Aamanian Archmage
Aamanian Archmage
Homeland: Aaman
"The Omniscient Aa is ever watchful for the deviant ways of the infidel, and his wrath shall be merciless when he condemns the unbelievers to eternal torment, so I say unto you, be pure, be vigilant, behave!"
Aa's gaze is unblinking, unwavering, as must your convictions be, for you lead his faithful in prayer, demanding of them the same unswerving faith you demonstrate yourself. You must be harsh, it is true, but you do so out of ultimate kindness, for you must inspire the flame of faith within Aa's chosen, and steel them against the temptations of the shaitan-led infidels. Only if you can counsel them to resist the weakness of their flesh, will they be spared Aa's terrible judgment, so the weight of their souls is your burden, but a burden you bear out of duty and faith. Tending Aa's followers in your diocese is a demanding task, for you must be as constant and true as the Omnival, performing the necessary rites and blessings for the parishioners; leading them in prayer; and demonstrating the divine power that Aa has seen fit, in his infinite wisdom, to bestow upon you. Sadly, your words do not always reach the ears of those already blighted with sin, and it is with a dutiful heart that you must place the weak into the ministrations of the Knights of the Hooded Veil, where their taint will be purged from their vile heart.
Physical Characteristics: 5'6"-6', 100-180 lbs. Copper skin, sculpted features, dark green eyes, all facial and bodily hair removed.
Attributes:
INT +1
PER +1
WIL +3
CHA +1
STR 0
DEX 0
CON 0
SPD 0
CR 0
MR +4
HP 20
Skills:
Invocation -
Five Modes of choice +4
Doctrines - Orthodoxy +4
Oratory +5
Administrator +3
High Talislan, native dialect
Equipment: Cult robe, cape, headdress, and boots (all dyed white), iron-bound spell book, iron holy symbol of Aa (lacquered white), pouch, quills, crystal vial of sepia ink.
Wealth: 200 gold lumens in salary and offerings.
Aamanian Flagellant
Homeland: Aaman
"Aa's gaze is unblinking!""Aa is Omniscient!""Aa's gaze is unblinking!"
Aa is a stern master with no time for the weak, the deviants, and the sinners. You have devoted yourself to Him with righteous and fervent zeal, His lessons taught unto you since you were a mewling babe. As you grew up you embraced Aa's doctrine ever more tightly, and became appalled at the weakness of your fellow Aamanians, for surely they must be sinful and vile if their fervor does not equal your own! You fasted constantly, offering everything you had to Aa, preaching His doctrine with furor, leaving your throat raw, embracing the pain you inflicted on yourself as a symbol of utter devotion. You saw weakness everywhere; even your parents and siblings were not above suspicion. When finally you madly assaulted one of the weak fools, members of the clergy arrived, and dragged you screaming and ranting to the Flagellant Monastery of Aalm. There you met others of fervor and conviction such as yours; a place where anything less than utter zeal would not be tolerated. Constant repetitions of Orthodoxist slogans keep your mind focused, and constant flagellation and discomfort purify the body. As a member of the Order of Flagellants, you have found a home.
Physical Characteristics: 5'6"-6', 80-160 lbs. Copper skin, gaunt features, manic gaze, dark green eyes, and all facial and bodily hair removed, self-inflicted scars.
Attributes:
INT 0
PER 0
WIL +4
CHA -2
STR 0
DEX 0
CON +1
SPD 0
CR +1
MR +1
HP 20
Skills:
Ritual Flail +2
Invocation -
One Mode of choice +2
Doctrines - Orthodoxy +5
Oratory +1
Coerce +2
Torture (self) +3
High Talislan, native dialect
Equipment: Ritual flail (a 3' braided leather whip with a small iron ball on the tip. DR 1 if used with force on bare flesh), scratchy rough linen robe, iron holy symbol of Aa (lacquered white), self-infliction devices (such as a belt with barbs on the inside, sandals with uncomfortable scrupulum sewn onto the sole, etc.).
Wealth: None; the Order of Flagellants clothes and feeds its servants.
Aamanian Hospitaller Nun
Homeland: Aaman
"Embrace Aa and be healed, body and soul."
The service of Aa has always been your deepest calling, and your devotion and love of Him was such that you knew you could never give yourself to another. Aa is harsh, that is true, but you accept that women are inferior, as is His will. Even so, your most fervent desire was to aid Aa's chosen people, and work in His name. Swearing a vow of chastity, you joined the Order of Hospitallers when you came of age, the only Orthodoxist Order open to women, and women alone. Under strict tuition you have learned the arts of healing, and the humbling ability to heal and cleanse in Aa's name. The weak, sick, and injured among Aa's people come to you for aid, and they are not turned away. However, all must pay a small donation, or perform useful duties for the Order and Orthodoxist cult. Sometimes you must travel beyond the sanctity of your monastery's walls, for you are often requested as midwives, but you know that no matter where you go, Aa will always be with you.
Physical Characteristics: 5'6"-6', 90-170 lbs. Copper skin, sculpted features, dark green eyes, all facial and bodily hair removed.
Attributes:
INT +1
PER 0
WIL +2
CHA 0
STR -1
DEX 0
CON -1
SPD 0
CR -1
MR +1
HP 18
Skills:
Invocation -
Heal +3
Ward +3
Doctrines - Orthodoxy +3
Healer +4
High Talislan, native dialect
Equipment: White, form-concealing habit and hood, white gloves and boots, iron holy symbol of Aa (lacquered white), iron-bound spell book, pouch containing linen bandages, healing salves, needles and thread.
Wealth: 10 gold lumens; the Order of Hospitallers clothes and feeds its servants.
Aamanian Iconographer
Homeland: Aaman
"I consecrate this iron in Aa's name, for no metal is stronger than The Omniscient's will."
You are an artisan-priest, an iconographer. As a member of the Order of Icons, you work with devotion, crafting the Orthodoxist cult's blessed holy symbols at the Ironworks of Aabaal, never once deviating from the traditional designs and forms. It is your Aa-given strength that pounds iron into submission, allowing it to be crafted into the righteous weapons and armor worn by Aa's holy knights, the symbols born by all Aamanians; your strength that carves stone or wood, creating cult-approved objects of devotion. As Aa forges His devoted followers, you forge in His name for the benefit of His people. Every icon crafted, every blade sharpened, is an offering to Aa. The greatest of moments are those when you are instructed to invoke the very power of Aa into the objects you craft, creating artifacts woven with the divinity of Aa's boundless power. You toil over these most holy of items ceaselessly with your brethren until the artifacts are completed, blessed, and cleansed, ready to be used in Aa's name.
Physical Characteristics: 5'6"-6', 100-180 lbs. Copper skin, sculpted features, dark green eyes, all facial and bodily hair removed.
Attributes:
INT +1
PER 0
WIL +2
CHA 0
STR +1
DEX 0
CON 0
SPD 0
CR 0
MR +1
HP 20
Skills:
Invocation -
Two Modes of choice +4
Enchantment +4
Doctrines - Orthodoxy +3
Armorer, Artificer, or Weaponer (one of choice) +5
High Talislan, native dialect
Equipment: Heavy white robe, thick white leather apron, heavy white leather gloves and boots, iron-bound spell book, iron holy symbol of Aa (lacquered white), appropriate tools.
Wealth: 10 gold lumens; the Order of Icons clothes and feeds its servants.
Aamanian Reliquarian
Homeland: Aaman
"As the Omnipotent Aa is my witness, this blessed icon could save your very soul, and what price can you place on a soul?"
The Abbey of Andurin is your home, and as a member of the Order of Reliquaries it is your blessed task to oversee trade with all the infidels and pilgrims who come here, buying and selling cult-approved icons, as well as artifacts created by the Order of Icons. You keep a constant vigil for relics or artifacts that would serve the cult well, and there are times you must travel abroad under the escort of Defenders of the Faith, tracking down rumors of powerful or important artifacts from the Cult Wars and early days of Orthodoxy. From the most minor of holy symbols, to the very bones of Orthodoxist saints, from the simplest robe, to the most obscure of cult paraphernalia, you procure in Aa's name, the profits you make and relics you acquire serving to strengthen the cult. It is true you must deal with unclean and sinful outsiders, but Aa knows your cause is righteous, and regular ritual cleansing keeps you free of their blight.
Physical Characteristics: 5'6"-6', 100-180 lbs. Copper skin, sculpted features, dark green eyes, all facial and bodily hair removed.
Attributes:
INT +2
PER +1
WIL +2
CHA 0
STR 0
DEX 0
CON 0
SPD 0
CR 0
MR +2
HP 19
Skills:
Invocation -
Reveal +4
Doctrines - Orthodoxy +3
Antiquarian +4
Arcane Lore +3
Merchant +5
Appraiser +4
Barter +5
Haggle +5
Ride +3
High Talislan, native dialect
Low Talislan, fluent
Phaedran, fluent
Equipment: White robe, hood, cape, boots, and gloves, iron holy symbol of Aa (lacquered white), iron-bound spell book, ledger, quills and inks, iron safe-box with key.
Wealth: 100 gold lumens in saleable icons and various currencies.
Arborin Tribesman
Homeland: The Aberrant Forest
The forest is your territory and only fools do not recognize you as one of its masters. You have fought for everything, making you strong and giving you the right to claim the woodland. You have quarreled with your brothers and beat them to win the best shares of stumpwater and humus, besting others in combat for the right to take your pleasure with any females. Others have not done this, so they are weak and have no rights, allowing you to raid and attack them freely when they enter your realm, hanging them in nets as a sign to others that you are the master and this is your land. The Verdir are among the weakest of the non-Arborin, so you raid them regularly, stealing the drug that awakens the spirit, and bearing away their females for sport. These rights you have earned.
Physical Characteristics: 6'6"-7', 160-180 lbs. Gnarled bark-colored skin with dark green veins, slender build, elongated mask-like face and head, ebony eyes.
Attributes:
INT -1
PER +1
WIL 0
CHA -4
STR +1
DEX +2
CON 0
SPD -1
CR +4
MR 0
HP 22
Special Abilities: Speak with plants, blend into treetops (+10 to Stealth when immobile in woodlands), fibrous bark-like skin PR 3.
Skills:
Club +4
Blowgun +4
Net +2
Climbing +8
Stealth +4
Herb Lore +3
Survival +4
Weaponer +2
Language of Plants, native
Equipment: Crude wooden club, wooden blowgun, woven vine pouch of 20 thorn darts, small wooden jar of vegetable toxin resin, net of woven vines, woven vine wrist bindings.
Wealth: None; Arborin have no concept of barter or currency.
Arimite Hunter
Homeland: Arim
"I have faced down a charging exomorph with nothing but a bow. Leave me in peace before I demonstrate how I slew the beast with a single arrow and skinned its still twitching carcass."
Many generations of your family have roamed the rugged hills and steppes of Arim, pursuing the age-old profession of hunter and trapper. Unlike those of your people who dwell in the filth and squalor of the towns, or that paltry Exarch who believes he has some claim over you, you have remained true to the roots of your culture. The wilderness is as comfortable and familiar as your favorite bow and knife, and you face prey far more honest and easier to deal with than your urban cousins. You can move and act freely without causing offense and hoping that the Revenants will not be called upon you. The town-dwellers often look down at you, regarding you as nothing more than a quaint throwback, and even the rural farmers think of you as an isolated and lonely individual. They are all fools, for you possess a freedom they will never experience: the liberty to control your own life, free of Exarch and Revenant influence, and the petty bickering that marks the existence of many others. You are content, for you know your skills will always be of value, and that the life of a hunter is the most honest in Arim.
Physical Characteristics: 5'2"-6'2", 90-170 lbs. Swarthy complexion, long black hair, dark eyes.
Attributes:
INT 0
PER +1
WIL 0
CHA -1
STR +1
DEX +3
CON +2
SPD +1
CR +3
MR 0
HP 23
Special Abilities: None.
Skills:
Shortbow +4
Arimite Knife-fighting +1
Dagger +1
Tracking +4
Traps +4
Stealth +3
Survival +3
Climbing +2
Guide +3
Ride +1
Artificer +3
Low Talislan, native dialect
Equipment: Fur vest, hide boots, leather breeches, armbands and earrings of animal teeth and claws, shortbow with quiver of 20 arrows, two throwing knives, dagger, pouch, ball of twine, iron flask of chakos, graymane steed.
Wealth: 50 gold lumens in hides and silver Exarchs.
Blue Aeriad Boatman
Homeland: Vardune
"The Axis River is like the trunk of the Tree of Life, and just as vital".
Something about the sparkle of the winding waters drew you to the river, and your heart filled with excitement when you first saw a majestic barge fort. A great living vessel, vines intertwined and vivid with life; a tribute to the brave new world your race was forging. Your clutch-siblings often complained bitterly about their loss of flight, and you were no different, revelling in those times you would glide happily among the boughs of the great viridia trees, but the sinuous waterway called to you as much as the sky. While the Change fills your soul with sadness, you take comfort on the calm waters, and are proud of your calling; enabling swifter trade and defence of your nation. If the viridia trees are the heart of Vardune, then the river is its many veins, carrying those much needed resources, and defending against interlopers. You are brother to the forests, river and skies, enabling you to appreciate the Creator better than most, and calming your high-strung and aggressive nature slightly. Still, you like nothing better than perching in the avir's nest, surveying the world around you like an eager bird of prey.
Physical Characteristics: 5'5"-6', 80-120lbs. Blue skin and plumage with a metallic sheen, slender stature, sharp bird-like features, crested coxcomb of feathers, vestigial wings.
Attributes:
INT 0
PER +1
WIL 0
CHA 0
STR 0
DEX +4
CON 0
SPD +2
CR +3
MR 0
HP 21
Special Abilities: Gliding up to twenty-five yards, wind permitting.
Skills:
Tri-bow +4
Dart-thrower +4
Crescent Knife +4
Artillerist (ballista) +3
Pilot (barge fort) +5
Pilot (viridia barge) +4
Guard +2
Command +2
Weaponer +1
Low Talislan, native
Equipment: Short tunic, loincloth, and cloak of plain viridia linen, sandals, two crescent knives, dart-thrower with pouch of ten darts, tri-bow with five clips, belt pouch, stoppered gourd flask of vinesap; boatmen based in Vardune may have access to a barge fort or viridia barge.
Wealth: 50 gold lumens in gold pentacles.
Cymrilian Acolyte of the Magister
Homeland: Cymril
"As magic is the source of creation, magical knowledge brings with it a greater understanding of creation, and therefore enlightenment."
Magic is the greatest of gifts and creations, conjured forth by the Magister, the cosmic magician whose arcane energies created all things. The fascination with all things magical that typifies your people has always held you in its thrall, but you always sought something more, believing that magic was not just a creative force, but a creation in and of itself. You entered the service of the Magister, the Cymrilian concept of the Creator, learning the gift of wizardry at the Lyceum Arcanum, and studying scripture at the cathedral. Now, as a member of Cymril's small clergy, you teach others about magic, encouraging its acceptance and use as a tool and means of enlightenment, actively standing against the dark magical practices that ruin the reputation of the arcane arts.
Physical Characteristics: 6'-6'4", 120-160 lbs. Pale green skin and hair, golden eyes, slender build, handsome features, may alter appearance with magical enhancements.
Attributes:
INT +2
PER +1
WIL +1
CHA +1
STR -1
DEX 0
CON -1
SPD 0
CR -1
MR +5
HP 19
Skills:
Wizardry -
Five Modes of choice +3
Doctrine - The Magister +4
Arcane Lore +5
Oratory +4
Etiquette +5
Fashion +4
Ride +3
High Talislan, native
Low Talislan, fluent
Archaen, fluent
Equipment: High-collared cloak and robes of spangalor (both enchanted to swirl with color), dyed leather boots, green crystal seven-pointed star amulet, rune-covered staff topped with a lightly glowing green crystal seven-pointed star, leather and silver-bound spellbook, two magical trinkets.
Wealth: 50 gold lumens in gold pentacles and donations.
Cymrilian Sky Sailor
Homeland: Cymril
"To leave the problems of life far below, and sail above seas of clouds is to gladden both soul and senses."
Your heart belongs to the boundless vault of the heavens, and you feel truly at home on the deck of a windship as it glides through the eddies of the sky, far above the land, sails billowing in the wind. Few landlubbers could understand the feeling of freedom that air sailing grants you, and fewer still would willingly face the dangerous storms or aerial predators that can bring peril to a journey. You work hard and play hard, proud to serve in Cymril's majestic navy, using your unsurpassed skills as pilot, navigator, and crewman to see your vessel through any trials it may face. Foreign and exotic lands hold a great deal of appeal, though you seldom visit them for more than short periods before taking to the air again, bound for other locations. Spell and sword stand ready to defend you, and although you do not possess the military might of the airborne swordsmages, you know that your role is just as vital, both in peace and war.
Physical Characteristics: 6'-6'5", 130-200 lbs. Pale green skin and hair, golden eyes, slender build, handsome features, may alter appearance with magical enhancements.
Attributes:
INT +1
PER +1
WIL 0
CHA 0
STR 0
DEX +1
CON 0
SPD 0
CR +2
MR +2
HP 21
Skills:
Elemental Magic - Aeromancy
Two Modes of choice +2
Longsword +2
Pilot - Windship +8
Astromancy +3
Artillerist - Ballistae +2
Climbing +3
Arcane Lore +2
Etiquette +4
Fashion +4
Cultures +2
High Talislan, fluent
Low Talislan, native
Archaen, fluent
Equipment: High-collared leather tunic, breeches, boots, cap and gloves, all dyed in various colors, amberglass goggles, leather-bound spellbook, longsword, pouch, two magical trinkets; sky sailors based in Cymril may have access to a windship.
Wealth: 40 gold lumens in gold pentacles and other currencies.
Danelek Shaman
Homeland: The Barrens
"Lek provided us with the means to survive, but survival is still the task we must strive for, and like the land kra that strikes from below, we must be just as merciless in pursuit of this task."
Lek, Giver-of-Life, provided you with the gifts of salt, spring rains, and oases, but your land is till harsh, and though you are supplicant to Lek, Za-Lek, Destroyer-of-Life, is ever-present. As a Wiseman of the Danelek, you are aware of the many great spirits, the totemic forms they often take, and you can see their workings in everything. You support and aid the Naz of your tribe, healing the sick and divining the location of water; a vital commodity provided by Lek, but provided sparingly. Irrespective of the totem you follow, it has gifted you with the sense of survival possessed by all creatures of the Barrens, and it is this sense that permits you to serve the tribe as a diviner. While you are no warrior, you are still a survivor, and you are proud that your talents are valued; your status increasing with every tribe member you heal, or source of water you find. You are ever respectful of Lek, your totem, and the other great spirits, and you know that they understand the over-riding drive to survive, nor will they ever judge you as lofty outsiders are wont to do.
Physical Characteristics: 5'8"-6'2", 100-200 lbs. Glossy black skin, stark white hair worn in long dreadlocks.
Attributes:
INT 0
PER +2
WIL +2
CHA -1
STR +1
DEX +1
CON +3
SPD 0
CR +2
MR +2
HP 23
Skills:
Shamanism -
Reveal +2
One Mode of choice (appropriate to totem) +2
Healer +4
Dagger +2
Stealth +2
Tracking +2
Survival +4
Artificer +4
Ride +4
Low Talislan, native
Sign, native
Equipment: Loincloth, sandals, leg and arm wrappings of land lizard hide, body paints, brass dagger, shoulder pouch with herbs, land lizard steed with supply bags.
Wealth: 30 gold lumens in salt crystals and assorted currencies.
Danuvian Archer
Homeland: The City-State of Danuvia
"I can shoot the legs off a chig at 100 paces; I can just as easily plant an arrow in that foolish mouth of yours the next time you cross me."
The bow is a weapon of distinction, but the truest weapons are your calm hand, steady eye, and unwavering courage. You were proud to stand on the field of battle with your sisters, unleashing the withering volleys of death that slew your enemies in droves. Other Danuvians, especially the pretentious lancers, argue that the bow is a weak weapon; used to strike down opponents safely from a distance. They were never more incorrect. The archers are Danuvia's first line of defense, and were it not for you and your sister archers, they would be quickly overrun by superior numbers - they should thank you for ensuring that the opponents who survive to reach them are always reduced in number. Many foolish opponents assume that archers fall shy of brutal melee. They are laughably incorrect in this assumption - you are no mewling male who quails at the sight of blood, and enemies have found to their cost that you are no stranger to the blade. Now, your seven years of service are complete, but you still hold fast to the archers' unofficial motto: 'work hard, play hard', and you intend to do both in copious quantities. Foreign lands offer excitement, adventure, and the possibility of men strong enough to be nearly your equal. You intend to live your life like an arrow in flight: fast and direct.
Physical Characteristics: 6'2"-6'6", 160-220lbs. Bronze skin, black mane in lacquered crest or long and braided, strong features, face decorated with crimson pigments.
Attributes:
INT 0
PER +1
WIL 0
CHA +1
STR +3
DEX +3
CON +1
SPD +2
CR +6
MR 0
HP 26
Special Abilities: None.
Skills:
Long Bow +5
Longsword +2
Dagger +2
Parry Bracers +3
Brawling +3
Tactics +6
Command +2
Guard +3
Low Talislan, native
Equipment: Black iron corselet, torc and parrying bracers, padded uniform, hip-high leather boots, shoulder pouch, long bow, two quivers with twenty arrows each, longsword, dagger, earrings.
Wealth: 100 gold lumens.
Danuvian Lancer
Homeland: The City-State of Danuvia
"To hear our jubilant cries of war as we charge like an unstoppable wall of death, scattering our foes like dust in the hands of the wind, and to witness how lancer and mount act as one inseparable whole, is to observe grace and beauty beyond compare."
Discipline and dedication are the keys to victory, for only the truly disciplined and dedicated can hope to achieve the almost supernatural rapport you have with your mount; a rapport built with arduous training and tempered in the heat of war. You wield your lance with the same natural grace, skill, and controlled passion that mark all lancers, both on the field of battle, and off it - only when you charge into the fray, or indulge in the throws of passion, do you let your blood run free. At all other times you maintain a professional cool and sense of decorum, taking care to maintain your combat readiness, unlike the uncouth archers who eagerly over-indulge in alcohol, and behave like crude louts. You feel most comfortable when with your faithful equs steed, painting her with unique sigils, and braiding her mane. Your sisterhood, a close-knit and companionable one, addresses each other in the elaborate High Talislan tongue, reflecting the poetry and superiority you feel in your hearts. Your service now complete, you feel it is time for you to ride into the greater world.
Physical Characteristics: 6'2"-6'6", 160-220lbs. Bronze skin, black mane in lacquered crest or long and braided, strong features, face decorated with crimson pigments.
Attributes:
INT 0
PER 0
WIL 0
CHA +1
STR +3
DEX +3
CON +1
SPD +2
CR +6
MR 0
HP 26
Skills:
Lance +4
Longsword +3
Shield +3
Parry Bracers +3
Mounted Combat +4
Brawling +2
Tactics +6
Command +3
Ride +6
Animal Handler +3
Low Talislan, native
High Talislan, fluent
Equipment: Black iron corselet, torc and parrying bracers, padded uniform, hip-high leather boots, shoulder pouch, lance, iron shield, longsword, earrings, equs steed.
Wealth: 100 gold lumens.
Danuvian Nurse
Homeland: The City-State of Danuvia
"Kindly return to your bed immediately Lieutenant Danumae! You are much too sick to be wandering around, and I suggest you remove your hands this instance, for I am under a vow of chastity!"
In a city-state ruled by warriors, conflicts are common, and victory often relies on the recovery of the wounded. Since you were a youngster in your mother's household, you knew you wanted to be more than a simple househusband like your father, and you realized that the sight of blood did not make you quail as it did most men. The urge to heal called strongly to you, balancing the warrior spirit of your sisters. When you were old enough you asked your mother for permission to join the city-state's nursing school, and recognizing the great service that the nurses performed for the warriors of the nation, she gladly granted you permission. You joined the brotherhood of nurses, gladly taking the vow of chastity and living quietly within the walls of the hospital itself, working hard to learn the medical skills that would earn you the right to wear the red robe of a qualified nurse. When at last you cast aside the white robes of the novitiate, and could walk the halls clad in scarlet, tending the sick, you knew your dream had been realized and that you were something better than those who live their lives in service to their wife. You serve the nation as do the women, and they respect you for it.
Physical Characteristics: 4'8"-5'6", 90-150lbs. Pale bronze skin, tightly bound black mane, delicate features.
Attributes:
INT +1
PER +1
WIL -1
CHA +2
STR -2
DEX +2
CON -1
SPD +1
CR -3
MR 0
HP 18
Special Abilities: None.
Skills:
Healer +6
Etiquette +4
Choice of Two Skills from Art, Artificer, Music, or Song at +2
High Talislan, native
Equipment: Red robes, sandals, belt pouch with clean bandages, needles, thread, scissors, small bottle of astringent, etc. Appropriate craft tools, art tools, or musical instrument for use during off-duty hours.
Wealth: stipend of 25 gold lumens.
Darkling 'Sham'an
Homeland: Urag
"Me no lie to you, for me respect you big much and want help you".
You were always more cunning and charismatic than your brethren, and rapidly developed the hard-won talents that Sham, 'King of Lies', saw fit to give you. Using cunning, guile, a glib tongue, and swift knife between unsuspecting shoulder blades, you gained the respect of your peers, who recognized you as one of Sham's chosen and a leader among your people. Life became far easier for you than your fellows as you easily tricked them into doing what you wanted, and ingratiated yourself with the Ur warlord, becoming one of his favored spies and intermediators. Even so, you gave him no indication of your status and power within the Shadow Cult, nor of the tangled conspiracies to free Sham's people from slavery. You subtly work to erode and undermine the dominance of the Ur, and whenever you proudly proclaim that "the Ur will rule forever", your smile is more sincere than anyone could realize...
Physical Characteristics: 4'-5', 90-130 lbs. Soot-gray skin or black skin, large pointed ears, sharp fangs, distorted features, sinuous tail, wiry build.
Attributes:
INT -1
PER +3
WIL -3
CHA -1
STR -2
DEX 0
CON +2
SPD 0
CR +2
MR +1
HP 12
Skills:
Invocation -
Two Modes of choice +1
Doctrines - Sham +2
Knife +4
Evade +4
Assassinate +2
Oratory +3
Two Thieving Skills +3
Stealth +7
Deception +8
Legerdemain +5
Torture +3
Northron, native dialect
Low Talislan, basic
Equipment: Rag loincloth, chest-band (females), rough cloak and hood, ornamentation of discarded metal and slag, knife, belt pouch.
Wealth: 15 gold lumens in coins and miscellaneous baubles.
Djaffir Wizard
Homeland: Djaffir
"The Nomad has left us a sign that portends good fortune. Today will be a good day for trade."
The Nomad of the Stars watches over your people during his wanderings across the skies, but He is not always there, so you, His humble and devoted servant, are proud to watch out for them in His stead, doing your utmost to preserve them in His absence. As a child, you were always drawn to the beauty of the sky above, and watched the bright white flame of The Nomad as he raced across the heavens. You knew, even then, that you would serve Him, as did the Wizard who took you as an apprentice. You spent many hours learning to craft the fetish masks of your people, training and practising until you had finally created your own under instruction. You learned the magics that enable you to protect the bodies of the dead, heal the sick, and read the many omens that The Nomad leaves with His passing, magics that do not burden The Nomad. Now you serve His people by tending them, and ensuring that the evil magic that conquers the soul cannot afflict them, as it has the Rajans. Now, you are a Wizard yourself, and create the fetish masks that shield your people from such evil sorcery, and when next The Nomad races across the skies, you will know you have done well.
Physical Characteristics: 5'-6', 80-160 lbs. Dark brown skin, hair, and eyes, wiry build.
Attributes:
INT +3
PER +1
WIL +1
CHA 0
STR 0
DEX +1
CON +1
SPD 0
CR 0
MR +3
HP 21
Skills:
Wizardry -
Enchantment +5
Heal +3
Reveal +3
Ward +5
Dagger +1
Doctrines - The Nomad +4
Healer +4
Artificer - Fetish Masks +5
Ride +4
Survival +3
Nomadic, native
High Talislan, fluent
Low Talislan, fluent
Equipment: Traditional leather fetish mask, cloak, robes, and headdress of light linen, boots of soft aht-ra hide, curved dagger, leather-bound spell book, belt and shoulder pouches, and aht-ra steed with baggage.
Wealth: 50 gold lumens in assorted coins.
Dracartan Dune Sailor
Homeland: Carantheum
"We must be as tough and enduring as the red-iron runners under this great vessel, slicing through the hardships that face us with determination in the sight of Jamba."
The sands of the Red Desert are treacherous, forever shifting beneath the scorching winds, and you must be vigilant for the dangers they bring. As a sailor of your proud nation's great duneships, you work to pilot them safely along their chosen routes, keeping constant watch and alertness for hazards such as sandstorms, the illusory tricks of sand demons, and the assaults of your hated foes, the Rajans. Complacency cannot be tolerated, for who knows what lies behind the next sand dune, and the desert is a harsh place, demanding that only those with the will to survive will do so. As one of mysterious Jamba's favored, you are acutely aware of the hardships your people face, but you are doing your bit to bring your people triumph over adversity, and Jamba willing, you will not fail, lest your blood stain the already crimson sands.
Physical Characteristics: 6'-7', 120-220 lbs. Jade-green skin, dark hair and eyes, chiseled features.
Attributes:
INT 0
PER +2
WIL 0
CHA 0
STR +1
DEX 0
CON +2
SPD 0
CR +3
MR +1
HP 22
Skills:
Pilot - Duneship +5
Artillerist +3
Longsword +2
Hurlant +2
Dagger +1
Survival +1
Low Talislan, native dialect
Nomadic, native
Equipment: White linen vest, headdress, and breeches, red-iron torc and bracers, red iron longsword with shoulder sheath, flask of water, hurlant with quiver of twelve light crossbow quarrels and six hurlant bolts, dagger; dunesailors in Dracarta may have access to a duneship.
Wealth: 50 gold lumens in Dracartan pyramids.
Dracartan Priest of Jamba
Homeland: Carantheum
"It is true that Jamba has not openly entered our lives since the Exodus, but who are we to question the unfathomable ways of a being beyond our ken? He led our people to the tools of our salvation, and for that we should place our faith in him."
Jamba was the savior of your people, leading your ancestors to the Ruby Tablets, and the secrets of Thaumaturgy contained therein; secrets that have enabled your people to prosper in the face of adversity. However, while your people continue to offer quiet and sincere thanks to the enigmatic deity, He has not made His presence felt since that time, a fact that continues to perplex many of you. In His honor, your temples must remain utterly silent, lest Jamba speaks again and goes unheard, so, as one of His devoted clergy, you have learned the silent language of Sign, enabling you to communicate without breaking the holy silence. Outside of the temples you serve Jamba's people as best as you can, performing ceremonies of birth, marriage, and death; inspiring, comforting, and healing those in need; reiterating that although no mere mortal can comprehend Jamba, faith requires no understanding. You continue to watch the skies for signs and portents that might indicate Jamba's coming, and you ponder what knowledge or presence of Jamba might exist elsewhere, for although you will never understand Him, you will always seek His presence.
Physical Characteristics: 6'-7', 120-220 lbs. Jade-green skin, dark hair and eyes, chiseled features.
Attributes:
INT +2
PER +2
WIL +3
CHA +1
STR 0
DEX 0
CON +1
SPD 0
CR -1
MR +1
HP 19
Skills:
Doctrines - Jamba +3
Oratory +4
Healer +4
Astrology +3
Administrator +2
Artificer +2
Low Talislan, native dialect
Nomadic, native
Sign, native
Equipment: Priest's red robe, cape, cap, and boots, red iron torc and bracers, astrolabe, red iron case (for sky charts), pouch.
Wealth: 75 gold lumens in Dracartan pyramids (salary and offerings).
Equs
Homeland: Hills and Plains (Graymane), Forests (Silvermane), Snowfields (Snowmane).
"Back off! You can damn well walk until you lose some weight!"
As a young foal, you took great delight in galloping around your wilderness home, thrilling in the speed and exertion. Always curious, you quickly exhausted the avenues of exploration that surrounded you, and quickly became bored and listless. Sure, there was always companionship in your herd, but the constant gossip was tedious. There had to be more to life than gossip, running and eating vegetation. At a herd gathering, wise old equs would often speak of the strange creatures that walked on two legs without falling over, and the many sights they saw when with them. In the end you decided to see for yourself, and left to wander into the strange realms of these two-legged beasts. You quickly found these fascinating beings, and often allied yourself with them for the sake of adventure, travel, and mutual support. You have carried several on your broad, strong back, but they strike you as terribly weak and easily tired. A small price for the experiences you've had. Still, you have always been careful to whom you speak, for many of the frail little two-leggers would be too eager to exploit your potential as a curiosity. The gossip in the various stables has proven fascinating, your two-legged companion pays for the food, and at least the stables are usually warm and sheltered. Such luxuries! You even understand something of the various two-legger cultures, because many of your stable brethren have traveled far and wide. Well, it's time to travel again, and see a few sights. Perhaps that individual over there would provide a good companion? Who knows, you may even deign to talk to him?
Physical Characteristics: 5'+ at the shoulder, 400-600 lbs. Maned, reptile-mammal hybrid, quadrupedal with scaly hide, long neck and tail. Hide is gray, silver or white depending on breed.
Attributes:
INT -3
PER +3
WIL +4
CHA -3
STR +3
DEX +3
CON +2*
SPD +7*
CR +3
MR 0
HP 35
* CON is +1 for silvermanes, SPD is +8 for silvermanes.
Special Abilities: Scaly Hide PR 2, Kick DR 13, Immune to Cold (snowmanes only).
Skills:
Brawling +3
Survival +5
Cultures +3
Equan, native
Low Talislan, fluent
Equipment: None
Wealth: None
Farad Merchant-Priest of Avar
Homeland: Faradun
"As it clearly illustrates in the Tome of Transactions: 'Sales without a receipt are non-returnable'."
The Tome of Transactions is the law you live by, containing the blessed Creed of Greed spoken by the golden god, Avar himself. You have learned via these teachings that all of life is a transaction and trade, every choice with its own unique profits and costs, and you know that financial success, the only success that matters, comes from recognizing the best opportunities, and taking calculated risks. To strive and succeed at all costs is certainly admirable, but only if that success can be measured in monetary terms. In Faradun, you perform blessings and rituals, for a suitable fee of course, and hire out your services as an advisor on financial matters, quoting from the Tome of Transactions and its many financial rules as necessary. You eagerly accept donations, and sell holy icons and coffins of fortune for a substantial profit, all the while assessing what you can do to accumulate more wealth. Now that you have paid your full tuition, you are taking to the roads of trade yourself, for as it notes in the Tome of Transactions: 'The road to enlightenment is paved with gold'.
Physical Characteristics: 5'8"-6'6", 100-200 lbs. Flint-gray skin, stony visage, coal-black and narrow eyes, beard in twin braids bound with gold fastenings (males).
Attributes:
INT +2
PER +1
WIL +2
CHA +1
STR -1
DEX 0
CON 0
SPD 0
CR 0
MR +2
HP 19
Skills:
Invocation - Two Modes of choice +2
Doctrines - Avar +4
Dagger +1
Merchant +8
Deception +5
Appraiser +5
Traps +3
Artificer - Gold +3
Administrator +4
Caravan Master +4
Pilot - Merchant Galley +4
Ride +5
High Talislan, native
Equipment: For males, elaborate headdress, voluminous robe, broad sashes, and velvet boots, predominantly gold in color, all hung with ornate tassels, fringes, and beads of colored glass; for females, long silken gowns and veils, predominantly gold in color, necklaces of gold loops, gold rings on each finger; pocket edition of the Tome of Transactions, curved dagger, coin purse, ledger book.
Wealth: 250 gold lumens in saleable holy items, and offerings.
Gnomekin Daughter of Terra
Homeland: Durne
"Am only showing Terra's limitless love. No need to thank."
Faith in Terra fills you with warmth, hope, and security, and you feel happy to be a child of the Mother. You feel the tender embrace of Her love all around you, and know that if only all beings opened their hearts to Her, evil would shrivel and die. She has given much to Her children, and expects nothing in return, but only the most selfish or ignorant child can turn his back on Her nurturing hand. Sadly, many are oblivious to Terra's affection, or worse, openly abuse her, poisoning Her with their wastes and depredations. While she still loves even these, her cruelest children, it is up to you as a dutiful child to try and teach these wayward ones of the pain they cause Her, and ultimately, the pain they cause themselves. They must learn that if part of her dies beneath them, and Her gifts have been savagely squandered, they will face a land devoid of Her: a land that offers no sustenance or beauty. Now you have left the warmth and security of her womb in the earth to travel on Her surface, spreading the word of Her ultimate compassion, and trying to heal the wounds with which She has been afflicted. The sunlit world is strange to you, but you know you can face any danger with Terra holding your hand, because she is always with you, as sure as the earth beneath your feet.
Physical Characteristics: 2'10"-3'6", 60-100 lbs. Nut-brown complexion, wide green eyes, childlike features, muscular physique, crest of soft black fur from center of forehead to small of back.
Attributes:
INT +1
PER 0
WIL +2
CHA +3
STR 0
DEX +4
CON +6
SPD 0
CR 0
MR +2
HP 26
Special Abilities: Night vision; natural climbing ability (+5); poor vision in sunlight (PER -3) without amber cusps.
Skills:
Elemental Magic (Crystalomancy) -
Four Modes of choice +3
Healer +5
Oratory +3
Doctrines - Terra +4
Agriculture - Crystal +3
Climbing +1
Geography +5
Song +3
Durnese, native
Low Talislan, fluent
Equipment: Hooded cloak, knee-length smock, emeralite pendant, belt of plaited vegetation, pouch with assorted crystals for spellcasting and for sale, amber cusps, flask of mushroom ale.
Wealth: 25 gold lumens in crystals.
Gnomekin Tunnel Runner
Homeland: Durne
"Will get message through, or die trying."
You were always among the most agile and adventurous of your playmates, exploring new tunnels with eager excite, and continually winning games of 'Hide-Hole'. The labyrinthine tunnels became as familiar to you as Terra's all-encompassing love, and you undertook your training with eagerness tempered with responsibility. As a tunnel runner, your role is vital to the security of your homeland, racing along the maze of tunnels, relaying messages of great importance between Sentinel Posts, and evading obstacles, sentient or otherwise, that could halt or slow you in your mission. Unfortunately, even your exceptional knowledge of the tunnel network, talent for remaining unseen, and astounding agility, do not always enable you to avoid trouble, and you are glad the crystalblade at your side is for more than mere decoration. Even so, you fight only long enough to safely bypass your foe, before running off again, leaving the bewildered opponent far behind. As your people rise in prominence, you have traveled to the surface world where you now act as a messenger of your people, running through a world both alien and exciting.
Physical Characteristics: 2'10"-3'6", 60-100 lbs. Nut-brown complexion, wide green eyes, childlike features, muscular physique, crest of soft black fur from center of forehead to small of back.
Attributes:
INT 0
PER +1
WIL 0
CHA +2
STR 0
DEX +5
CON +6
SPD +1
CR +3
MR 0
HP 27
Special Abilities: Night vision; natural climbing ability (+5); poor vision in sunlight (PER -3) without amber cusps.
Skills:
Crystalblade +3
Evade +5
Stealth +4
Guide +6
Scout +6
Climbing +5
Geography +6
Cartography +5
Weaponer +2
Durnese, native
Low Talislan, fluent
Equipment: Knee-length linen tunic, crystalblade, amber cusps, pouch, flask of mushroom ale.
Wealth: 50 gold lumens in crystals and gold pentacles.
Green Aeriad Creatavist
Homeland: Vardune
"Our lives are like the Tree of Life, its many branches reflecting the paths we take, and its many seeds, the things we make".
Ever since your fledgling days you rejoiced in the life and creativity that surrounded you, and would could liken everything to the Tree of Life with its many branches and seeds. You devoted yourself to study under a Creatavist, learning how the Tree of Life is the source of everything natural and harmonious, and that excessive damage to nature was detrimental to the Tree. You learned to respect the Creator, the rainbow-hued entity who roosts in the Tree, soaring forth through the universe on mighty wings, planting the seeds of Creation. Your life is one of devotion to nature, creation, and your people, and you lead them through the joyous skyways of life, voice lifted high to the Creator as he bears the seeds of creation, weaving subtle green magics that nurture the natural world.
Physical Characteristics: 4'10"-5'2", 70-90lbs. Green skin and plumage with a metallic sheen, slender stature, sharp bird-like features, crested coxcomb of feathers, vestigial wings, all feathers and plumage dyed in rainbow hues.
Attributes:
INT +2
PER 0
WIL +2
CHA +1
STR -3
DEX +2
CON -3
SPD 0
CR -1
MR +4
HP 17
Special Abilities: Gliding up to fifty yards, wind permitting.
Skills:
Natural Magic -
Four Modes of choice +3
Doctrines - Creator and the Three of Life +4
Oratory +3
Song +5
Agriculture +4
Herb Lore +4
Low Talislan, native
Equipment: Rainbow-hued cloak and robe of viridia linen, sandals, living staff (always bears fresh leaves and blossoms), necklace of seeds, belt pouch (containing herbs and natural dyes), stoppered gourd flask of vinesap.
Wealth: 25 gold lumens in gold pentacles and donations.
Kang Chirurgeon
Homeland: Kang Empire
"Stop screaming, weakling! I'm almost through the bone!"
The crimson blood of your people boils with a passion for conflict, and often that blood is spilled in the chaos of combat, leaving mighty warriors weak, unable to raise their weapons in Zoriah's name. When you were but a scrug you quickly learned that there is no place for weakness in the Crimson Horde. To your shame you were never quite as strong as your siblings, but at least you were not so weak as to be consigned to the Trackers. Instead, you were trained as a chirurgeon, learning to tend the wounded in a ruthless, practical manner, sending them back out to battle as swiftly as possible. Broken bones are set with iron straps screwed into flesh and bone, lacerations crudely cleansed with arrack and stitched up with strider gut, damaged limbs sawn off and amputated, replaced with crude iron prosthetics. If a patient dies, it was due to their weakness, not any incompetence on your part; there is no place for weakness in the Crimson Horde. Restoring injured warriors earns you khir, and sometimes you battle across the fields of conflict to retrieve or aid the fallen.
Physical Characteristics: 6'-6'8", 120-220 lbs. Fiery red, leathery skin, white pupil-less eyes, brutal features, long black hair pulled back into a queue, and kanjiko scars.
Attributes:
INT 0
PER 0
WIL 0
CHA -2
STR +3
DEX +2
CON +2
SPD 0
CR +5
MR 0
HP 28
Skills:
Kanquan +3
Dagger +4
Falchion +3
Mounted Combat +3
Healer +2
Tactics +4
Survival +3
Ride +4
Quan, native dialect
Equipment: Black iron and strider hide partial plate armor (PR 4), over quilted Mandalan silkcloth tunic, red cloak, iron queue rings, knee high boots, iron bracers, falchion sword, twin dragon-pommel daggers, strider hide medical pack (containing flask of arrack, roll of strider gut, iron needles, a dozen iron straps, box of iron screws, iron hammer, iron saw, and rough bandages), strider steed.
Wealth: 100 gold lumens.
Treatment by a Kang Chirurgeon
Chirurgeon treatment is brutal and crude to say the least, and scarring is extremely common. In fact, many Kang proudly bear such scars as indicators of courage. Their treatment techniques also heal fewer HP than other healing techniques.
Roll vs. Healer (d20 + Healer Skill)
Modifiers: -1 per negative HP of the patient
Mishap Patient dies*
Failure Patient suffers an additional d10 damage
Partial Success 20% of lost HP restored with permanent disfiguring scars
Full Success 40% of lost HP restored with slightly disfiguring scars
Critical Success 60% of lost HP restored with minor scarring
* Always regarded as a sign that the patient was weak
Kasmiran Weaponsmith
Homeland: Kasmir
"Yes, I can easily install a retractable blade in the front of your boot soles, for a generous fee of course."
Outsiders fail to understand your thrifty nature, and accuse you of being miserly. You see them regard you with derision, but you always note the glint of envy in their gaze, for they recognize the financial power you wield, and covet that power themselves. Your people have, of necessity, learned to defend themselves and their wealth, from burglars, thugs, and pickpockets. As a weaponsmith, an artificer-magician specializing in the construction of elaborate and sophisticated personal defense artifacts, you ensure some measure of safety for your people when they must venture forth from their windowless towers. You craft your cunning devices so that they resemble items more inoffensive in nature, for to carry obvious armament is to invite trouble. Blade-staffs, blade-bracers, and spring-knives are your mainstay, but you will readily construct any weapon for the right price. Even the trapmages enlist your aid when they need blades or pins for their constructs. Like the spring-knife, your people may appear to be defenseless, but that is but a useful illusion.
Physical Characteristics: 4'6"-5', 70-110 lbs. Mahogany brown skin, shriveled features, hunched posture.
Attributes:
INT +2
PER 0
WIL +1
CHA -1
STR -1
DEX +3
CON 0
SPD -1
CR +2
MR +2
HP 19
Skills:
Cryptomancy
- Enchantment +3
- Two Modes of choice +3
Spring-Knife +4
Blade-Staff +4
Blade-Bracer +4
Locks +4
Traps +4
Artificer - concealing items +6
Merchant +6
Litigator +3
Weaponer +6
Low Talislan, native
Nomadic, native
Equipment: Hooded cloak, loose robe, curl-toed boots, slippers, concealed coin purses, heavy brass key-ring affixed to belt via chain, spring-knife with pouch of six blades, blade-staff, pair of blade-bracers with pouch of six blades, weaponer tools, assorted trap tools, assorted locksmith's tools, locking iron-bound spell book and ledger.
Wealth: 1,000 gold lumens (hidden in vaults).
Mirin Huntsman
Homeland: L'Haan
"For all its dangers, the tundra is a place of breathtaking beauty, though I thank Borean that I am immune to the frigid air."
The frozen tundra is a harsh climate; the shifting drifts of snow are treacherous in and of themselves, capable of swallowing an incautious traveler, and the blizzards that travel in Borean's breath can obscure even the keenest vision. Ice can crack without warning, plunging the unfortunate into isolated ice caves or deep waters from which escape may be impossible, and fierce predators such as frostweres, tundra beasts, ice dragons, and the cursed ice giants, all claim the tundra as their hunting grounds. You are also a predator of the frozen expanse, tracking wooly ogriphant for their meat, hide, and ivory, or diving for ice-water fish and the blue pearls of the northern quaga. Borean's realm is unforgiving, but it is also a place of great beauty, for you will always marvel at the sunlight glinting off surreal formations of ice and sweeping seas of snow, and feel at peace when watching the herds of snowmane or ogriphant running across the glittering fields. The silence of the tundra is restive, and you always have companionship, for you know that Borean's presence fills the very air.
Physical Characteristics: 5'8"-6'6", 110-210 lbs. Bright blue skin, hair as fine and white as gossamer, statuesque figure.
Attributes:
INT +1
PER +2
WIL 0
CHA 0
STR +1
DEX +2
CON +2
SPD 0
CR +3
MR +1
HP 24
Special Abilities: Immunity to cold (after several weeks in temperate regions, Mirin lose this immunity and their skin fades to crystal white; both effects are reversible); Melding.
Skills:
Light Crossbow +4
Spear +3
Dagger +2
Tracking +4
Stealth +3
Survival +3
Climbing +3
Guide +3
Ride +3
Pilot - Sled +3
Swim +3
Elder Tongue, native
High Talislan, basic
Equipment: Fur-trimmed soft leather garments and boots, cape of frostwere hide, snow shoes, light crossbow with quiver of 20 adamant bolts, ivory spear with adamant head, adamant dagger, shoulder and belt pouches, snowmane steed and sled.
Wealth: 100 gold lumens in L'Haan adamants, hides, and blue quaga pearls.
Mirin Ice Sailor
Homeland: L'Haan
"Borean's breath is the force that fills our sails, and with His presence at our backs the frozen waters will be naught but a glittering blur."
The great frozen expanses of ice that blanket the great lakes glitter like diamonds in the sunlight, and reflect light like breath-taking mirrors of monumental size. In graceful ice schooners you skim the surface of these great mirrors, watching the beauty of the tundra as you speed past it. As one of Mirin's ice sailors, you perform a task of vital import, maintaining connections between each of L'Haan's great cities, ferrying goods, people, and military forces between them as needed. Slicing across the ice on blades of blue adamant, you pilot the schooners, and man their catapults and ballistae, vigilant for ice giant assaults, ice dragon attacks, and partially submerged ice boulders. In those times when the ice giants attack a settlement in force, you harry them from the lakes, depositing tundra scouts swiftly. Yes, your task is one of utmost necessity, and occasional peril, but you love it deeply, and feel at home with the frigid air whipping your hair, and ice speeding past beneath you.
Physical Characteristics: 5'8"-6'6", 110-210 lbs. Bright blue skin, hair as fine and white as gossamer, statuesque figure.
Attributes:
INT +1
PER +1
WIL 0
CHA 0
STR 0
DEX +1
CON +2
SPD 0
CR +3
MR +1
HP 22
Special Abilities: Immunity to cold (after several weeks in temperate regions, Mirin lose this immunity and their skin fades to crystal white; both effects are reversible); Melding.
Skills:
Pilot - Ice Schooner +5
Artillerist +3
Broadsword +3
Light Crossbow +3
Swim +3
Elder Tongue, native
High Talislan, basic
Equipment: Leather and fine silk garments, cape of frostwere hide, adamant Mirin broadsword, light crossbow with quiver of 20 bolts with incendiary coating, belt pouch; if based in L'Haan, may have access to an ice schooner.
Wealth: 100 gold lumens in L'Haan adamants.
Moorg-Wan Shaman
Homeland: The Dark Coast
"It is Moorg's will that he should die, and die slowly! To doubt the word of Moorg is to suffer his displeasure yourself!"
You were always smarter than your newt siblings, and rapidly excelled their dredging abilities in the mud mines, locating sapphires with greater ease and facility. Food was your reward, and you would have been a great warrior, had not an aged shaman taken you as his successor, stating it was Moorg's desire. Under the shaman's tuition you were told the greatest of truths: that any whim or desire you bear is Moorg's desire also, and that Moorg has decreed that non-shamans should never learn of this. He taught you how to achieve 'Moorg's' ambitions using the word of Moorg, and that plentiful rituals of mating and fertility served to keep Moorg's children content, and threats of Moorg's displeasure served to make them work harder; all in accordance with 'Moorg's' will. Rivals and questioners are to be disposed of, for they are opposed to 'Moorg's' will, and invoking 'Moorg's' hatred of them seals their fate. You create the taboos of Moorg as he inspires them in your brain, and you judge any accused using 'Moorg's' personal viewpoint. You absorbed his lessons with eager realization, and also learned that the shamans and chieftain must cooperate and support each other in order to survive and increase 'Moorg's' gains.
Physical Characteristics: 6'-6'4", 300-460+ lbs. Large folds of brown skin, four legs, heavy tail, toad-like features, webbed and clawed hands and feet.
Attributes:
INT -1
PER 0
WIL 0
CHA -1
STR +3
DEX -3
CON +1
SPD -2*
CR +2
MR 0
HP 26
Special Abilities: Amphibious; SPD +2 in mud or water; can strike with claws and tail for eight points damage each; can use tail simultaneously versus opponents attacking from behind; skin provides one point of armor; +5 to resist being tripped, knocked off balance, forced back, etc.
Skills:
Dagger +2
Brawling +1
Oratory +2
Coerce +3
Dredging +3
Moorg-Wan, native
Sign, fluent dialect
Equipment: Thorn dagger, sack with cord.
Wealth: 100 gold lumens in sapphires, amber, and other precious stones.
Nagra Shaman
Homeland: The Jungles of Chana
"You may not see the spirits, blind one, but they are all around us, and they hunger."
The spirits fill your every moment; streaming around you like a veil, full of ancient hunger for the living, and kept at bay only by the spirit jars you have crafted. To be a nagra is to know the horror and curse of awareness, and to battle against the constant fear you feel in every waking moment. As a shaman, you have learned to speak with the spirits that plague you, drawing wisdom from them, and strength from the totem that chose you. Out of duty to your people, you help them craft the spirit jars that all wear from birth, and council the young on how best to manage the constant maelstrom of spirits and gnawing terror. Dealing with the restless spirits always leaves you feeling numb and hollow, and though you may act dutifully as an intermediary between your people and the spirits, it is not a task you relish or enjoy, for many of the spirits can be cold, wicked, and deceitful. You know the spirits, and can use them, but it is a dangerous game, and you fear that you might one day fail.
Physical Characteristics: 5'2"-6', 80-160 lbs. Mottled gray-green skin, black fangs, peaked skull, tiny ebony eyes.
Attributes:
INT +1
PER +4
WIL 0
CHA -2
STR +1
DEX +2
CON +5
SPD +1
CR +2
MR +4
HP 24
Special Abilities: Can run up to thirty miles per day with ease; Spirit Tracking.
Skills:
Shamanism -
Enchantment +4
Reveal +4
Ward +4
Two Modes of choice +2
Blowgun +1
Dagger +1
Spirit Tracking +4
Stealth +2
Herb Lore +4
Healer +3
Climbing +3
Sign, native
Chanan, native dialect
Equipment: Loincloth (males), tunic (females), cape (all of the furry hides of winged apes), ankle and wrist bands of woven vines, exomorph or tarkus-fang earrings, spirit jar, blowgun with pouch of twenty venomwood darts, bone dagger, pouch, carved bone or ivory nagus, several totemic fetishes.
Wealth: 20 gold lumens in precious stones.
Na-Ku Witchdoctor
Homeland: The Crescent Isles
"The king is hungry! Go forth and find plentiful food, or become his next meal yourselves!"
You were not like the others. They trembled and cowed before the almighty Narug, prostrating and soiling themselves under his terrible, ever-hungry gaze, but you did not tremble, though you deeply feared him. You merely regarded him with awe as he tore and devoured the carcasses you had given as tribute. Only when his eyes fixed on you, and his rumbling voice ordered the other quivering wretches to leave, did your blood run truly cold, and icy fear grip your heart. He regarded you with his vast emotionless orbs of yellow, and demanded that you approach him. Slowly, almost painfully, you forced yourself forward, and his cruel maw broke into the most evil of smiles. He laughed; a foul laugh of contempt and mirth intermingled, and decreed that you would serve him as a witchdoctor, for your courage made you superior to your brothers. Almost collapsing with relief, you were taken from his presence, and instructed by the other witchdoctors. Now, you serve to enforce his decrees, and you are feared by your brother Na-Ku. Even so, you fear Narug, and know that should you displease him, your death will be inevitable.
Physical Characteristics: 5'-5'6", 90-130 lbs. Oily, indigo-blue skin, yellow eyes, skull-like visage, serpentine tail, hunched torso.
Attributes:
INT -1
PER 0
WIL 0
CHA -3
STR 0
DEX +2
CON +2
SPD 0
CR +1
MR -1
HP 16
Special Abilities: Prehensile tail.
Skills:
Dagger +2
Coerce +3
Oratory +2
Staff +2
Pilot - Canoe +1
Survival +4
Chanan, native dialect
Equipment: Loincloth of animal hide, necklace of humanoid teeth and bones, bone dagger, crude staff with a skull lashed to the top.
Wealth: None; Na-Ku value only food to feed their king.
Oceanian Priest
Homeland: Oceanus
"The earth is a petty domain, far inferior to the waters upon which we dwell. Can you swim with joy through waves of dirt? Can the land gently rock you to sleep when you retire to bed?"
The spirits of sky and sea are deserving of reverence, for they bore forth the means and tools with which you conquered Jezem's curse; a curse with which the spirits of earth must have colluded, for to bar an entire people from the land itself is not easily accomplished. This alone is reason enough to bear the earth spirits no jealousy. The elemental spirits of the wind and water send cryptic portents of the future in the symbolic form appropriate to their nature, and every unusual occurrence, find, or movement of fish shoals and cloud is yet another message you must decipher. Your arcane talents are in-tune with the elementals of the ocean upon which you reside, and these talents allow you to predict and affect the sometimes tumultuous waves, soothing the pain of the waters punctured by land. Every time you feel the soft lull of the waves, and gentle caress of the wind, you know that the ocean is your home.
Physical Characteristics: 5'-6', 100-200 lbs. Olive-green skin, dark or sea-green hair, slender build.
Attributes:
INT +1
PER +1
WIL +2
CHA 0
STR 0
DEX +2
CON +2
SPD 0
CR +1
MR +3
HP 21
Skills:
Elemental Magic - Aquamancy
Alter +3
Reveal +3
One Mode of choice +3
Healer +4
Swim +7
Survival +4
Oratory +2
Agriculture +7
Choice of Trade Skill +3
Sea Nomad, native
Low Talislan, basic
Equipment: Vest of iridescent scales, loincloth of rainbow kra hide, necklace of colorful shells, coral scepter, bone dagger, sea urchin cap, kelp pouch.
Wealth: 50 gold lumens in Radiants (Oceanian currency, made of sea dragon scales).
Phantasian Astromancer
Homeland: Phantas
"If you will permit me to perform this trifling adjustment to the space-inertial nodule of the levitational, I am certain you will find your vessel far steadier in flight, captain."
You spend your days watching the endless skies, striving to determine if the air-sailing conditions are favorable, and continuing with what seems like an endless routine of repair on the aged windships of your people; vessels that should have been retired and replaced far too long ago. When you can, you scrounge together enough parts to create a new levitational, but such incidences are becomingly increasingly rare as the fortunes of your once great people crumble. Now, what little profits the dream merchants make are channeled directly into keeping the once majestic city of Cabal Magicus aloft, a task you perform out of pride and duty, but that you feel will one day fail. Though the thought pains you, you realize that your fortune, and the fortunes of your people, might now rest solely in foreign lands, for you know that your talents would be greatly acknowledged and rewarded in the nation of Cymril. Should you leave your beloved home, you fully intend to use the lumens you accrue to support Cabal Magicus, as many members of the Guardians Guild have done. You find it bitterly ironic that a people who sells dreams can do little but watch their own gradually die.
Physical Characteristics: 6'8"-7'2", 120-180 lbs. Pale skin, amber-colored hair, narrow build, delicate features.
Attributes:
INT +3
PER +4
WIL -1
CHA 0
STR -1
DEX 0
CON -1
SPD 0
CR -1
MR +5
HP 19
Special Abilities: Detect magic by sight at range of five feet; requires full concentration, roll at PER versus level of magic.
Skills:
Elemental Magic - Aeromancy
Five Modes of choice +4
Thaumaturgy - Dream Essence, Distillation +4
Astromancy +5
Artisan - Levitationals +5
Pilot - Windship +2
Etiquette +5
High Talislan, native dialect
Equipment: Long robe, conical cap, necklace of colored crystals, leather-bound spell book, iron scroll tube for sky charts; if based in Phantas, may have access to a windship.
Wealth: 50 gold lumens in assorted currencies.
Sarista Guard
based on an original idea by Mike MacDonald
Homeland: Silvanus
"Be warned, that should you wish my brethren ill, even the luck of Fortuna will not save you from my blade."
The Sarista may trust to the caprice of Fortuna, but they are no fools, for luck can be both good and ill. As a guard, you serve your people by defending them against possibly dangers, maintaining vigil against intrusions from the depths of Werewood, the scum of the cities, and keeping an active interest in the activities of any visitors to your camp. It can be a harsh life, and your awareness of the dangers beyond the caravan makes you seem dour and isolated to your more frivolous, carefree brethren, who avoid trying to think about the realities of life. When they gather with joy at the campfires, you must often patrol the camp's perimeter. Despite this, you are proud of your position as a protector of Fortuna's people, and your knowledge of life's perils makes you all the more appreciative of the times when Fortuna smiles.
Notes: The guards compose of no more than 1 in 20 of the Sarista, and although considered somewhat apart from the other Sarista, are quite amiable by the standards of other folk. Due to their slightly isolated position, many come from the ranks of the Fortuned; those children of other cultures rescued by the caravan, but who are forbidden to breed in Sarista culture. In the case of a Fortuned Guard, simply change their Physical Characteristics to those of their native culture.
Physical Characteristics: 5'-6', 90-200 lbs. Olive skin, green eyes, black hair, slender build, neatly trimmed mustaches and beards (males), possible facial tattoos.
Attributes:
INT 0
PER +1
WIL 0
CHA 0
STR +1
DEX +4
CON +1
SPD 0
CR +4
MR 0
HP 22
Skills:
Guard +5
Dueling Sword +4
Brawling +3
Weapon of choice +3
Mounted Combat +3
Evade +4
Guide - Silvanus +7
Streetwise +5
Ride +2
Three Thieving Skills of choice +5
One Performing Skill of choice +3
Low Talislan, native
Sarisa, native
Equipment: Animal hide cloak, sash, headband, colorful garments, boots of soft hide, pouch with thieves' tools (if applicable), dueling sword, graymane mount, choice of one other weapon, leather armor, performing equipment (if applicable).
Wealth: 40 gold lumens in assorted currencies.
Sarista Hunter
based on an original idea by Mike MacDonald
Homeland: Silvanus
"...and as Fortuna is my witness, the exomorph had not one head but two! So, carefully drawing two arrows..."
The nomadic lifestyle of your people makes it impossible to partake in the dedicated farming of other peoples, so it falls to you and your colleagues to ensure that provisions can always be found, hunting under the great boughs of Silvanus' verdant forests. There you seek avir, wild durge, and edible herbs and fungi, enjoying the adventure, but always cautious in the face of possible predators. If Fortuna is willing, the hunt will prove a bountiful one, free of peril, though you are certainly not one to balk at a challenge. You enjoy the companionship of your fellow hunters, for although you are not as flamboyant and lighthearted as your fellow gypsies, you enjoy the thrill and adventure of a hunt, and often join in song, tale-telling, and witty banter both before and after the hunt itself.
Physical Characteristics: 5'-6', 80-180 lbs. Olive skin, green eyes, black hair, slender build, neatly trimmed mustaches and beards (males), possible facial tattoos.
Attributes:
INT 0
PER +2
WIL 0
CHA +1
STR 0
DEX +4
CON +1
SPD 0
CR +3
MR 0
HP 21
Skills:
Shortbow +4
Dagger +3
Longsword +2
Guide - Silvanus +8
Tracking +4
Herb Lore +3
Scout +3
Stealth +3
Survival +3
Traps +2
Streetwise +3
Ride +3
Two Thieving Skills of choice +5
One Performing Skill of choice +4
Low Talislan, native
Sarisa, native
Equipment: Bright forest colored tunic and breeches, dark cloth or hide cloak, cloth headband, high boots of soft hide, shortbow and quiver of twenty arrows, longsword, dagger, graymane or silvermane steed, thieves' tools (if applicable), performing equipment (if applicable).
Wealth: 40 gold lumens in furs and assorted currencies.
Satada- NPC Only
Homeland: Underground Highway
"Hssssss!"
The Lands Above were your home, and you ruled them unchallenged until the furred beasts on two legs came. They fought you with strange powers, casting you deep into the bowels of the earth, and they took your home. For aeons you, the first ones, have struggled to survive in the dark depths, and have rekindled your strength over the flames of your hatred for the surface dwellers. They have forgotten your people in their arrogance, and rest their fragile bodies blissfully unawares. Now, your people know the many ways that lie beneath the feet of the hated ones, and soon the day will come when you will take the land back, and feast on the flesh of the ones above.
Physical Characteristics: 7'-7'6", 300+ lbs. Reptilian features, brown scaly hide, powerful build, heavy tail, claws and fangs, forked tongue, yellow eyes.
Attributes:
INT +1
PER +2
WIL +3
CHA -6
STR +4
DEX +2
CON +5
SPD +2
CR +5
MR -1
HP 28
Special Abilities: Bite or Claws (DR 2), Tail (DR 4, may be used to simultaneously defend from rear assault), cold does double damage, Scaly Hide (PR 2).
Skills:
Capture Bow +3
Brawling +3
Dagger +1
Climbing +2
Swim +3
Stealth +3
Scout +3
Guide - Underground Highway +5
Sauran, native dialect
Equipment: Capture bow, dagger, coil of rope.
Wealth: None.
Sauran Dragon Priestess
Homeland: The Volcanic Hills
"The Dragon has strength, cunning, and a rage that can melt stone. Do you wish to feel Her fangs at your throat, and claws in your belly?"
Satha is powerful, brimming with ancient wisdom, and she watches over the scaled ones such as you, Her children, who were birthed from the womb of fire and forged in the heat of adversity. She gave to Her children the power to form the red metal into weapons of war, and She gave Her chosen daughters the arcane power of Her molten heart, allowing you to instill Her powers of fiery wrath, strength, and dominance over Her children, into the symbols of Her majesty. These icons you gift to those of your males who go forth to battle the cursed Araq and Kang in Satha's name, honing their skills in the heat of battle. You raise the young on Satha's creed of courage, strength, and aggression tempered by the mind, and it is these virtues which you seek in your mate; virtues they must demonstrate during their many conflicts. Outsiders are often surprised when they approach your clan to trade, for few recognize the superiority of the female in their culture; a superiority which Satha's chosen recognize instinctively. As one of Satha's priestesses, you are among the leaders of your clan; the males are merely the dragon's fangs and claws, but you are its mind.
Physical Characteristics: 6'6"-7', 300-400 lbs. Scaly rust-brown hide, reptilian features, clawed hands and feet, powerful jaws lined with rows of sharp teeth, heavy tail.
Attributes:
INT 0
PER +1
WIL +2
CHA -1
STR +3
DEX -2
CON +4
SPD -2
CR +2
MR 0
HP 30
Special Abilities: Hide provides one point of armor; immunity to poison; can use tail as weapon (DR6 + STR); rendered sluggish by cold (-2 to Action Table rolls); unaffected by heat (half damage from fire); ten percent chance of having chameleon-like ability to change coloring at will (roll during character creation).
Skills:
Invocation -
Alter or Influence +4
Enchantment +4
Dagger +1
Brawling +1
Doctrines - Dragon Cult +4
Artificer - Dragon Icons +6
Healer +3
Survival +3
Sauran, native
Equipment: Ritual vestments made from strips of dragon hide, bone, and red iron, all stamped with the Dragon Cult icon, red iron bracers, red iron dragon icon (affixed to red iron staff), ceremonial red iron dagger, pouch.
Wealth: 50 gold lumens in uncut firegems.
Skank
Homeland: Most wilderness areas
"Many tales I can tell, for I have spoken to wanderers of all lands, including the azure giants of the floating sky-castles. You have not heard of them? Then let me tell you my tale, one of bravery and great peril... "
Ever since you were a hatchling, your head was filled with many great tales by your parents, and you marveled at the great, seemingly impossible adventures of which they spoke. Life as a skank could be terribly dull, digging for shelter, grubs, or roots, and gossiping with others of your kind, so you often took to watching the ways upon which the tall beings traveled, and would approach them to hear of strange lands, and trade stories and gossip. It saddens you that you cannot perform the same tasks, and it is a constant irritant that some of the unenlightened beings often regard you as little more than a pest, or even worse, a pet or mindless creature of some variety. The indignity of it! Of late, the tall tales you tell have begun to ring hollow to your antennae, and you have wondered if you might convince some travelers to take you with them, and experience the wonders of which you have only heard, first hand.
Physical Characteristics: 1'-2' diameter, 2'-3'6" length, 2-4 lbs. Lizard-like green-brown skin, snout-like head, antenna, small black eyes, long neck, four short thin limbs with prehensile paws, hard bulbous, thick marbled gray-brown shell covering body, tail.
Attributes:
INT +1
PER +5
WIL -1
CHA 0
STR -6
DEX -6
CON 0
SPD -6
CR -3
MR 0
HP 6
Special Abilities: Thick shell (PR 6, may retract into it fully), adhere to almost any surface (cannot fail a climbing attempt except in truly unusual cases), burrow into soil (rate of 1" per second).
Skills:
Cultures +2
Deception +2
Oratory +3
Guide +5
Low Talislan, native
Two Languages of choice, basic
Equipment: None.
Wealth: None.
Sun-Ra-San Priest
Homeland: The Crescent Isles
"Like Aqus, we can be as reflective and gentle as the calmest sea, but like Him, we also harbor the rage and power of the tempest-tossed waves; a rage that will one day crash down upon the Kang."
Ever since that victorious day when Sur-San the Fire-Giver led your tribes from the bondage of the Quan, your people have known freedom, but freedom tainted with sorrow and loss for those of your cousins still enslaved, and the Mother Sea you can never visit. It pains you to think that the spirits of your dead are reborn into the captive waters when they return as moonfish, but that inspires you to revel in your freedom while you can, and work all the harder towards the eventual liberation of your ancestral home. With wisdom from the depths of Aqus' domain, you perform the ancient divinatory rites that permit your people to pursue the sea dragon, and you perform the necessary rite of paean when the quarry is slain. Like the undulating waves, your life is one of ups and downs, joy and sorrow, from the celebration of a merging of souls ritual, to the mournful songs you sing; the freedom of this life, and captivity of the next. Things will be ever so until the Kang are vanquished.
Physical Characteristics: 6'-6'4", 150-220 lbs. Skin covered with fine silvery scales, deep blue eyes.
Attributes:
INT +3
PER +3
WIL +1
CHA +1
STR +1
DEX 0
CON 0
SPD 0*
CR 0
MR +5
HP 21
Special Abilities: Semi-aquatic; can breath underwater for up to twenty-four hours; can survive out of water for indefinite periods without discomfort; SPD +4 underwater.
Skills:
Elemental Magic - Aquamancy
Six Modes of choice +4
Doctrines - Aqus +4
Healer +4
Astromancy +4
Cartography +4
Pilot - Dragon Barque +5
Song +3
Swim +9
Survival +6
Artificer +1
Artisan +2
Sun-Ra-San (ancestral tongue), native
Sign, fluent
Equipment: Robes, headdress, and boots of rainbow kra hide, astrolabe, kra scrimshaw case for sea charts and scrolls, quill pens, crystal vial of sepia ink, rainbow kra pouch.
Wealth: 40 gold lumens in pearls, scavenged treasure, and mixed coins.
Tanasian Terrorist
Homeland: Cymril
"Moderation is weak! Only the Right is right!"
Those Koresians believe they are safe and secure; that the Tanasians like yourself no longer pose a threat to their sickeningly open ways and ignorance of the great traditions. They are misguided, for you and your colleagues fight to bring back the conservatism and rightfully stern laws the arrogant Moderates so readily abandoned. Initiated at a young age into your secret society, you were trained to wage a subtle war of terror against the so-called Moderates who had exiled the Tanasians following the failed coup. All of your life you have been raised to know that the Tanasians are the rightful rulers, and arch-conservatism is the only true path. From the sabotage of facilities vital to Cymril, to the intimidation and assassination of Moderation's greatest exponents, you strike a blow at the liberals where you can, often meeting secretly, planning and plotting for months before each mission. Yes, let the Koresians wallow unawares in their deviancy, but you intend to show them the error of their ways, all the while living as openly among them as any other citizen.
Physical Characteristics: 6'-6'4", 120-160 lbs. Pale green skin and hair, golden eyes, slender build, handsome features; may alter appearance with magical pigments.
Attributes:
INT +1
PER +1
WIL +1
CHA 0
STR 0
DEX +1
CON 0
SPD 0
CR +2
MR +2
HP 20
Skills:
Magic Order of choice
Three Modes of choice +2
Assassinate +2
Weapon of choice +2
Sabotage +5
Arcane Lore +2
Choice of Two Thieving Skills +3
Choice of One Trade Skill +3
Etiquette +4
Fashion +3
Ride +3
High Talislan, fluent
Low Talislan, native
Archaen, fluent
Equipment: High collared cloak and garments of various colors, dyed leather boots, leather-bound spellbook, choice of weapon, pouch, two magical trinkets, thieves' tools if appropriate, concealed society symbol or secret tattoo.
Wealth: 30 gold lumens in gold pentacles.
Tanasian Magician
Homeland: Various
"How dare you presume to be my equal, mongrel filth! My magical powers and intellect far exceed your own!"
For centuries, your kin, the Tanasians, were the rightful rulers of Cymril, bringing the ungrateful populace to prominence on the continent. Many strict laws were created, bringing much needed order to the city, and firmly ensuring that each individual knew where they stood in life, according to social status and magical prowess. Magic was well regulated, and a national unity encouraged by the blanket use of greens and yellows, for all dress and construction work. The peasants knew who their betters were, and flourished because of this. All was right. Then, the upstarts decided they wanted more than they were entitled to, and when your parents ignored their incessant whining, they rebelled and elected that liberal fool Azradamus as the new Wizard King. When your kin attempted to regain power by coup, they were scandalized and made into exiles - hunted like common vermin, fleeing for safety across the continent. You were but a child during those tumultuous times, but your parents have raised you to acknowledge your natural superiority, and noble lineage, despite living in foreign lands. Like them, and many other Tanasians, you plan for the day when once again Cymril's only true nobility will restore themselves to their rightful place of privilege and authority.
Physical Characteristics: 6'-6'5", 120-160 lbs. Pale green skin and hair, golden eyes, slender build, handsome features.
Attributes:
INT +3
PER +1
WIL +1
CHA 0
STR -1
DEX 0
CON -1
SPD 0
CR -1
MR +5
HP 19
Skills:
Magic Order of choice
Six Modes of choice +3
Arcane Lore +4
Etiquette +5
Ride +3
Cultures +2
High Talislan, native
Low Talislan, basic
Archaen, fluent
Local Native Language (if applicable), fluent
Equipment: High-collared cloak and robes of green fustian, dyed green leather boots, leather-bound spellbook, pouch, lacquered green black iron gauntlets.
Wealth: 200 gold lumens in local currency.
Thrall Hunter
Homeland: Taz
"An arrow can be as deadly as the sharpest blade."
The hunt is a test of skill and determination; an admirable test for a born warrior such as yourself. Taz is a harsh land of jungle and swamp, infested with vicious and merciless beasts, requiring that you remain ever alert for danger, honing your reflexes and combat readiness. You brave the greatest of dangers to bring food to your people, often emerging from the steaming jungle, bloodied but victorious, your latest conquest in tow. Tactical cunning and caution - natural parts of your psyche - enable you to outflank your prey, and bring them down with a swift, precise and effective assault. In times of war and battle you trade in the guerilla warfare of the hunt, becoming an effective advance scout for your regiment, gathering intelligence on enemy movements and numbers, serving with distinction in a cohort of archers, or engaging in bloody melee with your greatsword raised high. Others think that Thralls lack subtlety that they charge into combat thoughtlessly, but you stand as testament to your races appreciation of all aspects of conflict, direct or otherwise, and your reconnaissance skills have helped secure many victories. Warfare has many complex facets, and victory comes from understanding all of them, as the Thralls do.
Physical Characteristics: 6'8", 300 lbs. (males); 6'4", 200 lbs. (females); Hairless, devoid of pigmentation, muscular build; all members of each gender are identical in appearance, body covered with elaborate tattoos.
Attributes:
INT -3*
PER 0
WIL +2
CHA 0
STR +4
DEX +2
CON +4
SPD +1
CR +6
MR -5
HP 30
Special Abilities: Immune to fear (magical and natural); INT +3 for tactical and combat matters and situations; unable to comprehend magic.
Skills:
Tazian Combat +4
Greatsword +4
Shortbow +4
Dagger +2
Tactics +4
Scout +4
Stealth +3
Survival +3
Tracking +4
Weaponer +2
Low Talislan, native
Understand Tattoos, native
Equipment: Loincloth, vest (females), sandals, garde (parrying armor/weapon), greatsword with shoulder sheath, shortbow with quiver of 20 arrows, dagger, flask of Tazian fire-ale.
Wealth: 50 gold lumens in gold pentacles and assorted currencies.
Thrall Rite Master- NPC Archetype
Homeland: Taz
"Listen, and hear of this Thrall's great valor, for his deed is to be recorded upon the skin of this tribe."
You have lived a full life, and taken part in many conflicts during which you distinguished yourself, but now you are old. Your many scars and wounds ache, and much of the vigor of your youth has since departed, but even so, you serve a purpose, and still carry yourself with pride. Few Thralls manage to live to old age and retirement as you have done, and your people cherish your hard-won wisdom and experience. As your tribe's appointed rite master, you hold great responsibility and authority, helping to train the young thralls who have yet to reach maturity, telling the tales of the tribe's greatest ancestors that are proudly displayed in every tribal member's tattoos. Overseeing the official recognition of rites and accomplishments is part of your station, ensuring that the correct tattoos are always applied, and that the entire tribe's tattoos reflect the exploits of their greatest members, and at times you help advise the war leader of the tribe. Yes, you are old, but you are proud, for you serve a purpose, and although time may have dulled your reflexes, your trusty greatsword is still keen.
Physical Characteristics: 6'8", 300 lbs. (males); 6'4", 200 lbs. (females); Hairless, devoid of pigmentation, muscular build, all members of each gender are identical in appearance, body covered with elaborate tattoos, many scars.
Attributes:
INT -3*
PER 0
WIL +2
CHA 0
STR +4
DEX +2
CON +4
SPD +1
CR +6
MR -5
HP 30
Special Abilities: Immune to fear (magical and natural); INT +3 for tactical and combat matters and situations; unable to comprehend magic.
Skills:
Tazian Combat +14
Greatsword +14
Four Weapons of choice +7
Mounted Combat +10
Tactics +14
Command +12
Guard +9
Weaponer +7
Ride +10
Oratory +3
History - Tribal +5
Art - Tattoo +5
Low Talislan, native
Understand Tattoos, native
Equipment: Loincloth, vest (females), sandals, garde (parrying armor/weapon), greatsword with shoulder sheath, choice of two additional weapons, leather pouch (containing needles and crystal pots of colorful inks), flask of Tazian fire-ale.
Wealth: 50 gold lumens in gold pentacles and assorted currencies.
Thrall War Medic
Homeland: Taz
"Shut up, be still, and let me do my work, or you won't be fit to fight again."
As a Thrall you are no stranger to conflict, and do not fear the inevitable injury that waits on the field of battle. However, it is practical that the wounded be tended: made fit to fight again, and prevented from capture: a fate synonymous with slavery, and anathema to your race. You move swiftly amid clashing opponents, seeking wounded allies to tend or retrieve, taking care to avoid conflict or personal injury that would inhibit you or your progress: it is not only your life on the line. Working quickly, you patch up those you can, often defending them from aggressors, and administer a quick death if there is no hope of recovery. You have saved many lives, enabling comrades to fight again as they were bred to do, bringing them, and you, further honor and glory. You have also played your part in the victories of your people and understand that war is not just about death, but life as well.
Physical Characteristics: 6'8", 300 lbs. (males); 6'4", 200 lbs. (females); Hairless, devoid of pigmentation, muscular build, all members of each gender are identical in appearance, body covered with elaborate tattoos.
Attributes:
INT -3*
PER 0
WIL +2
CHA 0
STR +4
DEX +2
CON +4
SPD +1
CR +6
MR -5
HP 30
Special Abilities: Immune to fear (magical and natural); INT +3 for tactical and combat matters and situations; unable to comprehend magic.
Skills:
Tazian Combat +3
Greatsword +3
Broadsword +3
Shield +3
Evade +3
Mounted Combat +3
Healer +4
Tactics +4
Ride +5
Low Talislan, native
Understand Tattoos, native
Equipment: Loincloth, vest (females), sandals, garde (parrying armor/weapon), greatsword with shoulder sheath, iron shield, broadsword, leather pouch (containing bandages, splints, needles, thread, a small sharp knife, and herbal painkillers), flask of Tazian fire-ale, graymane steed.
Wealth: 50 gold lumens in gold pentacles and assorted currencies.
Vajra Priestess of Terra
Homeland: The Kang Empire
"Terra is a patient mother, but her rage knows no limits at the abuse of Her children."
Terra is as deep and nurturing as the earth which surrounds her as she sits at the heart of the world, but magma runs like fire in her veins, just as the Dark Fire runs deep within your soul. You are Her representative among the family of Her children, but the Kang Overlords have outlawed your faith. Even so, you defy their restrictions, for although you appear to acquiesce and serve the red-skinned fools, you owe allegiance to none save Terra Herself. In the darkest depths of the underearth; deep in the bowels of earth and stone, you gather near the fiery light and scorching heat of Terra's blood, leading your people in the ancient services. Your skills can heal the physical wounds of your family, and soothe the emotional ones, but you know that the Dark Fire cannot be denied forever. You plan for the day when the Dark Fire will be unleashed, and the Kang crushed; reduced to ashes that will nourish nothing, but for now you work under the watchful eye of the Kang and bide your time, for the earth itself has endless patience.
Physical Characteristics: 4'8"-5'4", 140-200 lbs. Bodies covered with overlapping orange-brown plates, squat, barrel-like torso, heavy limbs.
Attributes:
INT +2
PER -1*
WIL +3
CHA 0
STR +2
DEX +1
CON +4
SPD -2
CR +2
MR +1
HP 28
Special Abilities: Plated skin equals three points of armor; burrow in ground (one foot per round); near-sighted, but keen hearing at PER +4.
Skills:
Elemental Magic - Geomancy
Three Modes of choice +3
Doctrines - Terra +4
Iron Spear +1
Geography +7
Healer +4
Artisan +6
Miner +6
Engineer +6
Artificer +4
Quan, native dialect
Equipment: Loincloth, wide belt for tools, necklace of polished stones plus robe of soft brown moss-felt under vestments made from disks of hammered iron and copper (PR: 4) for ceremonial occasions, iron spear, shoulder pack.
Wealth: None, if enslaved; escaped Vajra may have fled with 40 gold lumens in precious tones and metals.
Wood Whisp
Homeland: Astar and other woodlands
"Hee hee! Can't catch me! Wheeeeee!"
The world is so big, and it's full of interesting things. You dart among the boughs of mighty trees, living in their branches, supping blossom nectar and nibbling on fruit. Tricksy and mischievous, you delight in teasing and pranking the silly 'giants' that inhabit this overlarge world. They're funny and strange, and easy to anger, but they are fascinating, and often carry many weird and wonderful things which curiosity demands you investigate. Of course, that only irritates them further. You'll never understand the big sillies, but that doesn't mean you can't have fun trying. Even the Muses, who you dearly love, are silly in their own little way, so it's down to you and your kin to protect them from themselves, and the vast strange world. Exuberant and high-spirited, boredom is one of your greatest fears, and you'll go to insane lengths to alleviate it. Quick-witted and imaginative, you can be surprisingly acerbic and sarcastic when even slightly annoyed. Still, you recognise your own limitations, and will flee from a superior force. Better to use trickery and cunning, with a healthy number of reinforcements, to fight your battles. Of course, only a foolish giant would underestimate you, because you fight fiercely when need dictates it. The lure of the wider world has proven too much to resist, so you've set out armed with wit, curiosity and your trusty bow and spear. Adventure, excitement and sweets await!
Physical Characteristics: 6", 3 oz, diminutive humanoid, with skin of green or brown hue, and verdant butterfly wings.
Attributes:
INT +1
PER +4
WIL -2
CHA +1
STR -10
DEX +8
CON -1
SPD +8*
CR +3
MR +3
HP 2
Special Abilities: Flight, whisp-sized weapons only do 1pt of damage, *SPD -3 on the ground, whisps count as 'Smaller than man-sized' targets for ranged attacks (attackers using ranged weapons suffer a -10 penalty to hit them).
Skills:
Natural Magic -
Three Modes of choice +3
Aerial Combat +4
Spear +3
Bow +3
Evade +2
Guide +3
Weaponer +1
Herb Lore +3
Stealth +3
Survival +3
Low Talislan, native
Sylvan, native
Equipment: Tiny spear tipped with a thorn or stone chip, tiny bow and quiver of 15 wooden arrows, small woven grass pouch.
Wealth: None.
Zandir Burglar
Homeland: Zandu
' "Thank you for the challenge your security presented me, and please rest assured I will make very good use of this most exquisite object. Yours sincerely, the Phantom Shadow." '
The challenge and danger draw you like a crystal moth to a flame, for although the financial rewards of your criminal endeavors can be satisfying indeed, you thrive on the ability to foil whatever measures your target has employed to protect their priceless artifacts, however cunning or convoluted. To enter unseen and unheard, and snatch their treasured possessions from beneath their unsuspecting noses, leaving no trace of your presence but your calling card, is the ultimate aim of every burglary you commit. Not for you are the unsophisticated smash and grab techniques favored by criminals of vulgar disposition, and you would never dream of leaving a mess in your wake, or indulging in wanton violence. You live a life of comfortable anonymity, though your masterful criminal alter ego has gained notoriety. In fact, it has become fashionable for victims of your daring thefts to boast that they were burgled by none other than you, and display the calling cards you leave behind as tokens of pride. The fame is flattering, and the wealth certainly makes your life easier, but that life would be dull and lusterless without the thrill of the challenge.
Physical Characteristics: 5'6"-6', 100-180 lbs. Copper skin, sculpted features, dark hair, dark green eyes, skin enhanced with vividly colored pigments.
Attributes:
INT +1
PER +2
WIL -2
CHA +1
STR 0
DEX +2
CON 0
SPD +2
CR +1
MR 0
HP 18
Skills:
Knife +1
Acrobatics +4
Evade +3
Climbing +5
Traps +5
Stealth +5
Etiquette +5
Locks +5
Fashion +4
Appraiser +4
High Talislan, native
Low Talislan, native
Equipment: Fine black clothing, mask, soft boots, and gloves, hair confined in silver bands, knife, pouch, backpack, calling cards, thieves' tools, grappling hook, 50' cord, stylish nom de plume.
Wealth: 200 gold lumens in Zandir crescents and stolen valuables.
Zandir Causidian
Homeland: Zandu
"Bear witness to the wretched sorrow of my defendant! The outrageous accusations thrust upon him are surely absurd, and it moves me to tears that we should besmirch his good name in this way!"
To live the life of a Causidian is a boon indeed, for you revel in the way you can sway the judges with theatrical emotions, and stirring, heart-felt speeches. Yes, it is true that justice is often over-looked in favor of the most dramatic and convincing performance, but no one ever said life was fair, did they? Your purse and fame grow richer with every case you win, and you know that you will never number among Zandu's many poor. It was not all that long ago that you completed your apprenticeship, and after that long, monotonous, and difficult period, you are only too glad to glad to take, what you feel, are your just rewards. You are delighted to be part of the Causidian guild and fellowship, exchanging stories with your comrades, and selling your services as a litigator, diplomat, investigator, and scribe. It is true that outsiders are often taken aback by your melodramatic manner, but a life without drama, whatever the situation, is a dull life indeed. Your star has only just begun its ascent.
Physical Characteristics: 5'6"-6', 100-180 lbs. Copper skin, sculpted features, dark hair, dark green eyes, skin enhanced with vividly colored pigments.
Attributes:
INT +3
PER +1
WIL -1
CHA +2
STR 0
DEX 0
CON 0
SPD 0
CR 0
MR 0
HP 18
Skills:
Litigator +5
Diplomacy +5
Etiquette +5
Oratory +5
Acting +4
Interrogate +3
Analysis +3
Cultures +3
High Talislan, native
Low Talislan, native
One other language, fluent
Equipment: Fine robes, cape, and shoes of silk or velvet (all dyed a shade or combination of blues), hair confined in silver bands, leather-bound note book, pouch, quills, crystal vial of sepia ink.
Wealth: 150 gold lumens in Zandir crescents.
Zandir Gambler
Homeland: Zandu
"To risk it all and lose, yes, that is a tragedy, but to have never played at all is the greatest loss of all."
Life is a constant series of gambles, and the fickle hand of fortune throws its dice for us every day, yielding results mundane and profound, terrible or joyous. As a gambler, you deeply believe that you revel in the unpredictability that is life itself, trusting to chance and no little skill to make your name and fortune at gambling dens and casinos across the continent. For you, it is not a matter of winning, though that is certainly beneficial, but cheating random chance through your ability to evaluate the odds, read the subtle signs in your opponents, and use a deft hand to shift luck in your favor. That is the challenge and thrill of the game, and only a complete fool trusts entirely to fortune, after all. Win or lose, you conduct yourself with class and style, putting a smile on even the soundest of defeats, ready to tempt the capriciousness of chance yet again.
Physical Characteristics: 5'6"-6', 100-180 lbs. Copper skin, sculpted features, dark hair, dark green eyes, skin enhanced with vividly colored pigments.
Attributes:
INT +1
PER +1
WIL 0
CHA +1
STR 0
DEX +2
CON 0
SPD +1
CR +1
MR +1
HP 18
Skills:
Gambling +5
Deception +5
Legerdemain +5
Etiquette +5
Fashion +4
Streetwise +3
Weapon of choice +1
Evade +2
High Talislan, native
Low Talislan, native
Equipment: Stylish and fashionable apparel, hair confined in silver bands, weapon of choice (preferably concealable), pouch, several bone dice (normal and loaded), quatrillion deck with marked cards, zodar deck with marked cards.
Wealth: 150 gold lumens in Zandir crescents and other currency.
Zandir Highwayman
Homeland: Zandu
"Ah, my most beautiful lady, were that I could take you with me, but I fear I must take your jewelry instead, and content myself by stealing the merest of kisses from your graceful lips."
You always were a scoundrel and rogue; your life a constant series of dangerous trysts, flamboyant entrances, passionate nights, and swift exits. Even when you enlisted at the Palaestra of the Blade, you spent more time sneaking away from classes and narrowly avoiding trouble than practicing your fencing. You might have failed the course, were it not for your popularity and irresistible charm. Excitement, danger, and passion are your meat and drink, and you knew you could not endure more than a single year's enlistment in the military, however lax, or, Ten Thousand forbid, enter any common profession. Instead, you pursue the romantic ideal of the highwayman with style, breathing in the heady mix of risk, drama, fame, and the potential for easy gains. In other nations you would be considered nothing but a common criminal, but in Zandu, you are a figure of romance and adventure, at least to those you haven't robbed yet. Your pseudonym and exploits are becoming the subject of tavern tales, and you live each moment, never worrying what tomorrow might bring. You intend to live the life that others only dream of.
Physical Characteristics: 5'6"-6', 100-180 lbs. Copper skin, sculpted features, dark hair, dark green eyes, skin enhanced with vividly colored pigments.
Attributes:
INT +1
PER +1
WIL -2
CHA +2
STR 0
DEX +2
CON 0
SPD +2
CR +4
MR 0
HP 19
Skills:
Swordsmanship +3
Acrobatics +4
Evade +3
Seduce +3
Etiquette +5
Ride +6
Fashion +4
Mounted Combat +3
Appraiser +2
High Talislan, native
Low Talislan, native
Equipment: Flamboyant velveteen cape, stylish hood and mask, knee high boots, silk shirt, leather breeches, felt gloves, hair confined in silver bands, dueling sword, pouch, graymane steed, evocative nom de plume.
Wealth: 100 gold lumens in Zandir crescents and stolen jewelry.
Zandir Serparian
Homeland: Zandu
"Hail to you, esteemed and magnificent one! Spare a few coppers for this lowly wretch you see before you, and may the Ten Thousand bless you for your generosity!"
The streets of Zandu's cities are dangerous places, full of vermin of all varieties, where the unwary are viewed as potential targets for begging, scams, theft, and even violence. You have lived your entire life on the mean streets, and became one of the vermin in order to survive. Being a beggar, pickpocket, cheap prostitute, thug, or information gatherer may not be glamorous or esteemed work, but, at least in Zandu, you have some respect, and the loose protection of the Serparian guild. You might well be riff-raff and ne'er-do-wells, but you look out for each other; after all, no one else is going to. The Sultan of Beggars runs your guild, and you respect the great individual for helping maintain the loose alliance: without it you would have to compete with each other, making life more difficult than it is already. Those individuals in the know often trade for the information you find, and many people would be amazed at what you can find out after rummaging through someone's litter, or merely begging across the street from a building you are watching. If anything is going down on the streets, you are sure to know about it. Yes, Zandu's streets are tough, but you can survive.
Physical Characteristics: 5'6"-6', 100-180 lbs. Copper skin, sculpted features, dark hair, dark green eyes.
Attributes:
INT +1
PER +2
WIL -1
CHA +1
STR 0
DEX +2
CON +1
SPD +1
CR +1
MR 0
HP 19
Skills:
Brawling +1
Choice of Club or Knife +1
Evade +3
Deception +5
Legerdemain +5
Streetwise +5
Underworld +5
Stealth +3
Three Thieving Skills +3
High Talislan, native
Low Talislan, native
Equipment: Tattered and dirty, but colorful, rags, concealed coin purse, begging bowl, small knife or walking stick 'club'.
Wealth: 10 gold lumens in mixed coin (primarily copper and silver pieces, with maybe one or two Zandir crescents).
Zandir Wizard
Homeland: Zandu
"Oh yes, we masters of the arcane are not to be trifled with, so begone lest I turn you into the urthrax you so vividly resemble!"
Magic had always fascinated you, for it was a means to power and creativity, but you did not possess the money necessary to study at the Paradoxist Seminary in Zanth, nor could you guarantee that you would have learnt anything useful there anyway. Instead, you petitioned those few independent magicians you could, pleading them to take you on as an apprentice in exchange for your devoted service as a live-in servant. You were eventually accepted by an eccentric (some used the word "insane") magician who took you to their isolated tower-fortress dwelling on Zandu's moorland. There you studied for many years, learning what little he deigned to teach you between seemingly endless chores. The knowledge was eclectic and often unorthodox, but it worked... most of the time. After spending many years locked away in the tower you feel there is little more your master can teach you, so you think it is time to set out into the world and acquire more of the knowledge you seek, blissfully unaware of the eccentricities you have picked up during your isolation.
Physical Characteristics: 5'6"-6', 100-180 lbs. Copper skin, sculpted features, dark hair, dark green eyes.
Attributes:
INT +3
PER 0
WIL 0
CHA -1
STR 0
DEX +1
CON 0
SPD +1
CR -1
MR +5
HP 19
Skills:
Magic Order of choice
Five Modes of choice +3
or
Magic Order of choice
Three Modes of choice +2
and
Magic Order of choice
Two Modes of choice +1
Arcane Lore +4
One Scholarly Skill +4
One Scholarly Skill +2
High Talislan, native
Low Talislan, native
Archaen, fluent
Equipment: Dated and worn robes, cape, and boots, belt pouch, leather bound spellbook.
Wealth: 25 gold lumens in Zandir crescents.
Drohem (July 23, 2010)- These articles by Colin Chapman were compiled from the archived Codex of the Moons website.
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