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Credits

Design: Thomas M. Kane

Project Coordination and Graphic Design: John Nephew

Editing: Darin “Woody” Eblom

Editorial Assistance: Zara Lasater, John Nephew

Cover Art: Janet Aulisio

Interior Art: Brian Chesney, Eric Hotz

Cartography: Chris McDonough

Layout: Nicole Lindroos, John Nephew

DIGITAL EDITION v.1.0 PRODUCT NUMBER AG3040PDF • JUNE 2003

CHARTING NEW REALMS OF IMAGINATION and Atlas Games are trademarks of John A. Nephew. ARS MAGICA and MYTHIC EUROPE are trademarksof Trident, Inc. d/b/a Atlas Games; they and related trademarks and copyrighted material, are used under license. This is a work of fiction; any resemblance toactual persons or events is purely coincidental.

Copyright ©1991, 2003 John A. Nephew. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this work by any means without written permission of the publisher, except smallexcerpts for the purpose of reviews, is expressly prohibited.

PO Box 131233Roseville, MN 55113

E-mail: info@atlas-games.comhttp://www.atlas-games.com

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Table of ContentsTIME AND LOCATION......................................................5THE RING OF FIRE ......................................................12DIS .........................................................................................17NIOBIA ................................................................................22KERAIT................................................................................30MO-MO KEU-KEU LAND .........................................38THE CHRONICLES .........................................................47BESTIARY ...........................................................................53Buffalo (Water) ...........................................................53Crocodile .....................................................................53Elephant ......................................................................53Fire Elemental ...........................................................53Jackal ...........................................................................54Kor-Ny-Kor, Dragon of the Physon........................54Loshandar ...................................................................54Loshandar’s Spawn ...................................................58Rhinoceros ..................................................................60Salamander .................................................................60Serpent.........................................................................60Sphinxes ......................................................................60Totem Beasts ...............................................................61Verdant Dreamer .......................................................61

MAGICAL TRADITIONS................................................63Colossi Magic..............................................................66The Order of Juno .....................................................74Niobian Spellcasting.................................................75

STORIES SOUTH OF THE SUN .................................79AKEEM’S CRUSADE .......................................................81Conclusion ..................................................................94

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ChapterOne

IntroductionI am the Emperor Prester John and Iexceed in riches, virtue and power allcreatures who dwell under heaven. Sev-enty-two kings pay tribute to me. I am adevout Christian and everywhere protectthe Christians of the empire, nourishingthem with alms… If you can count thestars of the sky and the sands of the sea,you will be able to judge thereby the vast-ness of our realm and our power.

— Letter from the Good Prester John tothe Emperor of Byzantium, late Twelfth

Century A.D.

Early in the twelfth century, Europe receivedreports of a vast, Christian empire beyond theknown world. In 1145, Bishop Hugh of Jabala(Syria) officially confirmed the stories in his reportto the Pope. Bishop Hugh identified the ruler ofthis empire as one Prester John, a figure of suchmagnificence that he could afford a scepter of solidemerald. Following that, dozens of explorers anddiplomats produced reports from the lands ofPrester John.

Then the Emperor of Byzantium received anactual letter from the hand of Prester John. Johnexpressed his interest in joining a Crusade. Healso described his land in terms which soon be-came known throughout Europe. “My lands reachtoward the rising place of the sun. Honey flows inmy land and milk everywhere abounds. In one ofour territories no poison can do harm and no noisyfrog croaks, no scorpions are there and no serpentscreep through the grass… In one of the heathenprovinces flows a river called the Physon, which,

emerging from Paradise, winds and wandersthrough the entire province; and in it are foundemeralds, sapphires, carbuncles, topazes, chryso-lites, onyxes, sardonyxes and many other preciousstones.”

Popes sent missionaries and kings sentambassadors to the lands of this John. The ex-plorer John of Plano Carpini, a Franciscan monk,traveled into the lands of the Mongols, and re-ported the existence of John’s empire. FriarOdoric of Pordenone actually visited the mysteri-ous empire, although he reported that John hadexaggerated the tales of his wealth. Roughly 150years later, Marco Polo wrote that the empire ofPrester John had fallen to Ghengis Khan.

The legend of Prester John is real. TheEmpire of Prester John was not. Nevertheless,John played a significant role in the tales and eventhe military strategy of the Middle Ages. In thegame Ars Magica™, which is based on thepremise that medieval mythology was actuallycorrect, the empire of Good Prester John certainlyexisted. And it has much to offer for magi.

This sourcebook describes the Golden EmpireSouth of the Sun for whatever sort of Saga youprefer. Storyguides could base an entire Saga inthese lands. A Storyguide could also use theselands once, as an exotic setting for a single quest.Between those extremes, European magi couldfind many things to interest them in the landsSouth of the Sun. This book presents three cul-tures, each with its own political significance andtraditions of magic. These new traditions mayhave lore to offer the followers of Hermes. Fur-thermore, according to precedent, the Order ofHermes must either absorb foreign magi or destroythem.

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Time andLocation

This sourcebook takes place in the earlythirteenth century, a period commonly used in ArsMagica™ sagas. If your saga involves anotherperiod, you should have little difficulty adapting it.The most up-to-date medieval maps placed PresterJohn’s empire in a continent of its own south ofEthiopia. However, the geographical position ofJohn’s empire provoked considerable debate.

Bishop Hugh placed John “in the extremeOrient, beyond Persia and Armenia.” The Bishop’sstatement may have had more to do with politicsthan geography. At the time, Bishop Hugh waspromoting a new crusade. He hoped that news ofan undiscovered Christian empire would encour-age Europe’s reluctant kings to drive east. There-fore, he placed John’s empire in the position whereit could offer the greatest advantage to Crusadersagainst the Saracen.

Explorers who visited the East had greatdifficulty finding Prester John. The scholars ofEurope, who had begun to rediscover skepticism,soon doubted the Bishop’s statements. In 1459,the Venetian monk Fra Mauro produced a modernmap incorporating the latest discoveries of MarcoPolo and others. It put Prester John in his properplace — Africa.

The new location for Prester John explainedmany things. It revealed why, despite John’sambition, he had never sent troops to a Crusade.It added credibility to John’s claim that his empireabutted Paradise. It also showed why few explor-ers had actually visited John’s land. Fra Mauro’smap placed Prester John well south of the Equa-tor, and therefore beyond the fiery band where thesea boils in the heat of the sun. Only the mostintrepid traveller could pass this scalding zone.

This sourcebook accepts Fra Mauro’s place-ment of the Empire but alters the circumstances.Prester John’s Empire exists on a continent of itsown, where the legends and folk-warnings abouthis land are all true. The “real-world” Africa mayalso exist.

If your troupe prefers to place Prester John inthe Orient, there is no reason why you cannot.You may need to rotate the maps of John’s land,putting North to the West, South to the East andso on. That way, the Ring of Fire still separates

Europeans from Prester Johnand other geographical relation-ships remain the same. John’s

empire could also appear on an island across theAtlantic, in the distant north, or on the Antipodes,the “upside-down” half of the world. Medievalmaps located mythological lands in all of theseplaces.

A note on terms: “The Golden Empire” refersto all lands south of the Ring of Fire. This isdifferent from “Prester John’s Empire” whichencompasses only the coastal nation of Kerait.Although the Niobians and Colossi of Dis pledgeloyalty to John, they manage their own affairs.Furthermore, no ruler truly governs the Mo-Mowilderness.

Game AtmosphereThe legends of the Golden Empire spring from

traveller’s tales and a longing for the innocentgrandeur of antiquity. Stories of Prester John takeinspiration from the Pashas and the Khans, thebeasts of Africa and the golden temples of theHindus. The ambience of these myths recalls thatof Rome, or perhaps cities far older, built in Egyptand Mesopotamia when kings erected the firstmonuments to their newborn empires. To evokethis atmosphere in Ars Magica™, the Storyguidemust give players a lavish dose of wonder. TheEmpire of Prester John offers a world more flam-boyant than the baronies of feudal Europe.

John’s Empire contains a wealth of magic andsuperstition. Unlike the Order of Hermes, thewizardly societies of the Golden Empire have notall gone underground. Furthermore, the preva-lence of pagan religions makes common people farmore tolerant about the Unknown. These facts, ofcourse, inspire European magi to investigate thelands South of the Sun.

As Storyguide, you must give special care tothe handling of magic in a Golden Empire tale.Exotic superstitions and the flagrant practice ofsorcery help define the exotic flavor of storiesSouth of the Sun. This need not compromise therealism of the Ars Magica™ game. Medievalfolklore takes it for granted that bizarre thingslurk beyond the known world and it seems inevi-table that the Order of Hermes should encounterthem.

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The following two principlesshould help Storyguides intro-duce new magic to the Saga. First, remember thatsuperstition and magic are inexact sciences, andalthough the characters may hear of or evenwitness stupendous enchantments, they willseldom be able to duplicate it in more familiarsettings. Second, introduce some realistic detailson the way this sorcery affects the magi and theirsociety. Can the magi cope with non-Hermeticsorceries? Might magi find the tolerance of sorcerya downright annoyance, as public sophisticationabout magic strips wizards of their mystique?

OverviewSouth of the Sun consists of seven chapters on

the culture and magic of John’s Empire. ChapterTwo covers the environments and peoples of thisrealm, from cultured, corrupt Dis to the Jungles ofthe Horn. Chapter Three covers the history ofthese lands. The fourth chapter provides gamedetails on specific beasts. Chapter Five providesfull game details on the new magical traditionspracticed South of the Sun. Chapter Six suggestsstories and scenarios. It presents the seeds formany tales. Finally, Chapter Seven features thecomplete story, Devil’s March, in which magipursue an army into the lands South of the Sun.

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This chapter describes the places and peoples ofPrester John’s empire and the lands around. Thefirst sections provide the racial and culturalinformation which affect life throughout theEmpire. After that, sections cover specific prov-inces and their natives.

Throughout this chapter, we provide sampledescriptions of people, creatures, and story possi-bilities. Storyguides may use this material asinspiration for creations of their own.

ClimateA desert of unearthly heat runs along the

northern borders of the Golden Empire. South ofthat, the temperature drops rapidly, until itreaches a more comfortable climate, similar toGreece or northern Africa. Temperatures seldomexceed 100 degrees F, although neither winter noraltitude tempers the continual warmth. Parchedgrasslands dominate the North, while thick forestsexist in the cooler, wetter southern extremes.

The prevailing winds blow from the southeastin this continent of the Horse Latitudes. As moistsea air rises over the land, heavy rains fall, creat-ing fertile cropland from the Rain Coast to theGray Hills. Cyclones also blow in from the sea.Therefore, most natives build from light materials,easily destroyed and easily rebuilt. Monsoon rainsfall in the summer, centered over the KerassaRiver. However, these storms do not rival theircousins in India and elsewhere.

The mountains tend to squeeze moisture fromthe air, creating marshes on their windward sidesand deserts to the west. When the conditionsbecome appropriate in the Dis Hills, a chinookwind courses down into the Keu-Keu Veldt. This

Breath of Dis arrives like a blast from a furnace.Veldt tribesmen whisper that it can burn awayone’s soul.

The PeoplesThree distinct cultures developed in the lands

South of the Sun. They include the Colossi of Dis,the Golden Tribes of the eastern coast and the Mo-Mo Keu-Keu tribes of the wildernesses. A fourthpeople, the Niobians, now control part of the north,but they come from the ruined city of Carthage,and are not natives of these lands.

Giants inhabit the hills of Dis. These people,the Colossi, grow to an average height of sevenfeet. They have bronze skin, almond-shaped eyes,and a variety of hair colorations. Of all the cul-tures in the Golden Empire, the Colossi have thelongest tradition of cities and civilization.

The Golden and Mo-Mo tribes have the samegenetic origins. Both have black skin, curly darkhair and an average height of 5' 8". In earlyhistory, the two peoples shared a common cultureas well, but the differences in their environmentled them along separate paths. The Golden Tribesadopted farming and town-building along thefertile eastern coast. Mo-Mo tribesmen live in theinterior jungles and savannah, where their primi-tive customs serve as well as they did ten thousandyears ago.

The Tribal TraditionIn primitive times, all peoples South of the

Sun employed a similar tribal system. Althoughmuch of Kerait abandoned these customs, the

ChapterTwo

The LandsSouth of the Sun

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tribal way of life shapes societyand politics throughout theGolden Empire. The Colossi of Dis believe theyhave left this system behind them. Prester Johnstruggles to excise the pernicious customs of triballife, while many of his people labor to retain thetraditions they revere. The Mo-Mo Keu-Keupeople still follow these traditions as they didmillenia ago.

Traditional society divides people into tribes.Each tribe contains from several score to manythousand members. The people of every tribe havea recognized occupation, such as hunting, fishing,gathering or healing. Most also have a specializedterritory in which to practice their occupation,although two tribes can share the same region, aslong as they use it for different things. Somepeoples wander, going wherever their professiontakes them. The development of specializedcraftsman professions has led to scattered tribes,such as the Smiths, who have a few members inevery village but no country of their own.

A king rules the affairs of each tribe. How-ever, each king follows philosophies and policieschosen by a Council of Elders. This Council makesits decisions in secret meetings, using an informalblend of consensus and majority rule. Nobody,least of all the king, dares to oppose the Council,for to contradict an elder is to invite disaster uponthe tribe.

The king inherits his position by being themost direct descendant of a tribe’s founding family.Seats on the Council of Elders go to the mostaccomplished followers of the tribe’s chosen occu-pation. In a hunting tribe, for example, the elderswould be those known for their spectacular kills.Among cloth-makers, the weavers who producetrue masterpieces would sit in council. Kings arealmost always male, but both men and women canwin spots in the Council.

Tribes have a long tradition of settling dis-putes with raids. A slighted people may restore itshonor with a foray, and the booty captured servesas ample restitution for real or imagined wrongs.When fought over mere matters of principle,battles usually stop short of killing. However,tribes also clash over more concrete issues. Thesestruggles often lead to mass slaughter and pro-longed conflicts. Powerful tribes maintain stand-ing armies of hundreds. The kings of such peoplesvalue experts on tactics, logistics and war.

All tribes recognize thelegitimacy of slavery. Slaves

come from people defeated in war, or from the rarefamilies unlucky enough to lack any tribal affilia-tion. The engineers and farmers of the GoldenEmpire depend on armies of thralls for theirprojects. Mo-Mo tribes, however, usually find itimpractical to keep slaves for any length of time.These primitive peoples sometimes buy or captureslaves for specific tasks, but then they set theircaptives free.

The FamilyIn traditional society, a tribesman owes

loyalty first to the tribe and second to the family.People form households of a husband and one ormore wives, along with assorted grandparents orunmarried relatives. Parents propagate pride inthe family heritage by serving as their offspring’steachers. Grandparents, however, traditionallyteach communal virtues and care for all thechildren of the tribe indiscriminately.

ReligionIn antiquity, the Golden Empire knew few

great conflicts of religion. This atmosphere oftolerance changed, not with the coming of Christi-anity, but with the coming of the Roman goddessJuno and her Carthaginian followers who foundedNiobia. Juno represented the luck of the Niobians,the one thing which saved them from Rome. Tooffend her was to risk destroying that luck. Fortu-nately, the worshipers of Juno had no objection tothe worship of other gods as well, and the people ofthe tribes saw no need to force their own waysupon Niobia. However, the introduction of Christi-anity and monotheism insured religious friction.When Prester John made Christianity a foundingprincipal of his Empire, he made holy war almostcertain.

The tribes traditionally followed a quasi-religion taught by shamans called the Dreamers,people who have the gift of acting consciously inthe world of sleep. While dreaming, they discovergods suitable for their people. Dreamers thenconsult these gods about proper rituals of worshipand invocation.

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People respect and fearDreamers, both because theseshamans have powers of theirown, and because they can talk to the spirits whichinhabit every corner of the world. People do notconsider them sacred or inviolable, but gifted withan eerie talent that gives them a special affinityfor the supernatural.

Dreamers can use their power for either goodor evil. Tribes do not hesitate to punish those whocommit crimes by Dreaming. Of course, no fool-proof methods exist for determining whether adisease or natural disaster has its origins in magic.Therefore, Dreamers may suffer witch-hunts andpersecution, just as in Europe.

The Colossi know no gods, or perhaps theybelieve that they themselves are the gods. Lords ofDis certainly portray themselves as divine to themore primitive peoples they encounter, offeringtheir learning and innovations as “miracles” andasking for tribute in return. The deep respecttribes have for the Colossi resembled a religion inthe ancient history of the empire. However,today’s Golden People have lost much of theircredulity, and know quite well that the people ofDis are simply oversized mortals.

With Christianity, the Golden Empire discov-ered a heady new brand of religion. Christianityoffers a God which transcends tribes and regions,which everyone can worship and which encom-passes an entire philosophy of life. The universalnature of Christianity makes it a powerful socialas well as religious force. Indeed, it is theintertribal appeal of the Faith that enabled PresterJohn to found his Empire.

Missionaries came to the Golden People earlyin the history of the Faith and none have sincecrossed the Ring of Fire. Therefore, the GoldenPeople follow a primitive, pure vision of the Gos-pels. Their reactions to the festering hypocrisy ofthe European Church could lead to a passionateclash of moralities. If nothing else, it might serveto extinguish Rome’s interest in sponsoring voy-ages to the lands of Prester John.

LanguageThe folk South of the Sun do not speak

French, German, or any other Western tongue.Magi and companions from the typical Ars Magica

game may have trouble speakingwith the people of these lands.When explorers first arrive in

John’s empire, their attempts at communicationcan lead to some interesting role-playing and storytwists.

As Storyguide, you have some discretion overhow difficult to make communication. Once magiestablish enduring contacts with these people, theymay find more efficient ways to speak. Peoplefrom each culture may learn the language of theother. Latin, Greek and the Phoenician dialects ofCarthage already exist in the Golden Empire,thanks to earlier contacts with the north.

The Colossi of Dis speak a language calledAstha. It resembles the harsher Arabic andCanaanite tongues. Words contain many syllablesand harsh vocalizations. Scholars among theColossi learn Greek or Latin in order to readcertain classical works which have come South ofthe Sun. Greek and Latin words have also spreadinto the Colossi lexicon, inspiring, among otherthings, the word “Colossi” itself.

Members of the Golden People speak a tonguecalled Khili. Khili also serves as a trade languagefor the entire region. This language, like Astha,uses many syllables and long words. However,Khili is a smoother, more musical language, givento “s,” and “r” sounds. Christians in the GoldenTribes often give their children Biblical names,which means that visitors from Europe will find atleast some of the atmosphere familiar.

Each tribe of the Mo-Mo Keu-Keu has its owntongue. Therefore, all tribes have at least a fewtraders and wise men who speak Khili. Nativetongues tend to use many short vocalizations, oftenincluding trills and grunts not recognizable aswords. Legends say that some Mo-Mo tribesconverse in the tongues of beasts. However, onlythe most devout of tribal sorcerers can actuallycommunicate with creatures other than human-kind.

The Niobians still preserve their Phoeniciantongue of ancient times. Greek also persistsamong them. However, most find Khili moreuseful for everyday transactions, even within theirnative city. The typical Niobian learns manylanguages and dialects, due to the people’s longinterest in trade.

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Dress andPersonal Appearance

The civilized people South of the Sun, bothColossi and Golden, wear similar clothing. Theupper class dress in short kilts. Sometimes,dignataries wear nothing else; on other occasionsthey dress in robes or togas of many folds andsashes. Rich and poor alike make sandals out ofheavy grass. Men who work for a living wear asimple costume of tunic and trousers. People wearshort capes to indicate status or military rank.However, the climate makes heavy garmentslargely unnecessary.

Women of the Golden Empire wear tunics likethose of men. However, instead of trousers,females cover their legs with one or more looseskirts that hang from beneath the tunic-hem, eachslightly longer than the one above it. The series ofoverlapping skirts usually ends at knee-level, butnevertheless, these garments are hot and restric-tive. Women of high status prize clothes of thethinnest linen, valuing the fine cloth as much forits comfort as its beauty. Silk is unknown, but themerchant who introduced it would make hisfortune.

The Golden People do not hesitate to stripwhen indoors during intense heat, or when per-forming heavy labor. Nobody considers suchnakedness particularly lewd. However, vanity,sun and insects ensure that most people remainclothed at most times. Only slaves and paupersroutinely go about without any clothes at all.

The Mo-Mo Keu-Keu make clothes from grass,bark and skins. Both men and women wear loosevests and loincloths of these materials, oftendecorated with animal teeth or colorful stones.Kings wear the skins of lions, while tribal eldersidentify themselves with bright feathers. Thesepeople do have a taboo against nudity, grounded inthe belief that a person who discards the trappingsof humanity can forget his origins and become abeast.

As in many other parts of the world, women ofthe Golden Empire grow their hair long while mencrop theirs’ short. This applies among the Colossi,Golden and Mo-Mo people. The men of the Mo-Mo/Golden race have difficulty growing beards, exceptfor short mustaches which some of them favor.Colossi men, on the other hand, grow abundant

facial hair, and take pride in it.The Lords of Dis sculpt their

beards into rectangular blocks with even sides,which often reach their chests.

The people of Niobia do not dress entirelydifferently from the Golden People. They too weartunics, cloaks and trousers and their women haveadopted the style of layered skirts. However, theclothing of Niobia still resembles the dress ofCarthage in Roman times. Europeans who haveseen frescoes and mosaics from antiquity may findNiobian costumes familiar.

DietThe settled folk of the Golden Empire raise

wheat and grapes, millet, olives and fruits of manyvarieties. People use the grain to make a flatbread known as “heita.” They use the grapes tomake a cloudy wine. Mo-Mo tribes depend onwhat they can kill or gather. They know a widevariety of edible roots and desert plants, many ofwhich provide water in addition to food.

Calendar and FestivalsPeople throughout the Golden Empire use a

Calendar invented by the Colossi. Even theNiobians acknowledge its superiority. The Colossicalendar resembles the modern one, with 365 daysand a leap year. The Colossi subdivide this yearinto seven-day weeks, each of which carries thename of a star nearest the sun during the week inquestion. These stars, in turn, bear the names ofColossi heroes. The Colossi Calendar begins with452 B.C.

Each tribe celebrates days in honor of its owncraft or specialty. For farmers and hunters, thisday usually has some significance such as harvest,first planting or full moon. Tribes whose livelihoodhas less connection to the seasons observe theirholidays on the anniversary of great accomplish-ments in their art. Upon these holidays, peoplepresent friendly tribes with samples of their ownpeoples’ specialty. (Hunters give meat, weaverscloth, etc.) The journey to the neighboring triballands and the gift-giving itself are occasions forgreat festivity. Kings take great pride in thequantity of presents their people can give.

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Prester John instituted agreat Grand Fete to commemo-rate his rise to power. Thefestival takes place on June the 15th by theChristian calendar, the anniversary of the daywhen the Colossi offered John tribute. People dono work that day, by Imperial decree. PresterJohn pardons convicts during the Fete. The GrandFete features footraces and fencing-matches,archery contests, wrestling and riding.

Religious holidays tend to be secret andsporadic in the Golden Empire. The Colossi haveno such days. Mo-Mo Shamans often have theirown, private holidays to commemorate importantdreams. They spend these days in the wilderness,fasting and seeking to recall and continue thedream. However, they do not share such personaloccasions with the public. Indeed, many shamansuse elaborate ruses to keep anyone from knowingwhen their days of meditation take place.

The most significant religious holidays comefrom outside. Christians celebrate Easter with allthe passion shown in Europe. The Niobiansworship Juno at full moon, offering strands of hairupon her altars. Priestesses of Juno use thisoccasion to supplicate the goddess for spells.

Trade Goods and GearThe bazaars of Ushan and the Cormoran

contain everything one could desire. The Mo-Motribes consider even metal strange and priceless.With disparities like this, traders prosper in thelands South of the Sun. Even if visitors have littleinterest in commerce, the noisy, colorful market-places offer a chance to meet people and see sights,to mingle with the people and not be noticed.

Among themselves, the people trade nearlyevery commodity they consume. People buy andsell grain, linen, cattle, and worked iron. Euro-pean businessmen would take special note of themarkets in ivory, peppers, aloes, ginger, hides,Niobian steel, Mo-Mo honey and gems from theRiver Physon. Magi could find any number ofexotic or unknown herbs and spices in theirmarkets, many of which may have alchemicalapplications. Travellers who want gear canacquire most ordinary equipment.

No standard currencyexists in the lands South of theSun. The Mo-Mo, the Colossi

and the simpler folk of Kerait depend on barterand reciprocal tribute. Niobia, however, issues agold drachma in denominations based on weight.This coin bears an image of the Queen. PresterJohn wishes to introduce a similar coin in Kerait,with his own picture. However, trade in theGolden Empire usually takes place in polishedstones, which represent bushels of grain.

Despite their other prosperity, the GoldenPeople have few mounts. The people of Dis domes-ticate beasts of all types, but they have tamed noanimal reliable and common enough for riding.Farmers plough their fields with water buffalo,and trained horses are as rare as trained el-ephants. Therefore, people look on riders withawe. Anyone who gets a horse through the Ring ofFire can sell it for a fortune. In some lands,camels might be more precious yet.

Silk cloth would also seem miraculous to theGolden People, if anyone imported it.

The warriors of the Golden Empire usuallyfight with long spears and slings. Swords appearonly in areas with developed metal industries,such as Niobia and Dis. People use bows forhunting, but only a few far-sighted generalsemploy them extensively in war. Certain tribesuse ceremonial wooden maces, with furious facescarved upon the heads.

No warrior of the Golden People would fightwithout a wicker shield. These shields are oftenenormous, and function like the kite or towershields of the Ars Magica rules. People makearmor of carved wood as well, padding it withleather and rhinocerous hide. The elite gild theribs of such cuirasses. This has no effect on itsvalue as protection.

Carved Armor

Type Expense Protection LoadCuirass Stan 3 1.5Hauberk Stan 6 2.5Full Expn 10 4.5

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All folk know that the sun grows hotter in thesouth. At the edge of Prester John’s empire, thetemperatures exceed those at which mortals cannormally survive. The sun hangs a fiery red in acloudless sky. The sea seethes, and gives offsteam. At this point, all but the most committedexplorers turn back.

Few landmarks break this region. There isthe sea. There is the blasted land. Rivers come toan abrupt end where they meet the desert, steam-ing away in parched deltas. Some areas featurerolling dunes, while others contain crags of stone.Both sand and stone are a glittering black, like therocks cast up from hills of fire.

The Ring of Fire is a narrow geographicalfeature which experiences dramatic extremes ofheat. It runs across hills, seas and blasted plains.According to the original mythology, the Ring ofFire ran along the equator. Storyguides who wishto set Prester John’s empire in Africa should keepthis original concept intact. Those who locate Johnelsewhere in the world must modify the Ring ofFire accordingly. Simply stretch the band acrossJohn’s border wherever that happens to be. Themedieval mindset of Ars Magica can easily accom-modate such features as magic.

Common folk consider the Ring of Fire thework of Hell. The students of Hermes believe

The Ring of FireThe Mistress always talked to me as if

I were a magus. She told me about spellsand her theories, discoveries and secretbooks. And although I am a simple grogwith not a trace of magic in me, I alwaysfound her worth listening to. Perhaps thatis why she selected me alone to acompanyher to the lands of Prester John.

Mistress warned me in advance thatwe would cross the Ring of Fire. Shedescribed the Ring as a veritable inferno.Her tales did not do justice to the truth.The sun in those lands can boil the sea.We walked along the coast, and saw theocean white with bubbles. The burningsands blister one’s skin like irons. Sweatdries in an instant, leaving the skin, notcooled, but parched.

One drinks like a camel in the Ring. I,perhaps, would have saved our water, butthe Mistress knew no moderation in herdrinking. “Carry your water within you,”she said. To her credit, she made sure thatI drank an equal share. But nevertheless,by the first night, we had no water left atall.

The night was as cold as ice. The nextday was hotter than before. Rome’s Inqui-sition burns witches alive. It seemed theMistress had accepted that fate of her ownchoosing. The sun scorched our skin. Ifound myself howling with the pain. My

Mistress remained stoic and silent, al-though her burns looked crueller than myown.

By noon, both the Mistress and I wentblind. I cannot say what curse took us.Our eyes simply failed. We could notnavigate. We could not even see to findshade.

The Mistress and I walked hand inhand, to avoid losing one another. Herpalm felt hot and dry as a coal. As the daypassed, I felt her flesh dessicating againstmine. At that point, I concluded that bothof us would die.

I forced air through my swolen wind-pipe. Before I died, I told the Mistress thatI admired her, that I even loved her.

The Mistress laughed. And no moreever came of that.

I think sheer luck led us out of theRing. However, I cannot swear that it wasnot some enchantment of the Mistress. TheGolden Tribes offered us water and shelter.They bandaged our eyes until our sightreturned. A week later, we stood before thethrone of Prester John.

John sent us home laden with booksand treasures. The Mistress has spent fiveyears studying them. I, too, have retired,and married the prettiest girl in Fontaine.Her name is Marie and she is as docile andobedient as a wife can be. Her hands aresoft and smooth and delicate. But when Ilook at Marie, I think back to that otherwoman, twice my age, who laughed at mein the Ring of Fire. And I wonder.

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otherwise, calling the Ring ofFire a natural feature of thesouthern climate. Nevertheless,this tortured land holds a natural fascination fordiabolists, and perhaps for the devils they follow.Demons and their followers frequently appear inthe Ring of Fire and its outskirts.

These lands do not have permanent encoun-ters, or a fixed order of things. The fire-spirits whodwell in the Ring wander at will, travelling to thepoint which happens to be hottest, most en-chanted, or otherwise best attuned to their elemen-tal principles. Mortal creatures press throughthese realms as rapidly as possible. In short, thereis no sure way either to find or avoid this realm’sinhabitants. One must depend on luck in eithercase.

The Storyguide may wish to determine Ringof Fire encounters with a random table. Creaturesmay also take up temporary residence in a certainarea. Diabolists may erect an altar in the chasmleft by a dessicated river. The Storyguide may plota specific route for a ship bearing importanttravellers. However, in all these cases, there is noguarantee that matters will remain the same aweek, a month or a year from the specific episode.

Travellers In the RingNo mortal beings live in the Ring of Fire. The

wayfarer may encounter other travellers herethough, headed for a variety of locations. Sinceonly the boldest explorers can actually cross theRing, one tends to find such people on the northernor southern fringes of the region. The travellersone meets in the north generally come from Pales-tine, Egypt and other lands the characters know.In the south, one meets people from the lands ofPrester John.

European explorers often enter the Ringsearching for the Golden Empire. Ambassadorsfrom Prester John to the north come far lessfrequently, but still appear. Followers of the occultalso travel in the Ring. This land’s cruel terrainensures privacy for the followers of forbiddendiabolisms. Indeed, the horrors of the Ring of Firehold a symbolic delight for evil spirits, and manybelieve that demonic rites have heighted potencyhere. (If this rumor is true, it applies only incertain places or to specific, secret rituals).

The heathen tribes South of the Sun considerthe Ring of Fire a border of the earth, which

divides the physical world fromthe realm of ghosts and night-mares. Dreamer shamans often

choose to initiate themselves with a journey intothe Ring of Fire. Respected tribesmen may alsojourney into the Ring, seeking the solution to greatquestions of their tribes.

Prester John claims all lands south of theRing. His degree of control over them varieswidely, as will be seen.

Survival

The Ring of Fire threatens travellers in twoways. Its extreme heat can scorch victims like fire.Furthermore, those who survive the temperaturemay still perish from thirst. Unprepared wander-ers cannot survive the Ring. However, this area isnot absolutely impassable.

In the Ring of Fire, direct sunlight can searflesh. The sun causes +12 damage per combatturn to anyone who emerges into it with exposedskin. Those who cover everything except theirhands take only +3 damage, but suffer a -3 penaltyon all actions performed with the sunburnt handsuntil all damage heals. A person with an uncov-ered face (and nothing else) takes +6 damage andacquires a cherry-red complexion.

Sunlight also heats metal objects. Armorexposed to the sun inflicts Simple Die + ArmorProtection damage on anyone wearing it. Otherheated metal objects inflict +3 to +6 damage,depending on their size. Furthermore, prolongedexposure to the heat not only makes swords andarmor hard to handle, it weakens the metal. TheStoryguide should secretly roll a simple die eachday that a metal object spends in sunlight. On aroll of one, two or three, the object becomes brittleand will snap the next time anyone puts it understrain.

Fortunately, one can ward off the sun’s rays.A simple covering of white cloth prevents burns.Covered metal does not become hot.

Even those who escape scalding suffer fromthe heat. The high temperatures in the Ring ofFire cause long-term fatigue, and even a night’srest cannot restore this damage without plentifulwater. Anyone in the Ring must pass Fatigue rollswith an Ease Factor of 15 to avoid heat exhaus-tion. Those who spend days resting in the shademust pass one roll per day. Those who travelunder the sun must pass one roll per hour. Eachfailure causes one level of fatigue. Victims must

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drink a quart of water beyondtheir usual requirements in orderfor rest to restore these fatigue levels. After avictim drinks, a night’s rest restores all fatigue, asusual.

Warm garments add to the dangers of theheat. In addition to the Load value of armor(which always affects Fatigue rolls), armor causesa special penalty on rolls to avoid heat exhaustion.Cuirass armor causes a -2 penalty to rolls againstheat exhaustion. Hauberk armor causes a -4 andfull armor causes a -8. Anyone foolish enough towear clothing other than light robes suffers a -2 ormore to Heat Exhaustion rolls.

The sun of the Ring of Fire burns away itsvictims’ eyes. Reflected light from sea, sand andstone make it impossible to open one’s eyes with-out suffering the effects. Most insidious of all, onereceives little warning of this damage until it is toolate. Although the sun seems dazzling, it hardlylooks bright enough to do lasting harm. Modernscience would say that undetectable ultravioletrays cause far more retinal damage than visiblelight. Magi and their companions know only thatthe Ring of Fire robs them of sight without warn-ing.

When travellers enter the Ring of Fire, theStoryguide should merely inform them that theglare causes them a -2 on all rolls requiring vision.At this point, victims may believe that theirnormal sight will return as soon as they reachshade. Over the subsequent period, the visionpenalty increases by -1 each hour to a maximum of-10. However, victims must pass Per + Alertnessrolls with an Ease Factor of 9 to notice theirgradually fading vision. A battle or other test ofskills reveals the fact at once, as victims discovertheir penalties to be far higher than they remem-bered.

Victims of sun-blindness do not automaticallyrecover their sight. The sun-blindness penaltydecreases at a rate of one point per day spentoutside the Ring of Fire. Victims who rest theireyes in total darkness may regain extra points byrolling a stress die + Stm, attempting to surpassan Ease Factor of 10. If this roll succeeds, thevictim reduced the penalty by one point immedi-ately and may attempt another roll within onehour. On a simple failure, the victim reduces thepenalty by only one point that day. Victims whoroll a Botch discover that they have the image of ared sun burned permanently onto their retinas.This image causes a -1 on rolls involving visionforever.

Those who do not think ofusing darkness to treat sun-

blindness may come up with the idea by passingan Int + Medicine roll with an Ease Factor of 12.

Travellers should try to drink a quart of waterevery four hours of strenuous activity and everyeight hours of rest. Anyone who drinks less mustattempt a Stm roll each four or eight hour period.The Ease Factor equals 17 if the traveller has nowater whatsoever. Those who drink some waterbut less than they need make rolls with an EaseFactor of 10. Travellers who fail these Stm rollssuffer one level of long-term fatigue per failure.One cannot regain this fatigue without drinkingthe missed amount of water.

Anyone who falls unconscious from thefatigue caused by thirst must receive water soon ordie. Such victims live for a number of hours equalto simple die + Stm. The Storyguide may makethis roll in secret and not inform the charactershow much time remains.

All effects of the Ring of Fire apply as much toanimals as people. The typical horse or donkeyrequires four times as much water as a humanbeing. Camels can live for two weeks without foodor water, and may be the only beasts of burdenwhich one can feasably use in the Ring. Evencamels may lose their sight unless blindfolded andmust make Fatigue checks to avoid heat prostra-tion.

Sailors in the Ring of Fire suffer all thedangers of folk on land. Those who rest belowdecks during daylight need not fear blindness orburns, but do suffer a -1 penalty to rolls againstheat exhaustion, due to the stuffy air inside aship’s belly. Note also that smaller medievalvessels did not have proper decks with enclosedholds. Wayfarers may still use a sailcloth tent toward off the sun.

Anyone unlucky enough to fall into the boilingocean suffers +12 damage per six-second combatturn. In addition, those in the water suffer a -5penalty on all rolls to swim or float. Even some-body who can avoid damage from the heat suffers a-2 penalty in the boiling surf.

The boiling water causes vessels to bob androck upon the bubbles. A ship’s captain mustattempt a Boating + Dex roll with an Ease Factorof 8 once per day to avoid capsizing. Particularlylarge ships with heavy ballast deserve bonuses onthis roll. The Storyguide must decide when thiscondition applies.

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The heated water of thisarea flows toward cooler seas,creating an ocean current thatrepels ships from the Ring of Fire. Those unawareof this current find their ships mysteriously turnedaway from the Ring of Fire, as if by the protectionof Fate. A ship-captain who knows of the currentmay make headway into it at half a ship’s normalspeed, by passing a Boating + Dex roll with anEase Factor of 12. Once a vessel reaches themiddle of the ring, the current grabs the ship andpropels it outward. This usually-welcome effectallows a ship to travel at double its ordinary speedwhen leaving the Ring of Fire.

Characters of the Ring of Fire

Jacob Timaeus, Healer of the Ring

Age 28 Cnf 3 Enc 1

CharacteristicsInt +0 Str +2 Prs +1 Dex +0Per +2 Stm +3 Com +0 Qik +0

CombatAttack/Broadsword: 1st +5 —Atk +7—Dam +11Attack/Self Bow: Rate +2 — Atk +4 — Dam +8Defense/Hide Shield: +7Soak Total: +3Body Levels: OK/0/-1/-3/-5/Incap.Fatigue Total: 0Fatigue Levels: OK/0/-1/-3/-5/Unc.

Talents*Healer (Disease) +5*Magic Sensitivity (Spirit Magic) +2*Second Sight (While Concentrating) +3

(*) stands for Exceptional Talent throughout thistext.

SkillsBroadsword (Melee) +3Chirurgy (Wounds) +5Self Bow (Moving Target) +2Shield +3Survival (Desert) +8

KnowledgesArea Lore (Golden Empire) +4Area Lore (Ring of Fire) +4Medicine (Physicianry) +3

Speak (Ashtar) +2Speak (Khili) +4Speak (Latin) +1

Speak (Mo-Mo) +2

Personality TraitsBitter +1Proud +3

ReputationMysterious (Ring) +2

Description: a wizened man of 28, with hairbleached white by the sun. He wears a loose robe,but does not shield face or shoulders from the sun.Jacob Timaeus is perhaps the only mortal to livepermanently within the Ring of Fire itself. Onlythe travellers who visit the Ring have ever heardof him, but even those who recognize Jacob’s nameconsider him mysterious, and possibly a worship-per of demons.

Jacob Timaeus does not behave like a diabo-list. He has saved the lives of many travellers,healing wounds and guiding people out of theburning Ring. He knows a great deal both aboutthe Ring and the Golden Empire to the South, andoften gives useful advice. However, Jacob neverexplains his identity, or his motivations for dwell-ing in the Ring. Some have proposed that he is areligious hermit, but Jacob greets such proposi-tions with laughter.

Jacob Timaeus is actually Prince Adan, a sonof Prester John. This is not as rare as it mightseem, since John’s wives and concubines have bornseveral score of sons. However, John had specialhopes for Adan. When John saw that his promis-ing son loved luxury, he sent the boy into exile, totoughen him and give him the maturity a princerequires. This lesson tore him from his brothers,his mother and Dio, the shy tribal princess whomhe loved.

Perhaps John miscalculated. The princeunderstood exactly what his father intended, andthe experience made him strong, but bitter as well.Adan escaped from the caretakers his father sentto watch over him and hid. To escape from hisfather, he eventually went into the Ring of Fire.There, he enjoys the thought of his father search-ing for him in vain.

Jacob might have died in the Ring of Fire.However, the elementals elected to protect him.

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They considered Jacob a force forspreading flux within the empireof Prester John. The Elementals found Jacob acompanion spirit, which provides him with waterand sustenance.

The Prince did indeed learn to eschew com-forts. He lives in spartan hiding, refusing toacknowledge his heritage. The tales of holy meninspired Jacob to lead a life of helping strangersand healing wounds. The life of a wanderinghealer allows Jacob to nurse his grudges withoutdistraction. He takes a certain satisfaction inpushing the “lesson” of exile far beyond anythinghis father had in mind.

Jacob does not fool himself with the idea thathe is a saint. He became a hermit for selfishreasons, and knows it. Furthermore, he has cometo realize that few of the people he helps areinnocent, needy and worthy of succor. Mosttravellers in the Ring of Fire have tainted motives.The best of them seek gold and excitement. Othershave evil intentions toward Prester John or towardall humankind.

Jacob feels an enduring sympathy for theenemies and malcontents of the Golden Empire.Diabolists and bandits have won his aid by com-plaining of their persecution by John. Jacob hasplayed a crucial role in several great crimes ofrecent years. However, he helps bandits andrebels only with advice, shelter and healing, thesame things he offers to all travellers. Jacob willnot take up arms against his father.

The Mo-Mo tribesmen view Jacob as a mightyshaman. Their Dreamers prove themselves byspending days or weeks in the Ring of Fire, butJacob manages to live his life there. The Healerhas also saved several of their most honoredleaders, and the tribes thank him for that. IfJacob ever needed aid, the tribes would gladly helphim.

Role-playing Tips: Jacob gives himself littleintroduction. He simply appears from the sun’sglare, and asks travellers if they need healing or aguide. In most cases, he then provides what theyrequire and leaves. For rebels against PresterJohn, he offers water too. If rebels desire, he mayoffer to meet rebels at a particular time or place, tohelp them escape after committing some crimeagainst the Empire. Jacob shows some interest inhearing his guests’ history, but tells no tales of hisown.

Jacob’s Companion

A tiny salamander flits about Jacob’s headand shoulders, protecting him from the worst ofthe heat and occasionally granting him powers. Itcoils its cool body around the exposed parts of itsmaster and absorbs the sun which would otherwiseburn Jacob. It protects him (and only him) fromthe effects of the heat.

Jacob can call on the salamander to open abubbling spring from the sands. This requires himto pass a Stress roll with an Ease Factor equal totriple the number of gallons he requires. Even ifJacob could pass the roll, he could never call formore than 30 gallons. On a Botch, the watercontains a tasteless salt which makes its victimsmore thirsty than ever. Anyone who drinks thissubstance must then consume an equal amount offresh water simply to neutralize it before gainingany other benefits from drinking.

Soul Companions can demand some sort ofpayment for their services. Jacob’s spirit hasnever asked for a thing. Since Jacob knowsnothing about magic, he does not realize thedanger. However, should the elementals of theRing ever have a use for him, he would have to dowhatever they asked.

Jacob’s Soul Companion has the standardstatistics for salamanders. (See Bestiary, ChapterFour.)

Chance Encounters

• A salamander joins the travellers. Itprotects a selected member from heat — but thenfollows its new friends wherever they go, devour-ing fires and setting them.

• Boiled fish wash up against a ship or theshoreline. They prove quite edible if the charac-ters care to eat them.

• The magi meet a party of Arab nomads, whoride camels. These Arabs rob the weak and tradewith the strong. They do not attack strangers inthe Ring of Fire, at least until they know who theirtargets are and what the victims carry. In mostcases, the Arabs conclude that they have more togain by befriending the magi and travelling withthem. The Arabs have crossed the Ring of Firebefore and can cope with its hazards.

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DisTravelers reach the Dis hills at the southern

edge of the Ring of Fire. There, the breeze feelscool again. One has left the equatorial furnaces.One has entered Dis, the first marvel of the GoldenEmpire. White palaces nestle among the tan cliffs,all built on a vast scale, as if to trumpet the gloryof the lands beyond.

In fact, the large buildings are products not ofvanity, but of practical need. Giants inhabit Dis.They call themselves the Colossi, and the averagemember of their race stands seven feet high.Noblemen are often much taller. This race pro-duced nearly all the cultural and technologicalsophistication of the Golden Empire. The peopleSouth of the Sun revere them as inventors andlords.

The people of Dis have contrived to rid theirland of poison. Snakes, spiders and scorpions dieupon crossing into this land. All forms of toxinslose their potency. A poison victim suffers no illeffects while within Dis, and may usually excreteall traces of venom after one week. Those wholeave earlier must again contend with the poison.Certain special poisons may remain in the systemindefinitely, at the Storyguide’s option.

European visitors find the Golden Empirethey dreamed of here. Gemstones and preciousmetals glitter everywhere. The Colossi welcomeoutsiders, entertaining them with feasts andperformances of the shrill, disturbing music oftheir land. Diplomats express an interest in tieswith the North. Prester John claims the King ofDis as a tributary, but after a look at this country,visitors may wonder if the relationship mightactually be reversed.

Earlier travelers received a more tellingpicture of Dis. The Viking Snurri Skorson raidedDis centuries ago. He had no eye for Dis’ wonders.Therefore, he managed to notice things whichothers miss. Those who investigate Scandinavianlegends about the lands South of the Sun find asense of moral outrage not common in the fatalisticNorse literature. Apparently, Skorson encoun-tered some horror beyond Viking experience. Morewill be said on him later.

The people of Dis traffic with demons. Thelords of this city hold in thrall Loshandar, a queenof the nether realms. Devils guard this land frompoison, drive off marauders and temper even the

heat of the sun. In return, thelords of Dis cull out victims forLoshandar. The Colossi face the

fate of tame animals, sheltered and protected forthe slaughter.

Coming from a heathen heritage, the Colossisee no evil in their use of Loshandar. When theLords of Dis must kill a man, they choose a crimi-nal, or one whom they can easily frame for somecrime. Few Colossi connect the spirits of theirLords with the Christian accounts of Hell, andmost citizens of Dis would hotly deny diabolism.Visitors must probe deep to learn the evil secret ofDis.

Colossi diabolists do not worship their dia-bolic associates. They consider the devils slaves,and themselves the masters. This belief involvesmore than mere self-delusion. The Lords of Disthemselves command the killings and atrocities oftheir city, for reasons which seem fully sound. Asfor Loshandar, their ancestors brought her to Disin prison. The evil in Dis lies in what the Colossihave done to themselves. Which is exactly whatLoshandar desires.

Dis Society

The culture of Dis resembles an idealized city-state in classic Greece, Rome or Alexandria.Medieval scholars, who look back to ancientcivilizations in awe, should find Dis especiallyfascinating. Colossi husbandmen own vineyardsand olive groves on the outskirts of the land.However, nearly all of Dis’ people live in a sprawl-ing city which runs along the cliffsides of theKerassa river.

The Colossi seem to prosper with remarkablylittle productive enterprise. They have few farmsfor a medieval society and no major system oftrade. Most of their goods seem to come as tributefrom the Mo-Mo tribes of the Great Veldt. Thetribal chieftains send hides, meat, ivory, slavesand gems from the river Physon, all without visiblecoercion from the Colossi. If anyone inquires aboutthis custom, the people of Dis shrug and say thatthe tribes must be grateful for the cultural innova-tions of the Colossi. No better explanation seemsreadily available.

The Colossi carved an entire mountain into anobelisk, marking the center of their realm. A greattable-top rock at the base of this edifice serves as a

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marketplace for what trade goeson. The people of Dis call it theCormoron, in honor of the Lord who first tooktribute from the Veldt. Tribes bring offerings tothe Cormoron. Traders sell exotic beasts, furs andspices from across the Golden Empire, and otherlands as well. Visitors from abroad may well comehere to find guides and make friends.

Dis’ society uses slave labor for most mun-dane tasks. The slaves appear reasonably happyand well-treated. Most come from the tribes of theVeldt, and enjoy an easier life as thralls than theycould have expected free. Nevertheless, they haveno rights whatsoever. Contrary to the custom inmany lands, a slave-owner can subject his slaves toany treatment which happens to amuse him.Colossi with strong ties to Loshandar use slaves asmaterial for their most brutal and twisted rituals.The main restriction on this activity is not themoral one, but the fact that slaves come toocheaply to properly satisfy the more potent rituals.

Visitors to Dis may be shocked by the absenceof armed forces. There is no military. Retainers ofnoble families perform police work along with theirother duties, but they do not carry weapons. Onthe rare occasions when they encounter resistance,they employ gangs of tribal slaves with improvisedweapons as fighters.

Loshandar, of course, provides the real armedmight of Dis. She and her Spawn watch the city,traveling invisibly and using Intellego magic.Devils find common criminals and either destroythem, or pervert their petty misdemeanors intosins of more sweeping magnitude. Powerfulsorcery and merciless spirits keep the Mo-Motribes in awe and foreign enemies at bay. Theseintimidations take place subtly. Most Colossinever guess the methods used to protect them.

Crime seems almost non-existent in Dis.Nevertheless, the constabulary makes arrestsfairly frequently, no doubt discouraging anycriminals they fail to detect. Suspects await trialin public cages. The Lords of Dis discuss theircases and decide their fate, hearing the prisonersonly when they wish to ask questions. The Colossisentence all criminals to death. Executions takeplace in secret, beneath the Palace of Lords in DisCity. Nobody knows the methods used, or whatbecomes of the corpses. Grisly rumors abound, butno Colossus questions the justice of this system.

Intellectual Affairs

An atmosphere of enlightened toleranceprevails in Dis. People greet strangers andstrange ideas with curiosity, but great politeness.The more educated Colossi enjoy philosophy, butonly as a diversion, and nobody wishes to ruffletempers over matters of principle. The heathengods receive ceremonial tribute, but little more,except from members of a few discreet cults.

Even Christians live in Dis. Most of themcome from the more southerly parts of the GoldenEmpire, and are not Colossi. The people of the cityconsider them troublemakers, because they ha-rangue unbelievers on the streets. Occasionally,Christians openly attack shrines of gods theyconsider evil. When they create a public uproar,the authorities relish the opportunity to deal withthem harshly. However, the Colossi have noofficial policy of persecuting Christians for theirbeliefs alone.

The Colossi pursue art and science with theverve of the Alexandrians or the Greeks. Theyhave a vast Temple of the Page, which includeslibraries, forums, scriptoria and gardens forthinkers to muse in. The Temple consists of anenormous domed building, surrounded by twenty-foot high walls of brass. An elite school of thinkersknown as the Acolytes maintain it.

Strangers who wish to visit the Temple mustobtain an invitation from an Acolyte. The diffi-culty of getting this invitation depends entirely onthe individual. Generous-spirited Acolytes mayallow strangers in simply on the strength of theirscientific acumen. More conservative Acolytesdevise tests of an applicant’s worthiness. Only afew demand simple bribes, but those few do exist.

The Temple has tomes with a value of five orsix in most reasonable mundane arts. Past librar-ians have collected material on religions, history,chirurgy, the lore of beasts, the lore of the dead,the languages of distant realms and far more.Colossi have never heard of Hermetic magic, buttheir occult treatises may well interest magi.Other, buried treatises discuss the capture ofLoshandar and her introduction into the city.None of the writers understood the wicked natureof Loshandar, or what her capture would lead to.Nevertheless, their works provide one way thatvisitors might receive their first clues about thesecrets of Dis.

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A magus who peruses thislibrary in search of informationon the Colossi must attempt aroll of Per + Speak Astha. The Ease Factor equalsfifteen. Success gives the magus some insight intothe magical traditions of Dis. The Storyguide maychoose exact details to fit the storyline, and thesubject which interests the magus at the time.

Colossi sorcerers excel at beast-magic. Theyhave little affection for animals, but know manyways to use and control them. Some of theirtechniques have diabolic origins, but others comefrom a tradition founded before Dis met theSerpent. Hermetic magi may find some Colossitechniques useful for the Animál field of sorcery.However, they must take care not to adopt corruptways. See Magical Traditions for details on thebeast-spells of Dis.

Beast-magic creates a thriving market forexotic beasts in Dis. Furthermore, scholars devotean entire mountain gorge to their Garden ofBeasts, where they keep exotic creatures in vari-ous degrees of captivity. Due to Dis’ proximity tothe Veldt, this zoo contains lions, elephants, zebra,giraffes, hyenas and most other African types ofanimals. The Colossi also keep enchanted beastssuch as gryphons and amphisbaenae. TrainedKeepers watch over the beasts of the Garden andexercise surprising control over their charges.

The Lords of Dis

The Council of Lords governs Dis. MostColossi revere these rulers as philosopher-kings,who govern in the best traditions of a benevolentautocracy. No hereditary nobility exists and nopolitical struggles break the city’s harmony. TheCouncil simply decides on state policies in privateand then explains it to the people. This system ofgovernment remains extremely popular, in largepart because Dis enjoys enough prosperity to maketaxes and harsh decrees unnecessary.

When Dis receives tribute, the lords takewhat they consider necessary for state affairs.They divide the surplus among the families of theirpeople. They pay attention both to need and toworthiness, taking care that nobody slips intopoverty while rewarding those who performservices for the state. Custom also plays a roll,and certain families traditionally receive extraportions of wealth.

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The Council of Lords choosespromising Colossi to join itsranks. It selects thinkers and scientists who haverendered services to the city. A novice lord studiesscience, sorcery, oratory and the philosophy of law.These pursuits supposedly equip new lords to rulethe city.

The Council traces its existence back to theheroic inventors of mythical times, who supposedlyearned the right to rule by bringing fire, agricul-ture, the wheel and other useful things to theirpeople. In truth, the Council owes more to thethinkers who discovered diabolism. The Councilchooses its membership from those best suited tocontrol the malevolent beings who dominate somuch of Dis.

After new lords spend a time as city adminis-trators, the elder members of the Council givethem a second initiation. The novices discover thearts of controlling and exploiting Loshandar andher kind. By comparison, governing mortal beingsis an easy task. Unlike other diabolists, the lordsdo not cozen demons by doing favors for them.Instead, their laws and their honor compel them tocontrol devils by force, seeking the sorcery and thepersonal influence needed to enslave demonicentities.

Due to the relationship between the lords andtheir devils, the Colossi must fear rogue diabolists.An individual lord could always come to a privateaccommodation with some devil in return forpersonal gain. The lords keep a constant vigil forsuch traitors. Indeed, the Colossi have developed ahysteria akin to the Inquisition, although theirwitch-hunts take place only within the eliteCouncil.

Lords watch their colleagues. They con-stantly pay one another visits and engage inpersonal conversations, making a pretense ofamicable concern, but actually monitoring eachother for signs of treason. Powerful lords supple-ment their nosy customs with sorcery and hiredspies. The fact that lords must deal with demonson a regular basis makes it all the more difficult topinpoint the real turncoats, and therefore makesthe paranoia more intense.

When lords determine that one of their ownhas given in to demons, they face a knotty prob-lem. Collaborators often receive frightful powersin return for their treason. Furthermore, the lordscannot let such crimes become public knowledge.

Those who discover a traitorattempt to arrange his secret

assassination, with no formal proceedings.

Cities and Landmarks

Hill Settlements

Each of these hills belongs to a noteworthyfamily of the Colossi. Parts of the region remainbarren and overgrown, while others feature slave-tended terrace orchards and vineyards. In addi-tion to slaves, each family keeps two or threehouseholds of Colossi as retainers and servants.Roughly 10,000 Colossi dwell in the hill settle-ments.

The Cormoron

A Colossi city of 1,000 climbs the walls of thismesa. The Cormoron serves as a center for tributeand trade.

Dispolis

The Colossi carved their capital into the long,yellow-streaked cliffs along this gorge. Threethousand people live within. This settlementcontains the Temple of the Page, the JeweledPalace of the Lords and the cliff-dwellings of theColossi elite. Vaults deep below the Palace containthe fist-sized diamond which holds Loshandar. Agreat Avenue of Steles runs from the JeweledPalace to the Temple of the Page, lined withsquare blocks, upon which scholars write thehistory of Dis.

Carbunaria

Only about 500 Colossi still dwell in thissettlement, although the vacant buildings haveroom for many more. Carbunaria stands over atributary to the river Physon. Once, this streamcontained an abundance of gemstones. However,the Colossi stripped away all the easily-foundtreasures, leaving the stream useless. The re-maining inhabitants seem not to suffer much fromtheir lack of employment. However, few desire tolive this far from the social and political attrac-tions of the Capital.

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Characters of Dis

Don Luiz Cristobal

Cnf 2 Age 43 Enc 2.5

CharacteristicsInt +2 Str +2 Prs +1 Dex +0Prs +2 Stm +3 Com +1 Qik +0

CombatAttack/Greatsword: 1st +6 — Atk +6 — Dam +16Defense/Greatsword: +7Soak Total (Chain Cuirass): +11Body Levels: OK/0/-1/-3/-5/IncapFatigue Total: +1Fatigue Levels: OK/0/-1/-3/-5/Unc.

TalentsAthletics (Jumping) +1Charisma (War) +2

SkillsBrawl (Punching) +4Diplomacy (Negotiations) +1Greatsword Attack (Melee) +3Greatsword Parry (Melee) +2Leadership (Giving Orders) +2Ride (In Battle) +1Survival (Desert) +2

KnowledgesSpeak (Ashtha) +2Speak (French) +1Speak (Spanish) +5

Personality TraitsAdventurous +2Devoted to Dis +2Stubborn +1

ReputationFascinating(Colossi) +2

Description: Cristobal is a burly man withswarthy skin, whose treasury includes the Keys ofthe Vatican and some devices of Baron Rodrigiuezof Spain. Don Luiz is one of many Europeanexplorers seeking Prester John. He swore toreturn with rich gifts for his lord, and to sanctifyhis mission by seeking Crusaders for the Pope.Upon arriving in Dis, he concluded that the Co-lossi, not Prester John, offered him the mostlucrative means for fulfilling his quest.

Don Luiz Cristobal nowlives at a luxurious apartment inthe Dis capital. The Colossi find

him fascinating as a source of information on theNorth. He, in turn, hopes that this interest coversa willingness to become allies of his Baron, andpatrons of his explorations. Meanwhile, Don Luizgathers riches and influence. He continually putsoff his visits to other parts of the empire and hisreturn home, preferring to continue his effortshere.

The Colossi and their works fill Cristobal withawe. He admits to no flaw in their culture, andnever ceases trying to win their friendship.Cristobal manages to convince himself that thepeople of Dis really are Christians after theirfashion, or would be if the childlike “Christians” ofthe Golden Empire would only use some othername. Don Luiz does not tolerate deeds againstDis, nor would he listen to any tale of Colossidiabolism.

Cristobal appointed himself a sort of univer-sal embassy for European visitors. If new visitorsfrom the north arrive, he expects them to followhis lead. At the same time, he attempts to aid andprotect other travelers, filing genteel protestsagainst any ill-treatment they might receive. TheColossi completely accept Cristobal’s claims torepresent all visitors from Europe, although magimight disagree.

A band of eight landless warriors followedCristobal to Dis. They now dwell within hishousehold. Three of the soldiers (Maritus, Ramon,and Don Perez) feel quite content in Dis. Havingnever known luxury before, they want to milk theColossi for all they can get. The other five (DonJose, Don Colombo, Robert, Ramirez, and Alfonse)have grown weary of Dispolis. They hunger formore glory and more profit. If magi bring themtravelers’ tales, they may press for further explora-tions into Kerait. However, magi may regretinspiring them. These rapacious warriors hopeonly to pillage in the name of God and their leigelord. They may become the magi’s rivals, or worse,they may incite native peoples against all visitorsfrom the North.

Role-Playing Tips: Cristobal knows therequirements of courtly behavior, and uses themwhen in the presence of Colossi. However, he alsoled a company of soldiers-of-fortune across theRing of Fire, and he knows how to conduct himselfwith rough companions. If Cristobal perceives the

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characters as disreputable, hecan swear and brawl well enoughto impress them.

Gesture with your fist in rough company.Fold your hands behind your back when makingshows of politeness.

NiobiaFugitives from Rome’s sack of Carthage built

Niobia on the model of the trading-city they leftbehind. Today, the three-walled city of Niobiadominates the northeast portion of the GoldenEmpire. Niobia furnishes the Empire a model ofup-to-date society and government, combined withmilitary power second only to that of Prester John.This enclave of the classical Mediterranean mighteven relish an empire of its own.

Niobian Society

Conditions in the Golden Empire did not favorthe Carthaginian’s mode of society. Their ances-tors were seafarers and traders. However, thereare no great ports South of the Sun. Furthermore,marketplaces in the Cormoran and the city ofUshan introduced competition for Carthaginianmerchants. The emphasis of the Niobian economyshifted by necessity. Many Niobian merchantsstill broker caravan trade, but most of themswitched their emphasis to craftsmanship or war.

The people of Niobia have no peasantry andonly a sparse upper class. This city consists ofiron-merchants and wood-crafters, caravan specu-lators, tanners, charcoalers, weavers and dealersin slaves. Poorer merchants own great plantationsoutside the city, worked by slaves or tenants. Notethat many medieval people (such as magi and theirfriends) consider trade and craftsmanship some-what dishonorable. To them, Niobia may appearas a city of corruption.

The Niobians, for their part, take a fiercepride in their culture. They came from Carthagewith nothing and found little more when theyarrived. Nevertheless, they had the pride andintelligence to build a city and built a society asadvanced as any South of the Sun. If these peopleseem stern, one can attribute it to the harshness ofnecessity.

The Queen

When Granita established Niobia, she madeherself its ruler. She passed the title to her eldestdaughter, establishing a hereditary monarchy ofQueens. The Queen of Niobia also serves as HighPriestess of Juno and receives the training of thatsorcerous cult. Not all heirs of Granita have theGift of magic, but the Niobians refuse to admitthat any Queen lacks the powers of the goddess.The Niobians love their Queen and consider her aicon of all they hold dear. Queens have almost nolimits to their rule.

The Queen’s People

Niobia contains perhaps 4,000 of the Queen’sPeople, or citizens of unmixed Carthaginian blood.These pure-born Niobians share a common fear ofracial annihilation. They remember what Romedid to their ancestors. They know that their city isbut an enclave in an Empire of other peoples.Therefore, they remain jealous of their position,rabidly patriotic about their institutions and readyto riot at the slightest threat to their privileges.

The Niobians have 4,000 slaves from theGolden Tribes among them. About 3,000 freetribesmen also live in the city as laborers andcraftsmen. These outsiders enjoy neither rightsnor protection under Niobian law, and they maynot own property. The Niobians consider nativesof the Golden Empire a threat, and many wouldlike to expel all tribesmen from the city.

Under the laws of Prester John, Niobia musttreat Christians as citizens. Niobia’s Queen doesnot dare defy John, but even if she agreed withthis law, she would have no hope of enforcing it.People despise the Christians to begin with. Theycertainly resent any decree which allows followersof that religion to compromise the ethnic purity ofNiobia. Christians who demand their rights maysurvive as long as they attract enough attention tomake the Niobian government afraid of them.However, even the Queen cannot protect suchpeople from the hatred of the mob.

Mercenaries

Niobia’s armed forces are mercenaries twiceover. The city fills the ranks of its army withhirelings from the tribes. At the same time, native

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Niobian warriors sell theirservices as commanders towhatever chiefs wish to hire them. Niobia servesas a general marketplace of war.

Niobia’s military industry supports profes-sionals of many sorts. The soldiers-of-fortunepatronize a good number of wayhouses and lesssavory places of entertainment. Smiths, fletchersand armorers crowd the streets of Niobia. Theforested hills of the west provide fuel for thesmelting of excellent metals. Warriors throughoutthe Empire know Niobian weapons for theirexcellence, and warlike tribes value Niobian steelas highly as silver.

Niobian generals practice war by annihila-tion. They have a reputation for great cunning,but they keep this imagination within the grimlaws of the campaign. One can achieve a greatdeal by a clever trick, but one can lose much moreif such tricks go awry. One wins wars with battles,and one wins battles by grinding away the enemyforce. Therefore, the Niobians favor bloody, directbattles. The fact that their soldiers generally comefrom foreign tribes only encourages their prodi-gious expenditure of life.

The sons of Carthage have a heady appetitefor heroism. However, the Niobians’ grim view ofstrategy hardly encourages them to enter thelower ranks. Those of Carthaginian blood serve asofficers, never as troops. When confronted withdesperate odds, some may die honorable deaths,but more than a few swallow their shame anddesert their men.

Despite the moral failings of Niobian com-manders, Carthage’s strategies win wars. Alltribes acknowledge the value of Niobian tacticians.Therefore, Niobia has no difficulty exporting itsmercenary commanders, especially when thetroops can bring Niobian blades and armor withthem.

Many chiefs institute a double commandstructure, in which Niobian mercenaries directstrategy and training, but stolid, charismaticnatives actually lead the troops in battle. Thisgives them the benefit of Niobian advice. It alsoreduces the danger of mercenary commandersrunning away or heedlessly wasting native lives.Niobian mercenaries consider this system some-what insulting, but generally agree to cooperate ifoffered incentives in pay.

Niobia also has no shortage of foreign foot-soldiers for its own armed forces. With the tradi-

tional tribal system defunct,great numbers of young Golden

People find their fantasies of mercenary lifeappealing. Tribal warriors come to Niobia for allthe usual reasons. Some have a taste for blood-shed. More wish to escape some shadow in theirpast. The great majority, however, simply knowlittle of war, and wish to prove their manhood inthe ultimate test.

The lot of a tribal soldier is harsh. Niobiancommanders have no illusions about the effects oftheir philosophies upon morale. Therefore, theycontrol recruits with the lash and the noose, thegauntlet and constant, exhausting training.Niobian garrisons have moats, walls and hiddenpits, as much to keep soldiers in as to keep en-emies out.

Niobia also controls its troops by holdingthem in poverty. A soldier’s family receives abounty of grain when the mercenary enters servicein Niobia. After that, mercenaries receive theirpay in army scrip, a tin currency useful only forbuying wine and more questionable amusementswithin Niobia. Only licensed pimps, tavern-keepers and similar merchants can convert scrip tousable currency. Therefore, a mercenary whowishes to flee has no resources on which to sur-vive.

The Niobian system of pay discouragesdesertion. It also has the unintended effect ofturning soldiers into criminals. In war, Niobia’smercenaries pillage with a rapacity shocking evenby the standards of the Middle Ages, when lootformed a routine part of a soldier’s pay. Duringpeace, an active black market exists, which tradescoinage for scrip at vastly deflated rates. Likemost illegal institutions, this undergroundmoneychanging network does not hesitate toprotect its prerogatives with murder. Meanwhile,the soldiers who do desert become desperadoes ofthe worst sort, who kill and maim without com-punction.

Despite its harshness, Niobia does not hesi-tate to reward the troops which serve it well. Amercenary who musters out honorably after tenyears service receives a handsome purse of gold,along with gifts in grain, cloth and whatever othergoods the tribes currently desire. Commandersgive similar gifts to notably heroic men. Recipi-ents of such gifts return to their tribes rich, andtheir example inevitably inspires other tribesmento take up Niobia’s arms.

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The Sacred Corps

Niobia has one native-born military force. Amilitia of pure-blood Carthaginians called theSacred Corps defends the city. This part-timeforce consists of craftsmen, merchants and unem-ployed mercenaries, who meet once per month totrain. The Sacred Corps allots itself the bestweapons Niobia can provide. It stores them in anarmory in the Queen’s Citadel. Despite its part-time nature, the Sacred Corps considers itself thecream of the army.

When Niobia goes to war, the Corps providesscouts, logistical officers, elite couriers, and thebodyguards of generals. Messengers of the SacredCorps have a secondary function as overseers ofthe mercenary non-commissioned officers. IfNiobia’s hired soldiers tried to revolt, the SacredCorps would oppose them. In extremis, the SacredCorps would provide a final defense of the city.

The Sacred Corps holds Niobia’s army to-gether. Although other peoples might scorn theduties of messengers, depot officers and picket-guards, the Niobians recognize these quite rightlyas the glue which holds an army together. Fur-thermore, the Corps also provides scouts andtroops who protect leaders. These tasks commandrespect in every army.

The Sacred Corps does not expect to slog intoanonymous, murderous melees. Therefore, mem-bers feel an incentive to be heroes. Members of theCorps perform feats not usually expected ofNiobian troops, such as daring raids and forays toengage enemy leaders in single combat. TheSacred Corps seldom has the experience of merce-nary units, but it more than makes up for thatwith enthusiasm, loyalty and daring.

Juno

As a people on the edge of genocide, theNiobians look readily to their gods. Their miracu-lous escape from Rome drove piety to yet newheights. Most Niobians worship the gods of thepagan Romans, particularly Juno, patron deity ofCarthage. The Temple of Juno controls many ofthe city’s affairs.

Juno, goddess of wives, manages the divinehousehold. In the same fashion, the Priestesses ofJuno control internal affairs of the city. Theypolice the streets and plan the buildings, raise

taxes and spend money. Priest-esses serve as magistrates in

both criminal and civil cases. They are not knownfor their leniency. Adultery, for instance, isgenerally a capital crime, and contrary to thepractice in many lands, philandering husbandsface penalties at least as severe as those forunfaithful wives. Due to the holy nature of thepriestesses, few people argue with municipaldecisions, and Niobia escapes the political infight-ing of many city bureaucracies.

The Priestesses of Juno do far more than rule.A pagan goddess has many mysteries. Juno’sworshipers practice divine sorcery, like the ritualsperformed by followers of Hermes before thediscoveries of Bonisagus. Their spells awe thepeople and assist in the temple’s civic duties. Theygive the religion legitimacy and bring a spiritualharmony to Niobia. In a direct contest of magic,individual priestesses might not wield as muchpower as individual magi, but they have theirTemple behind them, and their magic has a moralenergy which purely scientific sorcery lacks.Details appear in Chapter Five.

The Older Gods

In addition to the church of Juno, Niobia hasan older, darker religion. This cult takes itstraditions from Carthage which, in turn, took itstraditions from the Phoenicians of Tyre. There,the ancient priests worshiped Baal Hammon of theBrazier, wicked Ashtaroth his wife and Tairth,consumer of men. Chief of these gods was Molech,whose iron idol glowed red in the furnace whereworshipers burnt children alive.

The priestesses of Juno view human sacrificewith horror. Nevertheless, the cults of Molech,Baal, Ashtaroth and Tairth continue, especiallyamong conservatives, who revere ancient times.Although the Queen forbids human sacrifice, thesecults are not illegal. Niobia’s failure to takerevenge on Rome has already led to discontentamong the descendants of Carthage. The insults ofChristianity discredit Juno still further. If Junoshould lose her appeal, Molech and Baal wouldrecover their old glory.

The diabolists of Dis know Molech well. Theyunderstand his worship and control many of thedemons involved with the Phoenician cults. IfMolech’s worship ever enjoys a resurgence, theColossi will gain much more power over their rival,

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Niobia. Furthermore, should itbecome necessary, the Colossican call on Molech-worshipers inthe name of the devil gods. Should Dis and Niobiacome to blows, the followers of the old religionmight rise up to support the Colossi.

Landmarks

Niobia

Life in the Niobian lands revolves around thecapital, the three-walled city of Niobia. Niobia isnot a lovely city. The shops and villas of mer-chants line every street, with stinking tenementsset between them. Most people build with woodand adobe. Few parks or public monuments adornthe streets, except for broad, carven columnscommemorating the founding of Carthage, thevictories of Hannibal and the founding of Niobiaitself. Successful merchants often have statuesand paintings around their villas, but the effect ismore gaudy than graceful.

Prester John insisted that the Niobians erectpillars commemorating the birth of Christ and theformation of the Golden Empire. The Queen ofNiobia complied. However, the Niobian regularlydeface these monuments with manure or inscribedgraffiti. These pillars also serve as the focal pointfor riots.

Three buildings dominate Niobia, and onlythese three exhibit real grace or beauty. They arethe Temple of Juno, the Palace of the Queen andthe Market Pavilion. The Temple features atowering, cathedral-like building, supported bymassive columns and featuring a statue of thegoddess. The Queen’s Palace consists of many two-story stone structures enclosed by their own walland focussing on a clear pool.

The Pavilion has an auction block, as itsname implies, but also serves as a fortress andgarrison. Sloped walls and square towers supportthe Pavilion. The marketplace-courtyard withincould function as a last redoubt for Niobia’sCarthaginian people in time of attack. One goes tothe Pavilion to hire Carthaginian mercenaries.Tribesmen also enter Niobia’s service here.

Tributary Lands

Outside Niobia, one finds only mines, planta-tions and lumber-camps. The Niobian owners ofthese businesses spend as much time as they can

within the city, while slaves andnative-born hirelings overseework. Scattered shops support

these farms but most businesses remain within thecity.

Niobia supports an extensive mining industryalong its border with Dis. It produces iron, leadand silver, along with smaller quantities of copperand tin. Niobia’s mines are not especially rich, butthe hillsides provide timber, and fuel is more vitalto the mining industry than ore. The Niobiansalso work their resources more assiduously thanthe Colossi, and reap the fruits of that effort.

Characters of Niobia

Queen Sophia

Age 51 Cnf 1 Enc 0

Characteristics:Int +2 Str +0 Prs +1 Dex +0Prs +2 Stm +0 Com +1 Qik +0

CombatNoncombatantSoak Total: +0Body Levels: OK/0/-1/-3/-5/Incap.Fatigue Total: +0Fatigue Levels: OK/0/-1/-3/-5/Unc.

TalentsCharisma (Demagoguery) +3

SkillsActing (Improvisations) +1Diplomacy (Politics) +2Intrigue (Alliances) +1Leadership (Engendering Loyalty) +1

KnowledgesLore (Juno) +3Scribe (Greek) +2Scribe (Khili) +2Speak (Astha) +2Speak (Greek) +4Speak (Khili) +3Speak (Latin) +2

Personality TraitsYielding +1

ReputationAustere (Niobia) +3

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Description: An austerewoman, her long gray hair in a tight braid, QueenSophia wears a worried expression, yet her faceremains largely unlined. The Queen dresses in herpriestess’ robes and wears a golden circlet for acrown.

This Queen of Niobia does not have the Gift ofSupplication. That does not matter. Other priest-esses of Juno perform miracles, and the people donot discriminate between wonders of the Templeand those performed individually by the Queen.Sophia made up for her lack of magical skill withhard work on the arts of leadership. She learnedto make efficient use of the adoration Niobianshave for their ruler.

Sophia took the throne as a young teenager.She might have made an excellent Queen. How-ever, at that time, Prester John proclaimed hisEmpire, and demanded that Niobia join with him.Sophia felt acutely aware of the precarious state ofher people, a minority in their own city, defendedby an army of disgruntled mercenaries. Therefore,Sophia agreed to pay tribute to Prester John.

Sophia pledged loyalty to Prester John out ofpolitical necessity, to avoid a war Niobia could notwin. She went on to promulgate John’s decrees asthe most expedient way of promoting her ownpeople. Yet how long can one preach a doctrinewithout coming, at least partially, to believe it?Sophia herself does not realize it, but she has notonly compromised her political power, she hastransformed herself into an actual supporter of theKerait Empire.

Role-Playing Tips: Refer to yourself withthe royal we. If somebody raises a particularlytroublesome issue, turn away, pause, and changethe subject. Use an excess of formality instead ofactual power.

Lord General Janos B’Sai

Age 35 Enc 4 Cnf 3

Characteristics:Int +1 Str +3 Prs +0 Dex +1Per +1 Stm +4 Com +0 Qik +1

CombatAttack/Broadsword: 1st +5 — Atk +10 — Dam +14Defense/Tower Shield: +9Soak Total: (Chain Hauberk) +16Body Levels: OK/0/-1/-3/-5/Incap.

Fatigue Total: 0Fatigue Levels: OK/0/-1/-3/-5/Unc.

SkillsBrawl (punching): +3Broadsword (Formation): +5Drinking (Guzzle): +2Shield Parry: +3

KnowledgesLore (Niobian History): +1Speak (Latin): +3Speak (Khili): +4

Personality TraitsPatriotic +2Stubborn +2

Description: A child of the tribes, Janosjoined the Niobian army as a mercenary. Unlikemany, he flourished in the Niobians’ command.Janos shrugged off the harsh discipline and brutalassignments. He developed a contempt for hiswhining, weakling comrades. When other merce-naries in Janos’ unit developed a plot to murdertheir tyrannical Niobian commander, Janosreported them. Then he single-handedly slew theleaders of the mutiny. For this feat, Janos re-ceived honorary citizenship as a Niobian, and theright to command in the Niobian armed forces.

Janos absorbed his new culture, becoming afanatical devotee of all things Niobian. He knowsthe history of Carthage by heart. He feels anemotional, personal (but platonic) love for theQueen. Few pure-blooded Niobians have thepatriotism of this tribesman.

Janos has never married. The joys and dutiesof command occupy all his attention.

Janos is physically enormous. He shaves hishead in keeping with a tribal custom but wears thedress of Niobia. Janos’ thick beard contributes tothe menace of his perpetual scowl.

Role-Playing Tips: Speak in deep, boomingtones. However, when speaking of duty, honor,Juno or the Queen, you should allow your voice tocrack with emotion. Resist the temptation to playJanos as a bumbling oaf. He is a competentgeneral and has used his recent years to acquirean extensive classical education. His fanaticismand military bearing do not make him a bufoon.

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Cicera

Age 45 Cnf 2 Enc 0

CharacteristicsInt +1 Str +0 Prs +0 Dex +1Per +3 Stm +0 Com +0 Qik +2

CombatAttack/Shortsword: 1st +7 — Atk +8 — Dam +7Defense/Shortsword: +7Soak Total: +0Body Levels: OK/0/-1/-3/-5/Incap.Fatigue Total: 0Fatigue Levels: OK/0/-1/-3/-5/Unc.

Talents*Entrancement (with the curious): +4 Guile (To Authorities): +4*Visions (Commodity prices): +3

SkillsDiplomacy (Politics): +2Evaluate (Trade Goods): +3Intrigue (Plotting): +3Shortsword Attack(Melee): +3Shortsword Parry: +5Stealth (towns): +4

KnowledgesSpeak (Astha): +3Speak (Greek): +2Speak (Latin): +3Speak (Khili): +3

Personality TraitsCruel +2Sneaky +1

ReputationShrewd(merchants) +3Influencial(Niobia) +2

Description: Trade dominated the affairs ofold Carthage. Cicera continues the Punic mercan-tile tradition with a profitable business in salt andslaves. He wields considerable power in citypolitics due to both his wealth and his control overimportant markets. He uses his frequent businessjourneys to serve as an ambassador for the Queen.Queen Sophia considers Cicera among her mostvaluable agents.

Despite his exemplary reputation, Cicera livesa reclusive life. He lives in a stone fortress, and

does not welcome guests. Thosewho know him call him distant,alien to human sentiments.

Unbeknownst to even his closest contacts, Ciceraowes his success to a pact with Mammon, one ofthe sinister Old Gods of the Punic peoples. Herepays his debt each day.

Cicera currently serves as a spy for thediabolists of Dis. His services to the NiobianQueen put him in a perfect position to gatherinformation. He also performs demonic rituals ofhis own, burning the children of slaves. Cicerareceives supernatural Talents in return for theseatrocities. He also satisfies his own hatred formundane people and their concerns.

Cicera has a tiny frame and undevelopedmuscles. Ringlets of black hair frame his head.His hands appear small and delicate.

Role-Playing Tips: You neither understandnor like ordinary people. Everyday problemsirritate you. Drives such as humor, love and evenappetite for food strike you as foolish or insincere.Therefore, you keep a sour expression and avoidpeople when you can. You never hesitate tocommit an act of cruelty.

Chance Encounters

• Although Niobia supposedly forms its armyfrom mercenary volunteers, an over-zealouscommander tries to impress some of the grogs.Perhaps he even manages to get them drunk andcajole them into coming to his barracks. The magimust rescue their warriors. However, any protestforeigners make may enrage the xenophobicNiobian mob.

• A group of Christian missionaries infuriatethe Niobian mob by refusing to celebrate thefestival of Juno. When enraged Niobians attackthem, the Christians seek refuge with visitingmagi. They know that Europeans follow the truefaith, and trust that no other believer will turnthem away.

• A stranger meets the magi on the street andinstructs them to appear at a certain address thatevening. The address turns out to be the strong-hold of a secret society dedicated to the Queen’sHonor and Niobian Purity. There, members of thesociety accuse the magi of plotting to overthrowthe Queen.

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The magi might fight theirway free. However, if they

choose not to, the secret society members provereasonable and intelligent. The members do notwant to lynch the magi, they want to learn thetruth. If the magi acknowledge the glory of Niobia,they may actually make friends here.

This secret society may include the GeneralJanos B’Sai and any other interesting people fromthis book or the Storyguide’s imagination.

KeraitEuropean explorers such as Friar William of

Rubruck viewed Kerait with undisguised disap-pointment. This land has neither golden cities normagic beasts. Kerait is a land of grass huts andcattle, fields and towns. Prester John, however,recognizes this country as the heartland of thecontinent. Here, one encounters the ordinary folk,the traders, craftsmen, and above all, farmers whomake up the bones of any Golden Empire.

Students of Kerait’s politics and economydiscover a baroque tribal system in a tempestuousstage of decay. However, those who actually visitthe Rain Coast see a far more comforting scene.Farmers sow fields, porters lug enormous clayvessels, white-haired grandmothers cradle infantswhile struggling to manage crowds of shriekinggrandchildren. Throughout the world, whateverthe society and its government, the lives of simplepeople remain much the same.

The Colossi of Dis taught the Golden Peoplethe secrets of crop rotation and fertilization.Therefore, folk seldom go hungry, and the farmerscan support a large village society of craftsmenand traders. This prosperity also allows people topay heavy tribute both to Dis and to Prester John.Since both John and the Cormoran contributeimmeasurably to the success of Kerait’s trade, suchtribute is not entirely wasted.

The pastoral realm of Kerait contains fewgreat cities or natural wonders. Farms andsprawling villages dominate the landscape. Mostpeople live in grass hovels, although powerfulmerchants and tribal kings sometimes erectwooden stockades. Wooden buildings appearespecially often in the interior, where people needsolid pens for their cattle and see no reason not toenjoy the same protection themselves.

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The people of Kerait fishalong the coast. Fishing villagesspring up around coves andbeaches which offer convenient places to launchboats. Most fishermen use rafts, although thosewho can acquire them prefer boats with enough ofa keel to roll with waves. Only the people ofUshan build crafts able to survive on the open sea.

Kerait has no system of feudal landholding orlarge-scale private property. Therefore, travelersencounter surprisingly few territorial boundaries.Villages form where fertile land or trade routescreate a need for them, and often have no names.

Prester John’s Empire

For centuries, the seventy tribes of Keraithave shared a common language, a commonculture, a common trade, and for all practicalpurposes, a common nation. Today, the EmperorPrester John declares these lands one Empire inname as well as practice, with Christianity as aunifying principle.

And the birth of an empire is glorious.Prester John stages every spectacle known topharaohs, sultans, emperors and kings. He givesgifts, builds monuments, honors heroes, anddecrees festivals. John visits his towns disguisedas a beggar, only to reveal himself and showerhonors upon citizens who took him in. He tracksdown local skinflints and villains with the aim ofbringing them to public justice. He erects wallsaround towns and builds hospitals for the poor. Heraises statues of himself, some twenty feet tall.

Kerait has no tradition of public art. Com-pared to the works of Rome, Egypt or Athens,John’s monuments seem simply gaudy. Ulti-mately, his sprawling wooden palaces and paintedeffigies do not represent any impressive feats ofengineering. John dreams of more enduringworks, but has no artisans capable of creatingthem. Therefore, he must make his monumentsnoteworthy for their sheer volume.

Prester John does not dare relent. He aims toforge a true empire, a land where the people ofmany tribes recognize a single king. He mustingrain his people with a conscious vision of theempire, combined with an instinctive respect forits traditions. Furthermore, he must build anempire strong enough to survive his own death.Every day, Prester John wrestles with posterity.

Tribes and Headmen

The people of Kerait have all the civilizationof any medieval people. However, they neverforsook the traditional tribal system of their land.Once, the tribal system determined who owned thefish, and who had the right to live by grazing cattlein the grassland. Today, tribes control who maysell pottery and who may forge steel. Tribesresemble trade guilds, each possessing a monopolyon some craft.

Unlike European trade guilds, tribes stillappoint sovereign kings. Although government bykings worked well in a primitive economy, thissystem has become anachronistic at best. A tribeof cattle-herdsmen, for example, could easily livetogether, graze on the same land, and, in general,function as a social unit. However, the economy ofa village requires a great variety of professions. Atownship needs representatives from tribes ofSmiths, tribes of Potters, tribes of WayhouseKeepers, tribes of Housebuilders and dozens more.This has forced all but the agricultural tribes todisperse their membership across the Empire.

Even in a village, each tribe would like toclaim its independence. Therefore, every towncontains dozens of independent peoples whoconsider themselves answerable to no centralgovernment. If a baker commits a crime, he willinsist that only the Baker King may punish him.Tribal feuds and rivalries create glorious chaos insuch settings.

To avoid constant turmoil, the Golden Peoplehave compromised their own traditions. Withinvillages, local personages known collectively asheadmen usurp the power of the kings and coun-cils to serve as intertribal traders and judges.Some base their power on moral authority. Othersare thugs, who operate a sort of protection racket.On the larger scale, merchants of Dis and Ushanhave always served as arbitrators, using theirwealth to reinforce settlements.

Prester John aims to end the tribal confusionpermanently. His Empire offers a governmentwhich stands above the tribes. However, John hasnot deposed either the kings or the headmen, andboth still attempt to exercise their powers. Thisresults in a complex dance between unified farm-ing tribes, diffuse professional tribes, semi-crimi-nal headmen and imperial forces.

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John always suspects kingsof trying to undermine hisauthority. They continually suspect Prester Johnof intending to side with their enemies or snatchaway their customary prerogatives. This mutualsuspicion engenders widespread espionage andintrigue. In consequence, kings have grownruthless, assassination has become common, andsudden violence is increasingly more important asa tool. However, the more cosmopolitan GoldenPeople welcome this state of affairs, considering itthe ideal way to rid themselves of the outdatedtribal system.

As well as creating a political headache, thetribal-professional system causes countless per-sonal tragedies. Artisan tribes simply do not needall their members. Kerait needs, for example, onlya limited number of silversmiths, yet the Silver-smith tribe continues to reproduce. According tocustom, a business goes to the eldest sons in afamily. The Fhazal, or children without inherit-ance, can sometimes live from their relatives’charity, but more often they must beg, steal orbecome fodder for the slave market. One proverbgoes, “A rich man’s sons are a prince and a cut-throat.”

Farming tribes, of course, need all the extralabor they can produce. Although farming tribesnever become rich, they seldom become terriblypoor. This contributes to a general nostalgia forpastoral life.

The Fhazal have two new sources of hope,Christianity and Prester John. Christianity, as achurch of the poor, holds great appeal for theoutcast younger offspring. The Empire, mean-while, offers them employment and honor, aslaborers on imperial projects, but most of all, assoldiers. The Fhazal provide John with a readypool of personnel and with his most enthusiasticsupporters.

The Territorial Kings

Prester John faces a knotty dilemma inadministering his empire. The seventy tribalkings of Kerait are both the justification for hisrule and his most dangerous rivals. Therefore,Prester John has left them in power, but changedthe nature of their authority. He awards kingsrulership over specific parcels of land. In other

words, he makes them territorialrulers, like the kings in every

other part of the world.

By accepting a fiefdom, a king receives theprotection of John’s army and the additionalauthority of Imperial Governor. However, to rulehis land, a king must contend with the babel oftribes which make imperial government difficult.Young, aggressive kings employ the obvioussolution of imposing one law on all people withintheir borders and defying the tribes to enforcetheir customary rights. In this way, John hasmaneuvered the kings into breaking up their ownconvoluted system.

Certain tribes, however, resist territorialism.The king of a tribe specializing in highly skilledcraftsmanship enjoys more power with his peoplespread throughout the Empire than he would byruling any single fiefdom. Therefore, skilled tribessuch as the Scribes, Boatwrights and Smiths of alltypes (black, white and copper) have refused toaccept land. They defend themselves from territo-rial kings using sabotage, public pressure andpunitive surcharges.

Prester John’s Army

Every would-be warlord in Kerait faces thesame problem. With many tribes scatteredthrough the lands, even a powerful king cannotraise an army quickly in one place. Even if he hadtime to gather his entire tribe, he would have nocentral location of support and supply. The mili-tary powers of this empire are those who canmobilize a geographical region, not just a tribe. Noleader has managed this more efficiently thanPrester John.

John’s father’s tribe always concentrated itssettlements along the croplands of the KerassaRiver Valley. Therefore, John has a natural sourceof recruits and base of operations. Since becomingEmperor, John has widened his District of theImperial Muster to include the great city of Ushan.John draws from every tribe, recruiting theyounger sons who have no place in their tribe’sbusiness. When called to arms, his army includesover 15,000 men. John keeps several thousandwarriors even in times of peace, an unusualpractice for medieval times.

Other kings make their own attempts atterritorial armies. Prester John does not discour-

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age them — they only serve tohasten the collapse of tribalism.However, each king who raisesan army must provide an auxiliary contingent forJohn’s forces. Picked members of these forces,each garbed in colorful native costumes, guard thegates of Ushan, a living symbol of John’sintertribal Empire.

Prester John’s Imperial Army has a peacefularm as well. The Imperial Muster raises a corps ofKerta, or Prefects, to administer the Empire. Justas imperial officers counter a military threat bydispatching troops, Kerta address political andregulatory disorders by deploying an army ofbureaucrats. They serve as magistrates, taxcollectors, propagandists and commissioners ofpublic works.

Kerta have the authority to act as judges andpolice. They protect the Christians, enforceImperial decrees and act as a general constabu-lary. When kings leave notorious criminalsunpunished, the Kerta insure that justice is done.They employ a secret branch for the investigationof the most mysterious cases, and to plant inform-ers wherever possible.

The Kerta enforce their law with a harshmenu of punishments. Prester John holds thatsince individual Christians must forgive, theimpersonal state must assume the full duty ofrevenge. Murder and treason carry a penalty ofdeath. Kerta execute criminals by passing a spearthrough the victim’s heart. The Golden Peoplepunish lesser crimes with servile labor or blowsfrom a cudgel. Prester John has also introduced asystem known as Abhorrence. The Kerta maydeclare chronic troublemakers Outcasts, and orderthe community to shun them. Outcasts may eat atthe tribal campfire and perform labor, but thosewho speak or fraternize with an outcast becomeliable for Abhorrence themselves. Abhorrence maylast for specific periods, or for life.

Kerta usually impose Abhorrence on particu-larly incorrigible youths. However, on severaloccasions, John’s forces have commanded tribes toshun rebellious kings or elders. If the tribe obeys,the Kerta have effectively destroyed the leader’sauthority. Of course, the tribe may simply refuseto Abhor its ruler, in which case civil war becomesnext to inevitable.

Religion

In ancient times, each tribeof the Golden People worshiped an individual godor pantheon, depending on the visions of itspriests. Dreamer shamans selected gods appropri-ate to their tribe, even as they do among the Mo-Mo Keu-Keu people today. Most old gods lost theirfollowing as hunter-gatherer tribes turned to moresophisticated ways of subsistence. However, a fewpeoples still worship patrons of their trade. Kho-Lo, God of Smiths has a large following. Fisher-men report close encounters with Pel-Lu, thegigantic blue fish who can swallow a raft or spitwhole schools of food-fish from his maw.

The Colossi of Dis never actually calledthemselves gods, but they encouraged people tothink of them as such. Most Golden Tribes onceconsidered paying tribute to Dis the most sacredduty. Today, few sense anything particularly holyabout the tradition. However, Kerait’s peopleseldom abandon such customs, and everyone notesthat tribes which consistently neglect Dis usuallysuffer mysterious disasters. Deaths, madness andhauntings occur with such frequency that a cult ofthe Colossi is almost ready to re-emerge.

Christianity spread rapidly in Kerait. Fortu-nately enough, the missionaries who came South ofthe Sun taught a simple, kindly version of thisreligion, and their ideals appealed to Kerait’speople. Prester John’s triumph created a freshexplosion of converts. Some joined the Church outof political expediency, others simply becamecaught up in the excitement.

Although John protects their lives, manyChristians deplore the use of their religion as atool of Empire. Believers South of the Sun dividethemselves into two factions, the Stephenists andthe Paulists. Stephenists, emulate the ApostleStephen, who delivered himself to be stoned for thefaith. Paulists prefer the example of Paul, who,when arrested, demanded his rights as a Roman.

The split between Stephenists and Paulistsmay eventually lead to a crisis of the southernfaith. Should such a question cause Christians todesert Prester John, the Empire itself could lapseinto civil war. Travelers may play a large role insuch affairs by bringing news of the EuropeanChurch. Accounts of the glory of Rome wouldstrengthen the Paulists. Magi, however, may haveno desire to glorify the Vatican.

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Christian Societies

As enthusiastic followers of a new philosophy,Christians naturally seek each other’s company.Most large villages harbor a Society, an organiza-tion of Christians who gather to discuss their faith,celebrate the Lord’s Supper, and socialize with oneanother. When spurred by great fervor, Societiesattempt to heal and cast out demons with theirfaith. Therefore, folk look to the Societies formiracles.

Societies limit their membership to Chris-tians. They meet in private, often in hiddencaverns set aside for that purpose. The Christiansthemselves would say that they value privacy, andthat the persecutions of Rome and Niobia makecaution natural. However, many pagans suspectthe Societies of harboring some great conspiracy.

At least a few Societies do indeed havepolitical aims. Prester John uses them as agentsof the Empire. John, after all, protects them fromdestruction. Although the Golden Tribes have fewreligious convictions against christianity, anyorganization which attempts to cross tribal bound-aries inevitably finds itself caught in a clan ven-detta and torn apart by both sides. The diabolistsof Dis claim no enmity with Christ, but it takeslittle faith to sense the horror in that land. Fur-thermore, the Niobians actually wish to extermi-nate christianity. The Golden Empire offersChristians their best chance for suppressing theseenemies.

Landmarks

Ushan

The Arcaeus tribe built Ushan to replace theCormoran as the marketplace of Kerait. With itsharbor, river, and central location, Ushan offers aparadise for trade. The streets swarm with mer-chants and vendors. Every tribe has its peoplehere. Thousands of the Fhazal dwell in Ushan too,serving as ready supporters for Prester John.

Prester John makes his capital in Ushan. Hiswhitewashed statues and stone edifices tower overthe city. Although Ushan’s old inhabitants livedmostly in two-story buildings of wood, John erectedgreat stone mansions throughout the city. Hiswhite-domed Imperial Palace, surrounded by a

ring of towers, each topped withgold, dominates the skyline.

The Kerassa Valley

The Kerassa River washes the most fertilefarmland in the country. One tribe, the KerassaPloughmen, dominates this region. The Kerassapeople enjoy as much cultural sophistication asany tribe in Kerait. Since this tribe concentratesin one area, the Kerassa Valley constitutes both apolitical and territorial power. Prester John baseshis rule on the Kerassa Valley.

The Rain Coast

This country of farms and villages lines thecoast, reaching as far inland as the rains. Inaddition to food crops, people raise a variety ofpeppers, gingers and precious aromatics.

The Gray Hills

Farm country comes to an end here. Thefractious kings in these hills occasionally defyPrester John.

The Herdlands

Husbandmen tribes herd livestock on theplains of the interior. Here, life remains much asit was for the primitive tribes of Kerait. Membersof Herdsmen tribes live together as nomadicbands, who move from pasture to pasture. Theyhave little learning and interest in politics.

The Waste

This rocky land lies between Kerait properand the tributaries of Niobia. It takes its name notmerely from its rocky deserts but from the con-stant threat presented by Niobian slavers.

Chance Encounters

• Prester John meets European strangersincognito. He may appear as a beggar, tradesman,shopkeeper or even a criminal. Depending on themagi’s behavior, this encounter could cause their

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fortunes to take a rapid turn forthe better — or worse.

• Prester John declares a day of festivalsthroughout the Empire. Villages hold spear-throwing contests, races and public barbecues.Tribal kings and other officials appear among thepeople in elaborate paint and finery. Visitors mayuse the occasion to contact the Kerait establish-ment.

• Visiting magi find a close friend among theservants of Prester John. Owing to this man’slordly master, he has a villa and mansion, whichhe puts at the magi’s disposal. John then con-demns the servant for embezzlement. Perhaps hecommitted the offense or perhaps his rivals framedhim. In either event, the magi must either cleartheir friend’s name or swiftly break their ties tohim.

Good King Prester John

Age 41 Cnf 4 Enc 2

CharacteristicsInt +1 Str +2 Prs +4 Dex +0Per +1 Stm +1 Com +4 Qik -1

CombatAttack/Short Spear: 1st +8 — Atk +8 — Dam +11Defense/Wicker Kite Shield: +8Soak Total (Full Hard Leather): +7Body Levels: OK/0/-1/-3/-5/Incap.Fatigue Total: -1Fatigue Levels: OK/0/-1/-3/-5/Unc.

TalentsCharisma (Demagoguery): +6Subterfuge (Arguments): +2

SkillsIntrigue (Alliances): +3Kite Shield Defense: +3Leadership (Giving Orders): +6Short Spear Attack (Wild Melee): +6

KnowledgesSpeak (Astha): +2Speak (Khili): +3Speak (Latin): +1

Personality TraitsBrave +2

Imperially Dignified +3Political Visionary +1

ReputationFair(his Empire) +4

Description: Prester John stands six feettall, an awe-inspiring height for the medievalperiod. His stern face and obsidian eyes canintimidate even the most independent king. Theluxuries of rule give John a sizable pot-belly, buthis abdomen remains hard as steel. At court,Prester John wears a crown of ivory and a sort ofkilt, leaving his muscular torso bare.

Prester John loves his people as an Emperormust. To insure their tranquility, prosperity andglory, he would sacrifice the last drop of his blood— and theirs’. John built this Empire. In doingthat, he accepted the awesome duty a ruler incurs.

One can never feel safe within the court ofPrester John. John has dismissed servants foryawning. He has branded wives for insufficientaffection. Officials with the slightest taint ofcorruption can lose their heads. Most frighteningof all, Prester John does not have a particularlybad temper. Moreover, he never forgets that herepresents the Empire and that the law of theEmpire must be severe.

If John can be cruel, he can be twice asgenerous. Few leave his court without gifts ofgold, spices and ivory. Those who seek his aid fora Christian cause can expect to receive it. Indeed,Prester John tends to bury supplicants with hisaid, taking over their problems entirely andmaking the entire affair simply another feat of theGolden Empire.

Nothing infuriates John more than an at-tempt at flattery. Furthermore, he listens tocriticism, as long as his detractors remain withinthe bounds of court decorum. In fact, he bestowsrewards upon those who courageously give himunwanted advice. Prester John has a powerfulconscience, and makes amends for any wrong thathe does, often weeping silent tears of repentance.

Note that John’s conscience does not affect hisheavy-handed punishments. If he considers anoffender guilty, no pleas for mercy can move him.He may say prayers for his victim’s soul, he maysay prayers to absolve himself for the sin of judg-ment, but the Empire cannot show mercy.

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Prester John often visits hislands incognito. John takes achildish delight in such masquerades. At times,the Emperor pretends to be a simple tradesman.John may also disguise himself as a beggar (to testpeoples’ kindness) or as a dishonest Kerta (to seewho tolerates corruption). Whatever his disguise,the Emperor does not engage in this sport withoutlarge numbers of disguised soldiers at his call.

Many believe that John enjoys travelingincognito as an excuse to relax from the unflaggingsolemnity of rule. However, John finds his author-ity hard to put off for long, and no matter howhumble a personality he decides to affect, hecannot help but revert to his accustomed manner.In fact, John is a terrible actor. However, to pleasehim, most people pretend to be fooled.

John needs an heir. He has six wives andeight sons, yet he needs an heir. Although hisoffspring excel at hunting, learning and war, noson could ever attain the perfection which Johnbelieves his Empire will require. John fears that

without a true hero, indeedwithout a man more worthy

than himself, his glorious works will dissolve. Hesubjects his sons to hardships and long trainingand bitter rebuke hoping to forge at least one lion-like future Emperor.

Role-Playing Tips: Remember always, youare Prester John, Emperor of the most magnificentland in the world. You may give guests andadvisors your solemn attention. You may speakdecrees, wise sayings and formal courtesies in yourgravest voice. However, it does not behoove you tobanter with inferiors. This is not a matter ofpersonal arrogance, it is the dignity of the Empire.

The Imperial Clique

Prester John does not rule Kerait alone. Acircle of like-minded authorities give him the basehe needs to found an Empire. Lord GeneralTimothy Rhee commands the Imperial armies. A

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prominent theologian namedLuke-Paul manages the Empire’sspiritual foundations. A tirelessengineer known only as Abraham personallydesigns Prester John’s public works. In itspresent, embryonic state, the Empire has no titlesfor such key authorities. However, all havepalaces and retinues within the city. All of themcan mobilize large portions of the Empire if needbe. Each member of the Imperial Clique hopes tofound a permanent institution around his functionwith established privileges and funds.

Lord General Timothy Rhee, a man who hasalways kept both past and present a mystery, hasrecently disappeared. Some speculate that hispast has caught up to him, but no one knows forsure. The military heirarchy is in slight disorderat this time.

Luke-Paul, Elder In The Faith

Age 53 Faith 3 Enc 0

CharacteristicsInt +3 Str +1 Prs +3 Dex +0Per+2 Stm +2 Com +3 Qik +0

CombatNoncombatantSoak Total : +2Body Levels: OK/0/-1/-3/-5/Incap.Fatigue Total: +2Fatigue Levels: OK/0/-1/-3/-5/Unc.

TalentsCharisma (Religion): +3

SkillsLeadership (Religion): +3

KnowledgesChurch Knowledge (Theology): +6Scribe (Khili): +1Scribe (Latin): +1Speak (Astha): +2Speak (Khili): +3Speak (Latin): +1

Personality TraitsLeader +1Monastic +2

ReputationKind(Kerait) +3

Description: Tall, strikingand physically strong, Luke-Paul has the appear-ance of a conquerer. His puissance suits his loftystation of Elder in the Faith, spiritual leader ofChristians in Kerait. Luke-Paul serves as per-sonal theologian to the Emperor. The Emperordreams of extending Luke’s power further yet,making him the equivalent of a southern Pope.

Luke-Paul grew up the second son of a richman in the Far-Eyes tribe. His parents intendedhim to be either a farmer or a warrior. Neitheroccupation satisfied Luke-Paul’s intellect. Hedrifted between the households of his parents andtheir friends, experimenting with the philosophicalprinciples of Christianity. In the process, he metthe son of Chief Mandus, the young John. Luke-Paul, who is twelve years older, became a sort ofelder brother to the future Emperor. Paul con-verted John to Christianity and performed John’sbaptism.

Before the public, Luke-Paul maintains hisimperious bearing. However, Luke-Paul is anextremely private man, whose interests turntoward philosophy. Luke-Paul loves the poeticgrandeur of the Bible and struggles to follow theteachings of the faith. He has little interest inorganizing the bureaucracy of a church andpursues religious politics only to please his masterPrester John.

Luke-Paul’s reclusive mindset resembles thatof many magi. Followers of Hermes with aninterest in religion may find a kindred spirit inhim.

The disappearance of Lord Timothy hasincreased Luke-Paul’s influence with Prester John.Some of Abraham’s followers are laying viciousrumors about the Holy Man’s “involvement” withLord Timothy.

Role-Playing Tips: Offer opinions whencalled on, using a deep, impatient voice. Leavematters to others when possible. You devoteyourself to questions such as the Nature of Sin andthe intellectual necessity of Heaven and Hell.When mundane matters demand it, you can thinkclearly and decisively.

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Abraham

Age 31 Cnf 3 Enc 0

CharacteristicsInt +3 Str +3 Prs +0 Dex +2Per +2 Stm +3 Com +0 Qik +1

CombatAttack/Long Spear: 1st +12 — Atk +7 — Dam +12Defense/Spear Parry: +5Soak Total (Hard Leather Hauberk) +8Body Levels: OK/0/-1/-3/-5/Incap.Fatigue Total: +3Fatigue Levels: OK/0/-1/-3/-5/Unc.

SkillsArchitecture (Palaces) +4Engineering (Bridges) +6Leadership (Workmen): +1Long Spear Attack (Wild Melee): +3Long Spear Parry: +2

KnowledgesSpeak (Astha): +2Speak (Khili): +3Speak (Latin): +1

Personality TraitsEnergetic +3Naive +1

ReputationThreatening (Kerait’s kings) +3

Description: People throughout the Empireknow Abraham’s lanky form. This engineertravels the land with compass and charts, plan-ning public works on an ever grander scale.Abraham loves bridges and palaces the way ageneral loves victories or a poet loves words. Asthe King of the Draughtsman tribe, his passionserves him well.

Prester John sees Abraham as a tirelessservant of the Empire who plans new works toglorify Kerait. The kings of Kerait’s tribes see himas a dangerous rival who has obtained John’s favorand exploits it shamelessly. They pay the taxes tosupport his projects. Their people serve as labor-ers on his edifices. Abraham’s Draughtsman tribegrows continually more influential, while Johnoppresses other tribes and whittles away at their

power. Inevitably, some tribewill attempt to dispose of

Abraham. The disappearance of Lord Timothy,which has decreased the engineer’s influence withthe Emperor, may be part of a greater plot to stripthe Draughtman tribe of its imperial power.

Abraham’s devotion to engineering leaves himlittle time for other concerns. He made a casualconversion to Christianity for the sake of PresterJohn. His sporadic eating habits have left himskinny. He wears his hair very short. AlthoughAbraham knows that he is not popular, he has noidea how deeply his rivals hate him. Nevertheless,he can defend himself and would not hesitate to doso.

Role-Playing Tips: Rhapsodize aboutarchitecture, Man’s enduring triumph over thecrude elements. Speak rapidly, and keep theconversation on topics of engineering and John’sEmpire. React to threats with inordinate hostility.

Ushan Galleys

Storms and the Ring of Fire prevent theGolden Empire from developing much long-rangenavigation. However, the shipwrights of Ushanbuild seaworthy galleys, mainly for transportingcargo along the coast. These ships can employ upto one hundred oarsmen and carry seventy tons ofcargo. A series of small, triangular sails assiststhe oarsmen. Ushan Galleys have a maximumspeed of seven miles per hour. They usually travelat closer to five mph. Since these ships cannotsurvive severe weather, sailors usually beach themduring storms. Shipwrights design even thelargest craft to come ashore. Ushan shipwrightsdecorate their galleys with carved fish and arigging of colorful pennants.

Mo-Mo Keu-Keu LandMo-Mo Keu-Keu land encompasses the true

wilderness South of the Sun. This wastelandincludes barren desert, impenetrable jungle and atransition area which combines the worst of both.Although Prester John claims these lands, even hehas made no attempts to explore or settle them.The Mo-Mo Keu-Keu land belongs to the rulers ofthe wild, be they tribes, wild beasts, or creaturesout of legend.

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Primitive ways serve best inthe Mo-Mo wilderness. Folk liveby the communal tribal law oftheir ancestors, with none of the troubles experi-enced by the more sophisticated people of Kerait.Tribes hunt, gather roots or herd cattle, seldomencountering even other tribesmen. These peoplelive from the country. They have no farms and nometal, and consider even the smallest knife ararity of exotic lands.

Dreamers and Gods

Every tribe has its shamans. Although fewpeople would do without the Dreamers and theirsupernatural advice, fewer still trust them. MostDreamers pursue the profession of the tribe,exercising their skills only at need. Those withtruly overwhelming powers abandon ordinary life,driven by the demands of their spirits. Many leavethe tribe entirely, and live alone in the wilderness.Some go mad under the strain.

Outlaw Dreamers haunt the Mo-Mo wilder-nesses. The tribes universally loathe shamanswho use their powers to kill or harm, and anyonesuspected of such crimes does well to flee. Onceexpelled from their tribes, these shamans mustgenerally live by banditry. Many Outlaw Dream-ers have small followings of devoted people. Thesedisciples either trail after them in the wildernessor propagate secret cults inside the tribes.

Most Mo-Mo tribes revere the Colossi. Al-though these people adopted relatively few of Dis’inventions, they still venerate the giant Lords ashalf-divine. Numerous Dreamer shamans drawtheir power from “Dis-Spirits,” who propagate thecult of the Colossi. These petty-gods frequentlydemand human sacrifice and direct their priests toscourge tribes who resist them. The Dis-Spiritsare, of course, devils. Loshandar creates or sum-mons them to keep the Mo-Mo under her sway.

The Christians of Kerait send numerousmissionaries into the Mo-Mo Keu-Keu lands.Dreamers do not actively oppose them. A few ofthe more enlightened Christians do not universallycondemn Dream-shamanism either, although theyresist any suggestion that the Dreamers havefound genuine gods. Tribes generally view mis-sionaries as a new kind of Dreamer and accordthem the same respect mixed with mistrust.

The Veldt Tribes

The northern half of Mo-MoKeu-Keu land begins as a rocky desert on the edgeof the Ring of Fire. As one goes farther south,grass sprouts up, until it turns into a vast savan-nah, dotted by lone trees and waterholes. Theland is flat and the air is dry. Elephants, lions,wildebeest and jackals flourish here.

The tribes of the Veldt raise cattle. Theymove with their herds and steal what they needalong the way. All the tribes claim grazing rightsto the best land, and when two happen to want thesame region, they fight for possession. Battles notonly settle questions of ownership, they providethe victors with new cows for their herd. There-fore, these people revere their warriors.

Veldt tribes consider themselves a lionlikepeople, threatened on all sides. They spurn thetame civilization of Kerait. At the same time,Veldt tribes fear and despise the primitive customsand mysterious enchantments of the jungle. Awarrior resists both superstition and stagnation.He conquers the savage and the settler alike untilhe grows weak and they overcome him.

The Veldt tribes have adopted numerousmilitary inventions of the Colossi. Many use bowsin battle. Chiefs and heroes bear swords of iron.These people tend to know a fair amount about thepolitics and events of outside lands and some haveserved in the armies of Niobia or Prester John.Dreamers, however, seem relatively scarce amongthe Veldt tribes. Their robust life seems to dis-courage the emergence of shamans.

Only brave or desperate tribesmen attackorganized territories such as Kerait or Niobia.However, Veldt tribes wreak havoc upon the gentlepeople of the jungle. Only the dangers of the forestitself keeps them from enslaving these people.Furthermore, although warriors of the same tribefight together efficiently, no leader has yet tried tounite many tribes for a concerted campaign.

The Sphinxes of the Veldt

Mo-Mo Keu-Keu land remains sufficientlyprimitive to have rulers who are not human. Atrio of winged Sphinxes soar over the Veldt,terrorizing it as they choose. These beings seldom

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interfere with the daily life of thetribes. However, they do nothesitate to use people as servants or as food.These sphinxes call themselves rulers of the Veldtand none of the tribes wish to contest that title.

The Sphinxes of Mo-Mo Keu-Keu appear aswinged lions with human heads. These beastspossess near-legendary strength, and on the openplain, no enemy can escape them. Furthermore,all three sphinxes have a genius surpassed only bytheir ferocity. All the tribes agree that thesphinxes should be avoided.

The two female sphinxes call themselvesLysha and Seleena. The male, Fornos, consortswith whichever suits his fancy. This leads tobitter, irreconcilable feuding among all three. As ifthis permanent romantic triangle did not presentbitterness enough, these creatures share theinfinite arrogance observed in Greek gods andchild prodigies. They do not hesitate to spendhuman life in their jealousies and machinations.

The Gentle Tribes

Dense jungles cover the southwest, stretchingto the unexplored Horn of the continent. Apes andcolorful birds hoot from the leafy canopies over-head. Here, humanity becomes rare indeed. TheVeldt tribes raid the outskirts of this country butin the interior, most tribes have never even seenother Mo-Mo people, much less strangers fromoutside. They are called the Horn or Gentle tribes.

Even the tribes’ own legal systems becomeunnecessary in the jungles. People have no needto enumerate territories and rights, because tribeshave no rivals to divide the land with. Peoplehunt, gather fruit and build villages together.Jungle life promotes an informalcommunitarianism, presided over by benevolentkings, who take their turn in the tribes’ work aswell. Unlike the Veldt tribes, the Horn peoplehave no tradition of raiding. Only those on theedge of the forest have experience with warfare,and they find fighting horrifying and bizarre.

When confronted with violence, some Gentletribes submit slavishly or flee. Others fight backwith primal savagery. The latter may not under-stand the motives of warlike folk, but they under-stand the results, and they destroy attackingpeople as they might destroy poisonous snakes.

Even these tribes have fewexperienced warriors, but they

defend themselves with other methods. Theyemploy pitfalls and vine snares, deadfalls andpoisoned springs. Their warriors kill silently, withpoisoned darts. Their Dreamers drive intrudersmad.

Naturally, tribespeople have disputes amongeach other. However, pride and vengeance runstrictly against tribal standards of behavior. Whena dispute becomes angry enough for the tribe tonotice, the Elders can exile them from the villageuntil they resolve their conflict. Ideally, the shockof isolation brings the contenders to a settlement.They may fight to the death instead.

When one kills another, the victor returns tothe tribe with a customary excuse. “When my foeand I met, we found nothing between us and sworethe peace of brothers. But even as we danced forjoy, the Lioness fell upon us and demanded one orthe other for her supper. My foe, who was brave,gave his life so that I might return in peace.Honor upon his memory.”

The tribespeople, of course, recognize thisritual lie for what it is. Although tribal custompermits duels, people treat the victors as murder-ers. They may resume their normal life, but arewise never to mention the conflict again.

While the disputers are in exile, people leavefood for them at designated places. According totradition, nobody may have any other dealingswith the combatants. Nevertheless, a few tales tellof wives, brothers or close comrades who voluntar-ily went into exile to support a friend in a feud.Tribespeople consider such loyalty romantic buttragic, the result of kinship no decent personwould yield to, but everyone might secretly admire.

Most Horn tribes welcome strangers withchildlike friendliness. Nearly all Gentle peoplehave a tradition of gifts and hospitality. However,experienced travelers warn that one cannot alwaysaccept tribal offerings as what they appear. TribalDreamers deal in enchantment. They may drug orbewitch guests out of curiosity, prudence, mysti-cism or barbaric devotion to a cruel god. Certainslave-traders report drinking a milky beveragewhich compelled them to blurt out all their plansfor betraying and kidnaping their guests. AChristian convert named Nanna claims that shespent thirty days discussing theology with avenomous snake, never once recognizing the

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absurdity of her behavior. Sheadds that the snake eventuallytransformed itself into the tribalDreamer and bid all his people to follow the Faith.

Faeries South of the Sun

The continent South of the Sun is a magicalland, and the most powerful vis within it seems tohave concentrated in the Horn jungle. Beasts ofthe most fantastic sorts lurk in the shadows of thetrees. Tribal healers know all manner of potentand enchanted herbs. The Dreamers of this landwield unheard of power.

Some magi speculate that the Horn junglesbelong to the land of faerie. Certainly, theseforests have much in common with that ephemeralrealm. Both belong to an infinitely diverse class ofspirits with motives too esoteric for mortals to fullycomprehend. However, where the faeries ofEurope embody frivolity, the spirits of Mo-Mo Keu-Keu land represent the primal power of the jungle.They evoke the ferocity of the leopard, the glee ofthe monkey, the riotous color of the tropical birdand the embracing splendour of the forest.

The Horn tribes dwell in harmony with theirenchanted surroundings. Guided by the Dreamersand their own innocence, they live as their spiritsteach them, with each tribe developing its owncustoms and lifestyle. They live in treetop villageslinked by vine ropes, or in stilt-houses upon thejungle lakes.

The River Physon

What marvel in the world can match theallure of Physon, River of Gems? Diamonds glitterin the sands of its banks and rubies flash in thefoam. Vis, the stuff of magic, accumulates aroundsuch a wonder of nature, making this site aslucrative for magi as for treasure-hunters. Natu-rally enough, the River Physon attracts all theperils of the continent as well. Those who journeyit must run a murderous gauntlet of rival prospec-tors and things far worse.

The River Physon runs from south to north,through the wildernesses of the continent.Branches of the Lower Physon flow out of the Mo-Mo lands into Kerait. These streams serve as amagnet for the greedy and violent of this continent

and beyond. Along the LowerPhyson, one can encounteroutlaw gangs from Kerait,

professional killers from Niobia and diabolistsfrom Dis all in the same place at the same time.The explorers of the Lower Physon routinelymurder anyone they encounter, in order to claim alarger share of the gems. They also kill or enslavethe natives, which has encouraged the local tribesto declare a universal war on all outsiders, creat-ing yet another enemy for travelers to fear. All ofthis killing grows less and less profitable. Explor-ers picked this river clean of jewels long ago, andthe most one can hope for is an occasional flawedgemstone washed down from the jungles beyond.

Those who journey south along the Physonriver eventually leave the other prospectorsbehind. Here, other, more dangerous enemiesthreaten the seeker of treasure. For most of itslength, the river flows through the Risti, a maze ofblack ravines which plunge hundreds of feetbeneath the green canopy of trees. Rockslides,hidden drop-offs and flash floods can kill even themost wary. All manner of man-eating beasts havelearned to hunt here.

Explorers universally agree that the Risti isunder some curse. These canyons consume morelives than even this treacherous land can accountfor. All who die in these pits remain as ghosts, todo in other travelers as best they can. Otherspirits linger with them, things which never werehuman, things with the alien malevolence ofnightmares.

The curse of the Risti causes bad luck, forcingall explorers to roll double the usual number ofBotch rolls. Every variety of ghost and demonlives there as well.

The Risti extend for over twenty miles oneither side of the river. Those who attempt to skirtthem inevitably become lost and either veer backinto the canyons or leave the Physon regionaltogether. Travelers suffer a -3 penalty on rollsfor Direction Sense and Survival here.

Legends say that the shamans of all the Horntribes created the Risti in one potent collectivedream, to keep treasure-hunters from despoilingtheir lands.

At the Springs of the Physon, one finally findsthe legendary trove of gemstones. This area alsoharbors one final guardian. The dragon Kor Ny

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Kor rules the Physon river. If henotices gem-hunters, they havelittle hope to see the next day. Fortunately, KorNy Kor spends much of his time asleep, andseldom notices the theft of a few gemstones. TheMo-Mo Dream-sorcerers warn that a sleepingdragon is not necessarily harmless.

One finds the gems of the Physon either justabove or below the river’s countless waterfalls. Togather them, one must swim through the powerfulcurrent and pick the stones from the river’s floor.This requires a (stress die + Swimming + Str ) feat.If swimmers fail, the current sweeps them over thefalls or into bubbling whirlpools lined with stones.

The value of the gems, difficulty of swimmingand danger of the waterfalls varies with location.In general, one finds jagged, low-quality gemsamid the pebbles of the lower river. Here, swim-ming rolls have an Ease Factor of 12 and waterfalldamage ranges from +4 to +8. In the Risti, thegems are markedly greater in value, but the EaseFactor increases to a minimum of 18. Damagefrom swimming becomes +15 or higher. By theSprings of the Physon, the gems become morevaluable yet and the difficulty of swimming actu-ally declines. The Ease Factor is usually around13 and damage becomes +8.

Gems from the Physon contain from one to sixpawns of Terram vis, depending on value.

Landmarks

Kar-Iar Hills

These dark ridges divide the Veldt from theHorn Jungles, and both from Kerait. Although theKar-Iar boasts few lordly mountains, the ridgesreach elevations at which the air grows thin. Fewtravel in the parched, jagged Kar-Iar.

Kar-Iar Wood

Trees grow in the northern arms of the Kar-Iar Hills, foreshadowing the rain forests of theHorn. However, the Kar-Iar Wood lies on the leeside of the hills, where little moisture falls. Thiscountry features spiny underbrush interspersedwith wizened trees. The sandy soil blows anddrifts in the wind, coating everything with a layerof silt.

Mo-Mo Lake

This lake shimmers in the midst of the HornJungles. Dozens of tribes gather water from itsshores and some even build stilt-villages upon it.The Mo-Mo consider this lake sacred.

Chance Encounters

• One night, without warning, the magi andcompanions have an adventure in Dreamland. Tobegin this story, the Storyguide informs theplayers where their characters find themselvesand begins the tale, without further explanation.Neither players nor characters can be surewhether they are dreaming or whether some spellhas summoned them to another place. Nor canthey be sure whether maimings and deaths in thenew realm are real.

Since this story takes place in Dreamland, theplot can feature anything the Storyguide canimagine. Ideally, it should have some connectionto the rest of the Saga. If the characters have aDreamer for an enemy or a friend, this episodepresents a chance to develop that relationship.

• The sphinx Lysha swoops down upontravelers in the Veldt. She does not attack, butpurrs, and interrogates strangers in great detail.If the magi strike her as impolite, boring or poten-tial rivals, she may snatch one for lunch and flyaway. Otherwise, Lysha gives the strangers amessage for Fornos, whom she describes as hermate. The message begins as a love-note andcontinues to reminisce about a recent meeting andpropose another one soon. Although the subject isclearly personal, the language seems reasonablychaste. However, Fornos currently happens to livewith Seleena. If the magi deliver the message,Seleena attacks them, and Fornos, in embarrass-ment, may join in.

• One of the Horn Tribes gives the magi aneffusive reception. The King holds a feast, dancersperform, children sing and tribesmen boast, all forthe guests’ benefit. Not long thereafter, mysteri-ous accidents begin to occur. The tribal Dreamerfollows a serpent totem who demands the strang-ers’ lives as a sacrifice. He has several secretfollowers among the people. If the magi wronglyblame the entire tribe, the encounter could end indisaster. Otherwise, the travelers may try toisolate and neutralize their real enemies while

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building a greater friendshipwith the King.

Characters of the Wilderness

Kor Ny Kor, Dragon of the Physon

Magic Might 55 Size +7

CharacteristicsInt +3 Per -2

CombatBite: 1st +12 — Atk +20 — Dam +40Claw: 1st +16 — Atk +20 — Dam +20Sting: 1st +30 — Atk +28 — Dam +10*Defense: +10Soak Total: +50Body Levels: OK/0/0/0/-1/-1/-1/-3/-3/-3/-5/-5/Incap.Fatigue Total: 0Fatigue Levels: OK/0/0/0/-1/-1/-1/-3/-3/-3/-5/-5/Unc.

* Plus poison: The victim must pass a Stm roll of9+ or drop four Body Levels.

PowersChoking Breath, PeAu 30, 3 Magic Points.

Blasts the life from the air, causing +30 damage toeach person within a cone ten paces across andthirty paces wide.

Dream Vortex, ReMe, 5 Magic Points. Kor NyKor can draw his opponents into his own dreams,to fight them there in a world of his creation.Anyone who views Kor Ny Kor asleep must pass aStm roll of 8+ or fall asleep immediately and enterKor’s dream. This roll is repeated every CombatRound that one looks upon the sleeping dragon.

Anyone who casts a spell on Kor must pass aStm roll with an Ease Factor of half the spell’slevel or collapse in slumber. Furthermore, magimust exceed the Ease Factor by at least two pointsfor the spell to actually take effect.

Kor cannot simultaneously dream and fightwaking opponents. When magi challenge him andfall asleep, he disposes of their associates, thengoes to sleep himself and deals with the magi.

Victims of the Dream Vortex cannot voluntar-ily wake up until either Kor Ny Kor releases themor they defeat him in the dreamworld. However,

their companions may rousethem with shaking, water etc..Such stimulation allows sleepers

to attempt one new Stm check per Combat Round,with the same Ease Factor of the original roll.

Dream Magic, ReMe varies. Kor Ny Kor canuse all Dream Magic special Abilities at a Level of+5. See New Magical Traditions for details.

Personality TraitsIndolent +2Miserly +2

Description: Dangerous awake or asleep,Kor Ny Kor rules without question on the RiverPhyson. This creature appears as an enormous,four-legged serpent, with oversized haunches andskin of sickly gray. The dragon has leathery wingsand can fly. Kor’s bloodshot, ivory eyes give himthe look of putrescence. Even when Kor sleeps, hispale wrinkled eyelids add to his loathsome appear-ance.

Like many dragons, Kor loves wealth insatia-bly. The Physon provides him with all he couldrequire, but nevertheless, he wishes to hoard it,keeping every pebble as his own. However, Kor NyKor does not really want thieves to stop coming,since he takes as much pride in the defense of histreasure as in its possession. He may occasionallyoverlook a theft in order to encourage others.

Visitors who do not steal jewels attract KorNy Kor’s curiosity. He gladly talks with suchenigmatic strangers and sometimes even allowsthem to leave unmolested. Kor Ny Kor possessesan enormous quantity of lore about Dream-Magicand the Physon. He knows little about the worldbeyond.

Millennia of dreaming and growing fat havemade Kor Ny Kor indolent. He spends ever moretime asleep, and less flying. Therefore, those whoinfiltrate Kor’s territory and escape withoutpausing to sleep stand an ever-greater chance ofsuccessfully robbing him. However, anyone whosleeps in Kor’s domain inevitably encounters thedragon’s dream-form. Furthermore those whodiscover him asleep risk collapsing into slumberthemselves.

Kor’s liver is worth 30 pawns of Mentem vis.

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Sphinxes

Magic Might 40 Size +4

CharacteristicsInt +5 Prs +2 Com +2

CombatClaw: 1st +8 — Atk +10 — Dam +35*Hind Claw: 1st +1 — Atk +6 — Dam +40**Defense: +10Soak Total: +30Body Levels: OK/0/0/-1/-1/-3/-3/-5/-5/IncapFatigue Total: 0Fatigue Levels: OK/0/0/-1/-1/-3/-3/-5/-5/Unc

*A sphinx gains a +3 to Atk and Dam rolls whendiving upon landbound victims.

**This attack only affects creatures behind orbeneath the sphinx. A sphinx can make one clawand one hind claw attack per Combat Round.

PowersRoar, ReAu 30, 4 Magic Points. Anyone

within earshot (300 paces) of a roaring sphinxmust pass a Stm roll with an Ease Factor of 8 orfall prostrate from the blast. Those who fallcannot regain their feet or take action for oneRound per point of failure. In addition, anyonewho fails the Stm roll suffers deafness (-5 tohearing perception rolls) for one hour.

The Roar of a sphinx automatically knocks allordinary missiles from their course. Assume thata Roar takes place in the Missiles phase andprotects the sphinx from all ranged attacks in thatround.

Test of Wits, ReMe 40, 2 Magic Points. Asphinx may engage opponents in any sort ofintellectual duel. The victor may impose any onenon-suicidal command, which the loser must obey.A sphinx may force a Test of Wits upon any crea-ture which engages her in conversation, whetheror not the subject agrees to the Test.

The sphinx of Greek myth asked victims ariddle. However, the Test of Wits may involve anymental contest the Storyguide desires. Thesphinxes of the Veldt have asked riddles, posedmathematical problems and invented elaborateforms of chess for purposes of this contest.

Personality TraitsArrogant +3Jealous +3Petty +2

Three exceptionally power-ful sphinxes rule the Veldt.

These creatures have the bodies of golden lions,and human heads, with skin the color of cinnamon.They occasionally wear gold jewelry which thetribes give them as offerings. All are well-muscledand comely and know it.

Tribal legend makes these beasts even morepowerful than they are in fact, and the sphinxeshave come to believe these stories themselves.Nobody has dared oppose the Sphinxes for centu-ries. Therefore, they do not hesitate to bully meremortals. If confronted with a genuine threat, thesebeasts would flee or negotiate. They would alsoband together against their rival, and could coerceseveral Veldt tribes into assisting them.

The sphinx Lysha has the most even temperof the sphinxes, but her fine features and mischie-vous smile conceal a diabolic mind. She devotesmuch of her time to inventing ways of tormentingher rivals. However, Lysha does not actually hateSeleena or Fornos. She simply likes to remindthem of her cleverness.

Unlike the other Sphinxes, Lysha treats herhuman helpers fairly. She rewards people whoserve her well and even makes friends among theTribes. Therefore, Lysha enjoys a wide network ofinformers and friends, who help her in herschemes.

Seleena is the most beautiful of the sphinxes.She is also the most vain and the most petty. Thesmallest slight can send her into a rage. Mortallives mean nothing to her in such moods, and sheregularly sacrifices humans in her schemes or killsthem herself out of simple bad humor.

Fornos, as the only male sphinx in the trio,enjoys an enviable position. He drifts fromSeleena to Lysha and back again, setting offtempests of rivalry with each switch. None of theexcitement means much to him. As long as Fornoshas food and drink and flattery, he feels content.

Fornos does feel the urge to prove his virility.He demonstrates his courage by bullying mortals.The male sphinx demands tribute from all whocross his path, and maims on the slightest pretext.He seldom kills his victims, because he wantsthem to spread stories of his prowess. On one ortwo occasions, Fornos’ machismo has led him toattack powerful sorcerers or others with the abilityto strike back. Lysha has always gotten him out oftrouble.

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Each of the sphinxes’ bodieshold 20 pawns of Auram vis.

Yo-Lin, Princess of the Veldt

Age 27 Cnf 4 Enc 2

CharacteristicsInt +1 Str +2 Prs +3 Dex +2Per +0 Stm +3 Com +2 Qik +2

CombatAttack/Short Spear: 1st +11 — Atk +10 — Dam +11Defense/Wicker Kite Shield: +8Soak Total (Full Hard Leather): +9Body Levels: OK/0/-1/-3/-5/Incap.Fatigue Total: +1Fatigue Levels: OK/0/-1/-3/-5/Incap.

DreamingDream: +3Dreambuilding: +2Dreamsparking: +2Dreamwaking: +3Nightfancy: +2

TalentsCharisma (Tribal): +5

SkillsKite Shield Parry: +3Leadership (Giving Orders): +5Short Spear Attack (Wild Melee): +6

KnowledgesSpeak (Astha): +1Speak (Khili): +3

Personality TraitsHonorable +1Iconoclastic +1Passionate +1

ReputationSurvivor(Veldt tribes) +2

Description: Yo-Lin’s ebony skin and flash-ing eyes mark her as a leader. Indeed, in her 27years, she has ruled not one tribe but two. Yo-Lin’s career began as a newborn, when the Zaipeople discovered her abandoned in a lion’s den.When the Zai saw that the lions had not harmed

Yo-Lin, they immediatelyrevered her as their future

queen.

Yo-Lin grew up in full knowledge of herauspiscious birth. She became fiery, passionateand full of confidence. Tribal customs meantnothing to her. She refused the ritual impalementby which Zai girls came of age, and declaredherself Queen at the scandalously young age of 18.

Yo-Lin defied Dis as readily as she defied hertribe. When the Lord Phillius requested a tributeof slave-women, Yo-Lin sent back his messengerswithout their hands. Shortly thereafter, a mysteri-ous “Gray Man” appeared among the Zai people,haunting them at night. The Gray Man brought apox which decimated them.

The disease did not kill Yo-Lin. She escapedinto the Veldt alone, only to be captured by theCho peoples, a warlike band which had grown boldenough to raid the caravans of Niobia. The aggres-sive Cho’s admired Yo-Lin’s courage and spirit.Within five years, Yo-Lin led the Cho.

Under Yo-Lin, the Cho do not raid theNiobians. Instead, Yo-Lin uses them against theColossi. She blames Dis for the destruction of herpeople, and dreams of laying Dispolis in ruins.

Throughout her career, Yo-Lin has kept agreat secret. She is more than a warrior. Sheknows the arts of a Dreamer. In war, Yo-Lin canspy on her foes in their dreams. In peace, she usesher magic to influence her tribe.

Yo-Lin has a terror of fighting other Dream-ers. She does not want her secret magic revealed.Furthermore, she knows what it can do. There-fore, Yo-Lin refuses any raid which would take herinto the Jungles of the Horn. In fact, she culti-vates allies among the Gentle tribes, making herperhaps the only tribal leader whose influencespans both the veldt and jungle.

Role-Playing Tips: Speak in a firm, reso-nant voice. Act on impulse — but well-foundedimpulse, never hesitating but seldom behavingfoolishly either. Despite Yo-Lin’s warlike nature,she does not harm those who have not earned herwrath. With the innocent, she behaves extremelyhonorable and kind. However, anyone who tries tohumiliate her can expect no mercy. Yo-Lin is apassionate woman with a powerful personalintegrity.

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The Colossi of Dis recorded the history of theearly Empire, beginning with the rise of their ownpeople. For the other tribes, only scattered cre-ation-myths remain. Around 5000 B.C., the legendgoes, a heroic Colossi named A-Shan discoveredthe use of flint to kindle fire. He set the stage for anumber of inventor-kings, who appeared roughly4,000 years later and built the first settlements inthe hills of Dis.

The people of the tribes revered fire and thosewho could make it. When El-Von tamed elephantsand Re-Nar devised a written script, Dis onlyincreased its reputation. The tribes viewed theColossi as near-gods. Naturally, the people of Disextracted all the profit they could from theirstatus. Around 1000 BC, the latest Colossi inven-tor, Tamil-O contrived to shear away the peak ofMount Dis, creating a mountain-sized obelisk toserve as a beacon for tribes bringing offerings.

Tamil-O did more than build monuments. Hedevised a regular schedule for tribute, to ensurethat Dis always had what it needed in the amountsit required. In compiling his tax rolls, Tamil-Oproduced the first comprehensive survey of theGolden Empire’s tribes, their territory, theircustoms and their wealth. Where two peoplesshared the same land, he divided the territoryalong arbitrary lines. Often, the tribes themselveshad not realized what they “owned.” Nevertheless,most readily accepted any possessions which theColossi demi-gods accorded them.

Tamil-O’s record-keeping prepared the groundfor a centrally-governed empire. He encouragedreciprocal “tribute” or, more appropriately, tradebetween the tribes as well as from the tribes toDis. He advised chieftains on building their owncities. He adjudicated the disputes his new em-phasis on tribal property fostered. He also spread

the Colossi inventions throughout the lands,spurring the growing sophistication of the tribes.

A developed culture spread across the easterncoast of the continent. Under Colossi tutelage, theGolden Tribes developed a town-based society,with an economy dependent on trade, metallurgy,agriculture and slaves. Nevertheless, they built nogreat cities, and remained divided into theiroriginal clans. Dis served as the center for trade,and the forum for disputes not settled by war. TheColossi city became, in effect, an imperial capital ofthe Golden Empire.

By 1000 BC, the Golden Empire consisted ofseveral hundred tiny communities and one greatpower in Dis. With a military leader of evenmodest proportions, Dis might have struck thefinal blows and won itself an empire. The Colossi,however, had no tradition of warfare. They pur-sued knowledge, not dominion. Magi might wellunderstand their motivations.

LoshandarThe Colossi calender begins with the Roman

year 452 BC. That year, the Lords of Dis uncov-ered the secrets of a powerful new class of spirits,which they set about to enslave. The “new spirits”,what christians call devils, proved themselves aworthy rival for the Colossi. A secret war spreadacross the Empire, pitting Lords of Dis against theservants of an infernal power who called herselfLoshandar. The struggle consisted not of militarycampaigns, but of cabalistic studies, the corruptionof magicians, and duels of wizard against devil.

After three years of struggle, the Lords of Disprevailed. They captured Loshandar and impris-

ChapterThree

The Chronicles

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oned her within a vast stone.The Lords of Dis became accom-plished diabolists, and Loshandar, imprisoned,found herself obliged to serve them.

Like most great victories, this triumphredefined the nation. In many ways, the Colossiprofited from their victory. Loshandar’s powersbecame their own, and Dis gained a supernaturalimmunity to poison and harm. Colossi sorcerycould never be the same. With the spread ofmalevolent and intelligent spirits, the Lords of Dishad to guard their secrets. The Lords of Dis allowonly a few into their circle now, and they encour-age the simple folk to think of magic as unwork-able superstition.

Outside Dis, folk knew little of the duel withLoshandar. The Golden People knew only that theColossi turned away from their peoples and aban-doned the markets and forums of the city. Theyknew only that as the bounty of the Colossishrank, Dis demanded more tribute than everbefore. The tribes grew restless. Dis no longerseemed as wonderful, or as sacred.

To outside eyes, the Colossi seemed to beneglecting their role as administrators of thecontinent. In 220 BC, the Golden Tribes founded anew city of their own. A chieftain named Arcaeusbuilt Ushan, a new “capital” at the Physon Delta.Its central location and access to the waterwaysmade it far more convenient than Dis.

Like the cities of Dis, Ushan served primarilyas an economic and cultural focus for the conti-nent, not the capital of a conqueror. However,Arcaeus understood the power his new city gavehim. Naturally, he exploited it. The Arciansslowly became the richest traders and most influ-ential arbitrators in the Empire.

The Colossi raised no official objection to thefounding of Ushan. However, Arcaeus’ action stillbore the taint of rebellion, and since the Colossihad the status of gods, rebellion smacked ofblasphemy. Ushan’s founding coincided with theappearance of demons in the Empire. Naturally,many blamed Arcaeus. The Golden People splitinto tribes which supported the new capital, andthose which considered its very existence arrogant,dangerous and obscene.

War was inevitable in the Golden Empire.The growth of slavery and territorial lordshipinsured that tribes would have plenty to fight over.A religious dispute gave the people yet another

thing to divide them. Further-more, the traditions of the

Golden People, unlike the Colossi, exalted war-riors. Every clan pursued vendettas and duels ofhonor. Battles bubbled up across the land, aschieftain fought chieftain and traders turnedbandits to raid one another’s wares.

NiobiaIn 146 BC, the Romans drove a plow from one

end of Carthage to the other. They buried itsstreets and salted its fields and added the provinceof Africa to Rome. In the wake of the sack, aCarthiginian priestess, Granita, gathered fivehundred refugees and led them out of the doomedcity. Inflamed by a dream from the goddess Juno,Granita led her people into the Ring of Fire, andbeyond the reach of Rome.

Granita held her band together in the burningwastes of the Ring. Half their number died, butthe survivors emerged east of the Dis Hills, wherethey found a settled countryside. There, theyencountered a tribal village of the Golden People.Although the Golden People spoke a strangelanguage, Granita managed to acquire food andrest for her band.

Granita selected an envoy to treat with thecurrent kings of the land. However, the errandwent terribly wrong, and the envoy ended upkilling a Colossi Lord who happened to be presentin the village. The local chief seized this excuse toexterminate the strangers.

Of the Carthaginian survivors, seventy-fivemen remained fit to fight. The tribes sent twohundred warriors against them. Granita served asan inspiration for her followers, wielding the powerof a sorceress. Furthermore, the Carthaginianwarriors had experience against the legions ofRome. The Carthaginians defeated the local tribeswith ease.

The night after the victory, Granita had adream in which Juno smote the land with herspear. Dust rose from the impact, and where itsettled, ants built a great warren of their mound-like homes. Granita considered the meaningobvious. Her goddess intended the Carthiginiansto settle in the bountiful land they found, and raisea new Carthage there.

One must remember that the “Golden Em-pire” was not any sort of unified state. No tribe

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cared to defend the integrity ofthe lands South of the Sun.Granita completed her new citywithout further strife. The Carthaginians namedthe city Niobia, and set about expanding theirpower.

Once the Niobians had sufficient strength,they busied themselves with skirmishes across thecontinent. Carthaginian mercenaries sold theirservices as war leaders to whatever chieftainswould hire them. The spirit of Hannibal livedamong them, and they proved cunning, ruthlesscommanders. In return for their services, theytook prisoners of war as captives back to Niobia.The combination of grand aspirations and a tinyCarthaginian population gave that city an insa-tiable appetite for slaves.

Loshandar, the enslaved devil of Dis, warnedher masters that Granita’s city could eventuallybecome a threat to their lands. At her suggestion,the Lords of Dis invited several potent devils to theworld and instructed them to take up residence inthe new city. A latent diabolic cult among theNiobians gives these entities influence beyondtheir own formidable sorcery. The Lords com-pelled their diabolic agents to remain dormant inNiobia until given orders to the contrary. Dis nowhas a permanent weapon against theCarthaginians. Only the Colossi disdain forpolitics has prevented them from exploiting it.

ChristianityThe next great event in the history of the

Golden Empire also came from outside. Christianmissionaries arrived in the year 98 AD. TheseChristians crossed the Ring of Fire on the strengthof their faith, and performed miracles of everyvariety upon their arrival. They preached thejoyous gospel of their times and won convertsthroughout the Empire.

The new religion enjoyed a remarkablysmooth reception. Dreamer shamans did notconsider their superstitions a religion per se, andtherefore they felt no direct competition with theChristians. A few tribal chieftains murderedmissionaries, but more out of natural barbarismthan religious conviction. The diabolists of Dissimply did not consider Christianity powerfulenough to present a threat.

Only Niobia reacted vio-lently against the missionaries.The Carthaginians felt no

hostility to a new god, but riots erupted whenChristians tried to overturn a statue of Juno.Juno, after all, had saved them from the Romans.The citizens of Niobia still lived in fear of extermi-nation, and did not wish to antagonize theirgoddess. The Queen of Niobia finally bannedChristianity. Carthaginian mercenaries servingabroad took to committing atrocities againstChristians, and encouraging their followers to dothe same.

Yet more visitors from the North, the Vikings,arrived in 900 AD. Only two longships in theentire era managed to penetrate the Ring of Fire,but they found the coast an easy target for theirraids. There, they discovered the lands of Dis. Itdid not take them long to realize that the Colossiwere rich, soft and almost completely unarmed.

Naturally enough, the Vikings banded to-gether and struck inland toward the Cormoranand the chief cities of the Colossi. They soondiscovered their mistake. On the day when theVikings entered Dis, a black smoke rose from theearth, blanketing the city. For three days noneentered nor left the Dis Hills. At the fourth dawnthe smoke dispersed, and a few surviving Vikingsfled to the sea, abandoning arms and possessionsin their terror. Neither the Norsemen nor theColossi tell tales of that smoke. However, thisincident gave the outside world its only glimpse ofthe power of Loshandar.

The Christians recognized Dis’ smokes for thedeviltry that they were. Although none couldmourn the rout of the Vikings, the pious do notdoubt that evil shall eventually come of it. Theysoon began to preach against the Lords of Dis.This harmed only the Christians, since peoplethroughout the Empire knew that the Colossibrought civilization to mankind.

EmpireTribal fighting grew steadily more universal

and savage. The Vikings, despite their fate,opened the eyes of chieftains to the potential ofrobbery. Niobia’s freelance generals did even moreto increase the tempo of fighting, by introducingthe philosophy and tactics of total war. Once, afeud between tribes usually ended with a few

50

wounds and the exchange ofsome honorary tribute. The

Carthaginians, remembering their death-strugglewith Rome, taught a strategy of war to the end, tothe point where the enemy has lost the means tofight.

Once, the Lords of Dis paid no attention to theraids and skirmishes of the tribes. Around theeleventh century A.D., Loshandar began warningthe Colossi that they could no longer afford suchapathy. The old battles never changed much, sincechieftains had no permanent ambitions beyond thethrill of a victory. Niobia, however, took a longerview of strategy, and it had taught its allies to dothe same. Therefore, the Carthaginians and theirfriends grew inexorably richer, while the othertribes stewed and feuded.

The changing pattern of war was a generalsocial trend, with many causes. No chieftain, evenin Niobia, had consciously planned to alter theEmpire’s society. In most cases, one could not eventell when the changes were taking place except inhindsight. Therefore, although the Lords of Disheeded their diabolic advisor, they saw no immedi-ate way to counter the threat.

In 1233 A.D., a wealthy merchant of Ushankidnaped the daughter of a Far-Eyes tribesman.The Far-Eyes tribe immediately sought revenge.This conflict quickly embroiled much of the conti-nent, as dozens of tribes rallied to defend theircenter of trade — or to loot it. Although the tribesof Ushan purchased extensive aid from Niobia, theFar-Eyes tribe possessed numbers, enthusiasmand wily leadership.

Mandus, Chief of the Far-Eyes, lost little timein laying siege to Ushan. When he could not pierceits walls, he dammed the Physon and then brokehis levees, unleashing a wall of water against thecity. The flood toppled Ushan’s wall and cast thetroops within into chaos. Mandus then led acharge into the watery streets. Although the Far-Eyes won a spectacular victory, Mandus himselfdrowned.

Under most circumstances, the victorioustribe would have looted the city, killed a few of itsworst enemies and returned to its old lands to letthe war be forgotten. However, a faction amongthe victors called for a new policy. They wished tokeep Ushan, keep their victories, and proclaim anEmpire in the full political-military sense of the

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word. The Lords of Dis encour-aged this clique, and theiropinions still carried the ring ofthe divine.

Mandus’ son took charge of the Far-Eyes. Theyoung king was a Christian convert, who calledhimself John. The idea of a true Empire intoxi-cated him, for he had a burning desire to leave hismark on posterity. As he considered the matter, acertain tribe among the defeated peoples decidedto massacre its Christians. For John, that settledthe matter. He would make himself Emperor ofthe continent, and he would defend the Christiansof his land.

Christianity also made an excellent founda-tion for an Empire. The idea of one tribe rulinganother ran counter to all the traditions of theGolden People. No mere conqueror could havesustained his power except through the constantuse of force. However, every tribe had its Chris-tian converts and they represented a new class, towhich tribal customs did not apply. By basing hisempire on his religion, John gave himself thelegitimacy to rule.

Commanding his father’s allies and theeconomic hub of Ushan, John conquered thecontinent. In 1242, he proclaimed his Empire.Seventy-two kings paid tribute to the new lord. Ina remarkable reversal of roles, the Colossi led thetribes in making offerings to the conqueror. TheLords of Dis considered John their best hope forcurbing the Niobians and imposing order upon theland. John took for himself the title “Presbyter“(Prester), which connoted the Elder of a tribewhom one must never gainsay.

Niobia finally paid grudging tribute to PresterJohn. Its Queen had no desire to fight the entirecontinent. The presence of Dis’ devils also de-terred them from rebellion. At John’s insistence,the Niobians even withdrew their decree againstChristianity, although angry mobs enforce it evenmore sternly than the Queen’s troops.

In Ushan, John built the Row of Brothers, avast avenue lined with statues of the chieftainsfrom each tribe. Frescoes exalt their commonheritage, and their harmony within the newEmpire. Throughout the Empire, John built roads.The Christians here still consider opulent churchesinimical to their beliefs, but John has spentfortunes on charity, building mansions and planta-

tions for the poor. These estatesalso serve as manpower pools forhis armies.

Above all, Prester John wants to conquer newlands. He knows quite well that only expansionmakes an empire strong and that conquest gives apeople pride, even if they were originally amongthe conquered. John also harbors an ambition ofseizing the Holy Lands for Christianity. Accordingto John’s most recent information, Jerusalem stillbelongs to Rome. Nevertheless, once Prester Johnlearned of the more recent events, he would find acrusade against the Saracens worthy of his efforts.

John sent explorers and envoys through theRing of Fire, seeking other Christians to theNorth. Those who are attracted to the GoldenEmpire will, voluntarily or not, find themselvesplaying a role in John’s attempts to stabilize hisEmpire.

Earth Serpent’s Dream

(Campfire tale of the Mo-Mo Keu-Keu People)

Earth Serpent grew too large for herskin, and rubbed against a sharp rock untilshe could shed it. The sun set the dry,discarded skin on fire. We call the smallerflakes “stars.” We call the big piece of skinthe Milky Way. And that was how lightsappeared in the night sky.

After shedding her skin, Serpent felttired, and fell asleep. The flickering starsshe had created became her dreams. Someof her dreams were too big to burn prop-erly, and merely smoldered. The otherones glittered and sputtered into dozens ofbright cinders.

Dream-stars rained down upon theworld and became its people. We are thelittle glowing cinders whom Earth-Serpentloves. The big lumps landed in Dis, wherethey became the Colossi. They have thegenius of gods, because they never burned,and none of their primal wisdom hasturned to ashes. But because they havenever burned, they have no dream-fire intheir souls, which means they have nohearts.

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The Golden Tribes Offer Tribute

(From the InscribedHistories of Dis)

And when we lit the everlastingcampfires the chieftains thanked us. Andwhen we tamed beasts for their use theythanked us again. And when we took thestone from the hills and made it iron, thechiefs fell on their knees before us, andsaid, “O Titans of Dis, you have taught usthe secrets of the gods themselves. Behold,we are sad, for we have no way to show ourgratitude!”

To this, the Lords answered, “Not so!Be of good cheer, it is possible for you tothank us. The Lords of Dis require manythings which we do not care to manufac-ture. Bring us the fourth part of yourherds and the fourth part of your harvests,gems picked from the Physon and clothwoven by your hands. And such childrenas you find useless, send them to Dis sothat they might be our slaves. If you do aswe have said, we will consider your thankssincere.”

So pleased were the chieftains thatthey left without saying another word.

Loshandar Challenges theLords

(From the InscribedHistories of the Lords of

Dis)

We determined that as steel is thestrongest creation of man, we could bestcontrol the Spirit by means of confining herin a crucible. And so the slaves tamped thebellows and we heated the pure iron toglowing. And the Spirit Loshandar mani-fested herself in the iron, and spoke uponthe air. There were those of us who sawthe form of a woman, white-hot andradiant amid the vapors of the fire.

These were the words of the DevilLoshandar.

“Mankind is a racewhich lives by bending other

things to its will. Have you not enslavedfire and horses? Wheat and ore? Aye, evenone another? Then do not marvel when Itell you that I am also an enslaver ofothers, and have been so for the eons. Andnow I shall enslave you, and use you formy purposes, just as you have done to me.”

To mortal eyes, it seems thatLoshandar boasted in vain. In years whichfollowed, we Lords of Dis learned thisspirit’s name, and subdued her. Wishes,she granted us, and devils she placed atour command. But Loshandar is a being ofincalculable age and malice, which leadsmany of us to fear that even captivity isbut a part of her cunning plan.

Is it possible to submit in order toconquer? Might the master of slaves limithis own freedom as well? These are ques-tions which it grows ever more frighteningto ask.

Granita Vows Revenge

(Spoken by Granita uponthe founding of Niobia)

I weep for Dido, mother of Carthage,and I call on all to remember. When theTrojan Aeneas came to Dido in ruin, shegave him shelter and safety, treasure and .. . even love. And when he abandonedher, she slew herself, aye, for the love ofhim. And Aeneas, as you know, used hislover’s gifts to build the city of Rome. Sotoday, I weep, not because Dido is dead,but because she wasted her life on such avillain.

The spoil of Carthage cannot exceedthe spoil of Troy. And if the sons of Aeneasrise from nothing to slay the people whonourished them, how much more shall mydaughters do to punish the ingrates ofRome? Oh, Niobians, let us become a greatpeople! And let us remember that althoughDido in love was tender, a woman invengeance is furious, and patient and coldas ice.

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The following Bestiary, like that of the ArsMagica™ rules, is a selection of particularlyinteresting creatures, not a comprehensive biologi-cal survey. It reflects medieval understanding inaddition to modern knowledge.

Buffalo (Water)

Size +2

Cun -5 Stm +7

Charge: 1st +6 — Atk +4 — Dam +8Dodge: +0Soak Total: +12Body Levels: OK/0/0/-1/-1/-3/-5/Incap.Fatigue Total: +5Fatigue Levels: OK/0/0/-1/-1/-3/-5/Unc.

Crocodile

Size +1

Cun -5 Stm +8

Bite 1st +6 — Atk +7 — Dam +12Dodge: +0Soak Total +14Body Levels: OK/0/-1/-3/-5/Incap.Fatigue Total: +7Fatigue Levels: OK/0/-1/-1/-3/-5/Unc.

Elephant

Size +5

Cun +2 Stm +10

Brave +1

CombatTusks: 1st +8 — Atk +10 — Dam +20Trample: 1st +2 — Atk +15 — Dam +20Dodge: +0Soak Total +20Body Levels: OK/0/0/-1/-1/-1/-3/-3/-5/-5/Incap.Fatigue Total: +5Fatigue Levels: OK/0/0/-1/-1/-1/-3/-3/-5//-5/Unc.

The people South of the Sun often trainelephants and ride them. In combat, a trainedelephant must attempt a Brave roll whenever itsuffers a wound. If this roll fails, the beast stam-pedes in a random direction, trampling whatevergets in its way.

Fire Elemental

The heat of this region manifests itself asliving spirits of Elemental Fire. Although all thesecreatures have the same essential nature, theyappear in many different forms. Some appear aslone tongues of flame. Others take the shape offiery horses, dogs, or serpents.

In the heat of the Ring of Fire, elementalspirits have attained sentience, and possiblygenius. These beings represent alchemical prin-ciples, and may hold great interest for the magi-cians of Hermes. Their bodies contain one point ofIgnem vis per three points of Spirit Might. Anyonewho spends a day studying an Elemental can, onetime only, gain an increase of one in Ignem.

Unfortunately, fire-spirits see no reason totolerate mortals in their lands. They feel onlycontempt for beings of flesh, which cannot endureheat and flame. Although few fire-spirits devotemuch thought to hunting human travelers, theones that do add an intelligent enemy to a land

ChapterFour

Bestiary

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where nature itself providesdanger enough.

Elemental spirits have different motivationsfrom things of flesh and blood. The Storyguideshould remember this when role-playing theinhabitants of the Ring of Fire. Individualelementals have no fear of death, since the prin-ciples which animate them permeate the universe.In fact, Elementals have no permanent individualexistence at all. They manifest themselves wher-ever the forces of their element have grown intenseenough to take on conscious thought. Their“motives” are the forces which brought them intoexistence.

Fire Elementals have a general desire toexpand, consume, and grow. At the root of theirmotivation lies the drive to cause change. The FireElementals have little interest in either PresterJohn or Europe, but if forced to pay attention tothese things, they may act to smash both civiliza-tions. The Elementals might actually like to seetravelers cross the Ring of Fire, if those travelersbrought explosive doctrines from one land to theother. They can protect those whom they choosefrom the heat. However, having accepted anElemental’s help, one often has some difficultygetting rid of it.

The uninitiated traveler has no means fordistinguishing the elemental spirits of flame fromdemons. Even those with some sophistication inthe ways of the occult often find similaritiesbetween the two. The stronger and more belliger-ent fire-spirits can often do more harm thandemons anyway, at least in the short term. Bothare malevolent, powerful beings which even magican only partially understand.

Spirit Might (Ranges from 10 to 50+. Usuallyabout 25.) Size +1

CombatFiery Touch: 1st +7 Atk +13 Dam +10*Dodge: +5Soak Total +10Body Levels: OK/0/-1//-1/-3/-5/Incap.Fatigue Total: 0Fatigue Levels: OK/0/-1/-1/-3/-5/Unc.

*The victim’s clothes and possessions continue toburn on the round following a successful attack,inflicting another +6 damage.

Powers

Birth of Fire (CrIg var-ies), 1 Spirit Point: Fire Elementals can use anyCreo Ignem spell, spontaneous or formulaic.Elementals have a Form and Technique bonusequal to their total Spirit Might.

Consumption (CrIg 50), all Spirit Points:This power allows the elemental to flare into anall-encompassing gout of fire, destroying itself andall around it. Consumption consumes all SpiritPoints remaining to the elemental. It affects aradius equal to three paces per Spirit Point ex-pended. Those within the area suffer damage ofone die plus the original Spirit Might of the el-emental.

Fire Leap (ReIg 25), 1 Spirit Point: A FireElemental can instantly transport itself into anyfire within sight, including a fire which it starts.

By spending ten Spirit Points, a Fire Elemen-tal may reach any fire which it knows to be burn-ing, anywhere in the world. However, the Elemen-tal must have previously seen the fire and the firemust still be burning.

Jackal

Treat as wolf.

Kor-Ny-Kor, Dragon of thePhyson

See Characters of the Wilderness in ChapterTwo for the description and statistics of thismighty beast.

Loshandar

The Colossi of Dis rank the discovery ofLoshandar alongside that of fire and the wheel.Their pride has its basis. Since acquiringLoshandar, the Colossi have enslaved many devils.However, Loshandar remains the most thoroughlyenslaved and by far the most powerful. Few devilsof Loshandar’s might have ever strayed out of theHells.

Loshandar embodies the power to tame and tomaster, to steal power from nature. At the sametime, she represents the ability of power to cor-rupt, bringing both master and slave into ruin.

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For the Colossi, Loshandar’snature is their means to advancecivilization. For Hell, it is thepower to bring civilization into damnation.

Loshandar has two ways of appearing in Dis.She can manifest herself anywhere within sight ofher diamond prison, to advise the Lords of Dis andwork magic on their behalf. The Demon can alsosend Spawn of her self into the world. A descrip-tion of Loshandar’s personal form appears below.Details on the Spawn appear after that.

Most Colossi view Loshandar as female.However, this beast has many guises. Loshandarappears as the masculine Strong Slave, withbowed head and muscles thick as trees. TheDemon manifests itself as the callous male Task-master, who rose from his place among the slavesto wield the whip. Some have seen Loshandar asCoquette, a charming woman whose favors cost farmore than lovers guess. Finally, the Demonappears as a Mother, who gives her daughtersbirth, and in return demands the right to shapetheir souls.

Diabolists only guessed what powersLoshandar had when the Colossi called her fromHell. When the Lords of Dis defeated Loshandar,they set a ward upon her, bottling her up in adiamond prison. They hid this diamond itself in asecret vault beneath the Palace of the Lords. Fromthat cell, the Lords of Dis let Loshandar exercisewhat powers they dare.

When the Lords of Dis desire, they can allowLoshandar out of her prison in a physical form.Her being cannot touch the gem without returninginto it, and cannot go beyond sight of the gem. ALord of Dis carries the gem for Loshandar, takingit wherever Lords require their manifested demon.The physical form serves primarily as a lastdefense against those who would sack Dis orattack Loshandar’s prison.

The Lords of Dis know secrets to loosenLoshandar’s bonds, letting her send out moreavatars with more power. However, nobody seesthe peril of this more clearly than they. The Lordsof Dis prefer to keep Loshandar as an advisor.They use lesser devils for more direct services.

Loshandar herself makes few bids for greaterfreedom. With greater power, she could completemore of her ambitions, but as matters stand, theLords of Dis often accomplish them for her, which,in the end, is far more satisfactory. The Lords of

Dis will listen to a helplessprisoner. With greater freedom,Loshandar would have more

power but less trust.

Loshandar’s body would contain one hundredpawns of Vim vis. However, one cannot over-emphasize the difficulty in destroying Loshandar.She has formidable powers of her own and all theColossi sorcerers to guard her. She has numerousSpawn throughout Dis. Furthermore, to actuallydestroy Loshandar, magi would have to release herfrom her diamond prison, using magic which onlythe highest Lords of Dis know. This release,incidentally, would give Loshandar power evenbeyond her current might, with details left to theindividual Storyguide.

Demon Might 80

CharacteristicsInt +5 Str +5 Prs +3 Dex +5Per +10 Stm +5 Com +2 Qik +5

CombatTouch (Physical Form): 1st +8 — Atk +20 — Dam +30Defense: +10Soak Total: +15Body Levels: OK/0/0/0/0/-1/-1/-1/-1/-3/-3/-3/-5/-5/BanishedFatigue Total: 0Fatigue Levels: OK/0/0/0/0/-1/-1/-1/-1/-3/-3/-3/-5/-5/Banished

Spirit Form Powers

The following list shows powers which theColossi have permitted Loshandar to manifest.She performs these feats at her diamond prison,when subjects lay their hands upon the gem.

Demon’s Commune (InMe 30, 10 DemonPoints): To accept Loshandar’s magical gifts, onemust enter into a Commune with the demon. Inthis bargain, Loshandar offers some bit of diabolicwisdom. In return, Loshandar gains completeaccess to the subject’s mind. The demon may readmemories, dig up psychological motivations andperceive things which the subject does not admiteven to himself. Loshandar then uses this knowl-edge to bring about the subject’s damnation.

Demonic Genius: Loshandar’s knowledgeequals a tome with a value of +6 in any desired

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knowledge. Loshandar onlyimparts this knowledge by meansof a Demon’s Commune.

In addition to other knowledge, a diabolistwho taps Loshandar’s Demonic Genius learns thenames and rituals for summoning other, lesserdemons. In this way, the Lords of Dis have ac-quired countless infernal allies.

Bestow the Genius of the Demon (CrMe30, 5 Demon Points): This power allows Loshandarto grant anyone a +3 on any skill or ability. Any-one who accepts this gift must also take a +2 or -2to some Personality Trait, as the Demon desires.

Give the Gift (CrVi 80, 20 Demon Points):This power allows Loshandar to grant one subjectthe Gift of magic, whether for gaining Hermetic,Colossi or other magical abilities. In return, therecipient must enter a Demon’s Commune. Thenew wizard must also swear an oath to Loshandar,promising to perform any one task the demoncommands.

Loshandar tailors her commands to times andindividuals. Her orders display all the evil craftone would expect from a devil. The Lords of Dis donot know what happens to those who break theirvows. A few Colossi seem to have defiedLoshandar and although none suffered any imme-diate penalty, all came to mysterious ends withinseveral months of their perjury.

Loshandar punishes oath-breakers throughthe magic she granted them. Anyone who acceptsLoshandar’s Gift and then refuses her service willsuffer a dreadful reversal of magic at a time whichLoshandar considers most appropriate. Themagnitude of this disaster equals that of a doubleBotch. Oathbreakers could, of course, escape thiscurse by giving up magic entirely. However,Loshandar and her Spawn work to arrange situa-tions where perjurers find their powers indispens-able.

Aegis of Dis (ReAu 50, ReTe 50, permanent):Loshandar maintains a permanent shield over allDis, destroying all poison and keeping nature’sfury at bay. Neither earthquakes nor cyclones norextremes of temperature can harm the Colossibeneath this Aegis.

Create Spawn (CrVi 50, variable DemonPoints): See Spawn for details.

Physical Form

A genderless figure resem-bling a well-proportioned human, formed from aglowing mist of boiling iron.

Physical Form Powers

Touch (CrIg 30, 1 Demon Point): causes +30fire damage, sets flammable objects on fire. Burn-ing clothes cause the wearer +6 damage per round.Loshandar’s touch can turn iron to slag, if thedemon passes a roll of Stm against an Ease Factorbased on the thickness of the material. Mostarmor and weapons melt with an Ease Factor of 8.

Magic (varies): Loshandar can performspontaneous and formulaic sorcery, as if she werea magus. Assume that her Grimoire includes allthe usual spells from Ars Magica. Loshandarmay acquire Forms and Techniques by spendingher Demon Points. One Demon Point buys her onepoint of knowledge in her chosen field. Oncepurchased, such spell-casting knowledge remainswith her until the following day.

Note that Loshandar’s abilities can varygreatly, depending on how she chooses to allot herDemon Points. During an attack upon Dis, shemight take enormous scores in Perdo and Ignem,for the purposes of devastating Dis’ enemies.However, the Colossi seldom need a warrior, andLoshandar sees little to gain from war. Usually,the Lords of Dis call her into physical form to useCreo spells on their behalf. Loshandar may alsoequip herself with Rego Mentem powers, the betterto influence her masters. At other times, shemight use Intellego, either to spy for the Colossi oron them.

Smoke of Devils (CrVi 40, 20 DemonPoints): This power blankets ten square miles inblack, choking smoke. A swarm of mindless,jibbering devils plagues those within the smoke,confusing them and driving them to madness.Loshandar can direct the devils to ignore victimswho meet specific criteria. For example, the devilsmight have orders to spare all Colossi, or all whospeak the name, “Loshandar.” It costs Loshandarone Demon Point per hour to maintain this Smokeof Devils.

The following effects automatically strike allenemies of the devils.

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• Shifting smokes continu-ally obscure one’s vision and thendrift away. Each person should roll a die once percombat turn to determine the number of paces hecan see. Although this is not precisely a stress roll,the “0” does count as zero, or total blindness. Morefiendish yet, one determines the range of visionafter announcing one’s actions for the turn. Any-one aiming an attack at a creature beyond therange of sight automatically Botches the maneu-ver.

• The jibbering demons make sorcery mad-deningly difficult. Triple all magical Botch rolls.

In addition to the automatic effects, thissmoke of devils can drive folk mad. When thesmoke appears, and each hour in which Loshandarrenews it, everyone subject to the smoke must rolla stress die adding Stm. The list below showspossible effects.

• Botch: They succumb completely to themadness of the devils. These victims stay withinthe smoke, wreaking misery upon their compan-ions as best they can. Those who succumb to thismadness may feign normality in order to completetheir cruel schemes. To cure such a victim, onemust banish a demon of Demon Might 15.

When a grog, magus or companion goesinsane, the Storyguide should usually take overthe character. However, exceptional role-playersmay manage to cause more devastation than theStoryguide ever could.

• 1-3: The victim feels an overwhelmingcompulsion to eat the flesh of one particularcompanion. To satisfy the urge, one must chew offenough meat to cause three Body Levels worth ofdamage. This ends the obsession. It does notmatter whether the character eaten lives or dies.

Victims may resist their cannibalistic tempta-tion if they like, but such an effort requires ex-hausting feats of willpower. Every Combat Turn ofrefusal the hungry character to lose a FatigueLevel. Those who fall unconscious with thisfatigue awaken normally, but retain a lifelongdesire to murder the person they wished to eat.Victims do not recognize this murderous urge untilan opportunity for the killing appears. Then, theobsession victim must pass a stress roll with anEase Factor of 12 to avoid attempting the assassi-nation. One may add (or subtract) appropriatePersonality Traits to this roll.

Note that victims of thiscurse do not know the conse-

quences of eating or refusing to eat their friends.They must decide for themselves whether tosuccumb to the temptation.

• 4-6: The victim, entranced by death, rushestoward the most perilous situation available.

• 7-9: An illusion baffles the victim’s eyes,making one enemy look like a friend and onefriend look like an enemy. In the devils’ smoke,the victim could easily blunder into either one.The confusion lasts until the victim leaves thesmoke. To whatever extent possible, theStoryguide should try to delude the players them-selves about these confused identities.

• 10-12: Victims flee headlong in whateverdirection they happen to be facing. They continueto run until knocked unconscious or physicallyrestrained.

• 13+: No Effect.

Loshandar’s Spawn

The true Loshandar has far more power thanthe Lords of Dis care to release. Instead, theydivide their Demon into bits, and allow thosepieces out to serve the needs of their city. Eachhas its own powers, varying according to thedesires of the Lords and Loshandar. The pieces,or Spawn, behave as individual demons, actingwith independent minds.

Spawn begin existence with Loshandar’s ownmind-set and desires. However, each spirit has itsown memories and its own thoughts. The longer aSpawn exists, the more independent its mindbecomes, until at last it becomes a free-willeddevil, corrupting souls entirely on its own.Loshandar has no direct mental contact with herSpawn, and cannot compel them to obey her.

As lesser demons, Spawn generally lack thecunning and the patience of Loshandar herself.When a Spawn develops an independent mind, itusually becomes more aggressive, more blatantlyviolent than its mistress. At first, this tends tomake the Spawn more useful to the Lords of Dis,since it willingly uses all the power it possesses.Eventually, however, every Spawn becomes athreat to the diabolists and an embarrassment toLoshandar. Then, the diabolists and new Spawnmust hunt it down.

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Loshandar creates a Spawnby spending Demon Points.Furthermore, she cannot auto-matically recover those points in the usual fashion.To regain the power she spent, she must enterPhysical Form and kill. She must slay one humanfor every ten points of Demon Might she spends.Loshandar does not create Spawn until the Colossican offer her victims.

To keep creating Spawn, the Colossi need acontinual supply of slaves and criminals forLoshandar. Fortunately for them, the Spawnthemselves encourage a certain amount of crime,considering it indispensable to the corruption ofsouls. Spawn also play upon the superstitions ofthe Mo-Mo people, persuading chiefs to send theColossi tribute. This tribute includes slaves.

The strength of a Spawn depends on thenumber of Demon Points Loshandar chooses tospend. Every point she spends can give the Spawnone point in any Characteristic she desires, or twopoints in any Ability. Loshandar often makesSpawn with high Ability Scores in magical Formsand Techniques, to serve as Soul Companions forimportant diabolists.

Loshandar also gives her Spawn supernaturalpowers. She may imbue them with spells, at thecost of one Demon Point per spell level bestowed.Even Spawn who understand Forms and Tech-niques do not usually have actual sorcery abilities.They simply use the spells Loshandar createsthem with.

To determine a Spawn’s Demon Might, dividethe number of Demon Points spent in its creationby two. As usual, Demon Might provides a mea-sure of the spirit’s power. Finally, the DemonPoints spent provides a rough estimate of thelength of time before a Spawn goes renegade. Themore powerful the Spawn, the faster it develops amind of its own.

Although Spawn have only a tenuous connec-tion with their creator, they still comprise a part ofher spirit. Therefore, the destruction of a Spawnwounds Loshandar. When a Spawn dies,Loshandar loses Body Levels equal to one-tenththe Spawn’s Demon Might.

To replace Body Levels lost in the death ofSpawn, Loshandar must commit murder. Shemust kill one person per Body Level lost. TheColossi always allow her these victims, becausethey have no desire to weaken (or anger) their

powerful patroness. Therefore,each time the Lords of Disrelease a Spawn, they must

prepare for many killings, some to create the newdemon, and some to lay it aside.

Many believe that the creation of Spawn didnot always require Loshandar to kill. She wovethese requirements into the magic for no reasonother than to introduce a bloody note into theaffairs of Dis. The killing itself has little value forher. However, by forcing the Lords of Dis toproduce sacrificial victims, she introduces un-speakable evil among the Colossi.

A Spawn’s corpse initially contains Vim vis.The number of pawns equals half the Spawn’sDemon Might. However, when Loshandar com-pletes the killing which restores her Body Levels,any vis taken from the Spawn vanishes. Themagical energy returns to Loshandar. Spells anddevices powered by the vis become inert.

Demon Might Varies

CharacteristicsVaries.

CombatWeapon, etc.: VariesBody Levels: OK/0/-1/-3/-5/DestroyedFatigue Total: 0Fatigue Levels: OK/0/-1/-3/-5/Destroyed

Spirit Form

Spawn in Spirit Form are invisible. Thosewho can see spirits observe a glowing outlinesimilar to the Spawn’s Physical Form.

Physical Form

Spawn appear in all the horrid forms demonstake, although the majority resemble Loshandar inone of her guises.

Powers

Loshandar grants Spawn spells as powers,using the system described above. The Spawnmay use these powers at will, by spending one ofits own Demon Points. On general principle, aSpawn must take physical form to use powerswhich cause direct harm. Illusions, Intellego

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powers and similarly passiveactivities take place in spiritform.

Rhinoceros

Size +3

Cun -5 Stm +10

Charge: 1st +6 — Atk +7 — Dam +24Dodge: +0Soak Total +20Body Levels: OK/0/0/-1/-1/-3/-3/-5/Incap.Fatigue Total: +7Fatigue Levels: OK/0/0/-1/-1/-3/-3/-5/Unc.

Salamander

A salamander is a small, playful spirit of theflames. Unlike larger fire elementals, it cannotsustain its own fires through magic alone. There-fore, salamanders must sap the heat from othersources, dwelling in fires, volcanoes and the desertsun. A salamander can extinguish small fires andabsorb the heat from larger ones.

In most lands, folk view salamanders withdread. At best, these spirits are a nuisance,extinguishing cookfires, forges and lanterns. Atworst, these spirits set fires, expending a little oftheir precious heat to create far more. Tales saythat a salamander can develop a taste for thesmoke of searing flesh. These twisted spirits lurkin buildings until the householders enter and thenset fires especially planned to kill the inhabitants.

Travelers in the Ring of Fire, however,welcome the salamanders. Here, the fire-spiritshave no need to set fires, and their presencecreates cool patches wherever they stay. Mo-MoDream-shamans envision the salamanders asdolphins of the desert, cavorting in the heat.Salamanders in the Ring of Fire seem especiallyfriendly as well and seldom intentionally harmhumans.

Most of the time, a salamander remainsinvisible. When these creatures choose, they mayappear as bluish lizards tinged with fire.

Spirit Might 15

Size -1 to -3

CharacteristicsDex +3 Qik +3

CombatFiery Touch: 1st +5 — Atk +10

— Dam +10Dodge: +8Soak Total +10Body Levels: OK/-1/-3/-5/Incap.Fatigue Total: 0Fatigue Levels: OK/0/-1/-3/-5/Unc.

Powers

Incorporeality: A salamander may enterincorporeal form at will. In this state, it is invis-ible. Weapons can touch it, but it gains a +20 toall Soak rolls due to the insubstantial nature of itsbody. A Salamander cannot use its Fiery Touch inthis state.

Drain Heat: A salamander subsists bydraining the heat from fires, magic and sunlight.It can extinguish any fire it crawls into. Thetemperature in a 10' radius of the salamanderdrops 50 degrees F. A salamander’s heat-drainingability may also protect any one person from thesun and from fiery attacks of any sort.

Fiery Touch: In addition to causing damagein combat, a Salamander can ignite flammableobjects. A typically-equipped character takes +6Dam per round from burning clothes.

Serpent

Size -1

Cun -1

Bite 1st +2 — Atk +4 — Dam *Dodge: +3Soak Total +0Body Levels: OK/-3/Incap.Fatigue Total: 0Fatigue Levels: OK/0/-1/-3/-5/Unc.

*Anyone wounded by a serpent must pass a Stmroll with an Ease factor of 9 or suffer +20 damagefrom poison.

Sphinxes

The sphinxes that rule the veldt are describedunder Characters of the Wilderness, in ChapterTwo.

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Totem Beasts

These beings are ordinaryanimals of enormous size and nobility of spirit.Dreamer shamans direct their people to worshipthese creatures, seeing the totems as representa-tions of the ideal in their respective kinds. Atotem lion, for instance, embodies courage andstrength. Each totem beast also has one or moresupernatural abilities associated with its form.Shamans often acquire these abilities by means ofSoul Companionship.

In the ordinary world, totem animals oftenseem like other specimens of their kind. They dohave two more points of Stm and Cunning thanthe typical member of their kind. In theDreamworld, these beasts can speak and reason,at least with regard to matters which concernthem. They also have at least two or threeDreamer Exceptional Talents at +3.

Most totem animals have 20 Magic Points.The heart of a totem animal contains five

points of Animal vis.A totem animal’s supernatural abilities vary

with the animal type. Common examples appearbelow.

Crocodile. Submerge (ReVi 40), 3 MagicPoints: This ability lets a crocodile single out onevictim and fight that enemy alone. On any Com-bat Turn when a crocodile uses Submerge, it canfight normally with a chosen opponent and noother combatants may interfere. The victim’sallies see their friend vanish into a murky cloud.Shamans compare this ability to a normalcrocodile’s propensity to drag victims underwater.

Herd Beast. Run (ReCo 20), 1 Magic Point:This ability lets a creature run at triple the normalspeed.

Lion. Roar (ReMe 20), 2 Magic Points: Thisbellow raises the lion’s Bravery and Stm by +4.The effects last until the lion kills.

Serpent. Strike (ReCo 20), 2 Magic Points: AStrike allows the serpent to make one attackimmediately, before any other action takes place inthe round.

Serpent. Venom (PeCo 20), 2 Magic Points:Anyone who suffers damage from the serpent’sattack must pass a Stm roll with an Ease Factor of9 to prevent the damaged area from ballooninginto a useless mass. Those hit in the abdomen,etc., suffer a -3 to all physical actions due to theswelling. Note that a serpent may also have itsown natural venom in addition to this power. A

shaman using Venom throughspirit companionship maytransmit the poison through any

instrument which causes damage.The Storyguide may decide where a poisoned

blow lands, as seems most logical. Serpents mayalso attempt a Qik roll with an Ease Factor of 9 tochoose a specific limb.

Verdant Dreamer

This spirit appears in dreams throughout Mo-Mo Keu-Keu land. Many tribes worship it as agod. It resembles a cloud of cool mist, which glowswith the green hue of leaves. The VerdantDreamer has a +7 ability in all Dreamer Excep-tional Talents.

The Verdant Dreamer shows great curiosityabout mortals in general, and the lands beyondMo-Mo in particular. Its inquisitive nature hasacquired it a great collection of lore, which itshares when properly entreated. The Dreamer hasa +5 knowledge of any field one wishes to name,including the Hermetic Arts.

Usually, the Verdant Dreamer seems harm-less. However, it shows great hostility toward theColossi, their spirits and those of them who chooseto take up Dreaming. Since the Mo-Mo knownothing of Dis’ diabolism, they consider thedreamer’s prejudice irrational, the whim of astrange spirit. In fact, the Dreamer knows thetrue nature of Loshandar, and has no desire to seethat demon infiltrate the land of dreams.

Nobody knows what physical form theDreamer takes. However, many suspect it of beinga gigantic tree.

Magic Might 20

Size +8

CharacteristicsInt +5 Prs +1 Com +3

CombatN/A

AbilitiesAll Dreamer Exceptional Talents at +7All Lore Abilities at +5

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Theoretical Foundations ofthe Non-Hermetics

(From the writings of Zuno,

Magus of Florence)First, a definition of terms. Magic is

the force which subjugates physical Fact tometaphysical Truth. All other theoriesserve only as crutches for our understand-ing.

We magi of Hermes understand sorcerythrough the teachings of Plato, the fore-most metaphysician of the West. Specifi-cally, Plato held that things perceived asobjects are but shadows of their ideal, non-material Forms. One who effects changesin the Forms can thereby effect far greaterchanges in the things they represent. Itwas the genius of Bonisagus to condensethe numberless Forms to but fifteen Arts,which, in combination, account for allcreation.

The Non-Hermetics, however, knownothing of Bonisagus’ blessed simplifica-tion. For them to cast spells in the Her-metic sense, they must study a separateMagic Art for every individual object oftheir magic. Those who have labored tolearn but fifteen Arts can imagine thefutility of such a task! Therefore, the Non-Hermetics must draw their magic fromother schools of philosophy.

South of the Ring of Fire, we see threethriving magical traditions based not onArts, but on instinct. We see the Lords ofDis, who rape their magic from the mindsof beasts. We also see Dreamer shamans,who draw on the Mentem and Imagonem

powers revealed by sleep. Finally, we seethe pagans of Niobian tradition, whoreceive their magic in revelations fromtheir goddess.

Let the smug Hermetic take heed! Thesorcerers South of the Sun can deriveForms and Techniques from their sourcesas surely as we can from ours. Hence, wesee both formulaic and spontaneous spellsamong a people who have never heard ofBonisagus. True, the Parma Magicaremains a secret of our Order. Neverthe-less, these traditions have their ownunique powers, which are beyond Hermetictheory to explain.

The GiftNon-Hermetic magic, like Hermetic magic,

works only for those with a certain Gift. Further-more, the years of single-minded study necessaryto learn magic imbue a magus with enough preju-dices to make an easy transition between differentmagical traditions impossible. The magicaltraditions South of the Sun belong primarily toStoryguide Characters. Storyguides may controlthese arts as tightly as they wish.

Of course, the Order of Hermes will want tostudy the unusual magic South of the Sun. If theStoryguide believes that a new sort of magicianwill improve the saga, a troupe can introduce Non-Hermetic magic in the following ways. All of themgive the Storyguide complete power over who canuse Non-Hermetic magic, and to what extent.

• A character with the Latent Magical Abilityvirtue may suddenly develop a knack for Non-Hermetic magic.

ChapterFive

MagicalTraditions

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• A new character couldtake Non-Hermetic ExceptionalTalents as Virtues, after the fashion of Entrance-ment, Visions, etc.

• The magi could go on a quest for someartifact or spirit that can grant them these newpowers. Loshandar, the Demon of Dis, can freelyconfer the Gift of her land.

• Magi could duplicate these powers byresearching Hermetic spells. In general, assumethat these spells must have an actual Level equalto one-and-one-half the spell Level listed for themagical abilities. For example, a spell allowing amagus to take a Soul Companion (see below) wouldbe IntMe 30. This reflects the difficulty in trans-lating concepts from one school of magic to an-other.

• Those who base whole sagas South of theSun may wish to allow Non-Hermetic wizards tobegin the game as such, just like ordinary magi.This can produce exciting stories and memorablecharacters. However, one must keep in mind thatnon-Hermetic wizards were never designed to be“balanced,” with powers equal to those of othercharacter types. Since Hermetic magi also havepowers far in excess of their companions, this initself need not deter you from running such a saga.Magical characters may not be fair, but they areusually fun.

• Whenever a Dream-shaman meets a personin the land of sleep, that person may then spend afew hours wandering the realm of Dreams. Notethat such experiences seem like dreams of theordinary sort. Those with no experience inDreamer magic may miss the opportunity toexplore the Dreamworld, simply because theybelieve it to be no more than a nighttime fantasy.

• The priestesses of Niobia may confer magicon anyone they choose.

Soul CompanionsEvery magical tradition South of the Sun

acquires a part of its lore from other beings.Wizards borrow power from ordinary animals,totemic spirits and, in Dis, devils from the Hells.In return for the magic wizards take, they mustshare lore or abilities of their own. Wizards calltheir partners in such trades Soul Companions.Companionships may be temporary or permanent,

mutually satisfactory or one-sided. As in human companion-

ships, such things depend on the personalities andpowers of both parties.

The ability to form a spirit companionship isan Exceptional Talent (IntMe 20). However, thosewith Talents in Dream-magic, Dis-sorcery orNiobian Invocation may acquire this Talent likeany other skill. They do not need a separateVirtue for it. The Storyguide may also allow spiritcompanionships to form as a result of a well role-played encounter between person and spirit. Inthis case, the human participant need not haveany predilection toward spirit companionship atall.

A spirit companion can give its counterparteither simple knowledge, a specific magical abilityor a general wizardly art. For example, a Mo-MoDreamer might commune with a leopard and gainthat creature’s instinctive knowledge of the jungleterrain. A Lord of Dis might enslave a devil andgain that devil’s supernatural ability to causephysical wounds with hateful words. A Niobianpriestess might receive a cat as a messenger fromher goddess, and the divine beast might lend herthe Arts of Creo and Ignem, which she would useto work spontaneous or formulaic fire-spells of herown design.

In most cases, a spirit demands some returnfor its companionship. Often enough, it wishes toborrow some human virtue. The companionleeches its debtor’s Abilities or Characteristics, fora point value and time equal to that which thehuman borrowed from it. Assume that five spellLevels equals one point of an Ability or Character-istic. Note that spirit companions can borrow amortal’s physical attributes as well as magicaltalents. This is not true in reverse.

For example, a Dreamer Shaman finds aserpent-spirit as a companion. The shaman usesthe spirit’s innate Entrancement +3 ability for oneday. Then, at some future time, the serpent mayborrow the Dreamer’s +3 Qik score for 24 hours,giving the companion three more points of Qik butreducing the dreamer to a Qik of zero. If theserpent-spirit preferred, it could have borrowedthe shaman’s +2 Dex and +1 Folk Ken, or anyother abilities with a total value of +3.

One may not cheat a spirit companion. Manyspirits will negotiate the manner of their repay-ment, but once one accepts a spirit’s aid, it may

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take its due at any time. Occa-sionally, a shaman attempts todestroy the holder of its debts.The penalties for this deed resemble those for ahuman murderer. Any spirit which learns of thekilling attempts to avenge it. Animals instinc-tively recognize such killers, and shun them.

Spirits with an interest in the material worldmay accept services or gifts in place of borrowedabilities. Those who wish to dominate mortalshave also offered their companionship in return formore personal concessions. Demons, in particular,grant their favors in return for influence over aperson’s mind and soul. They appear to give theirgifts freely. Meanwhile, such spirits begin acampaign of insinuations and subtle suggestionsdesigned to warp the victim’s personality. In gameterms, the spirit modifies the debtor’s PersonalityTraits. A victim must change his Personality byone point per point of abilities borrowed.

One can never write down or articulatesupernatural lore acquired from a soul companion.Once one’s period of companionship ends, oneirrevocably forgets the arts until one borrows themagain.

The Lords of Dis, who customarily draw theirpowers from devils, do not permit ordinary spiritcompanionship. They wrest away spirits’ powersby force, using the ability Cull the Virtue of theSpirit. However, devils may tempt individualLords into bargaining for powers they do not havethe strength to steal. The hypocrisy of overthostility combined with secret connivance infeststhe magical society of Dis.

Storyguides should use spirit companionshipas a role-playing hook, and as a way to introducespecial powers into stories. A spirit companion cangive the characters or their enemies any power orknowledge that might help a tale. Furthermore, ifthe spirit has a properly quirky personality, theStoryguide may remove it from the saga at anytime. Whole stories can revolve around the ap-pearance and departure of interesting spiritcompanions.

Powers of Companions

When seeking spiritual partners, wizardsmust consider what particular soul companionscan offer them. Some have obvious virtues to offer.Spirits of the jungles and Hell tend to know useful

magical tricks and beasts whichdwell in a certain area have anintrinsic knowledge of the region.

Other soul companions offer more subtle boons.See the Bestiary (Chapter 4) under Totem Animalfor details.

The Abilities, Forms and Techniques avail-able from a soul companion depend on theStoryguide’s desires. Since most soul companionsbelong to NPCs, the Storyguide may pick whateverpowers will create the most interesting challengefor the magi. When a character acquires a soulcompanion, the event represents a major turningpoint in the story, and once again, the exactpowers should depend on the needs of drama.That said, the following guidelines explain theknowledge of the typical soul companion.

• Intelligent beings learn Abilities likecharacters, and have the same general range oflearning. Storyguides should design these beingsas they would human NPCs, keeping in mind thatmost beings study Abilities out of personal inter-est, not out of consideration for some futurewizard. (Demons are a notable exception to this,since they often learn arts which may help themseduce humankind.)

• An intelligent spirit may learn Magical Artsappropriate to its nature. Although the spirit’sunderstanding has nothing in common withHermetic formulations, these rules refer to stan-dard Forms and Techniques for the sake of sim-plicity.

• Spirits with great knowledge of useful artsunderstand their value and use it when bargain-ing.

• Dumb beasts have instinctive knowledge oftheir area, wilderness subsistence and otherabilities necessary to survival. An animal’s Levelof ability equals its Cunning.

The Lords of DisThe inventors of the early Colossi discovered

fire, wheel, wheat and rice. They also developedmagic. Sorcery has always had a place in Dissociety as yet another art which enables humanityto rise above the beasts. The Colossi philosophy ofspellcraft rests on the principle that humankind isthe highest product of creation, and other beingsexist only to serve it.

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The wizards of Dis callthemselves Lords, not because ofwhat they can do with their power, but because themeans by which they garner it. They draw theirmagic from the domination of other beings. Colossiwizards know few spells in the Hermetic sense ofthe word. However, they can bind beasts andspirits as servants and suck supernatural powerfrom its soul.

To expand their art, the Colossi sought morepowerful beings to control. They learned to tamebeasts, then the spirits of land and water. By thebirth of Christ, some Colossi wizards knew secretsfor calling up spirits of the dead. Inevitably, theColossi’s studies led them to encounters withdemonkind.

The pagan folk of Dis had no moral objectionsto enslaving devils. If anything, they considereddiabolism more humane than preying upon thesouls of innocent animals. The Masters fullyunderstood the danger of diabolism, but not theevil. Therefore, Colossi sorcerers pursued thestudy of demons with scientific zeal and it did nottake long for them to bring devils under theircontrol.

By ordinary standards, Colossi diabolismseems wildly successful. Demons obey the masterspliantly. No disaster has struck Dis. However, theMasters are trafficking with beings far older thanthemselves, and Hell may yet prove the victor.Devils overshadow every aspect of life in Dis. TheMasters must shed blood to work their magic. Thepreservation of their power requires them to shedyet more. If the Devils had conquered the Colossi,they might not have asked for much more.

Colossi Magic

A Colossi wizard does not rely on spells in theHermetic sense of the word. Instead, Masterslearn supernatural Abilities, which generallyfunction like the Exceptional Talents in the ArsMagica™ rules. A Lord of Dis could extract theknowledge of Forms, Techniques and spontaneousor formulaic spells by using Cull from the Spirit onan entity which understood these arts. However,the Colossi themselves have no such lore.

Unsuccessful use of Colossi magic exhauststhe user. Whenever one attempts to use theseabilities and fails, one loses two Fatigue Levels.This is, however, short-term Fatigue.

The Colossi originally usedtheir abilities on animals. Now,

they employ them primarily with regard to spiritsof Hell. Novices and eccentrics still follow the oldtechniques. Under most circumstances, Colossi donot work with human beings, since that practiceinvolves a great deal of danger for comparativelylittle gain. However, most of these abilities wouldfunction quite well upon humankind.

The typical Lord of Dis has three layers ofpowers. First, the Lord possesses two or threeAbilities of this art, as listed below. These powerscan be useful of themselves, but more significantly,they constitute a means for acquiring powersgreater yet. Second, the Lord owns a retinue ofbeasts and minor demons, which retain their freewill, but must do his bidding. At need, the Lordcan sacrifice these creatures to heal his wounds orsteal their powers. Finally, the Lord has used acombination of intimidation and bargaining toobtain special gifts from the agents of Hell. Theseunusual abilities vary with the Lord’s power andthe beings he has managed to encounter. There-fore, the Lord has both powerful servants and anarray of supernatural powers himself. He is aformidable opponent.

A character can acquire Colossi magic inthree ways. First, one can buy the Abilities as +3Virtues, like any other Exceptional talents. Sec-ond, those born with the Gift may train in theColossi tradition instead of the Hermetic tradition,and learn these powers like any other Abilities.They gain no Magic Arts, Parma Magica or spells.Finally, one may make a direct appeal toLoshandar, the mighty Demon chained within thebowels of Dis. It is an easy matter for the Evil Oneto confer such gifts.

The Call (ReMe 30)

When the Lord whistles and speaks a name,one being named must immediately come to thearea. The being is not forced to do anything elsefor the caller, but it must come. The being musttravel to the Caller using its usual mode of trans-portation. If this requires a journey of many days,the being may make all usual stops. If the Callrequires an impossible journey (summoning a fishin the desert) the power does not work.

The requirements of the naming depend onthe intelligence of the subject. One can Call ananimal simply by speaking the name of the species

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desired, although one might usespecific names in order to bring aspecific beast. To Call a humanbeing, one must know that person’s complete, fullname, as given at birth, baptism, or whateveranalogous ceremony applies. To Call a spirit ordemon, one must know that being’s secret name,which is never spoken except by wizards. It isquite possible to Call a devil from Hell, or a spiritfrom the dead.

Intelligent beings may escape this geas byspeaking the full name of the Lord who Calledthem. If this name is unknown, the subject mustanswer. Victims of a Call remain completelyrational. They simply cannot be at ease until theyfind the source of the Call.

To Call something or someone, a wizard mustpass a Com + Call roll. The Ease Factor for a Callequals 5, modified by the subject’s Intelligence orCunning. If the being called is out of physicalearshot, double the Ease Factor required. If thebeing is more than an hour’s journey away, tripleit. Quadruple the Ease Factor if the being is inHell, Faerieland or some other realm beyond ourown.

After Calling a being once, successfully or not,a wizard may not immediately Call the samecreature again. To “recharge” this ability, theCaller must make physical contact with thesubject.

Culling the Life (ReCo 25)

This power steals the health from one beingand transfers it to another. By using this power, aLord can heal wounds. However, he must kill onecreature for every Body Level restored. Thisvictim must have a body mass at least equal to thecharacter receiving healing. The user of thispower must perform the killing, and the woundedperson must drink the blood of the sacrifice.

The Ease Factor for Culling the Life equals10, plus the sacrificial victim’s Stm.

Culling the Virtue (ReCo, ReAn orReMe 30)

This power steals the physical or naturalblessings of a victim. A Lord may use it to acquireany Characteristic of a victim. For example, one

could Cull a bull’s strength or amonkey’s nimble fingers. Cull-ing the Virtue also works on

instinctive abilities. For example, one can cull apredator’s cunning for finding game. Culling doesnot work on supernatural powers or learned skills.It also cannot provide a human with wings, gills orother animal organs.

When one Culls from a creature, that beingloses the appropriate Virtue, and never gets itback. From then on, it functions with the naturalability of the character who did the Culling. Forexample, if you raise your Stm of -1 by Cullingfrom a horse, the horse will have a permanent Stmof -1. Note that this spell usually renders itsvictim unable to survive.

Although the bad effects of Culling lastforever, the benefits wear off. Characters maykeep Culled Virtues for a number of hours equal totheir Culling ability score. After that, theirabilities and instincts return to normal.

This power does not work unless the victimremains tranquil throughout a ritual lastingfifteen minutes. The Storyguide must determinean animal’s emotional state at any given time.Obviously, one cannot Cull Virtues from an enemyin battle. In fact, Lords cannot even use thispower on tame beasts until the animals know andtrust the Culler. Obviously, one can never Cullfrom an intelligent being who knows what thepower can do.

To successfully Cull a Virtue, a charactermust make an Opposed test of Com + Cull againstthe victim’s Per. If the animal wins this test, itpanics. One cannot Cull from a panicked animalfor a minimum of one day.

Cull From the Spirit (ReVi 35)

This Ability resembles Culling the Virtue, butfunctions only on beings without material form.Unlike Culling the Virtue, this power does allowthe acquisition of magical abilities. Among otheruses, Cull from the Spirit allows the Cullers tosteal the very ability to exist in the incorporealworld. By using this power, Cullers can touch,fight and harm beings which they might otherwisebe unable to contact.

Cull From the Spirit even allows a characterto draw thoughts from a spirit’s mind. If theCulling succeeds, the Culler may pose any one

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question, which the spirit mustanswer to the best of its ability.

A naked spirit cannot feel the fear of flesh andblood, and therefore, cannot defend itself fromCulling. Cull From the Spirit functions even onintelligent entities which wish to escape its effects.However, spirits have another way to protectthemselves from this treatment. They can attemptto reverse the magic and seize control of theCuller.

Anyone attempting to Cull From the Spiritmust make a stress roll of Int + Cull. The spiritmakes a stress roll and adds a score equal to one-third its Spirit Might (or Demon Might, or FaerieMight). If the Culler scores higher, the magicsucceeds. If the Spirit wins this contest, the Cullerfalls under his intended victim’s control.

Those who attempt to Cull from a Spirit andfail must immediately release their victims fromall constraints. They will then obey one command,whatever it might be. An unimaginative spiritcould simply demand the Culler’s suicide, and theCuller would have to obey. Creatures of Hell, ofcourse, would seldom be satisfied with somethingso direct.

One more peril threatens those who Cull fromSpirits. Anyone who rolls a Botch during thesuccess test goes insane. This applies to bothCuller and Spirit. Therefore, no matter how wellthe Culling ritual works, it may leave a dementedspirit in its wake. The nature of this insanity runsthe full gamut of madness, from psychopathic rageto insidious, subtle twists of personality.Storyguides should feel free to use their imagina-tion.

Unlike Culling the Virtue, Cull From theSpirit does not leave its victim permanentlycrippled. The Culler and Victim simply tradeCharacteristics for a number of hours equal to theCuller’s Cull ability score. After that time, theytrade back. The stuff of ghosts and demons is lessfragile than flesh.

The Colossi use Cull From the Spirit as theirequivalent to taking a soul companion.

Duel With the Soul (ReMe 30)

This Ability allows the user to conqueranother being’s spirit, and seize control of its mind.A Duel With the Soul involves a spiritual battle,

which takes place in rounds likeany other fight. Each round,

both the Attacker (the user of the power) and theDefender (the intended victim) must roll a stressdie and add various modifiers. Whichever siderolls lower drops a Fatigue Level.

Attackers in a Duel With the Soul ability addtheir score to all rolls. Defenders may protectthemselves in any of three ways. Anyone maydefend using simple stubbornness (Stm). Spiritsmay defend using one-third their Spirit, Demon orFaerie Might, rounded up. Finally, if theStoryguide agrees, characters may defend them-selves by clinging to some principle which theyhold dear. A steadfast grog might refuse to suc-cumb if that meant abandoning his post. A youngbride might draw strength from the sight of herswain. When the Storyguide considers it appropri-ate, characters may use a relevant PersonalityTrait to survive a Duel with the Soul.

If a Duel With the Soul takes place during aphysical battle, the attacker can take no actionsother than attempting to seize control of thevictim’s mind. Duel victims, however, can bothfight their mental battles and carry on ordinarycombat at the same time. In fact, the concentra-tion required for combat helps focus the mindaway from the assaults of a Soul Duelist. Anyoneengaged in life-threatening combat gains a +1 torolls for defending in a Duel With the Soul.

A Duel With The Soul ends when one fighterloses enough Fatigue Levels to fall unconscious.The fighter who remains conscious, whetherattacker or defender, may then subject the fallenduelist to possession. An animal or other mindlessbeing has a 50% chance of possessing its attacker(roll a die and assume that on a 1-5, possessionoccurs). Intelligent beings may use or ignore thisoption as it suits them.

When one being possesses another, thepossessor enters the victim’s body and has com-plete control over it. For these purposes, “body”can include the physical form of a demon or similarbeing. The possessor may see through the victim’seyes, use any natural or magical abilities, etc..However, possession does not give the possessoraccess to the victim’s thoughts or learned skills.Possessors may leave their stolen bodies at anytime, but this allows the original owner to return.

Wounds remain with the body which suffersthem. Fatigue travels with the spirits from bodyto body. Therefore, a Lord who suffers a sword-

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thrust and then possesses ahealthy body is temporarilyhealed. When he returns to hisown body, he has the wound back. Any mentalfatigue he suffered in accomplishing the possessionremains with him whatever body he inhabits.

The body of the possessor sinks into a trance.If someone destroys it, the possessor remainstrapped in the new body forever. If “killed” in thebody of a possessed being, the possessor mustmake a Stress Int roll with an Ease Factor of 12.If this roll fails, the possessor dies. Otherwise, thepossessor may return to his or her usual body.

Break the Body, Break the Spirit(ReMe 30)

This ability allows Lords to command anybeing they defeat in physical combat. To use thispower, the Lord must fight in single combat with acreature or spirit, and pound the victim to thepoint where it ceases to resist. At that time, theLord may make a Duel + Prs roll, and the victimmust make a Stm roll. At the Storyguide’s option,the victim may use Personality Traits in this roll,as described under Duel With the Soul, above. Ifthe Lord’s roll is higher, he or she cows the victiminto loyal servitude.

Victims of a broken spirit must try to obey theLord’s commands. Animals even gain a limitedability to understand orders, as long as thoseorders concern things which they might normallydo. A Lord could order an untrained dog to fight,but not to walk on its hind legs. Even creatureswith a broken spirit may attempt personality rollsto disobey commands the Storyguide considersespecially loathsome. Anyone may refuse anapparently suicidal command by passing an Int +Stm check with an Ease Factor of 6.

The victim of a broken spirit does not dareattempt to escape or betray the Lord. However,outside friends can break the magic by forciblyrescuing the victim from the Lord’s control. Once avictim goes beyond the reach of the Lord’s punish-ment, this power loses all effects.

The DreamersThe ancient shamans of Kerait and Mo-Mo

Keu-Keu devoted their lives to the task of finding

gods for their people. Suchquests led them to deserts,jungle lakes, mountain-tops and

eventually out of the world itself, into the land ofDreams. In the realms of sleep, the shamansfound spirits of every variety, including all thetotems and nature-deities they could desire. Theyalso learned that trips to the Realm of Dreamscould be rewarding in other ways as well.

Shamanic religions no longer enjoy their oldsway, at least in the settled East. However, theDream-shamans still wield considerable influencein every land. At night, the Dreamers flit aboutthe land, trafficking with spirits, communing witheach other, reading thoughts and warping minds,all through the power of dreams. Common super-stition holds that they can make people die andwomen miscarry, although the Dreamers them-selves deny such abilities.

No organization trains or protects Dreamers.People select themselves for this profession, andeither find their own mentors or study alone asbest they can. The education of a Dreamer cantake many forms, but it always ends with a gruel-ing quest to some wilderness, in which, at the edgeof death, the shaman sees the true power ofdreams. Many, of course, claim shamanic powersbut lack them.

To many, the Dreamers seem to be mad.Some live as pale, gentle recluses, supported byfriends or relatives and terrified of social attentionin any form. Others preach like street-cornerprophets, ready to condemn sinners or pronounceArmageddon. The forests reputedly containshamans more powerful and eccentric yet, whocannot live in normal society. Most Dreamerseither care nothing for their appearance or activelyattempt to look as bizarre as possible. Dreaminghas no connection to actual mental illness, butthere is a general understanding that shamansneed not conform to normal society, and mostDreamers take full advantage of the tolerance thatbelief accords them.

The eccentricity of Dreamers helps explainwhy these shamans do not receive the respectusually granted to a priesthood. For this reason,many Dreamers do not reveal their skills. SinceDream-Magic takes place entirely within the realmof sleep, there is no way, magical or mundane, ofrevealing those Dreamers who wish to hide theirtalents.

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In game terms, one candesign a Dreamer shaman ineither of two ways. A companion-type charactermay take Dreamer abilities as +2 Virtues. Onecan also design a character as a magus, takingDreamer abilities as ordinary abilities. Such acharacter has no Parma Magica, Magic Arts orspells.

Note that the uncapitalized word, “dreamer,”can refer to any sleeping person. The capitalizedDreamer or Dream-shaman refers to those whohave cultivated the Exceptional Talents of the Mo-Mo sorcerers.

The Dreamworld

For ordinary folk, the typical dream meansnothing. Dream-shamans, however, can “comeawake” in their own dreams, and can draw evenuntrained sleepers into the phantom world. Underthese circumstances, dreams take on significanceand reality. The troupe should play out suchimportant dreams like any other stories. One’sDreamworld statistics equal those of real life.

The Dreamworld mirrors the real world.Dreamers may go anywhere that they have been inreal life. They may meet and talk with any othersleepers who happen to have dreamed themselvesinto the same place. One can work, fight and castspells in the Dreamworld, using the same gamemechanics which govern such activity during theday. However, the reality of the Dreamworld lastsonly as long as the dream. One can dream thedeath of foes and the ruin of whole kingdoms, butanother night, the wasted cities will be restoredand the enemies, if sleeping, will have returned.

Anyone who dies in the Dreamworld immedi-ately wakes up with the dream unfinished. Thevictim receives no rest for the entire night, andsuffers all the penalties described under “WakingUp,” below. It is generally not worthwhile to killone’s enemies in their dreams. However, someonewho took the trouble to kill the same person nightafter night would eventually become a threat.

The exact landscape of the Dreamworlddepends on the knowledge of the dreamers. Whenone falls asleep, one “awakens” into a dream-placewhich corresponds with one’s actual location. Onemay then travel to any place one has seen or heardof, using normal means of transportation. Whendreamers arrive at their destinations, things seem

as the sleepers remember them,no matter what changes have

occurred in the waking realms. Although dream-ers cannot independently visit places which theyhave not seen, other sleepers may “guide” them tonew places in the Dreamworld. In such instances,the landscape automatically duplicates the guide’svision of the place.

One can encounter real people in theDreamworld if two conditions apply. First, bothparties must be asleep. Second, both dreamersmust occupy the same dream-place. If someonedreams himself into a dream-house, other dream-ers must visit this house to find the sleeper. Aftermeeting a Dream-shaman in one’s dreams, onemay spend the rest of the dream acting freely inthe Dreamworld, whether one has any Dreamertalents or not. See the Dream Exceptional Talent(below) for rules on determining how long a dreamlasts.

People can meet and talk in a dream-placeeven if they perceive it in different ways. Forexample, if a dreamer camps in the ruins of asacked fortress, he dreams of the fortress asdestroyed. A dreamer from another place mightsee the fortress as undamaged, but he could stillencounter the newcomer there. This could lead toconsiderable confusion if the two decide to talkabout their surroundings.

When two sleepers believe different thingsabout the nature of a place, they may attempt toforce their views upon each other. Each side rollsa Stress die + Com + Dream (an ExceptionalTalent, described below). Whichever dreamer rollsthe higher number may establish his or her beliefas “reality.” Sleepers must make this roll if eventsgive the landscape an objective importance, as incombat. One may not voluntarily fail such tests inorder to let one’s opponent’s view of reality prevail.

More things than people inhabit the land ofdreams. Animals sleep too. Furthermore, totemanimals, jungle spirits, ghosts, demons and magi-cal beings of every sort can enter the Dreamworld.The Bestiary describes some denizens of theDreamworld. Any faerie, demon or ghost of yourcreation could also appear there.

A large part of a Dream-shaman’s sorceryconsists of finding supernatural entities anddealing with them. Shamans anoint the mostpotent spirits of their dreams as tribal gods. Theyentreat lesser beings to become their Soul Com-

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panions. Tribes also expectDream-shamans to drive off themore horrible spirits, althoughunscrupulous Dreamers have tried to form accom-modations with such beings.

Waking Up

Anyone in the Dreamworld may attempt towake up. Waking up requires a Combat Round ofuninterrupted concentration. During this period,dream-enemies may do as they wish unmolested.At the end of the concentration, the sleeper rollsStm + Per. The Ease Factor equals a base of 9,plus the total of all the sleeper’s Dreamer Excep-tional Talents. Note that the more one knowsabout the Dreamworld, the harder it becomes toescape it.

Those who wrest themselves from theDreamworld with a dream unresolved lose all therefreshments of sleep. They grow tired, dazed andirritable. Such victims must pass a stress Fatigueroll in the morning or lose one Long-Term FatigueLevel. Anyone who rolls a Botch becomes uncon-trollably sleepy, and may drift off at any time.When not actively talking and doing things, suchcharacters must pass a Stm roll with an EaseFactor of 9 to stay awake. All such effects vanishafter the character sleeps for eight hours withoutinterruption.

Dream (CrIm 5)

This ability allows the Dream-shaman toenter the Dreamworld. It also controls the lengthof time a shaman can dream. Upon going to bed,Dream-shamans must attempt a simple roll andadd their Dream scores plus any modifiers fromthe Dream Modifiers list. Untrained dreamersmake the same roll, with a modifier of +0 for theirDream score. The Dreamer Table shows how longa dream lasts.

Dream Modifiers

• Dreamer has previously slept (and awoken)within the past sixteen hours: -8 (i.e., someone whojust slept all night probably cannot go back tosleep immediately.)

• Noisy, Uncomfortable Conditions: -4

• Short-Term Fatigue: -1(penalty) per Fatigue Level

• Long-Term Fatigue: +1 (bonus) per FatigueLevel

Note that although general weariness actu-ally helps a Dream-shaman, the exhaustion ofrecent exertion does not.

Dreamer Table

Roll Time in Dreamworldup to 3 None

4-6 1 hour7-9 2 hours

10-11 4 hours12+ 8 hours

Dreambuilding (CrIm 30)

This power allows a shaman to create newpeople and things in the Dreamworld.Dreambuilding can produce anything the user canimagine. However, created beings may have noskills or Mental Attributes higher than those of thecreator. These images may have no PhysicalAttributes which exceed the creator’sDreambuilding score. Inanimate Dream-objectscannot inflict Dream-wounds with a higher Dammodifier than the Dream-building score. Objectscreated by Dreambuilding automatically vanishwhen their creator wakes up. No other restrictionsapply.

Common uses of Dreambuilding include:

• The creation of weapons, equipment andtame beasts for use in the Dreamworld.

• The creation of false people and things toconfuse other dreamers.

• The creation of imaginary settings andsituations for amusement or for purposes oftraining.

• The creation of people and things for usewith Manifestation or Nightfancy.

• The alteration of one’s personal appearance.A shaman may use this ability to appear in anyform he desires. The disguise is perfect, sincebelief comprises part of the dream. Note that thisaspect of Dreambuilding makes it impossible torecognize any Dream-shaman who wishes toconceal his or her identity. Dreambuilding also

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allows anyone to impersonateanyone.

Once a shaman adds a new feature to theDreamworld, that person or thing becomes real (inthe context of the dream). Creators cannot auto-matically control their creations. One can Buildthings with specified propensities, but once theybecome part of the Dreamworld, they behave likeactual things of their kind. A Dream-woman mayspurn the man who made her. A Dream-wall doesnot let its creator through.

Dreamwaking (CrIm 15)

This ability allows a shaman to see and hearthe real world from a dream. To see a specificplace, the shaman must travel to an equivalentlocation in the Dreamworld. A shaman who knowsthe art of Dreamwaking can use it to spy out anarea, invisibly, inaudibly and safe from any mate-rial defenses. However, users of this power mayonly observe places which they can reach in theirdreams. They see only what they would see ifphysically standing at the site under scrutiny.Dreamers cannot search or manipulate realobjects. For example, someone using this spellcould not turn pages to read a book.

Note that if Dreamwaking reveals substantialchanges in the real world, one’s dream-image ofthat place must change as well.

Hermetic magi may detect Dreamer spies byusing the Vim spell, The Invisible Eye Revealed.

Manifestation (CrIm 25)

This power makes the Dreamworld visible tothe wakeful. Shamans can combine Manifestationwith Dreambuilding to create illusions. DreamManifestations have no substance and can nevercause direct harm, but they look and sound real.To determine how much of the Dreamworld ashaman can manifest, roll a simple die + Manifes-tation + Com and read the result in cubic feet.

Manifested Dreams appear in the portion ofthe ordinary world which corresponds to theirlocation in the realm of sleep.

Dreamsparking (IntMe 25)

Dreamsparking allows Dream-shamans toread minds. Using this ability, a Dream-shaman

can propose a topic and forcesome other sleeper to dream

upon it. Onlookers in the Dreamworld may thenwatch the dream, or even participate with the useof Dreambuilding. The dream is only as completeas the subject’s understanding. However, thisability allows shamans to probe their victimsmemories, examine their beliefs and gather infor-mation about their plans.

For example, a shaman could induce anenemy warrior to dream about an upcoming battle.By watching the warrior’s story unfold, the sha-man would learn his foe’s strategy. If the shamanwished, he could even use Dreambuilding to testhis own counterattacks and see how the enemywould respond. The last option, of course, risksgiving the enemy an idea of what to expect.

To use Dreamsparking, one must meet one’ssubject face-to-face in the Dreamworld. One mustthen mentally recite a silent chant for one fullminute. This means that a victim who recognizesthe Dream-shaman gets a chance to flee, fight backor wake up. Finally, the Dream-shaman makes aroll of Com + Dreamsparking. The Ease Factordepends on the amount of interest the dream-topicholds for the victim.

If a Dreamsparking roll fails, the victim’sdreams remain unaffected.

Dreamsparking Ease Factors

Dream Topic Ease FactorSubconscious Urge 18Fleeting Thought 15Obscure Personal Memory 12Vivid Memory 9Matter of Interest 9Matter of Importance 6Obsession 3

Nightfancy (ReMe 30)

Nightfancy exploits a dream’s ability todirectly touch one’s passions. With this power,shamans can plant passions and compulsionswithin a victim’s mind. The victims then act ontheir Nightfancies in the waking world. Even ifthey realize the origins of their behavior, theemotional power of the Nightfancy is too strong todisobey.

To use Nightfancy, a shaman must contrive a“lesson” for the victim and a dream-situation to

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teach it. The shaman must thenfind the victim in theDreamworld and use Dreambuilding to make the“lesson” occur. For example, a shaman who wishedto induce a phobia of dogs might create a dream inwhich frenzied dogs tear the victim apart. Particu-larly vivid lessons definitely deserve a roleplayingmodifier.

If the victim overcomes the dream-situation,the Nightfancy has no effect. Continuing theprevious example, if the victim managed to tameor kill the dream-dogs, he would, if anything, gainconfidence in his relations with canines. Victimswho voluntarily wake up before the lesson iscomplete do not succumb. However, the Dream-shaman may attempt to teach the “lesson” again.

When a “lesson” takes effect, the victimreceives a command or a belief. The strength ofthis feeling equals the caster’s simple roll +Nightfancy score + Com + Role-playing Modifier.Victims use this number as the Ease Factor in aStm roll to resist . However, if the “lesson” wentas planned, the compulsion lasts at least one day.

Anytime that a Nightfancy victim sleeps eighthours without re-experiencing the “lesson,” he orshe may attempt to escape the enchantment. Theplayer rolls a stress die, adding Stm. The EaseFactor equals the strength of the Nightfancy, asdetermined above. Victims may also add orsubtract Personality Traits when the Storyguideconsiders it appropriate.

Note that a Dream-shaman who can continu-ally reappear in a victim’s sleep can teach the“lesson” over and over again. This prevents thevictim from receiving a resistance roll. However,victims may eventually think of a new strategywith which to escape the “lesson.”

Suggested Nightfancies appear below.Storyguides may add new ones, or keep this list asan absolute limit.

• Compulsion. The Dream-shaman mayspeak a command of one sentence or less. If thiscommand does not involve suicide, the victim mustattempt to obey.

• Despair. Victims suffer general misery, inwhich nothing in life seems worthwhile. Thisdespair increases all Ease Factors by +3.

• Devotion. The subject grows devoted tosome companion or moral principle. He or shemust pass a Stm roll with an Ease Factor equal to

the Nightfancy’s strength to takeany action against the object of

Devotion.

• Fury. The victim develops an irrationalhatred of some person or thing. He or she at-tempts to satisfy this anger by the most destruc-tive means feasible. Victims need not use physicalviolence if other techniques offer better prospects.

• Terror. The victim develops a phobia ofsome person or object. Victims must pass a Stmroll with an Ease Factor equal to the Nightfancy’sstrength to remain in the presence of the fearedthing.

The Order of JunoIn Niobia, magi see a glimpse of their past.

The Priestesses of Juno, like the worshipers ofMercury in fading Rome, have developed theirpagan rites into a system of magic. Here, magicremains tied to ritual and religion. Lacking anyscientific understanding of Forms and Techniques,the Niobian Priestesses seek magic directly fromtheir Goddess — often with spectacular results.

The Worship of the Goddess

The Niobians not only practice a lost form ofmagic, they follow a lost form of religion. Theyworship Juno, a Goddess of the classical pagans.The role of heathenism in both classical cultureand the rise of the Order of Hermes makes theNiobian religion fascinating for magical scholars.Juno’s cult also presents an interesting object forreligious study. One cannot dismiss Niobianreligion as a primitive superstition. The priest-esses of Juno have a sophisticated set of beliefs,which govern both life and sorcery within theircity.

Juno is the wife of Jupiter, Queen of the Godsand Patroness of Married Women. Worshipersdepict her as stunningly beautiful, althoughslightly more sedate than such Goddesses asVenus. Most tales of the Goddess concern herconsuming (and justified) marital jealousy. Junoalso has a merciless appetite for vengeance, notonly regarding her husband’s lovers, but againstanyone who happens to displease her. She readilyuses her position as Jupiter’s wife to revengeherself upon mortals.

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People have called Juno aGoddess of intrigue. Certainly,she played a role in some of themost infamous factionalism among the Gods, butNiobia’s Cult interprets this fact in a fairly rigidway. Juno does not practice or tolerate the oilydouble-dealing of the courtier. Compromise, thehallmark of the cynical intriguer, runs directlycounter to Juno’s nature. Juno represents smol-dering grudges and emotional manipulations, thetools of a domineering wife in a society nominallyruled by men.

Niobia’s priesthood contains plenty of cliquesand unspoken enmities of the sort Juno favors.However, Niobia does not tolerate outright con-spiracy. Anyone who contemplates treason againstthe city can expect swift and horrible punishment.

Juno often appears in the form of a cow or apeacock. Her worshipers consider both animalssacred. Juno’s worshipers honor her monthly, onthe full moon. They perform their ceremoniesindoors, in stone temples.

Carthage always considered Juno its patronGoddess. The worship of Juno had its basis, notonly in tradition, but in mutual interest betweenthe Carthaginians and the deity. Juno sided withthe Greeks against the Trojans. She also assistedJason in his quest for the Golden Fleece, which, ifone follows a convoluted path of mythologicalsymbolism, makes her a patroness of traders.Both of these facts serve to endear her to theCarthaginians, with their history of trade andenmity with the descendants of Troy who settledRome.

Niobians worship in a more personal waythan most (20th-Century) Christians. Peopleexpect direct signs and favors from their Goddess,in return for which they are willing to performconcrete services. Juno’s worshipers envision theirGoddess, not as the representation of a universalphilosophical principle, but as an individual with adistinct personality.

Pagans, who follow many Gods, feel no dutyto despise foreign beliefs. They also do not burdenthemselves with any neurotic preoccupation withsin. Nevertheless, Niobia has far more in commonwith the monotheistic sort of theocracy thanromanticizers of heathenism would like to believe.The whims of a Goddess, especially a Goddess likeJuno, can seem every bit as encumbering as thecommandments of a moralistic God. Furthermore,the Cult of Juno has a patriotic and civic role.

Juno’s priestesses must fulfillthe duties of a secular bureau-cracy, and every government

requires the adoration of its people.

Magi themselves cannot agree whether thepagan Gods are real. Some believe that they are.Others believe that the Gods existed once, butfaded away as their worship died out. Some agreewith strict Church doctrine, which states that theheathen Gods were devils, while others feel thatthe Gods were spirits, not necessarily evil, butcertainly not divine. This book does not impose ananswer on your saga. However, the Priestesses ofNiobia have real magical powers, with whichfollowers of every theory must contend.

Niobian Spellcasting

Priestesses of Juno, like the Priests ofHermes, work magic in the form of spells. One canresolve their sorcery using the same rules whichgovern formulaic spells for Hermetic magi. How-ever, like all wizards South of the Sun, priestessesof Juno lack a knowledge of Forms and Tech-niques. They must receive their spells in the formof direct inspiration from the Goddess.

When Juno’s worshipers please her, shegrants revelations to the cult. Each divine mes-sage provides the necessary wisdom to cast aparticular spell, once. The proficiency with whicha priestess can use a given spell depends not onthe knowledge of the sorceress, but on the clarityof the vision. Priestesses of Juno compare theirsorcery to a bag of coins with different values,which their Goddess gives them to spend as theychoose.

In game terms, assign each priestess a fixedlist of spells. Every spell on the list has an inher-ent bonus for Form and Technique. When apriestess decides to cast a spell, she makes a roll,adding her Stm and the spell’s bonus. If the totalfalls below the level of the spell, the priestess losesa Level of Fatigue. Should the result fails to comewithin ten of the spell’s Level, the priestess suffersFatigue and no magic occurs. All normal rulesdealing with formulaic spells apply.

The Cult of Juno may choose which spellsJuno gives it, but after the Cult has chosen,priestesses cannot change their minds. Further-more, once priestesses cast their spells, theycannot re-use them. When a priestess casts a

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spell, she must mark it off herlist until she receives it againfrom her Goddess. Of course, the same spell mayappear several times, possibly with differentbonuses.

Gifts From the Goddess

Priestesses of Juno seldom receive their magicthrough individual effort. Instead, the Cultorganizes rituals involving from two or three toseveral dozen participants. Visions, and thereforespells, go to whichever priestesses play the keyroles in the ceremony. Therefore, the priestesswho organizes a ritual may distribute the harvestof spells among participants in any way she seesfit.

For a ceremony of Juno to succeed, one of themembers must have an Exceptional Ability knownas Supplication. No matter what role this priest-

ess plays in the ritual, she is theone whose prayers actually

reach Juno. The skills of one Supplicant candetermine the power of any number of priestesses.A Supplicant could, in theory, perform a ritualalone, keeping all spells for herself, after thefashion of a Hermetic magus. However, such aceremony would provide a paltry amount of magiccompared to a mass ritual.

Those who excel at Supplication have obviousinfluence in the cult. They usually manage toacquire most of the spells and bonuses for them-selves and their friends. However, there is nodirect connection between a priestess’ rank in thecult and her skills at Supplication. Furthermore,the Supplicant cannot control the outcome of aritual. If the Cult wished to bestow powerful spellsupon a novice, un-gifted priestess, it could.

The ceremony of Supplication may take placeonly once per month, on the Full Moon. It lasts forthe entire night. Ceremonies involve dancing,singing, feasting and the symbolic cutting of hair.Much of the ceremony is public, although the mostsecret parts take place within the closed temples.

The Gifted and the Learned:Supplication and Juno Lore

Supplication is a supernatural ability akin toTrue Faith or the magus’ Gift. Hermetic magicannot duplicate Supplication, nor can they rate itsLevel by Form and Technique. When designingcharacters, consider Supplicants the magi ofNiobian society. They appear roughly as often aspeople with the Hermetic Gift. Supplicantsdetermine their level of proficiency at Supplicationas if it were any other Exceptional Talent.

The success of Supplication depends on thepiety and wisdom of all the ritual’s participants.Therefore, Niobian priestesses also need highability scores in Juno Lore. This is a purely non-magical field of study similar to Area Lore, LegendLore and Church Lore. One adds the Juno Loreskills of all participants to determine the strengthof a ritual. Two priestesses with Juno Lore of +5have the same value as ten with Juno Lore of +1.

Obviously, hypocritical priestesses who offendtheir Goddess do not benefit from high skills inJuno Lore.

Exemplia Gratis

A group of three priestesses performthe ritual of Supplication. The Supplicanthas a Supplicate skill of +5. All membershave a Juno Lore skill of +3. The leaderselects 20 spells which she considers usefulfor the upcoming month. She then allotsten spells to herself and five to each otherparticipant. This leader happens not to bethe Supplicant, but she has a higher rankin the Cult, and the decisions about spellsbelong to her.

During the ritual, the Supplicant rollsa ten-sided die and receives a five. Withher Supplicate skill, this makes a totalnumber of ten. Multiplying this by thetotal Juno Lore figure of nine yields 90(three priestesses with scores of +3).

The leader of the ritual has 90 bonuspoints to divide among the 20 spells. Sheputs 30 points into one of her own spells,The Shrouded Glen. She then keeps 30more points to divide among her otherspells. Finally, the leader divides herremaining 30 points among the spells ofthe other two priestesses, effectivelylimiting them to spells of Level 15 andbelow.

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Receiving Spells

In game terms, Priestessesof Juno acquire their spells using the followingsteps.

1. The priestess who organizes the ritual (notnecessarily the Supplicant) chooses which spells torequest. She also decides which participants willreceive them.

2. The Supplicant rolls a die + Supplicate.Multiply the result by the total Juno Lore figurefor all worshippers taking part.

3. The result of step 2 equals the number ofForm and Technique bonus points available to thegroup. The leader of the group divides theseamong spells as she sees fit.

When using Storyguide Character priestesses,a Storyguide may wish to skip the Supplicationprocedure and simply assign wizards their spelllists by fiat.

Spells

Since both the Order of Hermes and the Cultof Juno have their origins in Greco-Roman pagan-ism, nobody should be surprised to learn that theyuse similar spells. Most of the spells listed in theArs Magica™ rulebook appear among theNiobians. However, their names and visual effectsmay vary. When strangers first encounter Niobianmagic, the Storyguide should describe it in un-usual ways. A Pilum of Fire might appear as androp of venom, which the caster spits through herteeth. It might even do a new amount of damage.

The Cult of Juno particularly favors spellswhich Hermetic magi refer to as Rego, Intellego,

Mentem, Imagonem andCorporem. They use suchabilities to monitor and protect

their city. Even when a serious danger threatensNiobia, the priestesses seldom use personal combatspells. Instead, they Supplicate Juno for singlespells of enormous power, such as Rain of Oil (withthe fire component) or Crest of the Earth’s Wave.

Individual priestesses often carry spells ofdivination and mystic knowledge, such as Posingthe Silent Question and Summoning the DistantImage. Nearly every priestess receives an allot-ment of Rising Ire spells, for use in inciting follow-ers to revenge. Priestesses also use Aura ofRightful Authority, Aura of Enobled Presence andConfusion of the Numbed Will.

Magic Auras South of theSun

The Dominion has not yet covered thelands South of the Sun, and magic remainsstrong throughout the land. The followingchart shows the dominant Magic Auras ineach area, as per pages 72-73 of ArsMagica™.

Naturally, all lands have pockets ofother forms of magic. Christians maintaina few consecrated sanctuaries in Dis, withpositive Divine Power ratings. Bothsorcerers and diabolists dwell insideNiobia. Kerait resembles the more magicalregions of Europe, with a nominal Domin-ion interspersed with pockets of untamedmagic or Faerie.

Magic Aura Table

Region Divine Magic Infernal Faerie

Dis— Rural 0 0 +1 0— City 0 0 +3 0Niobia 0 0 0 0Kerait— Rural 0 0 0 0— Town +1 0 0 0— City +2 0 0 0Mo-Mo 0 0 0 +1

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Previous chapters described conflicts andstories of the Golden Empire. These final notessuggest possible futures for the lands South of theSun. Some involve direct appeals to the Order ofHermes. Others cover outside events which mayrock the lands both north and south of the Ring ofFire. Magi may respond as suits the goals of theircovenant, but all these events may inspire storiesin the Golden Lands.

John’s QuestsGood Prester John, Lion-Hearted Emperor,

winner of wars and first among heroes, loves noblequests and loves to send travelers to foreign lands.Such journeys bring back treasures. More impor-tantly, they enhance the grandeur of his realm.Therefore, the adventurous of his kingdom canalways find occupation, as explorers in the serviceof their King. Furthermore, the powerful of otherlands can expect visits from the agents of PresterJohn.

John described his riches to the Emperor ofthe Byzantines, and called for a friendly embassy.To the Order of Hermes, John might well do thesame. In the Golden Empire, magic and Christian-ity have not yet become estranged. John mightwelcome the chance to foster a magical organiza-tion in his lands, one with no connection to the oldpower-blocs, one which owed its patronage to him.

John might also grow entangled in the warswith the Saracens. Popes and kings have prayedfor a Christian Emperor to aid them in the Cru-sades. John cannot dismiss the attractions oftempering his new-forged Empire in holy war. TheRing of Fire, of course, hinders John’s ambitions tosend an army north. However, should his troops

appear, their political influence will extend farbeyond the Holy Land.

Sophia’s DemiseThe people of Niobia are warlike, bitter and

strong. They resent John’s empire, resent Chris-tians and nurse their old grudge against Rome.Currently, Queen Sophia submits to Prester John.However, Sophia may not always be the Queen.

Perhaps some palace clique contrives Sophia’sabdication. Perhaps some madman strikes herdown. Perhaps her death is natural, if mostconvenient. Whatever the cause, Sophia’s removalgives stronger queens a chance to seize control.Sophia may even become a martyr to their cause.

Sophia’s demise may spark a rebellion. Itmay lead to forays north against the lands ofancient Rome. Niobia wields not only troops butpotent magic. Juno’s priestesses have no scruplesabout using magic to interfere in the world ofmortals.

Niobia’s victims may call on Hermes forprotection. The Hermetic magi may hear or rejecttheir plea. Magi might prefer to prevent the wholedisaster. Perhaps they join in the politics of Juno.Some magi might even attempt to bring Juno’sfollowers into the Hermetic Code, creating a HouseJuno within the Order.

The NightmareA subtle terror threatens magi who go South

of the Sun. The devils of Dis miss no chance tocorrupt new victims, and magi always receivespecial attention from the agents of Hell. Geogra-

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phy and culture combine tofurther the demons’ schemes. Dislies in the north of the Golden Empire, wheretravelers are likely to emerge from the Ring ofFire. Furthermore, the enlightened people of Diswelcome foreign scholars and gladly share theirlearning.

Magi who escape seduction in Dis may find itelsewhere. The devils can pursue them into Mo-Mo Keu-Keu land, into the realm of dreams. Therethey may disguise themselves as benevolent spiritsonce again. They may also terrorize their foes atnight, weakening them for capture by tribesmenwho follow infernal spirits.

In Niobia, the demons enjoy a cult morebrutal than that of Dis. Turmoil in that city wouldbring the worshipers of Baal and Molech into

power. If the magi make friendsamong the Priestesses of Juno,

they may find themselves in open battle with thediabolists. However, if the magi and the priest-esses fight each other, the diabolists may gounnoticed until their plans reach completion.

Not even Christian Kerait lies outside Dis’influence. People throughout the Golden Empirerespect the Colossi. Prester John won his throneonly after Dis recognized his empire. The lack ofsorcerers hinders Dis’ attempts to found diabolic-magical cults in Kerait. When Hermetic magienter John’s court, the demons certainly do notforgo their opportunity. Lords of Dis representthem in the mortal world, and these dignitarieshave nearly as much authority in Kerait as theywould at home.

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The CrusaderWe have long known of a country to the

utter south, blessed with unheard ofriches. It is a land of savages, hungry forFaith but unlearned in Piety. It is the landof the Good Prester John, who may yetrender us aid against the Saracen. Toolong have we left these lands fallow.

I, Sir Akeem Jerbon, Holy Knight ofthe Levant, do claim the Holy Quest ofvisiting the lands South of the Sun. Provi-dence has shown me the way south andFaith shall lead me safe on my journey.With Gentle Words shall we bring PresterJohn the Teachings he yearns for. Andwith Fire and Sword shall we smite theheathen sorcerers who dare resist us.

(Sir Akeem Jerbon, a wanderingLebanese knight, took this vow beforedeparting for the south. He leads a smallcompany of knights from across Europe,who take vows of piety and chivalry.)

The MagiThe story begins when a Redcap of Hermes

overhears Akeem’s vow. Akeem’s expeditionconstitutes a minor crisis for the Order of Hermes.Magi have their own interests in the lands ofPrester John. They do not wish for a crusadingfanatic to serve as Europe’s sole representativeSouth of the Sun. Therefore, the Order sends itsown ambassadors South, to establish productivedealings with the powers there, and to undowhatever harm Akeem has done.

The magi who follow Akeem will be some ofthe first disciples of Hermes to explore the lands

South of the Sun. They will enjoy the power andprestige of envoys to Prester John. Their covenantcan claim newly-discovered lore as its own. There-fore, the players’ characters should eagerly acceptthe errand of pursuing Akeem.

Storyguiding Akeem’sCrusade

The magi follow in Sir Akeem’s wake. In fourseparate sections, they encounter different peoplesSouth of the Sun. The course of these scenesdepends entirely on the party’s approach, but mostof these people are initially hostile, due to unpleas-ant encounters with Akeem. If the magi manageto smooth ruffled feathers, they can track Akeemdeep into Kerait. There, they may finally dealwith the Knight in whatever way they choose.They also meet representatives of Emperor PresterJohn, who have come to parley with the visitorsfrom the North. Storyguides have free reign todetermine the long-term outcome of this encoun-ter.

Storyguides should be prepared to improviseduring this tale. The magi have a whole newcontinent to explore, and may easily stray from theestablished storyline. This sourcebook providesmaterial for describing areas and people notspecifically part of the story. Since the magi wantto make friends, combat statistics should rarelybecome necessary.

The outcome of this story shapes all futuretales South of the Sun. Nearly every encounterends as a contest of roleplaying, in which theStoryguide must decide whether the magi havemade friends or enemies. Obviously, these deci-sions depends largely upon the behavior of the

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party. The Storyguide shouldalso use these alliances andrivalries to prepare the scene for the rest of thesaga. Give the magi some informants and worth-while foes as well.

ThemeThe theme of this story is First Impressions.

(As we all know, you never get a second chance tomake one.) The magi undertake this mission tocorrect improper impressions made by Akeem.However, the characters form opinions too, as theymeet the different peoples South of the Sun. Onthe level of the story’s plot, the party’s decisions tomake friends and enemies sets the stage for awhole Saga of conflict and intrigue. On a morephilosophical plane, this story examines both thegross unfairness of judging by appearance, and thefrequent necessity of doing just that.

Akeem’s ExpeditionAkeem’s expedition took the following course.

Predictably enough, he and his knights came togrief in the Ring of Fire. Those who survived tookshelter in a village called Ogo-Ogo. There, theyencountered a herdsman tribe and communicatedwith its chief using Greek. When the chief of thetribe mentioned the raiding Veldt Tribes, Akeeminsisted on leaving a knight to protect the town.The rest of the Knights went East, to the great cityof Dispolis.

The Colossi of Dispolis welcomed the knightslike princes. Sir Akeem and his followers receivedbanquets and audiences throughout the city. TheLord Santil Doran made a tower estate availablefor Akeem’s private use. This tower stood in thehills to the south of the city. For several days, theknights enjoyed Colossi hospitality.

Then Sir Akeem witnessed a rite ofLoshandar. He saw two sorcerers at the Temple ofthe Page slit the throat of a slave-boy. Sir Akeemimmediately gathered his knights. In the heart ofDispolis, Akeem and three followers made agallant, doomed assault on the Temple.

Naturally enough, Sir Akeem failed in hisquixotic attack. His knights managed to killseveral Colossi, but failed to interrupt the ritual.Akeem and his knights cut their way free and

retreated to their tower south ofthe City. There, they sealed

themselves in, awaiting the end.

The end has not come as quickly as Akeemwould have expected. Political considerationsmake it difficult for Lord Santil Doran to kill them.Emperor Prester John has received word of Euro-peans within his empire. The Emperor expresslyforbids any actions which might endanger rela-tions with the lands to the North. Santil Dorandoes not want responsibility for killing Europeans.

If Prester John did not have influence enough,the demon Loshandar also forbids her subjects tomurder Akeem. She knows of the magi’s arrival.The demoness would enjoy finagling the followersof Hermes into destroying the holy knight SirAkeem. By getting the magi to kill Akeem, shewould destroy the holy knight, lay another sinupon Hermes and make her Colossi appear inof-fensive, all in one stroke.

Running the StoryThis story consists of several Sections, de-

scribing important events and personalities of thetale. For background information on the peopleand places these Sections describe, consult the restof the book.

The story begins with Section A, the Ring ofFire. After that, it will proceed through B (thevillage of Ogo-Ogo) and C (Dispolis) to D (wherethe magi decide Akeem’s fate). However, thecharacters need not go through this story in anyparticular order. If the group bypasses one areaand goes straight to another, the Storyguide cansimply adjust the plot accordingly.

A. Ring of FireTo go South of the Sun, one must pass this 20-

mile inferno. The main sourcebook describes thisregion and its horrors. It also contains gamestatistics for the heat. The Ring of Fire encountertests the characters’ skills at raw survival, beforethe diplomatic parts of this story enter play.

The magi find traces of Akeem’s expedition.Unsurprisingly, Akeem’s companions came to griefwithin the Ring. The characters stumble upon sixstone cairns, each assembled with loving effort.

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The builders raised mounds ofboulders almost five feet highand sealed each crack with smaller stones. Eachgrave displays a rudely-incised stone with thename of a knight. The dead knights are: SirPercival, Sir Marck, Sir Otto, Sir Elfhaussen, SirCheval and Sir Dubois.

Akeem’s path leads straight South to Ogo-Ogo(section B). One may follow him by passing a Track+ Per roll with an Ease Factor of 6. Magi may alsocome to Ogo-Ogo by sheer luck, simply by takingthe shortest route out of the Ring of Fire.

B. Ogo-OgoBeyond the Ring of Fire, the magi come to low

hills. The barren peaks of Dis lie to their East.Here, tufts of grass grow amid the stone. Anoccasional stream wanders through the ridges. Asthe magi travel through these more pleasantlands, they come upon the hoofprints of cattle andthe remains of campfires.

This region of the hills belongs to the Ogo-Ogo, a herdsman tribe which nominally pledgesloyalty to Prester John. The party could learnmore about Akeem’s expedition and its encountershere. Magi could develop friends within the tribe.

Veldt tribes occasionally raid this region.When Sir Akeem learned of this, he left a knightnamed Archibald to defend the “simple folk.” SirArchibald’s protection, far from helping Ogo-Ogo,makes this town a target for Veldt raiders. Yo-Lin,a tribal Queen and Dreamer shaman, interpretsthe knight’s presence as a challenge. She mayattack while the magi visit Ogo-Ogo. The charac-ters could defeat her, becoming heroes to SirArchibald and winning some respect from thetown. They might also make Yo-Lin into a valu-able associate.

If the magi wish to find Ogo-Ogo, they havelittle difficulty. If they wish to bypass it, that toois easy. This town nestles into the corner of ahillside. Here and there, one can spot a lonetribesman, still and erect on a rock, holding a staff,watching over the lands. Ogo-Ogo contains 80people. A king named Mogla rules it. Akeem’scompany visited this town. They left a knight, SirArchibald of Cornwall, to defend and instruct thepeople of Ogo-Ogo.

When the magi approach Ogo-Ogo, they findit in a state of tension. People have driven their

cattle into the town. The beastsgroan nervously. A few villagers

plant sharp stakes into the ground, forming acrude barrier. People lope toward town as strang-ers approach. They shout as they go, not scream-ing, but hooting in their own tongue.

The group must take care how it responds tothe tribe. Recall that animals find the presence ofmagi disquieting. If the group presses on towardOgo-Ogo, it may set off a stampede. Someonemust pass an Animal Ken + Com roll with an EaseFactor of 8 to avoid it. The Ease Factor becomes12 if magi insist on entering the town.

During a stampede, three cattle trample eachcharacter, in a frantic attempt to escape. Thebeasts then scatter in all directions, a few impalingthemselves on the stakes. Grand panic sweeps thetown, and tribesmen flee as randomly as theircattle. Cornered tribesmen attempt to fight. SirArchibald alone remains to defend the town. Hechallenges the magi sword in hand.

In the aftermath of a stampede, the charac-ters must pass a Com roll with an Ease Factor of 6to convince Archibald that they mean no harm.Then he upbraids them in his clipped Britishaccent about the “irreparable injury” they haveinflicted on the, “poor heathen folk.” The tribesmenreturn to their village a few hours later. Theyshun the magi, at least initially.

If the magi avoid a stampede, or manage toovercome one, they may talk to people in the town.Sir Archibald forces his way through the tribesmento speak with other visitors from abroad. His lacysurcoat, chain armor and sandy mustache makehim look ridiculous among the natives. SirArchibald informs the magi that Sir Akeem lefthim to defend the “poor heathens” against “nativebandits.” Archibald will talk with the westernersas long as they wish.

Archibald knows that Akeem went on to the“great metropolis” of these people, to the East.Magi who follow his directions come to Dispolis,Section C. Although Archibald knows nothingwhatsoever about the lands South of the Sun, hevolunteers an immediate answer to any questionmagi ask. He fabricates his stories, using theprinciple that if he does not understand something,it cannot be significant.

Most herdsmen speak only Khili. Even if themagi found a way of making themselves under-stood, these presence of strangers awes these

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tribesmen. They speak withexaggerated politeness, insistingthat the magi “could not possiblybe interested in our worthless village.” None ofthem trust the outsiders. The herdsmen admitthat tribes from the Veldt raid their village.However, when asked about Sir Archibald’sdefenses, they frown and seem more truculentthan grateful.

If the magi make a point of seeking out thetribal king, they find a man named Mogla. Heknows a little Greek, which he uses when tradingwith Niobians. At first, Mogla barely consents tolook at strangers from the north. He resents SirArchibald’s intrusion. Furthermore, he knows thatSir Archibald’s “defense” is exactly what will bringruin upon Ogo-Ogo. Mogla answers all questionswith the words, “surely the Northern Heroes knowmore of that than a mere barbarian.” He pretendsto know far less Greek than he does.

If the magi make it clear that they neitherserve nor respect Sir Akeem, Mogla may tell themmore. He complains bitterly about Archibald’sdefense. Yo-Lin feels a certain kinship with thecattle tribes, and only raids them when she must.However, she loves to attack wealthy outsiders.Furthermore, she will certainly interpret SirArchibald’s defenses as a gesture of defiance.Thanks to Sir Archibald’s protection, the villagecan expect a raid at any time.

King Mogla also has basic information on allthe lands South of the Sun.

Yo-Lin’s RaidOne night after the magi arrive in Ogo-Ogo,

Yo-Lin scouts the town in her Dreams. Sleepingcharacters see a golden Lioness prowling the town.She roars in challenge. The Storyguide shouldinform all sleeping characters of this dream andask for their response. Those uninitiated inDream-Magic probably fail to understand thesignificance of this vision. If the characters takeno action, then the Storyguide should not promptthem. However, those who try to talk or act in theDreamworld discover that they can.

Yo-Lin would gladly talk to the characters.She does not deny her identity, nor does sheattempt to harm characters in the Dreamworld.This chieftain feels curious about the strangers

and although she wants to proveherself their mistress, she feelsno animosity toward them.

Yo-Lin intends to attack the town beforedawn. The magi could attempt to dissuade her,but only if they earn her respect. Appeals forreason and mercy have no effect but the proudwords of a fellow warrior might sway her. Shewould not attack if she considered the battlebeneath her dignity. (Perhaps a dreaming grogcan try this ploy, and, for a moment, outshine themagi.) Yo-lin wants only to humiliate SirArchibald, and if the characters can arrange forher to do that without pillaging Ogo-ogo, she maygo along with their plan.

The Lioness of the Veldt knows aboutAkeem’s journey to Dispolis. She knows that heattacked the Colossi and that the giants now havehim under siege. She also knows that PresterJohn has sent an envoy to meet Akeem. If asked,Yo-Lin can direct the characters to Akeem’sredoubt (Section D). Yo-Lin enjoys seeing theColossi discomfited, but she considers Akeem a foolto attack the Lords of Dis in their own city. Shealso cannot fathom why the Colossi do not merelystorm Akeem’s fortress and kill him.

Despite all the ways in which the party couldbefriend Yo-Lin, she will probably end up attack-ing Ogo-ogo. She attacks with 12 archers and 12spearmen. The bowmen spread out on eitherflank. Her approach triggers a stampede like theone mentioned above, where three cows trampleeach friendly character and most of the villageflees. If the magi defeat Yo-Lin, they receiveindifferent respect from the tribesmen and longadulation from Sir Archibald.

Sir Archibald

Age 21 Cnf 3 Enc 2

CharacteristicsInt -1 Str +2 Prs +0 Dex +1Per +0 Stm +2 Com +0 Qik +0

CombatAttack/Broadsword: 1st +5 — Atk +9 — Dam +12Defense/Round Shield: +6Soak Total (Chain Cuirass): +10Body Levels: OK/0/-1/-3/-5/Incap.Fatigue Total: +0

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Fatigue Levels: OK/0/-1/-3/-5/Unc.

SkillsBroadsword Attack(Wild Melee): +4Round Shield: +3

KnowledgesSpeak (Arabic): +2Speak (English): +4Speak (French): +2

Personality TraitsIgnorant +1Overbearing +2

Description: A tall Briton with a sandymustache, Sir Archibald joined Akeem at age 15.He feels a strong respect for the codes of chivalryand teachings of the Faith. Despite (or perhapsbecause of) his long campaigns in exotic lands, SirArchibald feels contempt for all non-Europeans.He views the people South of the Sun as ignorant,if amusing, savages.

Role-Playing Tips: Project your voice in theself-assured way of an upper-class Briton. Alwaysbe ready to feign expertise on a subject aboutwhich you know nothing.

King Mogla

Age 33 Cnf 2 Enc 0

CharacteristicsInt +2 Str +1 Prs -1 Dex +2Per +1 Stm +2 Com -1 Qik +1

CombatAttack/Long Spear: 1st +12 — Atk +7 — Dam +10Defense/Long Spear Parry: +5Soak Total: +2Body Levels: OK/0/-1/-3/-5/Incap.Fatigue Total: +2Fatigue Levels: OK/0/-1/-3/-5/Unc.

SkillsLong Spear Attack: +3Long Spear Parry: +2

KnowledgesSpeak (Greek): +1

Speak (Khili): +3

Personality TraitsConservative +1Resentful +2

Description: A wiry black man with aperpetually glum face, Mogla has ruled his tribefor over a dozen years, and knows the land and itspeople. Mogla’s people have raised their herdshere for countless centuries, and his greatestambition is for them to continue to do the same.He wants no excitement or upheaval in his realm.

Role-Playing Tips: Remain civil butunhelpful. If foreigners do not understand yourpeople or your love for the land, they have nothingto offer you. You bitterly resent the arrogance ofoutsiders in your domain. Do not make eye contactwith haughty strangers.

Yo-Lin’s Warriors (24)

These warriors consider raiding their right.They admire and obey Yo-Lin, Lioness of the Veldt.Twelve wield bows and twelve wield spears.

Characteristics

Int +2 Str +1 Prs +0 Dex +3Per +3 Stm +2 Com +0 Qik +1

CombatAttack/Long Spear: 1st +12 — Atk +9 — Dam +11Attack/Self Bow: Rate +8 — Atk +7 — Dam +8Defense/Long Spear Parry: +5Soak Total: +2Body Levels: OK/0/-1/-3/-5/Incap.Fatigue Total: +2Fatigue Levels: OK/0/-1/-3/-5/Unc.

SkillsLong Spear Attack(Wild Melee): +4Long Spear Parry: +2Self Bow (Wild Melee): +4

Yo-Lin

Consult Chapter Two.

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C. DispolisThe magi descend straight from barren hills

into a magnificent city. The white stone towers ofDispolis speak of a civilization greater than anysince the fall of Rome. Both buildings and peopleseem to be built on a massive scale, as if to matchthe grandeur of their surroundings. The streetsseem quiet, with only a few pedestrians.

Following Akeem’s riot, the Lords of Disinstructed their henchmen to detain any strangersin the city. Unless the magi are actually invisible,they cannot escape detection. Their language,dress and behavior mark them as obviously for-eign. Therefore, the magi spend only moments inthe city before the Lords’ agents arrest them.

A party of eight handsome Colossi in bluetunics carry out the arrests. Their leader useshalting Latin to demand the strangers’ weapons.If the characters fight back, they may defeat thearresting officers, but they must then flee the cityat once. Those foolish enough to defeat the guardsand remain in the city must face increasinglylarger bands of Colossi warriors until they suc-cumb. The Storyguide may include Spawn andother magical horrors if the situation truly war-rants it.

If the magi submit to arrest, the guards takethem to a well-furnished stone villa. They spend aday there in relative comfort. Then a smilingguard in a red toga returns their belongings andinforms them, in Latin, that the Lord Santil Dorandesires the honor of their company at a grandfeast.

Santil receives the magi in an upstairschamber of the Temple of the Page. He, along withseveral dozen Colossi scholars, offer the travelers asumptuous feast and invite them to discuss theirhomelands, their lore and their intentions South ofthe Sun. If the magi betray any inclination towardlearning, either magical or not, the Colossi engagethem in long conversations on the subject.

The dinner at the Temple provides the magiwith a golden chance to serve as ambassadors forthe Order of Hermes. Let them play that role.

Later in the evening, Santil approaches themagi. He informs them that he has less pleasantbusiness to discuss, then describes Akeem’s visit.He glosses over the exact nature of the sacrifice,saying only, “This man accused us of blasphemy

against his god, whom we neverclaimed to worship.” Santil thendescribes the attack on the

Temple in vivid terms, emphasizing the deaths ofColossi scholars. Santil concludes by explainingthat Akeem seized a tower south of the city andfortified himself there. Colossi troops have thetower under siege.

Lord Santil Doran tells the magi the truthabout his situation. He has no desire to attack aforeign ambassador, but he resents “the forcibleexpropriation of my property.” He cannot allow thesituation to continue. Therefore, he hopes that themagi, as Akeem’s fellow Europeans, will giveAkeem the punishment he deserves.

“This is a deed which you can perform but Icannot.” Santil adds, “Furthermore, we, unlikeyou, are not a warlike people.”

If the party refuses to help Santil, he dis-misses them from his mansions and leaves them totheir own devices in Dispolis.

Lord Santil Doran

Age 42 Cnf 4 Enc 0 Size +1

CharacteristicsInt +2 Str +0 Prs +2 Dex +0Per +2 Stm +0 Com +3 Qik +0

CombatNoncombatantBody Total: +0Body Levels: OK/0/-1/-1/-3/-5/Incap.Fatigue Total: +0Fatigue Levels: OK/0/-1/-1/-3/-5/Unc.

Colossi MagicCull From the Body: +3Cull From the Spirit: +2Duel With the Soul: +2

SkillsIntrigue (Politics): +2

KnowledgesFantastic Beast Lore (Races of Cain): +2Legend Lore (Dispolis): +2Scribe (Astha): +4Scribe (Khili): +3Scribe (Latin): +2

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Speak (Astha): +4Speak (Greek): +2Speak (Khili): +3Speak (Latin): +2

Personality TraitsCautious +3

ReputationWell-mannered (Dis) +2

Description: A soft-spoken, well-manneredLord of Dis, it was Santil Doran’s ill fortune tobecome involved with Akeem. He has a studiousinterest in foreign peoples but no practical experi-ence with diplomacy. Santil Doran has politicalreasons not to use his own henchmen in therecapture of his tower. However, even if he didnot, he would have personal reasons to wantothers to do the job.

Santil has graying hair and slightly wrinkledskin.

Role-Playing Tips: Use long sentences andpretentious language. Remind others that war isnot a tradition of the Colossi.

Santil’s Warriors

Colossi neglect the arts of war, but these lustyfellows serve as Dis’ closest equivalent to soldiers.

Enc 0 Size +1

CharacteristicsStr +4 Dex +3Stm +4 Qik +1

Combat

Attack/Broadsword: 1st +8 — Atk +11 — Dam +14Defense/Wicker Tower Shield: +8Soak Total (Carved Cuirass): +7Body Levels: OK/0/-1/-1/-3/-5/Incap.Fatigue Total: +4Fatigue Levels: OK/0/-1/-1/-3/-5/Unc.

Skills

Broadsword Attack: +4Tower Shield Parry: +3

D. AkeemUnder Siege

Akeem and his men occupy a tower belongingto Santil Doran, Lord of Dis. The Lords of Disbuild for beauty, not warfare, but nevertheless,this tower is well defensed. Its stone walls standatop a jagged peak. An impassable cliff risesbehind the tower. The magi can see this fortressfrom many miles away. As the characters ap-proach, they see the smoke of campfires as well.The Colossi have placed this tower under siege.

Inside the tower, Sir Akeem and his survivingwarriors prepare to sell their lives dearly. Out-side, the various factions of the Golden Empiredither over the proper response to the troublesomeoutsiders. If the magi have the leadership topropose a solution, they may tip the decision inany direction they choose. The magi must decidewhether they have come to rescue Sir Akeem or todestroy him.

Arrival

When strangers arrive at the siege, sentriesaccost them. Colossi guards watch in pairs, inpositions shown on the Siege Map. The guardsgrip their weapons and raise their hands in agesture meaning, “halt.” One sentry watches whilethe other fetches their Sergeant, who speaks Latin.If the characters try to fight or escape, the Colossiattack, and the meeting becomes a battle royale.See below for details. However, most intelligentmagi will wait to see what the guards want.

The Sergeant demands to know if the new-comers serve Akeem. Assuming that the magideclare their neutrality, the Sergeant nods withsatisfaction. “Then your appearance is a blessing.Our masters need the opinion of Northerners in amost vexing dilemma.” He then escorts the groupto the Captain’s tent. There, the magi meet Polos,Santil Doran’s Captain of Expedition, Joshua Paul,Prester John’s ambassador and Lucus, a warrior ofNiobia. The magi may join in the debate overAkeem’s fate.

If the magi ask general questions about thelands South of the Sun, these people provideanswers. However, none of them want the conver-

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sation to veer too far from thesubject of Akeem.

Captain Polos wants Akeem destroyed. As hisargument, he relies on the simple righteousness ofhis case. The knight came to Dispolis as astranger, and accepted the hospitality of LordSantil Doran. Then, for no apparent reason,Akeem murdered innocent Colossi and seizedDoran’s property. Those actions befit a madmanmore than a knight. Only Santil Doran’s deepdesire to avoid political friction have caused him todelay his revenge.

Polos, like Santil Doran, asks the magi to takeresponsibility for destroying the knight. “I blushat asking you to fight my battle. But, just as dutyhas compelled so many cowards to be brave, soduty compels me to be a coward. If you aid mymaster, his reward shall not be meager.”

Joshua Paul cannot deny the justice of Polos’argument. However, he believes that the Chris-tians of the North may become powerful allies ofEmperor Prester John. He wants a parley with

Akeem, but knows he can hardlyarrange one under current

circumstances. Therefore, he quibbles and wastestime, hoping to buy time until he can find a way tobring Akeem before Prester John. He has alreadydelayed the siege for many days.

If the magi talk privately with Joshua Paul,he asks them to secretly rescue Sir Akeem. “Suchdaring would John reward with rivers of gold.”

Lucus identifies himself to the magi as aPrecentor of Niobia. He answers questions briefly,then retires into a sour silence. The Niobiansresent Dispolis, fear Prester John and hate Chris-tians of every sort. No matter what happens here,the appearance of Akeem’s people can only hurtthem.

If the magi distance themselves from Akeemand the European Church, they find Lucus grow-ing more friendly. If the characters seem sympa-thetic to Niobia and its concerns, Lucus may invitethem to his land. That journey lies beyond the

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scope of this story. However,Lucus can take charactersstraight to his Queen.

The Siege Troops

If the magi decide to rescue Akeem, or if theysimply wish to sneak into the tower withoutCaptain Polos’ permission, they must contend withthe siege forces. Polos has twelve guards on sentryduty around the hill. Sentries watch in pairs andhave horns with which to summon help. Polos hasa force of sixteen warriors in the camp, ready torespond to any call. The map shows the location ofthese troops.

The Colossi keep pens of bulls and deer bytheir camp. Polos uses these animals in combina-tion with Cull From the Body to make his warriorsfast and strong. At any given time, assume thatfive Colossi have a movement rate of 30 paces perround and a Str of +6. These troops react first toan attack.

Akeem’s Defense

Akeem defends the tower with a plan basedon the simplicity of desperation. He and his threesurviving followers have gathered stones to dropupon attackers. When enemies force the door,Akeem plans to challenge them to individualcombat. If the attackers agree, he will fight hisenemies one at a time, until he wins or dies.Otherwise, the knights defend the tower stairs asbravely as they can.

On the stairs, the knights gain a +2 bonus toFirst Strike and +1 bonus to Attack rolls due totheir advantage in altitude. On the landing at thetop of the stairwell, they can duck around cornersto avoid missiles. Furthermore, normal opponentscannot surround them here. Magi, of course,might use spells to enter the tower through anupper-floor window. They could then descend andtake the knights from behind.

Akeem has a Holy Sword which gives hisknights limited protection from magic.

Akeem’s men can roll their stone missiles asfar as the base of the hill. The map shows therange of these tumbling boulders. Unless the magiplan their route to the tower carefully, they mustendure several rounds of this fire to reach thetower. Furthermore, since dropping a rock re-

quires very little aim, theknights do not expose themselvesto use these weapons. Anyone

firing missiles at them suffers a -4 to Attack rolls.

Attackers continue to suffer from the stoneswhile they work on the gate. This tower has a doorof iron, with an internal bar. If grogs attempt tobatter this gate with an improvised ram, theymust pass an Str roll with an Ease Factor of 20. Ifthe ram is long enough, multiple attackers mayadd their Str to this roll. Every five feet of lengthallows one extra attacker to participate. Rammersmay hit the gate as often as they like, but eachstrike requires a round. The rammers suffer a hailof stones in each round they attack.

Akeem expects no friends in this land. Nor-mally, he and his knights fight anyone who ap-proaches them. They do respect a flag of truce.However, Akeem refuses any compromise with theColossi, calling them sorcerers and demon-wor-shippers.

Naturally, Sir Akeem would be glad to escapethe tower. He pays his rescuers the respect theyearn, even if they happen to be magi. Akeem willnever trust magic, but he has enough gratitude tospeak well of the Order of Hermes before EmperorPrester John.

Captain Polos

Age 32 Cnf 3 Enc 0 Size +1

CharacteristicsInt +2 Str +4 Prs +0 Dex +3Per +1 Stm +4 Com +1 Qik +1

CombatAttack/Broadsword: 1st +9 — Atk +11 — Dam — +15Defense/Wicker Tower Shield: +9Soak Total (Carved Cuirass): +7Body Levels: OK/0/-1/-1/-3/-5/Incap.Fatigue Total: +4Fatigue Levels: OK/0/-1/-1/-3/-5/Unc.

SkillsBroadsword Attack: +5Tower Shield Parry: +3

Personality TraitsEarnest +1Efficient +1

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Description: Captain Polosrose to the top of Santil’s hench-men through his cheerful readi-ness to accomplish his master’s goals. He oftenknows Santil’s mind more accurately than Santilhimself. Captain Polos often finds himself calledupon to make decisions for his master. In suchcases, he simply adheres to logic as closely aspossible.

Role-Playing Tips: Speak loudly, and relyon the justice of your case.

Joshua Paul

Age 22 Cnf 1 Enc 0

CharacteristicsInt +1 Str +0 Prs -1 Dex -2Per +1 Stm -1 Com -1 Qik -1

CombatNoncombatantSoak Total: -1Body Levels: OK/0/-1/-3/-5/Incap.Fatigue Total: -1Fatigue Levels: OK/0/-1/-3/-5/Unc.

SkillsDiplomacy (Politics): +2

KnowledgesChurch Lore (Doctrine): +1Speak (Astha): +3Speak (Greek): +2Speak (Khili): +4Speak (Latin): +2

Personality TraitsNaive +1

Description: An outcast from the Smithstribe, Joshua Paul has found unexpected fortune inthe service of the Empire. He recently received hisbaptism, and has a convert’s fanaticism aboutreligion. Nevertheless, Joshua knows quite littleabout the actual teachings of his Faith. Paul’sinnocence and religion cause him to feel a greataffinity for Sir Akeem. However, even Paul mustadmit that by murdering the Colossi in their owncity, the knight made his case difficult to support.

Role-Playing Tips: Speak in a loud, clearvoice. You have trouble expressing your mixed

feelings about Sir Akeem.

Lucus

Age 32 Cnf 3 Enc 2

CharacteristicsInt +0 Str +2 Prs +2 Dex +1Per +0 Stm +2 Com +1Qik +1

CombatAttack/Broadsword: 1st +6 — Atk +9 — Dam +12Defense/Round Shield: +6Soak Total (Chain Cuirass): +10Body Levels: OK/0/-1/-3/-5/Incap.Fatigue Total: +0Fatigue Levels: OK/0/-1/-3/-5/Unc.

SkillsBroadsword Attack(Wild Melee): +4Round Shield Parry: +3

KnowledgesSpeak (Arabic): +2Speak (Greek): +2Speak (Niobian): +3

Personality TraitsGruff +1Persecuted +1

Description: A hardened warrior, with darkskin and a mishappen face. Lucus continuallyfeels that others are conspiring to persecuteNiobia.

Role-Playing Tips: Grunt and scowl at otherpeople. Since you expect others to persecuteNiobians, you are seldom very friendly. However,you show gratitude to anyone who makes a point ofbefriending you.

Sir Akeem

Age 29 Faith 1 Enc 1

CharacteristicsInt +1 Str +3 Prs +2 Dex +3Per +0 Stm +2 Com +1 Qik +2

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CombatAttack/Broadsword: 1st +9 — Atk+12 — Dam +14Attack/Stone: Rate +0 — Atk +3 — Dam +12Defense/Round Shield: +8Soak Total (Chain Cuirass): +10Body Levels: OK/0/-1/-3/-5/Incap.Fatigue Total: +1

Fatigue Levels: OK/0/-1/-3/-5/Unc.

SkillsBroadsword Attack(Single Combat): +5Round Shield Parry: +5

KnowledgesChurch Lore (Doctrine): +3Speak (Arabic): +4Speak (English): +1Speak (French): +2Speak (Greek): +1Speak (Latin): +2

Personality TraitsSomber +2Fanatic +3

Description: A small man, with the coal eyesand dark features of an Arab, Sir Akeem comesfrom Tyre, in modern-day Lebanon. He follows theLevantine branch of the Church, which claims totrace its founding back to Christ himself. As aChristian from the country of the Saracens, healways took a powerful interest in the Crusades.Akeem served as a scout during the Crusade ofFrederick II. During that campaign, a Germanbaron knighted him.

Now, with no great war to serve in, Akeemhas gathered other knights with a taste for glory.They swear vows of piety, poverty and service tomankind. These paladins undertake quests suchas their current expedition South of the Sun.

Sir Akeem owns a sword of pale steel,quenched in the river where John baptized Christ.It gives him one Faith Point and a Magic Resis-tance of +20. All members of his company withinten feet share in the magic resistance.

Akeem knows beyond a doubt that the Colossiare diabolists. If he survives this story, he willdevote himself to destroying them.

Role-Playing Tips: You are quiet andthoughtful, but a crusader nonetheless. Your eyes

burn when you speak of holythings and you cannot mention

religion without affirming your faith. Akeemlearned his European languages from a Germanand retains a slight Teutonic accent.

Sir Akeem’s Knights

These three men, Sir Poul, Sir Hans and SirFloro feel devoted to chivalry and their own tinyCrusades. They would quite willingly trust theirlives with Akeem and their souls with God.

Age 20-23 Faith 1 Enc 2

CharacteristicsInt -1 Str +2 Prs +0 Dex +1Per +0 Stm +2 Com -1 Qik +1

CombatAttack/Broadsword: 1st +6 — Atk +9 — Dam +12Attack/Stone: Rate +0 — Atk +3 — Dam +12Defense/Round Shield: +6Soak Total (Chain Cuirass): +10Body Levels: OK/0/-1/-3/-5/Incap.Fatigue Total: 0Fatigue Levels: OK/0/-1/-3/-5/Unc.

SkillsBroadsword Attack(Wild Melee): +4Round Shield Parry: +3

KnowledgesSpeak (Arabic): +2Speak (English): +4Speak (French): +2

Colossi Troops

See Section C.

Conclusion

At the conclusion of this story, the partyshould have a new constellation of friends andenemies South of the Sun. If the party destroysAkeem, they win the approval of Niobia and theenthusiastic friendship of Lord Santil Doran.Doran, of course, is a diabolist, but that does not

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make his friendship less valu-able. If, on the other hand, theparty rescues Akeem, they haveearned a bit of friendship from Akeem’s order ofknights, and deep respect from the EmperorPrester John. The Colossi, however, will viewthem coldly at best. No matter what the magi do,they have a chance to make their case before Yo-Lin, King Mogla and Queen Sophia of Niobia.

Prester John, Lord Santil Doran and QueenSophia all can and will reward their heroes withgold and gems. The magi may also investigate thelore of these lands South of the Sun.

The only real way for the party to fail in thisstory is by doing nothing. If the party refuses toinvolve itself in the matter, Santil Doran eventu-ally orders his troops to destroy Akeem. He views

the magi as a disappointment.Prester John assumes that themagi did not care enough to help

their fellow Christians. The Niobians concludethat the magi were too weak to intervene.

This is not the sort of story where the charac-ters solve all the mysteries. Akeem’s Crusadeserves as an introduction to the lands South of theSun, which can lay the seeds for many future tales.Magi may seal a promising friendship with PresterJohn, but they may have Niobians or Veldt Tribesas bitter enemies. Most significantly of all, charac-ters may fail to realize the role of the Demons inDis. After all, what magi believe a religiousfanatic’s accusations against the enlightenedscholars of a benevolent city? These foes, bothknown and unknown, will certainly appear infuture stories.