in the Last City and the Pale beyond Setting the adventure in the Last City will see the characters travelling to the spires and the edge where the temperate meets the ice, here they will need to switch the wheels on the cart to skis and head out into the wilderness to find the old forge with the Anvil. Risks of Blight Beasts, Bandits and Cults attacking the party is high as well as dangers of hidden lakes and thin ice, ravines, and ice storms.

232

Getting the Characters Involved • • •

The characters all see the job offered on a notice board in the city square. A character is approached by the smith whilst browsing the smith’s wares The guild has been offered priority work by the smith if they can arrange for the Anvil to be collected.

Optional Side Missions • • •

Rangers have spoken of a pack of wolves in the area moving closer to the Spires. Recent attacks on farms have been traced to an area of the Pale close to where the Anvil is supposed to be found. (Small Bandit camp) Strange sounds have been reported by the Grey Watch (Cultists this close to the spires is a major threat)

The Smith

The smith who has posted the job has a small shop in the street of coals the main location of many of the smiths in the last city. The buildings in the street are blackened from the soot produced from the forges and the clanging of metal on metal is almost deafening. Entering the street the characters are hit by a warm blast of air that becomes hotter and more stifling the further down the street they travel. The street itself is home to many beggars that sleep here at night and line the streets to beg during the day this is done for the warmth and for the barter chit that many looking to repair or buy weapons and armour will be carrying on their person. Many smiths who fled to the city after the fall failed to bring all of their tools with them and forges and anvils were often either part of the building or too heavy to carry. Wooden and stone blocks are now used by a few smiths, hastily made forges are better than nothing but most of what is done is repair, hammering out dents, re-knitting chain and stitching together leather as well as hasty and basic repair to weapons. Very few smiths have Anvils or even quality tools. When the party reaches the smiths shop, they will find him hammering away at an old bent sword on a large piece of granite, chips of stone and sparks fly everywhere. The man looks up as the characters arrive. ‘I have limited supplies right now, so as long as it ain’t complicated I can get it done’ he states loudly. If the characters explain why they are there the smith will perk up, put down the hammer, and after wiping his sweaty hands walks over to the party. ‘So you’re here for the job, that’s good to hear, thought no one was going to take up the offer’ the man grabs a jug from a bucket of water and some leather mugs from a shelf and offers the party a drink. ‘So down to business as I’m eager to get this done. There is an old forge around 4 miles west of here, out there in the snow. Used to be part of a village but most of that has gone back to the dust or is covered in ice, either way I heard tell that the old forge is still standing’. He takes a gulp from his mug ‘Chances are if the buildings still there so is the Anvil, and maybe some of the tools’ he continues, ‘may be a bit of rust, but before everything went to shit I had visited that village and that forge and the Anvil was a good ‘un’.

If the party has any questions now is the time to ask and the smith does not mind being interrupted, but if no one does he will continue. ‘If you want the job I can provide a cart with some skis and a horse, but I will need them back, and besides it will be hard to shift that Anvil four miles without it, the job pays 100 barter chits and once I get everything in place I will happily do some free work or give a discount, if that all sounds good then no time like the present’. The party could try to negotiate which would be an opposed roll versus either Negotiation or Barter, the smith has both skills at 3d, and his Rapport is +2. Otherwise the party should accept the job and arrange when to collect the cart and horse.

Journey to the Spires

The journey to the spires should be uneventful, as the characters leave the city they will pass through the refugee camp, depending on the time of day they will either be ignored (daytime) or possibly approached by one of the criminal gangs (d6) that run the place and may attempt to steal the horse for food or just bully the characters into handing over some stuff, how the players handle this is up to them, they can threaten or Negotiate either way the highest Rapport is +2 and the Highest Barter is a 2d, if they attack then the gang is pretty weak more bark than bite with Melee skills of 2d and Strength of +1, after a couple have been dropped the others will run into the camp and disappear. No militia patrol the camps and the gangs have free reign. The other option would be that the characters hear a scream coming from the camp and it will be up to them to either investigate or not with the gang above being the issue. After leaving the camp area the land is mostly farms and orchards. The road here is patrolled but very rarely is there trouble. Eventually after an hour of walking the party should reach the sun spires. The view is strange as within the border grass grows and the world seems fertile but looking out beyond the spires there is just a white waste, snow has built up against what seems to be an invisible wall of magic, and the effect is surreal. The party will need to spend time swapping the wheels on the cart for the skis, this cannot be done earlier as the stone of the roads and rocks hidden in the fields will damage the skis. Likewise not swapping the wheels for the skis will make the journey beyond the spires difficult and much longer, as the party will need to dig the wheels out of snow and ice. Once the skis have been fitted the party can continue their journey. Stepping through the invisible barrier created by the spires will feel like being hit by an ice hammer, as the cold sweeps in and surrounds the characters, from this point forward everything becomes harder.

The Anvil

233

Journey Across the Pale

The journey once out in the Pale will be slow, the horse will be dragging the cart and occasionally will hit dips or roots which may get it stuck or slow it down. Also the snow and wind will be working against the characters obscuring vision and making walking often slow. All attempts to see locations or aim at targets beyond Short range will be at -1, beyond Long will be at -2 and Extreme will be impossible. Perception will also be at -1 due to the noise of the wind and the distraction of the cold (the longer the party spends in the environment the less modifiers they will receive as they adjust). The journey to the forge will only take around three hours and the GM should roll for each hour spent travelling to see if any encounters or hazards appear.

Encounters and Hazards Table 2d6

Encounter or Hazard

2

D6 +1 Bandits

3

Blight Bear

4

Frozen Lake - Party must either walk around adding 1 hour to the journey or cross using sneak.

5

Nothing

6

d3 Blight Wolves

7

Animal Traps - If these are not spotted then one party member steps into a trap causing 1 wound. Character must make roll vs Pot 5 or become infected.

8

Nothing

9

D3 Bandits

10

Snow Storm - Vision and perception is now reduced further and the storm pushes against the party slowing their pace, storm adds an hour to the journey.

11

Cart ski breaks, crafting vs TN of 7 to fix,

12

1d6+1 Blight Wolves

Eventually the party will see what appears to be an old village amongst some dead trees, most of the buildings are just ruins but standing on its own is an almost complete building, some of the roof is missing and the doors and windows no longer exist, but a lot of the building is intact. As the party approaches they will see strange symbols either scratched or daubed on the walls of the building and a successful Hunting Vs a TN of 9 will show both human and animal tracks entering the building, a level of success will show that the newest tracks are only a few days old.

234

The Old Forge

Entering the building the party will find themselves inside the actual workshop. Workshop- The inside of the workshop is covered in snow; the stone floor has cracked, and stunted black weeds can be seen pushing upward between the cracks. To the left as the party enters is the forge itself, darkened by soot and still filled with old coal and wood that crumbles if picked up. Next to the forge is an Iron anvil and the reason the party are here. The Anvil is made of iron and if looked at closely will reveal engravings cover some of the anvil’s top half. The anvil itself is extremely heavy and to lift it will mean a roll of Strength Vs a TN of 10 (see page 73 for rules on Attribute Tests). Up to four characters can lift the anvil. Once lifted it will be a slow shuffle over to the cart. A table in the workshop also has an array of tools placed out, most are rusted but useable and taken these back would be a bonus. A door stands closed in a wall to the right. Living Area - This room has been used by a group of cultists and currently one is stationed in this room. If the party is not attempting to be quiet the cultist here will be waiting for them to come through the door and will get to ambush the first character to enter. If the party had declared that they were using stealth in the previous room then the cultists has the opportunity to hear them using their Awareness Vs the highest Stealth roll from the characters (Cultist see pg. 209). If the cultist is able to ambush the party then they get the first attack, and then Initiative rolls should be made. The cultist will shout out if they can alert the other cultists lower down, who will come to the cultists aid. The room has a table and chair, a broken and mouldy bed, broken wardrobe, and various ragged, rotten pieces of clothing on the floor amongst the snow that has blown in the broken window. Near the centre of the room is a wooden hatch, that when opened reveals a ladder going down. If the cultists was dispatched silently then this hatch is closed, if the cultist managed to call out then 1d3 cultists will appear from this hatch from below. If the characters Search Vs a TN of 7 they will find that attached to a beam above the hatch is a pulley system, obviously used to lift stuff from the storeroom below.

Old Forge

Living Area

Workshop

Storeroom

First Cave

Cult Sanctuary

Storeroom – The ladder leads to a storeroom, this area has been untouched by the snow and ice and is relatively warm, it has also been used as a living area by cultists and the party will find 3 – 4 mats and bedrolls for sleeping on as well as foul smelling pots of food. If the cultist in the above room did not get the chance to call out, then there will be 1d3 cultists in this room that will attack anyone coming down the ladder.

To the east a large crack has split the cave wall almost in two and is wide enough to allow an average human to pass through, the crack leads into deeper caves, an Hunting vs a TN 5 will reveal that many have passed through the crack and a Lore vs TN 9 will indicate that what is beyond the crack is a route to the below and access to the cities which allows anyone that passes through to avoid the spires above.

In the storeroom can be found barrels of coal, and crates of Iron ore ingotsa all valuable to the blacksmiths back at the city, there will also be sheets of leather and leather cord, some gold plate, and small ingots of silver. A Search Vs a TN of 6 will reveal behind the crates 2 swords wrapped in leather, these are good quality longswords.

GM Note There are many entrances to the below via forgotten tunnels and cracks in deep cave walls. The cities below have sent out teams to seal these entrances from cultists, fanatics, and other undesirables from gaining access, but there are just to many of them.

The southwest wall of the storeroom has been smashed through an reveals a cave system beyond, which it seems the cultists have been using. A strong smell of rot and damp emanates from the area. First Cave – The first cave is damp and dark, without some form of lighting the party will be at -2 for all actions and will move at half pace. Stones and jagged rocks stick up out of the floor of the cave and the walls which will snag and cut those not watching where they are walking. A small stream of surprisingly fresh water runs from the ceiling of the cave across the floor and then disappears into a hole in the ground. A Hunting roll against a TN of 9 will reveal tracks of booted feet. The cave twists around a bend which leads to a hastily constructed bridge, to cross the bridge is an Agility Vs TN 6 roll, a character fails the roll they will drop, if they succeed in an Instinct roll vs a TN of 7 they will catch the edge of the bridge, if they fail the Instinct roll they fall to their deaths. If the party is using Sneak, they will need to beat an opposed roll vs the highest Awareness roll from the 1d4+1 cultists beyond the bridge, again if they fail the cultists will attack and attempt to knock the party from the bridge, with each successful attack meaning that a Agility roll vs a TN of 5 must be made or the character falls.. Cultist Sanctuary – The bridge leads to another cave inside is a type of sanctuary or shrine to a Blood Lord cult, al Lore roll vs TN 7 will reveal that the shrine is to Axas. Bones and sinew hang from the ceiling, a dead body now nothing more than bones is tied to the wall, examination of the bones will reveal gnawing and teeth marks. Various bones, items made from bones and other weirdness lay scattered about the floor. In one corner is a chest within the party will find some well made clothing, a small bag of 20 barter chits and a pass to one of the cities below, they will also find a book written in elvish (The Tribulations of Cross Species Merging) worth a lot to the right guild and a Masterwork Dagger, they also find three masks made from human skin.

236

If the characters suggest passing into the caves this could lead to days of investigation and during that time, they could lose the horse and the purpose of coming here. The GM should encourage the party to return with the anvil and then share knowledge of the crack which in turn could lead to further adventure. If they insist in passing through have them roll an Awareness where they will hear the horse in distress, this could lead to them losing the horse, but the urgency to return to the city should be made apparent.

Return to the City

At this point there will be three outcomes that will affect the return journey to the city, depending on various factors. •

•

•

Party has Anvil, Horse and Cart – The journey back to the city will be slower with the anvil and the time will be doubled, encounters should still be rolled. Once reaching the city the adventure is completed successfully. Party has Anvil but no Horse – As above but journey will take three times as long as the party will need to drag the anvil back themselves. Loss of the horse will be frowned upon but if the party skinned the animal and brought back meat this will help alleviate the issue. Party has no Anvil – The only reason this has happened is that the party took heavy loses, this will be considered a failed mission and the Job will stay up on the notice board.

Follow up Adventures

The forge obviously leads into the dark roads and this is where cultists are managing to infiltrate the cities below, if the party make this known they will be asked to either return to the forge and close the opening or follow where the path leads killing any cultists as they go. The party could also be asked to travel below to find the forge entrance from that route, also killing any cultists and sealing up the hole.

The Tome of Heroes Vagrants

Saturday Night Gaming, Luciano Saldi, Danny Tirtosasmito, Eleanor Hingley, Jaesz Feher, DJChay, Chris Skuller, Gnome Archiviste, Marco Generoso, ratley17, cotton mashlin, Jim Mangiameli, Andrew Lotton, Maxime Robinet, Anthony Franchini, Jacob Thek, Thaddeus Ryker, Paul Rivers, Timothy Baker, Norbert Baer, Drew Pessarchick, Michael Fox, Matt “9littlebees” Kay, Philip Hindley, Ricardo Nacarini, Veronikis Spyros, Eric Blair, Brent Naylor, Steven D Warble, Magfurul Abeer, Leopold Goldimire, Ryan Clarke, Sergio A Saenz, Whisky Sauers, Matteo Signorini, Dany Leclerc,

Scavengers

Tyler F, Raúl Peña Fernández, Dana Boychuk, Patrice Mermoud, Aramis, Alex Melluso, Kieran, Joshua Lenon, Gary Mayes, Kai Yu, Samwise & Charlie, LUCHO CASTRO, Morgan Bolton, Zach Cornelson, Dallas Ch, Daniel Crisp, Noa Rev, K.L.Svarrogh, Aleksandar Petrovic, Mike Goetz, Jason March, Colin Simmonds, Mark R. Lesniewski, David Queen, Gav War, JPD, Ruben Caparros Perez, Trip Space-Parasite, Thor Sundqvist, Michael Rinaldi, David Semmes, Sean Patrick Phelan, Loki, Tilly, & Murphy, Beachfox, John A. Robinson, Mikael Assarsson, J. Wilkins, Boris J. Cibic, Scott Uhls, MarkF, Raphael Bressel, Nick Colombo, Chris Griffin, Samir El Aouar, Matthias Reinhardt, Dan Perrine, Kyle Botterill, Ryan Kent, Jonathan Froust, Ryan Crowe, David Inker, Justin Spath, Shai, Al Erikson, Adam Chance, Trey Mercer, Dan Suptic, Warren P Nelson, Owain Boardman, Michele ‘Ekidna’ Facco, Caleb Coppola, Rangdo, Sam Hing, Dominik Pielarski, Marko J Sertic, RinguPingu, Sir Edward, Derek Schmidt, Gwyn Bevan, Markus Plate, Michael Boothroyd, Ryan Dukacz, Xildur, Tom Ladegard, Fernando De la Guardia, Callum Holt,

Hunters

Elvenstreak, Christian Mertens, Peter Allen, kabbend, Thor Asa, calibur_ex, Seth Spurlock, Paco García Jaén - G*M*S Magazine, William Flotte, Terry Herc, John ‘johnkzin’ Rudd, Chris Matulewicz, Trevor A. Ramirez, J. Marks, Chris Youngblood, Murazar, Harold L. Keearns III, Jonas Äng, Jonathan “Buddha” Davis, Dace, Morgan Tupper, Caldazar, Pedro(Te),

Pyromancers

Devin & Linny, Andrzej Krakowian, Nicholas Clay, Oskar Yorrickson, Matthew Hale, Arkend Foss, James Yoo, Brandon, Hvedrung, Max Krawiec, Bastien Mignier, Spencer Wankier, Brett Callender, Bjørn Benjaminsen, Pablo Saldaña, Richard Rivera, Brian Habenicht, Richard Miller, Valentinos astroval Kounatides, Pete Shaw, Alexander Thissen, K. Scott, JC Hawley, Jeffrey Quigley, Mike Dulo, Denis Gaty, Dave Luxton, Mika Koykka, Feian, Garreth ‘GMort’ Moreton, Paul D Watts, Ols Jonas Petter Olsson, Robert Wood, Timothy D. Martin, Eclez, Ethan Fontenot, Matt Carman, Richard Percy, Jeff Workman, JC Smith, Janelle Hobbs, Spidermanic, Tuomas Ristimäki, “To Peace”, Andrew Nichols, Todd Stephens, Bernat Nacente, Tyler Brunette, Cyxos Hax, Thomas Fassnacht, Panu ”Possessed” Laukkanen, Emil “Barn Owl” Heide, I got a festive hat, Mike (wrathofzombie) Evans, David C White, K Malycha, Kaira Murphy, Lee Rosenbaum, David Harrison, Chris Snyder, Nathan “Nawi” Wintle, Joachim Schulz, Guy Edward Larke, ryan bruhn, Gauthier Descamps, Angus Abranson, Amber Szpular, Richard Robertson, Jon Kenny, Quib, Robert Herr.

Relic Knights

Jeremy Kear, Michael “Chef Pandakage” Salas, Grant “Grantos” Chapman, Robert M Soderquist, Godu, Jeremy R Haupt, Eric Asperin, Crazed Sheep, Sabastian Wilkinson, Michael merchant, Roger Haxton, Mark Solino, Connor Best, J Scott Rumptz, Philip W Rogers Jr, John W. Brown IV, Johnny D,

Lords of Blood

Brenntron, Fenric Cayne, Derek Munn, Kelly Swartz, John R., Varek, Gernot, Guillaume ROBIN, D, Saggath,

The Fallen

Andrew F, Dave Satterthwaite, Frank Loose, Michael Sandlin, Michael Stevens, Elijah Dresen, Dante Warborn, Fabia Mazzocchi, Dan Philpin, Chris Baratz, Marley D, James Michael Whittaker, Gert-Jan van der Krogt, Doug Shute, Chase M Walker, trevpb_101, Janus Kimeran, Ebonweaver, Russ Cox, Ryker Wallace,

With Blood and Iron you face the Darkness We Salute You