Sword and Sorcery

Savage Sword & Sorcery Black Knight

2

Contents 1 Setting Rules

5

Literacy & Languages

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5

Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6

Edges

7

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Hindrances

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2 Combat

9

Combat Grid Posting

8

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

9

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

9

3 Gear

11

Encumbrance

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

11

Shields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

12

4 Cultural Archetypes

17

Savage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

17

Nomadic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

18

Civilized . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

18

Enlightened . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

19

Decadent

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

19

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

20

Degenerate

5 Cultures

21

Azimbans

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

22

Edenites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

22

Ghulzai

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

23

Hungols

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

24

Ilians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

24

Kukuana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

25

Milezians

26

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

4

CONTENTS

Mineans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

27

Muans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

27

Thulans

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

28

Túatha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

29

Yorabi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

30

6 Religions

31

Danu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

31

Ishtar

31

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Isis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

31

Jul-Juggah

32

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Kronos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

32

Manah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

32

Mithras

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

33

Moloch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

33

Proteus

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

33

Tiamat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

33

Yaghuth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

33

Chapter 1

Setting Rules Literacy & Languages

Sav-

This chapter is intended to make the cam-

age World Deluxe

paign accessible for those who have only the

rules. The following sections

Literacy is rare in the campaign world. So, as per

Beasts

include all the modications to the core Skills,

& Barbarians

Edges, and Hindrances as described in the

the standard game rules, most of the characters should have the Illiterate Hindrance.

setting book; the new player op-

Yet, this

would cause a generic attening of the heroes.

tions are omitted.

Hence, the Hindrance is ignored and each player is allowed to decide if his hero knows how to read and write or not (depending on the hero's background). Illiterate characters have an extra Skill point, to be spent on a Smarts based skill. Characters can become literate during the game by spending a leveling option. A hero starts the game knowing a number of languages equal to half his Smarts die, plus his

Savage Worlds Deluxe

native tongue as per the Multiple Languages rule from

. New languages can

be acquired through advancements.

DM Note:

If you wish, you may leave some

of your available language slots undeclared to start the campaign, and ll them in when the need arises.

For example, a Milezian character

with a d8 in Smarts could declare Edenite as one of his known languages, and leave the three other slots undeclared. Then, if he encountered a situation where he needed to speak Ilian, he could say Ah, I know a bit of Ilian; I used to drink 5

6

CHAPTER 1.

SETTING RULES

with an Ilian trader in Carcoza, and then ll in Ilian as one of his known languages, leaving only two slots undeclared for later.

Skills The Piloting skill is not used, and the following skills are modied or extended to t the setting.

Driving This skill is used to drive chariots, carts, and other similar vehicles.

Knowledge The following are the most useful areas of knowledge in this setting.

•

Arcana:

It covers the vast eld of magic,

the occult and the supernatural.

•

Battle:

•

History:

Useful for mass combats. It covers the knowledge of the

past.

•

Legends & Lore: from

common

It covers everything

folklore

to

knowledge

of

myths and fantastic creatures and places.

•

Religion:

It covers all the religious matters.

In some cases, it can also be used, with a penalty, to cover Arcana, Legends and Lore matters.

•

Specic Area:

Its focus can be any specic

city, region, or country, such as Avalon, Ilium, Kukuanaland, Mu, or the Red Wastes.

7

EDGES

ing). Each of these vehicles requires a related Edge (to be taken only once).

Said Edges are:

Charioteer (Driving), Quartermaster (Boating), or Born in the Saddle (Riding). A hero with one of these Edges adds +2 to Driving, Boating or Riding rolls.

In addition,

he may also spend Bennies on soak rolls for any vehicle, vessel or mount he controls.

This is a

Driving, Boating or Riding roll at -2 (canceling the usual +2).

Each success and raise soaks a

wound and any critical hit that would have resulted from it.

Arcane Background Three new arcane backgrounds are used in this

Stealth

setting:

Lotusmastery, Sorcery, and Enlighten-

Beside its other uses, Stealth is used to deliver

ment.

venom while going unnoticed.

banned. See the Arcane Background chapter in

Pouring poison

into a tankard while no one is looking, for ex-

All the other arcane backgrounds are

Beasts & Barbarians

for further details.

ample at a feast or in a crowded tavern, requires a Stealth roll.

In case of failure, someone no-

tices the attempt. In a one-to-one situation (like two people drinking together) or when someone is explicitly paying attention, delivering poison requires an opposed roll between the poisoners' Stealth and the observer's Notice.

Champion

Requirements: (Enlightment),

Novice,

Arcane Background

Enlightment d6+,

Spirit d8+,

Strength d6+, Vigor d8+, Fighting d8+

Apart from the dierent requirements, it works

Edges

as usual.

These Edges are not permitted in this world: Adept, MacGyver, Mentalist, Mr.

Fix It, and

Wizard. The following Edges are modied to t the setting.

Ace

Holy/Unholy Warrior

Requirements: (Enlightment),

Novice,

Arcane Background

Enlightment d6+,

Spirit d8+,

Strength d6+, Vigor d8+, Fighting d8+

This Edge is slightly modied to work with char-

Apart from the dierent requirements, it works

iots (Driving), ships (Boating) and mounts (Rid-

as usual.

8

CHAPTER 1.

Noble

Hindrances

See Rich & Filthy Rich for monetary changes. Otherwise, it works as usual.

Requirements:

These Hindrances are not used in this setting: All Thumbs, Doubting Thomas, and Illiterate. The following Hindrance is also modied.

Soul Drain (Sorcery),

SETTING RULES

Novice,

Sorcery d8+,

Arcane Background Knowledge (Arcana)

d8+ Apart from the dierent requirements, it works as usual.

Rich & Filthy Rich For adventuring heroes, these Edges grant respectively ve times and ten times the starting funds, but they bestow no regular income. For NPCs they work in the customary way.

Poverty Besides starting with half the amount of money, a Poor hero also halves his Savings (see Beasts & Barbarians page 104).

Chapter 2

Combat Combat Grid For convenience in a play-by-post game, we will be using a square grid for movement in combat. Each square of movement over ordinary terrain costs only 1", even when moving diagonally.

Posting In order to keep combat moving at a brisk pace, you will have

24 hours to post your actions start-

ing from the moment your turn comes up. If you do not post in time, you will be placed on hold.

9

10

CHAPTER 2.

COMBAT

Chapter 3

Gear The most common currency of the world is the silver coin.

A silver coin is equal to $1, so

you can pick items from the Savage Worlds core rules without any need to do mathematical conversions.

The characters start with 500 silvers,

plus 100 for every rank above Novice.

Savage Worlds Deluxe

The weapons and armour presented in this sec-

Beasts & Barbarians

tion replace those given in and

. Other items, such as

lanterns and chariots, can be found in the previously mentioned sources. The following properties supplement those in the core rulebook.

Concealable:

The wielder gains +2 Agility to

draw the weapon and opponents suer -2 Notice to spot it.

Mounted:

improvised

The

weapon

weapon when

is

the

treated wielder

as is

an not

mounted.

Versatile:

When wielded in 2 hands, the

weapon gains the Parry +1 property.

Encumbrance

Savage Armory

We will use the simplied encumbrance system from

that denes Load Limit

in signicant items rather than in pounds. A

A gladiator from the Land of the Three Cities, clad in piecemeal armour.

11

12

CHAPTER 3.

signicant item is one that weighs roughly

14

pounds,

5

and you can carry a number of

such items equal to half your Strength without penalty. A character with a Strength of d8 would be able to carry 4 signicant items without penalty, for example. Items weighing under

5

pounds are not sig-

nicant, and thus do not count towards encumbrance. However, at the GM's discretion, multiple small items can be collectively classied as a signicant item. For example,

10

daggers might

collectively be counted as a signicant item. Particularly heavy items may count as two or more signicant items; divide their weight (in pounds) by

10

and round to the nearest whole

number to determine how many items they count as. Using this system, the Brawny Edge increases your Load Limit in signicant items by

1 21

times

(rounded up) and the Hoplite Training Edge cuts the weight of worn armour and shields in half (rounded down).

Shields Shields apply their bonus regardless of facing, just like other weapons.

The Gang Up bonus

is what represents being anked or attacked in such a way that you cannot defend as eectively in all directions.

GEAR

13

Mêlée Weapons Type

Damage

Weight

Cost

Dagger

Str+d4

0

25

Great Sword

Str+d10

2

400

2 hands

Rapier

Str+d4

1

150

Parry +1

Sword

Str+d8

1

300

Includes short swords, long swords, katanas, scimitars etc.

Axe

Str+d6

0

75

Battle Axe

Str+d8

1

300

Great Axe

Str+d12

2

400

Parry -1, 2 hands

Blades

Axes

Bludgeons

Notes

Concealable

Flail

Str+d6

1

200

Ignores Shield/Weapon Parry and Cover bonus

Great Flail

Str+d8

1

600

Ignores Shield/Weapon Parry and Cover bonus, 2 hands

Mace/Warhammer

Str+d6

1

300

AP 1 (AP 2 vs. Rigid)

Maul/Morningstar

Str+d8

2

400

AP 1 (AP 2 vs. Rigid), Parry -1, 2 hands

Pole Arms

Glaive/Halberd

Str+d8

2

250

Reach 1, 2 hands

Pike

Str+d6

2

200

Reach 2, 2 hands

Spear

Str+d6

1

100

Reach 1, Versatile

Lance

Str+d8

1

300

AP 2 when charging, Mounted, Reach 2

14

CHAPTER 3.

Ranged Weapons Type

Range

Damage

Weight

Cost

Min Str

Axe

3/6/12

Str+d6

0

75

-

Bow

12/24/48

2d6

1

250

d6

Composite Bow

15/30/60

2d6

1

500

d8

Dagger

3/6/12

Str+d4

0

25

-

Sling

4/8/16

Str+d4

0

10

-

Spear

3/6/12

Str+d6

1

100

d6

Notes

GEAR

15

Armour Type

Armour

Weight

Light Armour Suit

Cost

+1

2

50

Covers torso, arms, legs

Notes

Light Armour Shirt

+1

1

30

Covers torso

Light Piecemeal Armour

+1

1

40

Covers torso, arms, legs, -1 Armour vs. raise

Medium Armour Suit

+2

3

300

Covers torso, arms, legs

Medium Corselet

+2

2

200

Covers torso

Medium Piecemeal Armour

+2

2

250

Covers torso, arms, legs, -1 Armour vs. raise

Heavy Armour Suit

+3

6

800

Covers torso, arms, legs

Heavy Cuirass

+3

4

400

Covers torso

Heavy Piecemeal Armour

+3

5

600

Covers torso, arms, legs, -1 Armour vs. raise

Helm

+3

1

75

Shield

-

1

50

+1 Parry, +2 Armour vs. ranged shots

Large Shield

-

2

200

+2 Parry, +2 Armour vs. ranged shots

Shields

50% vs. head shot

16

CHAPTER 3.

GEAR

Chapter 4

Cultural Archetypes In a typical sword and sorcery campaign, the traditional demihumans do not exist, and the majority of player characters and non-player characters are human. The following broad cultural archetypes are used to distinguish between characters who would otherwise have the same racial abilities.

Savage Savages include warriors from the frozen north and witch-doctors from the snake-infested jungles of the south. Savages tend to have a close connection with nature, but are easily spooked by things outside of their normal expectations. Savages have the following racial traits:

•

Strong:

•

Feral:

Start with a d6 in Strength.

+2 bonus to resist all negative envi-

ronmental eects.

•

Superstitious: superstitions. might

believe

Savages are prone to tribal

For example, a certain tribe that

albinos

are

sired

by

ghosts; another might be terried of mirrors, which are said to steal the souls of those who gaze upon them. This functions as the Phobia (Minor) Hindrance.

17

A Savage Gargarean warrior.

18

CHAPTER 4.

CULTURAL ARCHETYPES

Nomadic Nomads roam the empty wastes beyond the civilized cities; quick to strike and bound by no laws. Nomads live with their animals and feel ill at ease without them.

Steppe- and desert-dwellers are

born in the saddle, while hillmen can scale clis as swiftly as the goats they herd. Nomads have the following racial traits:

• •

Agile:

Start with a d6 in Agility.

Horselord or Hillman:

Steppe or desert

Nomads start with a d6 in Riding;

hill-

dwellers start with a d6 in Climbing.

•

Bowlegged:

Nomads have a pace of 5".

Civilized Savages and nomads eventually gather together to cultivate the land, build great cities, develop trade, and study medicine, mathematics and languages. In the civilized lands dwell noble knights, wise kings, and learned sagesas well as greedy merchants and cunning thieves. Civilized

people

have

the

following

racial

traits:

•

Versatile:

Civilized people start with one

free Edge.

•

Professional:

Start with a d4 in any two of

the following Skills: Boating, Driving, Gambling, Healing, Knowledge, Lockpicking, Repair, Streetwise, or Taunt.

•

Frail:

Civilized people have grown soft from

living in the comfort of civilization, and are more susceptible to poison and disease. The eect is identical to the Anemic Hindrance.

A Civilized mercenary of Kush.

19

Enlightened A few great civilizations rise above others and gain half-mythical status. Learned beyond normal men,

people of enlightened cultures are

builders of cyclopean pyramids and towers that pierce the skies. Their magnicent buildings can last forever, and likewise the esh of the enlightened ones can withstand the passage of time like no other mortals. Enlightened people have people with the following racial traits:

•

Wise:

•

Educated:

Start with a d6 in Spirit. Start with a d6 in one area of

Knowledge.

•

Conceited:

Too condent in their own

abilities, enlightened ones often underestimate their enemies. During the rst round of combat, they draw an additional Action Card and act on the worst of the draw. If an enlightened one takes the Level Headed or Improved Level Headed Edge, then they simply draw one less Action Card during the rst round of combat instead of suering this penalty.

Decadent Great civilizations reach their peak and eventually start to decline.

Such fallen empires are

ruled by jaded nobles, corrupt priests and wicked slave-traders.

Demon-worship, human sacrice

and drug abuse is all too common in these cultures. Decadent

people

have

the

following

racial

traits:

An Enlightened Pureblood of Atlantis.

•

Tempting:

•

Insidious:

+2 to Charisma Start with a d6 in Persuasion.

20

CHAPTER 4.

CULTURAL ARCHETYPES

A Decadent noble of Mu. •

Corrupt:

Decadent people cannot resist

•

Tough:

•

Nocturnal:

Start with a d6 in Vigor.

an opportunity for a good time and have a Quirk (Minor Hindrance) related to a need for parties, alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling,

Degenerates

ignore

attack

penalties for Dim and Dark lighting.

and entertainment.

•

Unwholesome:

Degenerates always have

Degenerate

a physical deformity or a mental illness,

The last survivors of decadent civilizations start

from other humans. This unwholesomeness

to feud over dwindling resources, or are driven

can never be fully concealed.

away by stronger cultures.

caused by inbreeding, that sets them apart Choose one

Fleeing into the

of the following Hindrances: Anemic (pox-

wilderness, or deep underground beneath their

ridden), Bad Eyes (Minor), Delusional (Mi-

ruins, they start to inbreed and devolve into

nor), Habit (Minor; often involves cannibal-

something no longer entirely human.

Degener-

ism or necrophilia), Hard of Hearing (Mi-

ates may outwardly resemble savages, but they

nor), Obese (hideously bloated), Slow (mis-

carry the evil taint of fallen empires.

shapen leg), or Ugly.

Degenerates have the following racial traits:

Chapter 5

Cultures Know, oh prince, that in the time before the oceans drank Atlantis and the gleaming cities, there was an age undreamed of, when shining kingdoms lay spread across the world like blue mantles beneath the starsIlium, Argos, Milezia, Sheba, Amazonia with its copper-skinned warrior women and mossgrown palisades, Léoneis with its chivalry, Kukuanaland with it's ebony GiantKings, Mu with its mummy-haunted tombs, Nunkai with its God Spire rising above the lush valley of Eden. It was an age of swords and sorcery, when witches, warriors, and thieves tread the jeweled thrones of Earth under their sandalled feet. It is I, the chronicler, who alone can tell thee of their sagas. Let me tell you of the days of high adventure! Welcome to a world where men are mighty, women are voluptuous, kings are cruel, and hidden terror lurks in every brooding ruin!

It is

an age of splendorous but decadent kingdoms, where armies clash at the whims of depraved nobles, and the bloody sword of an adventurer can topple empires. The Inner Sea is the heart of this world's civilization, with cities and kingdoms clustered along its coastline:

Argos, Ilium, Milezia, and Mu

among them. To the north, ancient forests hide 21

An Azimban warrior.

22

CHAPTER 5.

CULTURES

isolated kingdoms long forgotten; farther north still are the shores of the Frozen Sea.

In the

great ocean to the west, the last remnants of Atlantis cling to a sinking continent.

In the east,

squabbling cities rule the valley of Eden, and more mysterious lands lurk behind the mountains. Deserts grasp at the southern coast of the Inner Sea, and kingdoms rise from the jungles and savannas beyond the Red Wastes. The following cultures are only a sample of the diverse people who live in this age of swords and sorcery. Each people speaks its own tongue; there is no common language.

Azimbans Also known as the dwellers in the cities of stone" by their tribal neighbors, the Azimbans have an old culture centred around their stone fortresses and bird-worship.

Appearance:

The black warriors of Azimba

are tall, strong and proud, known for their discipline in formations with shield and spear. The

Edenite soldiers.

men are usually shaven-headed, and the wearing of brightly colored robes and feathered plumes is common.

Religion:

The god of the Azimbans is Jul-

Edenites

Juggah, a reptilian bird-god that must be propi-

The land of Eden is a fertile valley amid the arid

tiated with human sacrice. His feather-cloaked

wastes, where mighty city-states cluster along

priests know the secret spells to summon lesser

the riverbanks, and hanging gardens and ziggu-

winged lizards, survivors of a lost age.

rats loom over humble mud-brick homes.

Culture:

Azimbans are almost invariably

The Edenites are a race practised in the arts

Civilized, with only some of the more jaded or

of war; soldiers in scale corselets and cyclindrical

depraved members of their upper class qualify-

helmets constantly clash upon the plains at the

ing as Decadent.

whims of jealous kings.

Names

(male) Dakarai, Tichaona; (female)

Chipo,

Nyarai,

Tapiwa,

Tariro;

nashe,

Rudo,

Rufaro,

Rumbidzai,

(unisex) Farai, Rutendo,

Tatenda, Tendai, Tinashe.

Sekai,

Fungai,

Tafadzwa,

Greatest among the kingdoms of Eden is the holy city of Nunkai, where the Spire of the Gods

Mu-

scrapes the heavens. Nunkai sits upon the ruins

Tapiwa,

of even older civilizations, and some say forgotten demons still lurk in the deepest reaches.

23

Appearance:

The Edenites are an olive-

skinned people with hooked noses and curly black hair. Men dress in owing robes and take great pride in their curled or braided beards.

The

women are lithe, wearing golden armbands and necklaces of pearl.

Religion:

Each city-state usually has its own

patron deity, worshipped side-by-side with hundreds of lesser gods. Most popular of all the divinities is the fertility goddess Ishtar, the whore of Eden, whose alluring temple prostitutes attract worshippers in droves.

Culture:

Edenites are a people both Civilized

and Decadent. While Decadents are more com-

A Ghulzai nomad.

monly found among the upper class, they are in no way conned to it.

Names:

(male)

Arishaka,

Ashurbanipal,

Balathu, Bashaa, Deemethresu, Dipatusu, EaNasir, Ekurzakir, Enshunu, Ibbi-Addad, IshmeEa, Kadashman, Kinaa, Kurigalzu, Manishtusu, Naram-Sin, Nikanuur, Nutesh, Numunia, PuzurShitar,

Rihat,

Sin-Nazir,

Rimush,

Ubar,

Shamash,

Yahatti-Il;

Shu-Turul,

(female)

Ahas-

sunu, Amata, Anagalshu, Arahunaa, Ashlultum, Banunu,

Beletsunu,

Enheduana,

Erishti-Aya,

Ettu, Gashansunu, Gemekaa, Humusi, Ishtar-

plexion, since they hide every inch of skin beneath their heavy cowled robes.

Religion:

Chief

among

the

gods

of

the

Ghulzai is Yaghuth, the Ancient One, although his name is more often used in curses than in prayer.

Still, the hillmen fear the Lord of the

Empty Wastes and make small oerings to avoid getting lost or suering from hunger and thirst.

Culture:

Living o their mountain goats and

Gamelat, Ku-Aya, Kullaa, Mushezibti, Nidintu,

plunder, the Ghulzai hillmen are Nomadic by na-

Ninsunu, Ubalnu, Yadidatum, Zakiti.

ture.

Ghulzai

Azmaray,

The Ghulzai tribesmen lurk in the sand-swept

Gulab, Mashal, Mirwais, Nangial, Sangar, Sar-

rocky hills and mountains that lie beyond Eden;

ban,

it is a harsh land of searing summers and bone-

Zarak, Zardad, Zargar, Zargul;

chilling winters. The hillmen carve their villages

ana, Balbala, Bukhtawara, Durkhanai, Gabina,

from the barren clis, and exact heavy tolls from

Gulalai,

those foolish or desperate enough to enter their

sanga,

domain.

Mahzala,

Appearance:

Names:

(male) Abasin, Angaar, Awalmir, Babrak,

Bakhtawar,

Batoor,

Baz,

Behram, Darun, Daryab, Emal, Ghatool, Gul, Sarbaz,

Shingul,

Ghatola, Husai,

Shpol,

Gulghotai,

Kashmala,

Malala,

Surgul,

Gulmina,

Kawtara,

Nazanina,

Torgul,

(female) Ari-

Nazo,

Gul-

Lalzari,

Palwasha,

The Ghulzai are of similar lin-

Pashmina, Reshtina, Rokhana, Sandara, Sang-

eage to the Edenites, though much paler in com-

ina, Shaghalay, Shamira, Shandana, Shaperai,

24

CHAPTER 5.

Shughla,

Wagma,

Zalah,

Zareena,

Zarghuna,

Zarka, Zarlakhta, Zarmina, Zarwareen.

CULTURES

unfortunate souls are forced to watch as every woman, whether maiden or crone, is raped. An obscure prophecy predicts that one day the Hungol hordes will unite under one Khan; the very thought makes civilized folk tremble.

Appearance:

Hungols are typically short and

stocky, with sun-bronzed skin and straight black hair.

Their broad faces feature a at nose and

slanted eyes.

Religion:

The Hungol religion is a blend of

animism, shamanism, and totemism. The chief spirit is the stallion, and the Hungols believe that a person's horse is an extension of the individual. They also revere the wolf-mother, the hawk, and the dragon.

Culture:

Hungols are almost exclusively No-

madic.

Names:

Belgutei,

(male)

Buda,

Attila,

Chagatai,

Arghun, Gökhan,

Behter, Genghis,

Hasar, Jehungir, Khabul, Megujin, Mundzuc, Temüjin,

Temüge,

Tuldila,

Yesügei;

(female)

Abagai, Alangoa, Börte, Chotan, Hoelun, Hulan, Khada'an, Khoakchin, Khorijin, Khu'urchin, Orbai, Ruga, Sokhatai, Temulin.

Ilians Ruled by a council of archpriests, the gleam-

A Hungol nomad

ing white city of Ilium is the capital of a growing theocratic empire devoted to the sun god Mithras. A proud and self-righteous people, Ilians believe that it is their sacred duty to unite

Hungols

mankind in one nation and religion.

The Hungols are fearsome horse-nomads dwelling

Few

can

stand

against

the

Ilian

legions:

in mobile tent-cities upon the eastern steppes.

whether centurion or fresh recruit, each soldier is

They are masters of the art of mounted archery.

clad in plate armor and the iconic metal-crested

They are infamous for their merciless cruelty. When the Hungols sack a city, the defeated men

Ilian helm.

Appearance:

Ilians tend to be short and

are tortured to deathaying and impalement

broad-shouldered, with aquiline noses, fair skin,

being the preferred methods.

and darker hair.

But rst,

the

25

An Ilian centurion ghts o a demonic creature.

Religion:

Known

to

be

ardent

sun-

Vitruvius; (nicknames) Agricola, Aggripa, Al-

all

bus, Aquila, Aquilinus, Barbatus, Brutus, Canus,

other gods have been banished from the Empire.

Corvus, Crassus, Lupus, Marcellus, Metellus,

worshippers,

Culture: Civilized;

Ilians pray only to Mithras;

The stoic people of Ilium are highly

there are few Decadent individuals

Kukuana

even among the wealthier classes.

Names:

Regulus, Severus, Silus, Triarius.

Ilian citizens, even commoners, have

Also known as Giant-Kings, the Kukuana are the

long ocial titles comprised of their given and

merciless ruling caste of a slave empire in the far

family names, along with appended nicknames.

South. Countless thralls of other races toil in the

The female version of each name is obtained sim-

gold mines to feed their masters' endless greed;

ply by changing the sux -us to -a. Names with

Kukuanaland is so wealthy that even the cattle

other endings, such as Aquila, are unisex.

are bedecked in jewelry.

Some common examples: (given names) Ap-

Appearance:

The lanky and sharp-featured

pius, Aulus, Decimus, Gaius, Gnaeus, Julius, Lu-

Giant-Kings truly live up to their name:

cius, Manius, Marcus, Publius, Quintus, Servius,

stand over seven feet tall, like men of black bam-

Sextus, Spurius, Tiberius, Titus, Vibius; (fam-

boo.

ily names) Antonius, Artorius, Aurelius, Cas-

wealth, adorning nearly ever inch of their ebony

sius, Claudius, Cornelius, Equitius, Fabius, Flav-

esh with gold rings, chains, bracelets, piercings,

ius, Galerius, Gratius, Licinius, Marius, Mod-

and other ornaments.

ius,

Nautius,

Numerius,

Octavius,

Petronius,

Pontius, Salonius, Sertorius, Titurius, Valerius,

they

The Kukuana love to aunt their vast

Religion:

Though

hardly

religious,

the

Kukuana occasionally make sacrices to appease

26

CHAPTER 5.

capricious earth demons,

whose tremors and

earthquakes bring ruin to their prized gold mines.

Culture:

The Kukuana are almost entirely

Decadent. The expendable slaves who toil in the mines are generally Savage or Nomadic in origin, while their overseersslaves themselves tend to be Civilized.

Names:

(male) Ganza, Gatera, Hitimana,

Kamanzi, Mugabo, Mukunzi, Ngoga, Rukundo, Shyaka, Turatsinze; (female) Giramata, Girinka, Gisa, Isaro, Kabatesi, Keza, Kirezi, Kundwa, Mpore, Nkunzi, Sa, Umubyeyi, Umulisa, Umutoni, Uwase.

Milezians The Milezian peninsula is a temperate land of plenty, fed by bountiful grain elds and orchards amid the rolling hills, where merchant-princes rule over cosmopolitan city-statesTartezo and Carcoza being the most powerful among them. Music rings in the colourful streets and markets, while thugs and thieves prowl the slums and alleys.

Appearance:

Milezians favour extravagant

and colourful attire, especially the wealthy folk who follow the latest and silliest fashions. They are a diverse people; folk from far o lands are a regular sight in the bustling streets.

Religion:

The Milezians have few gods of

their own, but tolerate the temples of foreign gods to be built in their cities.

Culture:

Milezians are a passionate people,

fond of music, dancing, and swordplay.

They

are usually Civilized, but a sizeable and increasing proportion of their upper classes has become Decadent.

Names:

Johan,

(male) Alonso, Armando, Cipriano,

Luciano,

Vincenzo,

Salvatore,

Sergio,

Vaasco; (female) Angelita, Celestina, Concetta,

A Milezian thief.

CULTURES

27

Encarna, Giovanna, Margerita.

Appearance:

Typically olive-skinned, with

thick and curly hair, Mineans favour loose tunics and togas.

Religion:

Marble-pillared

temples

to

the

many Minean gods are ubiquitous in the Land of the Three Cities. Kronos, the lord of time, is the most widely worshipped, though each state often favours its own patron. In Argos, the ckle sea god Proteus is honoured above all others, and appeased with drowned sacrices.

Culture:

Mineans

are

mostly

Civilized,

though some cities are inhabited by more Decadent individuals.

Names:

(male) Agathon, Androkles, Azeus,

Demetrios,

Diokles,

Herodes,

Hippolytos,

Kallias, Kyros, Leonidas, Nikomachos, Platon, Pyrrhos, Solon, Theokles, Theron, Tychon, Xanthos; (female) Alexandra, Ambrosia, Aphrodisia, Aristomache, Demetria, Eutropia, Galene, Hypatia, Kallisto, Kassandra, Kleopatra, Melitta, Phoibe, Sappho, Theodosia, Zenobia.

Muans Also known as the kingdom of tombs, Mu is an ancient desert empire built upon the shores of the river Styx, which winds like a black serpent

A Minean hoplite.

through the arid Red Wastes.

Exotic cities of

mud-brick and stone line its fertile shores. Free Muans and slaves alike toil in the blazing sun to build temples and pyramids in hon-

Mineans

our of Isis, the divine empress of Mu, who has

Mineans hail from the Land of the Three Cities,

reigned since the dawn of manif her priests are

a hilly coastal country contested by a triad

to be believed. It is said that Isis stands nearly

of rival states:

eight feet tall and is an exotic beauty, despite her

Argos with its navel prowess,

Machimos with its warrior culture and bronzearmored hoplites, and Thera with its ancient island fortresses.

Scattered across the mainland

and the isles of the Inner Sea are smaller Minean states, which are often forced into paying tribute.

spindly, almost spider-like gure. Isis rarely speaks or appears in public; her commands are delivered and executed by her priesthood.

Appearance:

Muans are typically slender,

28

CHAPTER 5.

CULTURES

with black hair, dusky skin, and straight features.

Most people wear little or no clothing

in the hot climate.

Noble men often grow nar-

row plaited beards, while women paint their bodies with henna. Make-up, especially around the eyes, is fashionable for both men and women of all classes.

Religion:

The aristocratic priesthood of Isis

is second only to the goddess herself in power, and is both feared and respected by the common people.

The empress is worshipped almost ex-

clusively in Mu; the names of half-forgotten gods who now dwell among the stars are rarely spoken. However, it is said that some Muan cultists still secretly worship the half-bestial gods of Kush, who have since been banished from Mu.

Culture:

Children of an old culture steeped

deeply in sorcerous mysteries, Muans are a mixture of Civilized and Decadent people. Commoners lean toward the former, and the priests toward the latter.

Names:

Muan

names

are

usually

com-

pounded of several meaningful syllables, such as: Ak, Amon, Ankh, Cris, Mek, Mes, Merkri, Mun,

Figure 5.1:

Nafer, Nut, Phon, Ra, Ri, Thoth, and Tut. Some

common

Ctesphon,

examples:

Imhotep,

(male)

Kamoses,

Bakt,

Kutamun,

Menes, Setankmek, Thoth-Amon, Thothmekri, Thugra-Khotan,

Thutmekri,

Thutothmes,

Tothmekri, Totrasmek, Tutankhamun; (female) Akivasha,

Ankhesenamun,

Enehy,

A Thulan shieldmaiden.

Hebeny,

Imiu, Isetnophret, Kiya, Miw-Sher, Nefertari, Netikerty, Sadeh, Thalis, Yunet.

on by some long-forgotten blood-feud. Only during the summer season do the Thulans cease their tribal bickering, while they rape and pillage coastal lands across the Frozen Sea, packing their dragonships with slaves and loot to trade in southern ports.

Appearance:

Clad in wolf-skin cloaks, mail

Thulans

shirts, and horned helmets, the northern barbar-

These northern barbarians dwell at the edge of

blue eyes, gold or copper hair, and of course:

the world: upon the frozen wastes of Thule. The

their giant stature. Some say that they are in-

snows of their homeland are stained red by the

deed the children of titans from a more primal

endless wars of the Æsir and Vanir tribes, spurred

age.

ians are famed for their icy-white skin, glacier-

29

Religion:

Thulans venerate their ancestors,

who dwell in the sacred halls of Valhalla. Only warriors who die a glorious death in battle may pass through the gates; those claimed by sickness or old age are doomed to wander the icy wastes for eternity. The northmen keep no gods; it is said that they once worshipped Ymir, who crafted their race from re and ice, but the barbarians slew their creator and scattered his bones.

Culture:

Thulans are a warrior race, as Sav-

age as the land that bred them; their axes drink blood by day and their longhouses echo with drunken revelry by night.

Names:

Gorm,

(male) Bork, Bragi, Eirik, Fafhrd,

Grimnir,

Gunnar,

Haimdul,

Hengist,

Herd, Hialmar, Hodur, Hogni, Lodur, Njord, Ralf,

Skuld,

Snorri,

Thoradin,

Thorgrim,

Wulfhere; (female) Erda, Eyra, Frigga, Fulla, Geon,

Gersemi,

Hlin,

Hnoss,

Iduna,

Lofn,

Nanna, Nerthus, Nott, Ran, Saga, Sif, Sigyn.

Túatha Upon the misty island of Avalon in the northern seas, mighty witch-queens rule over the tattooed barbarians known as the Túatha.

The gloomy

Figure 5.2:

Woad warriors of the Túatha.

forests and hills of Avalon are said to be haunted by ancient spirits long-forgotten in more civilized

the matriarchal rule of the witches, and now wor-

lands.

ship the worm lord Crom, and other abominable

Appearance:

Famous for their geometric tat-

toos and war paint of blue woad, the Túatha are

skyclad

gods.

Culture:

The Túatha are almost entirely Sav-

a pale-skinned, emerald-eyed, and ery-haired

age, though the witches that rule over them are

people.

often Decadent, and occasionally Civilized.

Though some warriors ght

,

both men and women usually wear tartan kilts that proudly display their clan colours.

Religion:

Served by witch-priestesses, the

Names:

wyr,

Bran,

Cainneach,

(male) Aodh, Bres,

Cei,

Cathbad,

Art,

Cadarn, Caw,

Barach,

Bed-

Cador,

Cael,

Comgall,

Conan,

Triple Goddess Danu is the supreme deity of

Crimthann, Crug, Culhwch, Cullen, Daere, Dun-

Avalon; men are forbidden from learning her ar-

dan,

cane secrets. Some Túatha have rebelled against

Laeg, Madog, Naf, Osdan, Ragall, Roch, Roth,

Doon,

Edern,

Fionn,

Gann,

Gundan,

30

CHAPTER 5.

CULTURES

harem girls entertain lecherous sultans. However, many Yorabi tribes still cling to the nomadic ways of their ancestors, and ride their camels from oasis to oasis amid the dunes.

Appearance:

The

Yorabi

are

typically

swarthy-skinned, black-haired, and hawk-nosed. Men often wear turbans and grow long bushy beards, while women usually dress in robes and veils.

Religion:

Greatest among the deities of Al-

Yorab is Manah, the moon-goddess of destiny.

djinn

However, nomadic tribesmen often pay tribute to the elemental spirits known as sinister god Yaghuth.

Culture:

, or the

City-dwelling Yorabi are mostly

Civilized, though a growing portion of the upper class is becoming Decadent. Many Nomadic Yorabi tribes still wander the sand dunes, and prey upon merchants and travellers.

Names:

(male) Ali,

Abdul,

Aziz,

Baraq,

Fahim, Hasan, Iskandar, Jalal, Jafar, Khalid, Mansur, Mustafa, Nasr, Qasim, Rasul, Shad, Yusuf; (female) Aliyah, Amirah, Farah, Israh, Jamilah, Lamiah, Nadiyyah, Raqah, Samirah,

Yorabi nomads.

Shakirah.

Sláine, Usnach; (female) Aluine, Catha, Credhe, Crimora,

Dalny,

Deirdre,

Fea,

Fionna,

La,

Macha, Medb, Megrim, Nemon, Nest, Niamh, Oithonna, Olwen, Sabra, Sheela.

Yorabi The Yorabi are renowned as master craftsmen, shrewd merchants, and cunning thieves. Rising from humble nomadic roots, they have established a wealthy civilization in the arid land of Al-Yorab. Sparkling minarets and domes dominate their desert cities, where merchants peddle slaves and spices from distant lands, and exotic

Chapter 6

Religions Danu

The Triple Goddess of Avalon Amid the monolithic stone circles of Avalon, witches lead the Túatha in human sacrices and ritual orgies in honour of Danu, whose three aspectsMaiden, Mother, and Croneembody life, fertility, and death. Among the many lesser spirits is her consort Cernunnos: the Horned God of beasts.

Ishtar

The Whore of Eden A goddess of fertility and debauched pleasure, Ishtar is the most popular divinity in the land of Eden.

The goddess is served by temple pros-

titutes, who fornicate with worshippers in exchange for donations. In Eden, the world's oldest profession is a highly respected one.

Isis

The God-Empress of Mu

The living goddess Isis, empress of Mu

31

32

CHAPTER 6.

RELIGIONS

The Empress Isis is worshipped as a living goddess by the Muans.

Her priests claim that Isis

is the mother of all the gods and man alike; when the other divinites returned to the stars, she stayed behind to rule over her earthly creations. The divine children of Isisknown only by half-forgotten names such as Atum, Nit, and Ptahare rarely mentioned; Some heretics and foreigners whisper that Isis is no goddess, but rather the last of an ancient race of sorcerous beings, or even a serpentwoman in disguise.

Jul-Juggah

The Devil-Bird of Azimba The sweltering plains of Azimba are dotted with hundreds of monstrous statues of lizard-birds. Whether these grim egies were crafted by an older civilization, or placed there more recently by the feather-cloaked shamans of Jul-Juggah, is not known.

Kronos

Figure 6.1:

A shaman of Cernunnos.

The Titan of Time Minean legends say that Kronos vanquished the Old Serpent who once ruled the cosmos. Giant bronze statues of the time god, with sickle in one hand and the other outstretched for oerings, are a common sight in the Land of the Three Cities.

Most worshippers leave grain, though

some desperate souls burn newborn infants upon

Said to dwell upon the moon, the goddess of fate is the most widely worshipped of the Yorabi deities. Each year, faithful pilgrims from all corners of Al-Yorab ock to the holy Moon Stonea strange boulder said to have fallen from Manah's lunar abode.

the blackened palm of Kronos.

Manah

The Goddess of Fate

The assassin-cultists of the Red Moon are Manah's most fanatical followers.

They slay

those who would defy fate, and claim to be guided by the goddess herself.

33

Mithras

Depicted as a ve-headed dragon, Tiamat is said

The Sun God of Ilium

to be the mother of all the gods and demons; she gave birth to the universe so that she could have

The lord of light, order, and civilization, Mithras is the inconquerable sun god of Ilium,

who

stands in opposition to a nameless archdemon of manifest darkness and chaos. His fervent sunworshippers reject all other divinities, dismissing them as nothing but powerless idols, or worse: demonic enemies of Mithras.

the pleasure of destroying it herself. Edenites appease Tiamat with sacrices in hopes of staving o the apocalypse, though some mad cultists secretly strive to rouse the Dragon-Queen from her ageless slumber beneath the seas.

Yaghuth

The Ancient One, the Sleeper Beneath the Sands

Moloch

The Brazen God of Zhaol

Some say that Yaghuth dwells in the black gulfs between the stars, others that he sleeps in a sealed and forbidden tomb beneath the desert

Abominable are the brass idols of Moloch, the re-god of Zhaol, and even worse are the rites of the priesthood, which include the burning of infants as sacrice.

The priests of Zhaol accept

no other god than their own, and worship of other gods is strictly forbidden and punishable by death.

Moloch is sometimes depicted as a

bull, or a bull-headed humanoid.

Proteus

The Sea King of Argos Proteus is a ckle and vengeful god:

his mon-

strous sons prey upon ships and coastal villages, and his daughters lure sailors to their deaths; it is said that entire civilizations have been doomed for slighting him. Minean sailors, especially Argosseans, often attempt to appease the Sea King with drowned sacrices.

Tiamat

The Primordial Chaos Monster of Eden

sand. Yaghuth is one of the Old Gods. The nomads hear his voice in the howling of the desert winds, and they see his face in the rage of sandstorms. He is the emptiness of the desert, associated with getting lost, with thirst and hunger, with darkness, and with sandstorms.