mystara 'zine threshold #8

The Mystara Magazine

#8

The eighth issue of Mystara's premier magazine features Adventures,NPCs, Norwold Organizations and Maps; plus additional features

about your favourite world.

pandius.com thepiazza.org.uk

THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #8

Issue Contents

Threshold: The Mystara Magazine is a non-commercial, fan-produced magazine. There is nointention to infringe on anyone's rights, and in particular not on those of Wizards of the Coast,which holds all rights to the original material on which the magazine is based.

ISSUE #8Editorial................................................................1

This Issue s Contributors......................................3

Call for Contributors.............................................4

The Great Land Rush of Norwold Part 2...............5

Rogues, Barons and Pretenders..........................52

Who’s Who in the Wyrmsteeth.........................143

Shadows of Kundrak.........................................159

Night Below Addendum....................................185

Find Bargle........................................................192

Artwork Sources and Credits............................206

Next Issue..........................................................214

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Editorial

For the inhabitants of the untamed Norwold,the advent of spring signals a new season ofstrife and conflict. Warlords and wizardsfrom distant lands have reached Alpha, readyto compete and claim lands from Alphatiananointed King Ericall. Many candidatesthough, are not as loyal as they claim, andwar is brewing as personal and territorialconflicts arise among the nobility. Far worse;two rival empires, Thyatis and the HeldannicOrder, plot to wrest control of Alphatia’sgrasp over this northern land.

Soon, one contender will cry havoc, and letslip the dogs of war. Will the erstwhileadventurers, now established landed lords,remain unified, or will they take opposingsides? Such are the challenges Norwoldposes to powerful veteran adventurers...

With this latest issue, Threshold Magazinewill have completed its first two years ofpublication, tendering articles totaling overone thousand pages. We take this occasion tocelebrate, and present a twofold offering.First pairing Zendrolion’s massivecompanion articles for CM1 Test of theWarlords with a set of three adventures.Including an addendum to the Night Belowadaptation appearing in Issue 6, a new levelof our recurring Koskatep megadungeon,and lastly a return to what was for many ofus, our first adventure: Bargle’s dungeonnear the town of Threshold. Finally, wecomplete our array of Norwold personalitieswith an assortment of dragons from theWyrmsteeth

With this, I welcome you to the 8th issue ofThreshold Magazine!

Giampaolo Agosta (Agathokles)

Issue 8 Editor-in-Chief

Warlords of Norwold“All I ever feel is

All I ever see isRise and fall

When the War of the Thrones shall begin”Blind Guardian, “War of the Thrones”

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Editorial

Threshold Editorial Team:

Allan Palmer (AllanP)Andrew Theisen (Cthulhudrew)Angel TarragonFrancesco Defferrari (Sturm)Giampaolo Agosta (Agathokles)HåvardJohn Calvin (Chimpman)Joseph Setorius (Julius Cleaver)Robert Nuttman (RobJN)Simone Neri (Zendrolion)Troy Terrell (CmdrCorsiken)

Editors Emeriti

Jesper Andersen (Spellweaver)Thorfinn Tait (Thorf)

THRESHOLD logo designed by Thorf

Editor-in-Chief, Issue 8:Giampaolo Agosta (Agathokles)

Layout:Allan Palmer (AllanP)

Art:I. Calvin

Cartography:Francesco Defferrari (Sturm)Robin DTrevor Holman

Additional Reviewers & Proofreaders:Andrea CiceriHarri MakiRobin DThomas Rosleff Baekmark

Editorial Credits

Thanks To: The Mystara Community, for your support, hard work, and dedication to Mystara.

Issues #1 to #7 of THRESHOLD - theMystata Magazine, is available fordownload from the Vaults of Pandiuswebsite.

Also available at the same location arehigher resolution versions of the mapsthat were included in the issue’s PDF,allowing greater detail to be viewed.

The aims of Threshold magazine:▪ to provide a venue for community members to present material▪ to promote the Vaults of Pandius and the material there▪ to increase the exposure of existing and new articles▪ to encourage authors to revisit and revitalise existing articles▪ to motivate interest in Mystara in general

http://www.pandius.com/thrs_mag.html

http://www.pandius.com/thrs_mag.html

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This Issue s Contributors

This Issue’s Contributors

David Keyser has run four long-termcampaigns set in Mystara since the 1980s,using published adventure and supportmaterials as much as possible. He denieshaving any creative talent himself. It's just thatif you put him with a group of friends whoare willing to work with him to provide anevening of entertainment, there's amomentary spark like the scratch of flint onsteel...and then something magical happens.

Even though Sturm (a.k.a. FrancescoDefferrari) loves any alternate world, hebelieves Mystara is incomparably the best forits vibrant community endlessly delving intoethnography, linguistics and history just tomake a little sense of it. Something like thereal world, but with dragons.

Giuliano Michelon has been playing D&Dsince the late 80ies and, like many others, hadhis start with the Red Box. He soon movedover to AD&D and divided his gaming timebetween his favored settings: Mystara andRavenloft (although playing more the latter).With the coming of 3e, he moved fully back tothe first setting, Mystara. He collaborated with(and was a member of) the Overlord club inPadua, designing and developing D&Dtournament modules for PadCon 2001 andseveral editions of GiocaPadova. Nowadays,he concentrates fully on his own gaminggroup, with a weekly D&D Mystara campaign,soon to switch to the 5th edition of the game.

I. "Meandrathel" Calvin enjoys drawingfantasy, and animals that can kill. Namelywolves, dragons, horses, and most largefelines. Human animal hybrids are notexcluded either; she often draws humanversions of her favorite animals. She does,

however, despise drawing things that areunbearingly cute. It's a pretty awful thing todo.

John Calvin is fascinated by the depth ofMystaran history, and has always wanted toshare that more fully with players. To thatend he has been developing sub-settings likeThe Hollow Moon and Mystara 2300 BC.

Robin Dijkema. (Robin at the piazza, RobinD elsewhere) Female, from 1962. PlayingD&D since the earliest days as far as 1978.Soon becoming "addicted" , bound to theworld of Mystara, liked because of itsdiversity and yet complexity latched toeachother. Current compiler of massivematerials available on the Pandius site or her"Breath of Mystara" blog. Former Teacher ofBiology, Ecology, Chemistry, Physics,travelled all over Europe as a stage dancer athouseparties. Once at a UK Gencon called"The Fletcher" by Bruce Heard for mycompilation work in "Revenge of the LittleOnes".

Simone Neri (Zendrolion) teaches historyand philosophy at secondary school inFlorence, Italy. He has mastered Mystaracampaigns since 1987, his favourite settingsbeing Thyatis, Norwold, Karameikos, andGlantri. He is an active member of ThePiazza community with the nickname ofZendrolion - but don't fear backstabbingfrom him!

Trevor Holman has been a designer andweb developer for nearly 30 years, playingRPG and War games since he was a kid. Hecurrently creates artwork for other gamecompanies.

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Call for Contributors

The Threshold editorial team invites all fansof the Mystara setting to submitcontributions to the next issues of themagazine.

We are looking especially for contributionsfitting the following themes:

Issue 9 - The Hollow World & ImmortalsProposal Deadline: Expired, butproposal could still be submitted if theauthor is confident that the article will becompleted by the below deadlineManuscript Deadline: July 1st 2015Issue Published: End September 2015

Call for proposals for main themes offorthcoming issues (2015):

Glantri and beyondThe editorial team will accept proposal onGlantri and nearby nations (Darokin, Sind,Wendar, Ethengar, the Adri Varma plateau,the Broken Lands) and on Magic too.

Isle of Dawn, Thyatis and AlphatiaThe editorial team will accept proposal onthe Isle of Dawn, Thyatis, Alphatia anddependencies (Ochalea, Pearl Islands,Alatians, Bellisaria, Esterhold and anyother colony).

Articles about other topics are stillwelcome and the editorial team willevaluate their publication in an issue,taking into account space availableand that issue's theme.

Threshold accepts (and invites) thesubmission of extended or revisedversions of works having appeared on ThePiazza or the Vaults of Pandius.

Contributions may include, but are notlimited to, articles (short stories, shortadventure modules, NPCs, historicaltreatises and timelines, geographicalentries, new monsters and monsterecologies, etc.) and illustrations (portraits,maps, heraldry, illustrations, etc.)

The Threshold editorial team strives foredition neutrality, but edition specificarticles (e.g., conversions) are alsoaccepted. Statistics for new monsters andNPCs may be included in articles (e.g.,adventure modules, new monsters orNPCs) in any version of Dungeons &Dragons. The editorial team also offershelp in providing conversions to somespecific rules set (including BECMI/RC,2nd Edition, 3rd edition/Pathfinder).However, they should be limited to theminimum -- for most NPCs, it is sufficientto mention class, level, and alignment. Forimportant NPCs, a one or two line statblock could be included.

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The Great Land Rush of Norwold Part 2

PERSONALITIES OF

NORWOLD

In the previous issue of Threshold welearned about many of the events thatcomprise the upcoming Spring Fair held inAC 1002,1 the character and environment ofNorwold’s realms, and the government andlaws of King Ericall’s young and growingkingdom. In the second installment of thearticle, we will familiarize ourselves withsome of the more important personalitieswithin the Kingdom of Norwold, casting adetailed look at the royal family, the court’smain officers, and dominion rulers presentbefore the Great Land Rush - including theVatski princes of the Vatskiy Rodina.

The Royal Family

Norwold’s royal family is small, despite beingrelated to the House of Thera, which rulesthe Alphatian Empire. Currently, King Ericalland his half-brother Lernal are the onlymembers. Farian, Ericall’s other half-brotherand Lernal’s full brother, was captured by a

Thyatian raiding party in 999 AC, along withthe king’s full brother Tredorian, whilevisiting Norwold; and the two still remainprisoners in Thyatis. The king and Lernal aredescribed below.

Ericall,King of Norwold

Lawful 28th levelFighter

Str 13, Int 14,Wis 13, Dex 10,Con 11, Cha 17

Appearance: Ericall is thirty years old, and at6’1”2 and 175 pounds, possesses a tall andstatuesque figure. With common Alphatiancopper complexion, though somewhat palerdue to his father’s pure Alphatian heritage;neck length brown hair; mustache; andpiercing brown eyes; he is considered quitehandsome among Alphatians. Ericall dresseselaborately at court, usually clothed in royalpurple trimmed with gold.3

1 The reasons behind choos ing to have CM1’sSpr ing Fa i r set in th is year are expla ined infootnote 1 of the f i rs t ins ta l lment of th is ar t ic le ,

, featured in“Threshold” No. 7, Page 124.

2 I used Er ica l l ’ s he ight f rom the Poor Wizard’sAlmanac ser ies . In Dawn of the Emperors hewas 1” shorter .3 Dawn of the Emperors descr ibes the k ing asbe longing to the “pure Alphat ian s t ra in , pa le ofcomplex ion, b lack ha i r and eyes”, whi le in thePoor Wizard’s Almanacs he i s “ Brown.

by Simone Neri (Zendrolion)

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Background: Ericall is eldest son ofAlphatia’s Empress Eriadna and Torenal,handsome general of the Imperial Guard,and full brother to Mariella and Tredorian.Born in 972 AC, and possessing not an ounceof arcane potential, Ericall was Eriadna’s leastfavorite child, and the object of ridicule bythe Empress’ other magic wielding children.Thankfully General Torenal instructed Ericallin the martial arts from a young age, and withhis natural talent soon became a skilledwarrior. Upon reaching adulthood, Ericallfinally felt his royal calling, desiring a realmof his own. An implausibility, due to his lackof magical proficiency, in magically ruledAlphatia. While visiting his friend Beriak inStonewall, he envisioned founding a realmwhere status and station were determined bycompetence, not magical ability. After havingannoyed Eriadna beyond measure with hisrequest, the Empress eventually caved, givinghim jurisdiction over the wildernessbackwater of Norwold in 992 AC, which hadbeen made an Alphatian protectorate only afew years prior, and giving Ericall a broaddegree of autonomy in ruling the region.Since then, Ericall has devoted all his effortstoward ruling the realm; however they haveyielded mixed results. He has failed inbringing vast expanses of Norwold underenforceable rule. His appointment of Lernalas Governor of Landfall has turned intodisaster, and he was unable to bring KingYarrvik of Oceanscend into the Empire’s fold.

Additionally he was unable to prevent thecity of Helskir, laying on the northern tip ofthe Isle of Dawn, from declaringindependence, and was the target of theAlphatian Council’s contempt when Thyatianspies captured his brother Tredorian andhalf-brother Farian, visiting in Alpha, latertransporting both to Thyatis.

Personality: Ericall is fair and honorable.Eager and good-natured, he has found favoramong his subjects. Unfortunately, he hasonly been marginally competent as ruler.Alarmingly naïve, even after nearly a decadeof rule, his good intentions yet simplisticunderstanding of the world and politicsoften leave him disheartened and befuddled.Dreading the mundane paperwork andmanagerial duties necessary to run the realm,Ericall is often overwhelmed by thecomplexity of ruling, relegating many tasks tosubordinates of varying ability, which heoften fails to properly evaluate. Ericall doesnot take criticism or advice easily, nor lightlyadmit mistakes; and he still burns beingEriadna’s least favorite child. To overcomethis shortcoming he strives for perfection,being doubly harsh on himself whenever hefails. Whether additional years on the throne,be they further failures or successes, willmature him is yet to be seen. Ericall enjoyshunting and hawking as pastimes. The kingis currently looking for a bride to be hisqueen, and the king’s friend Beriak isworking to ensure his younger sisterChristina Marie, who turns eighteen thefollowing year, fills the role; however, theking has not seen the girl for years. It ispossible Ericall’s eye could be caught byanother alluring woman.

Brown. [ . . . ] Copper-sk inned [ . . . ] ” , and inthe nove l Rogues to Riches he has “bronze sk in ,p ierc ing brown ha i r , and dark ha i r” . The k ing’sb lack-and-whi te p ic ture found on page 11 ofCM1 Test of the War lords , ins tead, port raysh im wi th fa i r ha i r and eyes . I chose to d is regardthe Dawn of the Emperor descr ipt ion, becausethe other sources are more or less cons is tentwi th each other .

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Additional Features: Able to draw resourcesfrom the Royal Palace’s vault, the king hasaccess to a wide variety of permanent andtemporary magic items, employing them onlywhen he feels such use would benefit thekingdom. Ericall rides his favorite whitestallion, Whitemane, into combat; wearingincredibly ornate plate mail +5 and shield+3, wielding normal sword +3 and carryinga dagger +3. Despite lack of participationwaging war, his intense training, innate skill,and experience garnered adventuring, Ericallhas become one of the best swordsmenwithin the Alphatian Empire. Greatly skilledin the art of the lance, Ericall is an admirablygraceful jouster. The king is accompanied inmost surroundings by twenty members of theKnight Protectors, the king’s bodyguard,whose members are all knights averaging 12th

level, clad in suit armor and shield, armedwith longsword and longbow.

Source: CM1 Test of the Warlords, Dawn ofthe Emperors, Joshuan’s Almanac & Book ofFacts, Poor Wizard’s Almanac & Book of FactsI-III, Rogues to Riches.

Lernal the Swill,Duke of Landfalland Governor ofLandfall Province

Neutral 6th levelFighter


Appearance: Although only twenty-sevenyears old, Lernal looks ten years older.Having a pale and ruddy complexion,exacerbated from heavy drinking, varicoseveins decorate his reddish nose. Lernal isoverweight, weighing 200 pounds, though at5’10” is of average height for an Alphatian.Lernal wears his straight neck length brownhair in a page-boy fashion, and has browneyes. Lernal could be handsome if he tookmore care about his health and physique. Ongood days, he is clean-shaven and wellgroomed, sporting clothes of fine fabricfashionably tailored, many of which havebeen imported from Darokin. While on abender, Lernal forgoes shaving, and hisclothes are slovenly and often wine-stained.His blood-shot eyes always watery anddistant. Despite appearance, or sobriety, atsocial events Lernal most often behaves in acrude and vulgar manner.

Background: Lernal is King Ericall’s half-brother, and son of General Torenal,shamefully conceived with a servant. Like allof Torenal’s offspring, he was totally devoidof any magical potential. After a misspentyouth in Sundsvall, hampering the martialtraining his father tried to provide, he livedamongst the shadows in awe of the magicallyproficient people his father served. AfterEricall was granted title to Norwold byEmpress Eriadna in 992 AC, Lernal beggedhis brother give him rule over a dominion.Ericall, knowing what little opportunityexisted for a commoner in mainlandAlphatia, and ignoring prudent advice aboutLernal’s intellectual inadequacy, fulfilled hisplea. Granting him the southern town ofLandfall, safely distant from Alpha, andpresenting him with ducal title and rule over

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the region.4 Unfortunately, Lernal grew intoa drunken wastrel, letting control of thetown rapidly slip into the hands of the twomost powerful rival local thieves’ guilds,slowly becoming their puppet, andcompletely succumbing to their will inexchange for wine and women. Ericall haslamented the decision ever since, yet hopestime and age will temper Lernal’sinappropriate behavior. Because Lernalmakes a show of paying large amounts oftaxes to Alpha, double the usual amountrequired, the king turns a blind eye towardhis conduct. In actuality Lernal reports lessthan half of the dominions earnings,unbeknownst to the king. Unmarried, Lernalalways retains a number of concubines. Oneof these mistresses, formerly an Alphatianslave, accompanied him when he tookpossession of Landfall, and has borne him adaughter. Erise, considered a young beauty,is now ten years old, living with her motherand father in Landfall keep.5

Personality: Lernal is an unscrupulous androtten individual. A compulsive liar, who iseasily bribed, Lernal is an immorally weakand incompetent ruler. Lernal is greatly

envious of Ericall’s popularity and shiningcapital city, hating his half-brother forrelegating him to this faraway shantytown.Nevertheless, Lernal is too much a coward tostage a coup or display direct insurrectionagainst the crown, but would eagerly claimthe throne of Norwold if the opportunityarose. Even uncharacteristically raising anarmy should Ericall die prematurely andwithout heirs. Although abstaining from hismost depraved behaviors when his daughterErise, to whom he relatively attached, ispresent; Lernal is otherwise utterly devotedto his vices. Drinking, eating, and women!

Additional Features: Lernal would rarely - ifever - personally take the battlefield. But ifrequired to appear in front of the troops,wears plate mail +2 and shield, and carriesa normal sword +2. As Lernal is in the handof Landfall’s two major criminalorganizations,6 he has made enemy of otherrival thieves’ and criminal guilds of the town.Therefore Lernal always keeps a group ofeight scruffy but able-bodied bodyguards (allare 9th level Fighters) on hand, supplied tohim by his “patrons”.

Source: CM1 Test of the Warlords, Dawn ofthe Emperors, M2 Vengeance of Alphaks,Poor Wizard’s Almanac & Book of Facts I-III,Rogues to Riches.

4 In CM1 Test of the War lords , Landfa l l i sdescr ibed as a “domin ion”, and Lerna l as i t s“ lord” in a couple of passages; thus , I chose tomake Lerna l the Duke of Landfa l l , bes idesass ign ing h im the governorsh ip of the largerprov ince around the town. This i s a l socons is tent wi th the fact that Lerna l , the k ing’sha l f -brother , should have a h igher nob le rankthan other Norwold lords , and thus would bethe on ly duke of the rea lm at the moment .5 The character of Er i se comes f rom the nove lRogues to Riches, set in AC 1010. In the book,the g i r l i s o f a marr iageab le age, around 18years o ld , so her b i r th must be set around AC992; for th is reason I changed Er ise ’s and hermother ’s or ig ins f rom the ones featured inGAZF8 The Streets of Landfa l l (by JTR) .

6 GAZF8 The Streets of Landfa l l (by JTR) gavein depth deta i l s about Landfa l l ’ s cr imina l gu i lds ;accord ing to the GAZF, the two gui lds whichcontro l Lerna l would be Pr ince Jof fa and LaFami l ia Nostra .

http://pandius.com/landfall_gaz.pdf


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The King’s Court

Alpha’s court is comprised of variousindividuals holding political position as oneof the Greater or Lesser Officers, or officialsdependent upon one of those offices, foundhaunting the Royal Palace in one capacity oranother. A brief description of the mostprominent characters follows.

Greater Officers and the Members of theRoyal Council

The following personalities are all membersof the Royal Council. Five also hold a GreaterOffice charge. Only Finnister McAlister holdsno other responsibility. Beriak Alanira, Countof Draken (see below), is usually called uponto partake in Royal Council meetings as well.

Dolnarys,Lord High Admiral

(Lawful 20th levelFighter)7

A common Alphatianfrom Haven whosecareer in the Alphatian Imperial Navy washalted by his inability in the thaumaturgicalarts. His appointment was recommended toEricall by Torenal himself. A strict, serious,and very able organizer; Dolnarys wants tobuild a navy worthy of his king - and with hisgiven funds is quite likely to succeed.

Finnister McAlister,Member of the RoyalCouncil

(Lawful 9th levelCleric of Koryis)8

Native to thesouthern ShadowCoast on the Isle ofDawn, Finnister is a

former adventurer who found his true callingadvising rulers. Meeting Ericall in Sundsvallyears ago, Finnister befriended him, recentlyarriving in Norwold to assist his youngcolleague once more. Finnister wants toensure the kingdom is not drowned in aconstant tide of war. Ericall, despite notbeing a follower of Koryis, holds Finnister’sword in high regard.

Madiera the Counselor,Lady High Steward and Court Magist

(Lawful 25th level Magic-User)

A common Alphatian from Greenspur,Madiera is a middle-aged wizard with ascholarly demeanor and immense expertiseof Alphatian history, law, and tradition.Eriadna personally assigned Madiera asadvisor to Ericall. Madiera sees herappointment as a stepping stone towardgreater power, and carries out her workconscientiously, yet her ultimate desire is totake her place among the members ofAlphatia’s Great Council. Madieraadditionally holds charge as Ericall’s CourtMagist.

7 Dolnarys i s l i s ted as Admira l o f the Roya lF leet in module M2 Vengeance of Alphaks.

8 F inn is ter makes an appearance as t rus tedpersona l adv isor to King Er ica l l in module M5Talons of Night .

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Martigan, LordHigh General

(Neutral 21stlevel Magic-User)9

A native ofRedstone, andformer slave andgladiator inThyatis City,Martigan managed to buy his freedom andthen become a powerful Alphatian battlemage. He came to Norwold soon after thekingdom’s establishment, offering hisservices to the crown. After performingmany missions for the crown, he wasawarded commission as High General ofNorwold Armies when Ericall’s previousgeneral returned to Alphatia. Martigan is ahandsome, passionate, brave and fearlessman, harboring a bitter hatred towardThyatis due to his days as a slave in theempire’s capital.

Nizanthrul, LordHigh Treasurer

(Neutral 15th

level Cleric ofRazud)

An experiencedpriest fromTheranderol, andtrusted advisor offormer Emperor

Tylion IV. In his fifties, Nizanthrul accepted aposting on the outskirts of the Empire,advising Eriadna’s mundane son, wanting toend his career away from the intrigues ofSundsvall. Mostly he endeavors to adviseEricall in making wise decisions throughcareful management of the kingdom’streasury.

Oriaehryn ‘Ori’,Lord High Chancellor

(Lawful 11th level ElfWizard)10

A Shiye elf from Limnwith significantdiplomatic experienceand acquaintance withmany different races

and cultures, Oriaehryn has served underKing Drushiye and in the Alphatian Empire’s

9 The character of Mart igan comes f rom theMystaran Almanac ser ies . There, he i s grantedthe domin ion of Ersenba l on Walrus I s land inAC 993, get t ing invo lved in a ser ies of p lotsregard ing the northern Fores thome e lves , andthen tak ing par t in the war between Thyat i s andAlphat ia (1005-1009 AC) earn ing the rank ofGenera l in the Alphat ian army, and eventua l lyreturn ing to Norwold in 1010 AC. Whi le in theser ies he i s l i s ted as a F ighter , h is or ig ina lwr i te -up in the Mystara Mai l ing L is t featuredhim as a Magic -User , which seems more f i t t ingcons ider ing h is la ter ro le as Alphat ian Genera l .A lso, in th is ar t ic le Mart igan does not yet ru le adomin ion, most l ike ly rece iv ing t i t le to i t a f terthe wars aga ins t Thyat i s featured in modulesCM1 Test of the War lord and M2 Vengeance ofAlphaks, or the Wrath of the Immorta l s boxedset .

10 Use the advancement tab le and ru les foundin GAZ5 The E lves of Al fhe im, page 64, butwi th the normal Magic -User spe l l l i s t . Thecharacter of Or i makes a br ie f appearance inthe nove l “Rogues to Riches” by J .R. King, setin 1010 AC. There, Or i i s Er ica l l ’ s cour tmagis t and scr ibe. Madiera l ike ly re turned toAlphat ia or was k i l l ed in the in terven ing years .

http://pandius.com/alm.html

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Committee of Foreign Affairs. Ori’smethodical nature and delight in handlingpaperwork – make him a perfect match forKing Ericall, who loathes such tasks.

Other Characters

While not holding any Greater Office charge,nor members of the Royal Council, thefollowing characters may occasionally beencountered at court, performing variousduties. Five “Governors of the Provinces” areincluded among them. While ruling distantprovinces with relevant settlements, overwhich the king’s control is fragile at best, thegovernors carry out most of their duties fromAlpha, and thus are usually found in thecapital.

Aendim, Governor ofthe Aquelera Province

(Lawful 4th level Fighter)

Aendim, from Stonewall,has Common Alphatianancestry. In his earlyforties, Aendim hasfaithfully served as

household bodyguard for house Alanira overthe course of many years. Wishing to rewardthe man, Beriak obtained him the prestigiouscharge of “Governor” in the Kingdom ofNorwold. Yet thus far Aendim has hadconsiderable difficulty managing thecomplexities of governing. Nevertheless, heremains a staunch and loyal supporter ofBeriak and Ericall.

Alvaden Wildgaze,Governor of the Coast of Rebirth Province

(Lawful 7th level Elf Cleric of Zirchev):11

Nearly three hundred fifty years old, Alvadenis a Shiye elf, born in the Kingdom ofVertiloch. Wandering for many yearsthroughout the Alphatian Empire, Alvadenendeavored as a defender of the wilderness,advising various lords on matters ofenvironmental and species preservation.Intrigued by the untamed land of Norwold,Alvaden entered Ericall’s service, his pastexperience making him ideally suited for thetask of directing the heavily-woodedprovince’s government on such similarissues. He is primarily concerned withpreventing the damage that unregulatedsettlement and development would cause tothe Norwold environment.

Aranthor,Personal Scribe of theKing

(Lawful 5th level Magic-User)12

Aranthor is a quietmiddle-aged, loyal servantof Common Alphatianlineage, chosen by Ericall

to be his personal scribe and secretary;carrying out every order the king decrees in

11 Mechanics for E lven Cler ics under theBECMI ru les are found in

byB. Heard, in “Dragon Magaz ine” #178, Vol .XVI , No. 9 (February 1992) .12 This character i s br ie f ly ment ioned in“Adventures in the Frozen North” by M. F leet ,in “Threshold” I ssue No. 2, Page 131.

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an efficient and inconspicuous manner. BothMadiera and Nizanthrul are wary of theinfluence Aranthor might exert over Ericall,but the man has no ambition aside fromaccumulating encyclopedic knowledge aboutNorwold’s various sites and regions,benefiting from Finnister’s trust at least.

Kerana N’Jozee,Governor of theEsendel-Mhirren

Province (Chaotic12th level Thief)

Kerana is cousin toKing Lornce ofHillvale.13 A craftyand stealthy rogue,under guise of alady of the court she acted as Lornce’s spy formany years. Tired of her cousin’slackadaisical ruling style, she asked herecommend her for a job at Ericall’s court,convincing him she could act as spy for himin Norwold as well. Despite being thirty yearsold, she is determined to climb the rankswithin the kingdom’s hierarchy and becomea noblewoman in her own right. To this end,she hopes to perform her role as Governorwell, persuading Ericall to employ her as hisspymaster. Short of catching the king’sinterest – or if the kingdom begins toseriously weaken – she might considerselling her services to the highest bidder.

Mariela,Deputy Chancellor

(Neutral 4th level Magic-User)14

An attractive Alphatian woman in her earlythirties, Mariela helps Lord High ChancellorOriaehryn in his duties. A native of Haven,she was personally chosen by EmpressEriadna for her knowledge of Known Worldpolitics and extensive experience in traderelations – in fact despite vocation as a mage,she is a merchant by profession. Easilyflattered and quick to take offense, she hopesto act in Alphatia’s best interests at court.

PodoHornblower,Governor of theChermosarProvince

(Lawful 5th levelHalfling)

Podo, at onehundred six years,is a middle-agedhalfling fromStoutfellow. Borninto a family of army musicians, Podofollowed in the family’s footsteps, leading asoldier’s life for many years; afterwardobtaining a government post in his homerealm. After his wife’s passing, besides sonsand daughters grown and departed to startfamilies of their own, Podo decided to offerhis services to Alpha’s court. His skill and

13 K ing Lornce’s surname is reported as in Dawn of the Emperors , and as in the Poor Wizard’s Almanac ser ies .

L ike ly the d i f ference between the two s temsfrom a lack of prec ise ru les in t rans l i terat ionbetween the Alphat ian and Thyat ian a lphabets .

14 This character i s borrowed f rom GAZF1The Kingdom of Wendar (by JTR) .

http://pandius.com/wendar.zip

http://pandius.com/wendar.zip

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experience were soon appreciated, and hewas appointed Governor of Chermosarprovince, bordering the halfling realm ofLeeha. Ericall hopes Podo might facilitateimproved relations between Leeha andAlpha.

Rodnox,General and Garrison Commander ofRegent Pass

(Lawful 18th level Fighter)15

Rodnox is a stout and able Alphatian fighterfrom Vertiloch. Only in his thirties, he rapidlyrose in rank to commander on Esterhold,and later mainland Alphatia. His command ofEagles Rook, the Regent Pass fortress, guardsthe only overland route to the capital.

Tarn Oakleaf,Representative of the Norwold DruidicCouncil

(Neutral 24th level Druid)

Tarn is a Norwolder16 having a special affinitywith nature, thereby rising among the ranks

of Norwold druids. While not the mostpowerful druid in Norwold, Tarn was chosenamong his peers as druidic representative toEricall’s court. Often he is off wandering thewilds of Norwold, only appearing at courtwhen very important issues of druidicconcern are at stake.

Teskithan,Governor of Tranquil Coast Province

(Neutral 7th level Magic-User):

Formerly known as Eldras, a fifty year oldunscrupulous yet skilled alchemist andbureaucrat from Meriander, in his homelandhe covertly supplied poisons to local lordsand aristocrats wishing to rid themselves oftheir enemies. When the smugglingoperation was discovered, yet before tracescould lead authorities to him, Eldras leftAlchemos. Changing name and identity,taking Teskithan as his new moniker, andafter passing some years keeping a lowprofile in the imperial bureaucracy,Teskithan found his way to the court ofAlpha. Teskithan is disciplined and thoroughin his craft – to not be could prove fatal in hisprofession; however, he is spineless indealings with others, and easily subject tobribes and blackmail.

15 Rodnox is ment ioned as the Regent Passgarr i son commander both in CM1 Test of theWar lords and M2 Vengeance of Alphaks.16 Here and in the res t of th is ar t ic le , the term“Norwolder” re fers to a spec i f ic e thn ic group.See my ar t ic le ,in “Threshold” I ssue No. 7, pages 50-51 formore deta i l s .

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ViktorZhucharnov,King’s Master ofHorse

(Chaotic 17th levelThief)17

Viktor is theyounger brother ofthe knyaz ofLazarsk, one of theVatski domains

pledging allegiance to King Ericall. Ruthlesslyambitious, Viktor was not content being justanother of his brother’s boyarin. Conspiringwith the latter to intercede on his behalf,Viktor slyly coerced Ericall into giving him aminor charge in Alpha’s court. Viktorconsiders this merely a first step in his climbto power – one to eventually be obtained bywhatever means is necessary.

The Greater Lords

The four court styled “Greater Lords” aredominion rulers holding the title of count,and thus represent - alongside Duke Lernalof Landfall - the highest ranking nobility inNorwold. Tending towards larger orstrategically located dominions, the GreaterLords are either personal acquaintances andallies of the king, or descendants of olderAlphatian families settling Norwold over a

century ago. Three Greater Lords - BeriakAlanira, Theobold Redbeard, and TralkarFenn - have been granted title over theirdomain during Ericall’s reign, while houseTherimar was already in existence beforeestablishment of the kingdom, yet KerikTherimar received title of Greater Lord afterpledging fealty to Ericall.

Beriak Alanira,Count of Drakenand Governor ofLandrise Province

Lawful 22nd levelMagic-User


Appearance: Thirty-three years old, andquite short for a Pure Alphatian at 5’7” tall,although held with a proud poise, Beriak isexceptionally slim and nearly haggard,weighing only 124 pounds. Having a verypale complexion and gaunt face, his hollowcheeks partially hidden beneath a thick beardand mustache, Beriak often wears a graveand mindful expression. Beriak wears hisblack hair long, framing a face with aprominent nose and purple eyes, and speakswith a hoarse baritone voice.

Background: Belonging to a powerful PureAlphatian noble family, Alanira ofStonewall,18 his family is nonetheless prone17 The character Vik tor comes f rom the module

CM4 Earthshaker ! Set in the future wi th regardto th is ar t ic le , where he appears as one of thev i l la ins and i s descr ibed as a “boyar” and a“nob leman” at Er ica l l ’ s cour t . I t ied h im to theru l ing fami ly of Lazarsk a f ter an idea ofGiampaolo Agosta ’s .

18 Alani ras ’ ancestors cou ld have beenAlphat ians f rom the Is le of Dawn, s ince theyut i l i ze a surname; a naming convent ionmain land Alphat ians do not employ. Also,Ber iak ’s s i s ter , a canon NPC from module CM1

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to anarchic behavior, rivalry, and infighting;despite close ties with King Koblan’s house.Due to his methodical personality, Beriak feltout of place amongst his family, leavinghome at a young age to pursue study of thearcane arts under various mentorsthroughout the Alphatian mainland. Duringhis tenure in Sundsvall, he met a youngEricall; the two becoming fast friends. Thefuture king admired the way Beriak treatedhim as an equal, and not as an inferior classas other Alphatian mages had. It was afterEricall visited Stonewall, at Beriak’ssuggestion, that Ericall first met Beriak’syoung sister Christina Marie,19 then a nineyear old girl. Greatly maturing during hisstay, the idea to found a kingdom of his owntook root. In 992 AC, when Ericall wasgranted Norwold, fulfilling his wish to founda realm where no discrimination would existbetween commoners and magic-users, theprince bid Beriak follow him to his newkingdom. Eriadna, appreciating Beriak’scharacter and positive influence over herson, asked the young wizard to advise, assist,and protect him from the dangers ofsovereignty. Since then, Beriak has stoodbeside Ericall in the day to day rule ofNorwold, alternating between time in Alphaand journeys throughout the wilderness ofNorwold, to visits to his family back in Draco,and continued study of the arcane arts inmainland Alphatia. Two years ago Ericall, at

his mother’s suggestion, granted Beriak thedominion of Draken, as well as rule ofLandrise Province; strategically protecting theeastern entrance to Great Bay.

Personality: Beriak is trustworthy,honorable, and extremely stern; despisingthe chaotic and reckless behavior of mostAlphatians. He holds lifelong affection andloyalty toward people who have shown himlove, given friendship, or helped him overthe course of his life. He harbors no specialattachment solely borne out of family ties ornational identity. Beriak is a great friend toEricall, considering him a just and honestruler. Though Beriak often feels Ericall lacksproper gumption, having to be continuallyadvised to ensure he makes the rightdecision. While relatively loyal to theAlphatian Empire, he will favor his king andgood friend should a conflict between thetwo arise. Beriak sincerely supports Ericall’saspiration to carve a kingdom from the wildlands of Norwold, bringing them under therule of law, and will do anything in his powerto help his friend and liege fulfill thispurpose. Currently, he is mainly concernedwith the defense of Great Bay; andmonitoring, through his spells and magicaldevices, the various individuals hauntingEricall’s court. Beriak is also promoting themarriage of his sister Christina Marie, stillliving in Draco among her Alanira relatives,with the king; in order to strengthen his ownties with Ericall as well as giving her a worthyand adoring husband.

Dominion: Beriak rules the County ofDraken, northeast of Alpha, on the northerncoast of Great Bay; laying immediately westof the Ljallenvals. Now one of the higherranking noblemen of Norwold, Beriak has

Test of the War lords - Chr is t ina Mar ie - c lear lyhas Thyat ian or a t very leas t Dawnian roots ,which are more eas i ly appl icab le i f the Alan i ras ’or ig ins can be t raced back to Dunada le orHi l l va le . The fami ly cou ld have migrated toStonewal l in the las t century or two, keepingvar ious cus toms, inc lud ing naming t rad i t ions ,f rom the i r ancest ra l homeland.19 This character i s descr ibed in CM1 Test ofthe War lords .

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brought many Alphatian settlers and soldiersfrom Stonewall, among them a small squadof battle-hardened Alphatian mages.20

Special Features: Beriak possesses a widearray of spells mostly devoted to control ofelemental energies, summoning, andprotection; with a focus on transmutation.Though primarily a battle mage, headditionally knows various detection spells,which he uses in conjunction with severaldivination oriented magic items. If needarises, Beriak may request either money orresources from his family in Draco, evenbeseeching the King of Stonewall, withwhom he maintains close ties.

Relevant Possessions: Helm of telepathy,ring of djinni summoning, ring of protection+4, tunic of armor AC 0,21 wand of cold,wand of fireballs.

Source: Mystaran Almanacs (MarcoDalmonte).

Kerik,Count ofTherimar andGovernor ofSharnadarProvince

Lawful 14th levelFighter


Appearance: Agefifty-one, Kerikexhibits a good natured personality, reflectedin his merry green eyes. His long hair, beard,and mustache – once brown – have alreadyturned completely white. Coppercomplected, and short for a CommonAlphatian at 5’8” tall, Kerik has a mediumbuild weighing 137 pounds. Kerik is usuallyattired in rich yet comfortable garments, andsimple jewelry.

Background: Kerik is heir to a noble housethat settled Norwold in the 9th century,during the last Alphatian colonization beforeEriadna’s reign. Ekerin, his father, witnessedthe plunder and subjugation of neighboringHastamal by savage Northmen, yet wasunable to drive them out. A warrior, likemost his ruling predecessors, Kerik inheritedthe throne in 982 AC, and has spent most histime fighting raiding humanoids, barbarianstribes, and Hastamal Northmen. As a result,he has become a gifted tactician highlyskilled in military strategy. The imperialcolonization begun by Eriadna in 985 AC, leftKerik with mixed feelings, the Alphatiansrecognizing the Northmen’s claim over

20 Some people a l so say that Ber iak inv i ted acouple of go ld dragons to l ive in the eas ternmounta ins , in order to keep the dangers of theLja l lenva ls a t bay; i t seems that these go lddragons rece ive a smal l amount of Draken 'syear ly income to patro l the reg ion and e l iminatedangerous monsters before they spread mayhemacross the county . See a l so the MystaranAlmanacs entry “Draken (Duchy of )” .21 Funct ions l ike a ; see AC4Book of Marve lous Magic , page 21.

http://pandius.com/draken3.html

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Hastamal instead of seizing the domain fromthem. Yet after receiving title to Norwold,Ericall elevated Kerik to rank of count, thusmaking him one of the higher rankingnoblemen of Norwold. Kerik’s wife diedsome years ago, leaving him an onlydaughter, Malaegha (Lawful NormalWoman). A comely twenty year old, Malaeghais nonetheless in frail condition, having yetto take a husband.

Personality: A cheerful and good-naturedman, Kerik is very popular among hissubjects, and well regarded beyond hisdominion borders, being in good standingwith most other lords. Kerik may be anexpert of all things martial, but is not ascapable judging character, resulting in morethan a few corrupt individuals in his court.Kerik loves his daughter above all else, andlongs to find a suitable husband in order toperpetuate the Therimar dynasty, yet isunwilling to force Malaegha into an unhappyunion. On the other hand, he would notreject his own opportunity to marry again.Kerik judges Ericall an inexperienced ruler,still with potential to mature into a great kinggiven due time. Holding onto this belief,Kerik unwaveringly supports Eriadna’s son.

Dominion: Therimar County is locatedsouthwest the Peninsula of Alpha, straddlingthe region between Regent’s Ridge and GreatBay. From Stoneface, his castle in Holion,Kerik manages modest agricultural activities,as well as healthy lumber and iron miningindustries. Therimar borders the dominionof Hastamal to the west, and an undeclaredwar persists between the two. Asger theGrim, ruler of Hastamal, is a bitter enemy ofhouse Therimar, since many years ago he

attempted to have Ekerin assassinated, andseize Therimar for himself.

Special Features: Though a skilled fighter,Kerik fought his last battles ten years passedagainst local humanoid tribes. Since that timehe has not wielded his sword in combat, andtherefore, makes his attack rolls with a -2penalty.

Relevant Possessions: Bastard sword +3,22

mace +1 of slowing, plate mail +3 of charm.

Source: NPC from Simone Neri’s owncampaign, after an NPC from the adventure“Non tutto quel che brilla… ” by M. Missiroli,in “Kaos”, an Italian fanzine of the 1990s,Issue No. 13.

Theobold Redbeard,Count of Lighthall and Governor ofLighthall Province

Lawful 17th level Fighter

Str 18, Int 12, Wis 9, Dex 14, Con 13, Cha 12

Appearance: Forty years old, Theobold haslightly tanned skin, and an imposing solidlybuilt figure at 6’2” tall and weighing 187pounds. He carries himself with a majesticcountenance. Theobold has red hair, a fullred beard, and keen blue eyes. Favoringplain-clothes of high-quality fabric, he wearslittle jewels or ornamentation; feeling muchmore comfortable inside a suit of armor.

Background: Theobold is a native of mixedAlphatian-Dawner ancestry from northernHillvale. At quite a young age, he joined the

22 This bas tard sword, ca l led “Red Scourge”, i sa Ther imar fami ly he i r loom.

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East Portage army, eventually moving to theHeavy Imperial Marines, finally ending hisservice in the Imperial Army. All the while,occasionally leading a group of adventurersin a series of successful and rewarding questsacross the Alphatian countryside on the Isleof Dawn. Having reached the rank ofCommander in the army, being friend toGeneral Torenal, he was sent to Norwold in992 AC to help organize King Ericall’sfledgling army, widening his control over therealm. Theobold performed quite well in thisduty, and was granted domain of Lighthallfive years ago, receiving a title as count andgovernorship over the surrounding province.

Personality: Theobold is an army veteranwith no time for formal court ceremonies, orlavish parties and feasts. While eager to provehis hand at ruling a dominion, Theobold isstill a soldier at heart, and will likely neverlose his martial attitude and curtmannerisms. Unfortunately he is plagued byseveral shortcomings; worst among them afondness for hard liquor. Theobold bearsabsolute loyalty toward his king and theAlphatian Empire, even if he disapproves ofcertain aspects concerning Ericall’sleadership; such as the appointment ofLernal as Governor over Landfall, or courtcosts for construction of the Royal Palace;however, he keeps those thoughts to himself.He has little patience for inexperienced andentitled adolescents not able to cope withtheir responsibilities, considering Ericallamong them. If conflict arose between Ericalland Alphatia, Theobold would begrudginglyobey his king; but would switch allegiance ifdirect orders were received from Sundsvall,and the king—from his point of view—wasclearly headed down the wrong path.

Dominion: Theobold rules the County ofLighthall, centered round a small townmidway between Oceansend and Landfall, socalled because of its towering lighthouses.Since the loss of Helskir, defense of the straithas fallen on Theobold’s shoulders, and hedevotes most his energy to this task. Luckilythe county is a highly developed agriculturaland fishing center; providing the necessaryfunds Theobold needs to maintain a smallflotilla and successfully perform his charge.

Special Features: If need be, he is still ableto call upon his former adventuringcomrades: Hogun Steelcap (Lawful 12th levelDwarf, now a general in Rockhome), LaralynAthiliar (Neutral 10th level Elf, from Shiye-Lawr), Quentin Larathor (Neutral 17th levelMagic-User, from Helskir), and Theona of theRighteous Glory (a missionary fromBettellyn, Lawful 17th level Cleric of theSeven).23 Most are part of the “League ofExtraordinary Adventurers”,24 a societycreated by Ericall, and led by Theobold, withthe goal of gathering seasoned adventurersto help defend Norwold and Alphatia.

Relevant Possessions: Dagger +3, normalsword +3,25 plate mail +3, pouch ofsecurity, shield +3, spear +3 returning.

23 The Fa i th of the Seven i s the of f ic ia lre l ig ion of the Kingdom of Bet te l l yn. See TheAlphat ian Prov ince of Bet te l l yn (by B. Heard ) .24 The group is descr ibed in GAZF8 TheStreets of Landfa l l (by JTR) .25 Theobold’s dagger i s ca l led “Fang”, whi leh is sword i s ca l led “Tro l lbane”. Both are o ldDawnian weapons forged to repe l humanoidsand monsters of Bog land. Wounds in f l i c ted bythese weapons cannot be hea led throughregenerat ion.

http://bruce-heard.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-alphatian-province-of-bettellyn.html

http://bruce-heard.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-alphatian-province-of-bettellyn.html



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Source: M4 Five Coins for a Kingdom,provisional writeup by Giampaolo Agosta(agathokles).

Tralkar Fenn,Count of Hulgarholmand Governor of Islesof the Strand Province

Neutral 20th levelFighter

Str 16, Int 16, Wis 14,Dex 13, Con 14, Cha 11

Appearance: Though apparently forty yearsold, at fifty two Tralkar still presents anominous presence, with pale, near whitePure Alphatian coloration. Tall, brawny, andstout; Tralkar is 6’2” tall and weighs 212pounds. Wearing his long straight black hairdown to the small of his back, Tralkar alsosports a short beard and mustache. Tralkar’sjet black eyes betray his inner gloom, andresemble two deep wells of darkness. Severalwhiplash marks mar his back, and a deepscar dominates the left side of his face.Tralkar favors heavy fur-trimmed clothing indark colors. In battle, he rides a blackdestrier and dons magical plate mailcomplete with a fearsome helm fashioned inthe shape of an orc skull.

Background: Born Andryliar in Frisland,Tralkar is the despised second son of anAlphatian lord. Incapable of learning magic,he simmered at the abuse heaped upon him.At twenty years of age, he engaged in anaffair with his brother’s fiancé, lateruncovered by his sibling. His brother, madwith rage and jealousy, strangled the girl;

placing blame for the crime upon Andryliar,and providing false evidence their father wasall too eager to believe. Andryliar managed toflee before the farce, but his brother caughtwind of his escape. Tracking him down andoverpowering him, his brother then brutallylashed him, leaving him face down and leftfor dead in a southern Frisland river.However; Andryliar survived, and after thenear-death experience hid in Stonewallrecovering and assuming a fake identity.Hence Tralkar Fenn was born, feigningHelskir origins. Performing various duties,mostly as bodyguard and mercenary, Tralkarused all his earnings to improve his skill withthe sword; later journeying across much ofthe Alphatian Empire. Often seeking duelswith the condescending wizards he hadcome to despise. Finally returning to hisfamily estate in Frisland, his father havingdied some years before, Tralkar ruthlesslytook revenge upon his brother; killing hisfamily before him, before slaughtering him aswell. Afterwards, keeping his identity asTralkar, living as mercenary and soldier formany years, climbing the ranks of Stonewall’sarmy. In 985 AC when Alphatia attempted toregain control of Norwold, Tralkar at lastfound a ripe opportunity to leave the magedominated Alphatian mainland and establisha base of power elsewhere. Askingpermission to leave the service of Stonewall’ssovereign, enlisting among the expeditionaryunits going to take control of Norwold,Tralkar was among the first detachments toarrive. Without direct orders from hissuperiors, he launched a daring surpriseattack against the Ostland dominion ofOstmark, encompassing the Isles of theStrand. His swift military action destroyedthe Northman’s hold over them, afterwardsexecuting the ruling clanleaders. This brutal

21



action nonetheless received approval fromTralkar’s superior, also convincing manycoastal communities in Norwold, acceptingAlphatian rule was the safer choice. Afterleading further military actions in Norwold,in 992 AC Ericall made Tralkar Count ofHulgarholm and Governor of Isles of theStrand Province, with the important task ofwatching the Strait of Helskir. Since 997 AC,when Theobold Redbeard was grantedCounty of Lighthall, Tralkar has devoted lessand less time to patroling the strait, whichhas become a matter of contention betweenhe and Theobold. Tralkar has recently madesecret trade agreements and delved intoplots with the rebel king of Helskir. Tralkarmarried a thirty two year old Northwomannative to the Isle of the Dogs, Sassa Kajadottir(Neutral Normal Woman), has given him twosons, the eldest being ten years old, and adaughter.

Personality: Ruthless and extremely cynical,shaped by life’s past events into anemotionless man, Tralkar delights only indiscord and battle. Tralkar despises theAlphatian society which forbid him to rise instatus, harboring a special hatred towardarrogant tyrannical wizards. Tralkar is by nomeans a revolutionary or a benefactor, onlylooking out for his own opportunities.Tralkar is clever, vigilant, and vengeful;letting no offense go unanswered. Thoughrash, often seeking immediate revenge whenpossible, he is otherwise content to seekvengeance after many years have passed.Wanting to widen his power in Norwold,Tralkar considers the current situation ideal,serving a guileless king such as Ericall.Tralkar’s primary goal is laying his hands onthe rich city-state of Oceansend, alreadyplacing some of his best spies in the city.

Through them, he has made contact withThyatian agents within the city, and isevaluating the possibility of an agreementwith Thyatis, possibly even exploiting thestruggle between the rival empires toaugment his power in Norwold.

Dominion: Tralkar’s dominion encompassesthe entire Isle of Dogs; ruling from his keepin Abengor, west of the isle’s northernmarshes. One of the isle’s main settlementsfounded by Northmen from Ostmark decadesago. The island’s economy primarily focuseson fishing, with sustenance farming carriedon for local needs. A rising trade hasemerged in the county, centered round ivorytusks from walruses dwelling in the waterssurrounding Walrus Island to the northeast.Tralkar’s walrus hunters are trying todominate the trade by eliminating all rivals;namely Oceansend. This has caused furtherattrition, and some skirmishes, between rivalseaborne hunters from Hulgarholm and themainland city-state.

Special Features: Tralkar is a skilledtactician and efficient administrator, wellversed in intrigue. Leading a small yet well-equipped mercenary army, and a signifigantflotilla of sea reavers, with bases hiddenamong the Isle of Dogs’ marshes, or aroundWalrus Island’s coasts. Tralkar also has at hisdisposal a number of efficient spies, some ofwhom work in Oceansend and Helskir, andhe will soon attempt to place agents amongthe new dominions created after the GreatLand Rush. In combat, Tralkar uses hismagical armor’s ethereality power to goodadvantage, and favors using only his bastardsword, switching between one-handed andtwo-handed styles, having mastered both; not

22



ruling out treachery and deception whenappropriate.

Relevant Possessions: Amulet of the iron-minded,26 dagger +2 of watching, gauntletsof the shocking grasp,27 bastard sword +4/+8vs spellcasters, plate mail +3 of ethereality,ring of protection +2, ring of spell turning.

Source: M5 Talons of Night Reference toOstmark is borrowed from its description inthe Mystara section of the Italian GamesAcademy forum, written by Corann; whichdoes not include any mention of Tralkar.

Petty Lords

The following lords already controlledvarious regions when Ericall was granted thecrown of Norwold. Their number includesdescendants of old Alphatian familiesmigrating to Norwold in the 9th century AC,whom the king granted baronial title withinNorwold’s hierarchy, as well as individualsobtaining control of their lands in moredubious fashion, yet managing to legitimizeits possession by swearing oaths of fealty to

the king. Several pre-existing lords use titlesnot commonly part of Alphatia’s hierarchy,and are deemed below baronial rank.

Asger the Grim,Lord (Jarl) of Hastamal

Chaotic 11th level Magic-User

Str 10 (6), Int 15, Wis 12, Dex 13 (9),Con 15 (11), Cha 16

Appearance: Asger is forty-five years old,though looks at least ten years older. Fair-skinned, almost pale, having short stature fora Northman at 5’7” tall, and a frail buildweighing only 130 pounds with a slightlyhunched posture. Asger has waist-length,wild grey hair, tied in various braids andpigtails, no beard but long mustache, andintense light green eyes. Asger has adistinctive scar on his upper back, andusually wears colorful clothes in a mix ofNorthman and Alphatian styles.

Background: Asger’s father, MortenBloodaxe, was an Ostland raider belongingto the ruling clan of Vestpont, and followerof Loki. In 973 AC Morten and his men, hisson among them, raided northward; sackingmany villages on Norwold’s eastern coast,and ending with the conquest of theAlphatian dominion of Hastamal, in thesouthern Great Bay, massacring its rulinghouse. The Northmen managed to hold fastagainst forces of nearby Alphatian dominionTherimar. Morten settled in as jarl ofHastamal, keeping control of the localpopulation with his ruthless band of raiders.Young Asger learned the rudiments of magicfrom a captured hireling of the former

26 This amulet grants the wearer immuni ty toa l l - l ike , mind contro l l ing and readingspe l l s and ef fects cas t by spe l l cas ters of 7 t h

l eve l or lower, or by monsters wi th seven or lessHD. I t a l so grants a +3 bonus on sav ing throwsagains t a l l o ther - l ike, mind contro l l ingand reading ef fects .27 These gaunt le ts a l low the wearer to de l iveronce per round, three t imes da i ly , a powerfu le lect r ica l shock which may a l so be channeledthrough weapons the ins tant they h i t the i rtarget . Each shock dea ls 1d8+6 points ofdamage. When donning the gaunt le ts , smal lnon-damaging e lect r ica l sparks run across the i rsur face.

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Alphatian lords, and became jarl of Hastamalupon Morten’s passing in 978 AC. A yearlater; however, he was backstabbed and byan Alphatian slave girl, killing him. Priests ofLoki raised him, and Asger delighted inbrutally torturing the girl. The girl cursedAsger just before dying, and after his healthand physique have faltered, often weak andprone to illness. In the long years since, hehas waged an intermittent war against nearbyTherimar, sending his raiders to pillage thevillages of the Great Bay. Continuallysearching for arcane secrets to cure his curse.In 985 AC, he agreed to ally with theAlphatians and cease his raids in order tokeep possession of his dominion, andsubsequently in 992 AC, Ericall recognizedhis control over Hastamal, letting him keepthe title of lord (jarl).

Personality: Asger is cruel, ruthless,bloodthirsty, and treacherous; utterly loyal tothe Immortal Loki and his priests plaguingthe dominion. Asger is only interested ingathering more political and magical clout,and appeasing Loki by fostering treacheryand the spread of chaos throughoutNorwold, and eventually hopes to lift thecurse that lays hold over him. He has triedfor many years to conquer the nearbydomain of Therimar with the strength ofarms, but to no avail - and now he isplanning to use subtler means against CountKerik. Asger has kept many concubinesthrough the years, but has never been able tofather any children, suspecting the curse maybe to blame. While many Hastamal Northmenthink Asger is unfit to rule, having severelyweakened physically and mentally, he is awizard no one dares challenge as long as thepriests of Loki protect him.

Dominion: The Jarldom of Hastamal lays onthe southern shores of the Great Bay, about280 miles south-west of Alpha and due westof Therimar. Asger’s seat is in Hastoun, theformer castle of the Alphatian lords,surrounded by a large fortified coastalvillage. Hastamal’s population is mostlyAlphatian on the coast, and Norwolder in theinterior’s woodlands. A small number ofNorthman clans and their warriors rule overthe land, under the leadership of Asger andof his priests of Loki; they also make up thebulk of the jarl’s guard. The jarldom’s maintrades are fishing, hunting, trapping, andraiding - which, despite Ericall’s orders,Asger’s men continue to practice againstunprotected or isolated villages of the GreatBay.

Special Features: Asger’s spells mostly comefrom the spellbooks stolen from the formerAlphatian lords of Hastamal, which deal withwater and air elemental power. He has neverresearched a spell of his own, and wouldneed to apprentice under a more powerfulmagic-user, but he does not like to give outclues about his lack of power. The curseswhich affects him lowers his physicalattribute scores by 4 points each (use thescores given in brackets, above), and Asgerhas not found a way to lift the curse yet.Asger’s most trusted advisor is the cunning,handsome, and silver-tongued Tryggvi(Chaotic 9th-level Cleric of Loki), who alsoacts as high priest of Loki in Hastamal.

Relevant Possessions: Bugle of reviving,28

magic compass,29 periapt of protection

28 See AC4 Book of Marve lous Magic , page21.29 I f the user ut ters the command word andnames a p lace, th is magica l compassimmediate ly points i t s need le toward that

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The Staff of Aquatic

Wizardry

Created by a former Alphatian lord ofHastamal, this powerful staff is fashionedfrom driftwood, ritually purified andimbued with magical energy. Presently heldby the Jarl of Hastamal, Asger the Grim.Wielded as a staff +2 in combat; as long asit remains in contact with the user it grantsidentical powers of a ring of protection +2,and allows the handler to survive withoutbreathing for up to seven days. Three timesper week, at the cost of 2 charges, the staffcan create a waterspout – a funnel of water100’ high and 40’ wide at the top, taperingto 5’ at the base. Anything caught in thisawesome storm is helplessly tossed about,unable to act. If the wielder wishes, a victimcan be spat out at a speed of 160’. Shouldthe victim’s momentum be halted bysomething solid, the impact inflicts 5d12points of damage. The waterspout lasts for2d4 rounds and can be created on or belowthe surface of any body of water.Additionally, the staff can cast several spellsat the power of a 10th level magic-user.Currently it has seventeen charges left.

The staff casts the following spells at a costof 2 charges apiece:

● charm aquatic creature – a version ofsnake charm which affects allunderwater fish, mammals, and reptiles;

● Detect danger;

● Levitate;

● Obscure;

● Shield;

● water whisper – similar to wind whisperfound in PC4 Night Howlers, yet onlyfunctioning underwater.

The staff casts the following spells at a costof 2 charges apiece:

● calm water (see GAZ9 The MinrothadGuilds);

● conjure elemental (water only);

● control weather;

● crystallize – a version of disintegratewhich permanently turns an object intoa fragile, crystalline substance;

● growth of animal – only sea animals,affecting up to five creatures;

● hold monster;

● lightning bolt;

● lower water;

● sea swarm – a version of insect plaguewhich conjures a school of small fish orsea creatures, and only functionsunderwater;

● summon sea creatures – see GAZ9 TheMinrothad Guilds;

● water breathing.

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against drowned dead,30 staff of aquaticwizardry,31 wand of cold.

Sources: NPC from Simone Neri’s owncampaign, after an NPC of the adventure“Non tutto quel che brilla… ” by M. Missiroli,in “Kaos”, an Italian fanzine of the 1990s,Issue No. 13.

Azirun IV,Baron of Khemyr



Appearance: Fifty-three years old, copperCommon Alphatian complexion, tall andmuscular at 6’2”, but a little overweightweighing 198 pounds. He has gold-coloredeyes, dark brown graying hair, and a shortbeard. Azirun’s left hand is missing after afight against a frost giant many years ago;strapping a silver hand to his left wrist.Azirun favors clothes in dark red and blackcolors. He always displays a diamond earring,originally belonging to Azirun I, a customcarried down the family line.

Background: Azirun is descendant of anAlphatian lord settling the shores of GreatBay in the latter half of the 9th century AC.Azirun I, first lord of his line, was a warrior

from Notrion founding the domain ofKhemyr on the southeastern shore of GreatBay, yet forced to abandon it soon after theLong Winter began. With aid of a valiantgroup of companions, he fought against theWitch Queen, Frota, and her minions;eventually defeating her and liberating hisdomain. Despite the overall failure ofAlphatian colonization, Azirun chose to stayin Khemyr protecting the sparse hamlets ofthe area, whose inhabitants graduallyaccepted him as their lord. Thus the youngAzirunides dynasty was born. Current ruler,Azirun IV, came to power in 989 AC.Previously, young Azirun had spent timeadventuring within the wilderness ofNorwold, Alphatia, and even the Plane of Air,following a conjurer companion in hisstruggle against enemy djinn. The eldestamong his siblings, he was schooled in therule of Khemyr by his ederly father TheradunII, and ultimately inherited the domain,Theradun dying of natural causes. In 992 AC,Azirun greeted the Kingdom of Norwold’sestablishment with hope and joy; the newking appointing him Baron of Khemyr. Sincethen Azirun has become one of the king’sstaunchest supporters among minorNorwold noblemen. Azirun, is married toErmonya (Chaotic 14th level Thief), a forty-five year old fellow adventuress fromDawnrim. They have a twenty year olddaughter named Shala (Lawful 7th levelFighter). Azirun rules Khemyr with the aid ofhis two younger brothers, Assuryon (Chaotic4th level Fighter) and Qurdyan (Lawful 9th

level Magic-User), and his sister Naira (Lawful13th level Cleric of Ixion), each having theirown family.

Personality: Straightforward and organized,Azirun upholds the honorable warrior code

locat ion. The compass does not funct ionunderground.30 This per iapt repe ls a l l undead aquat iccreatures ; mesmers , ve lyas , dev i l f i shes , andundead an imated f rom those los t a t sea; a t ad is tance of ten feet f rom the wearer . Creaturesforced ins ide th is rad ius f ight wi th a -2 pena l tyon at tack ro l l s .31 See boxed text .

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he inherited from his ancestors; aspiring tolive up to them. Proud of his heritage, Azirunwill not miss an opportunity to mention hisheritage in front of newly anointednoblemen, sometimes presenting his staturein a haughty manner. Azirun’s ambition is tobuild Khemyr into a powerful and respecteddominion, and thinks the Kingdom ofNorwold’s establishment is the perfect time.However; Azirun is aware he is growingolder, and desires his daughter Shala retirefrom her adventuring, and take the reins ofgovernment, marrying an honorable lord assoon as possible.

Dominion: Khemyr is located directly southof Alpha in a forested stretch of coastlandalong the strait separating Great Bay from theGulf of Wrecks. Its population is mostlynative, with additional Alphatian immigrants.The barony’s industries revolve aroundfishing, farming, logging, and sparse mining,with most raw materials sent to Alpha.Azirunide house is quite united, and thebaron entrusts his siblings with mostgovernmental duties. A reclusive elvenForesthome is located in the forests beyondKhemir’s southern borders; and thus farhaving not trespassed into elven territory, theelves are indifferent to Khemir’s presence.

Special Features: If required to engage incombat, Azirun fights from horseback usinglance, sword and shield. To overcome hishandicap, Azirun straps his shield tightly tohis arm. An astonishingly skilled rider Azirunis able to maneuver his horse using only hisknees. A natural leader, Azirun breedsconfidence among his soldiers in battle.

Relevant Possessions: Censer of controllingair elementals, native drums,32 normalsword +2/+4 vs genies,33 plate mail +1.

Sources: NPC from Simone Neri’s owncampaign.

Ragnar Blueshoulder,Lord (Jarl) of Noskien

Neutral 15th level Thief


Appearance: Ragnar is thirty-two years old,fair skin with medium height and build at5’10” tall, weighing 156 pounds, and anoverall unremarkable appearance. Ragnar hasblue eyes, unruly dark blond hair bound intoa large ponytail, and a long mustache.Losing his right eye in combat, he now wearsan eyepatch over it. Ragnar usually wearsroughspun clothes in the Northmentraditional style.

Background: Askel, Ragnar’s father, was amember of the clan ruling Haltford inSoderfjord. After numerous quarrels with hisrelatives, Askel felt he had nothing to gain bystaying in Haltford. Stealing one of the clan’slongships, Askel fled north with his wife andsmall band of followers. For years after theylived raiding the coasts of Helskir, Redstoneand Oceansend; establishing a hideawayamong the northwestern coastal marshes ofthe Isle of Dawn. After seven years, in 974AC, they founded an additional northern

32 See AC4 Book of Marve lous Magic , page30.3 3 This sword , ca l l ed “D j inns layer” , g ran t s a +4bonus to h i t and damage ro l l s aga ins t d j inn ande f ree t . Moreover i t dea l s doub le damage aga ins tl e s se r and g rea te r d j inn .

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outpost for their raids against Norwold,settling a fortified camp they called Noskienat the northern tip of the Tranquil Coast.When the Alphatians returned in 985 AC,Askel kept a low profile, directing his raidsonly against non-Alphatian convoys, allowinghim to avoid Ostmark’s fate, conquered in985 AC. (See Tralkar Fenn’s backgroundabove). Some years later, Askel died fightingagainst the Thyatian navy, which haddiscovered his hideout amid the Isle ofDawn’s marshes and there cornered him.Ragnar, then twenty-three years old, hadremained in Noskien, taking lead of the restof his clan and supplementing it with otherNorthmen vikings, securing alliance withlocal interior native tribes. Not fearingEricall’s retaliation, he began staging daringraids against trading vessels passing nearbyNoskien; also hitting coastal villages on thenorthern Isle of Dawn. Begrudginglyfollowing the advice of his counselors, Ericallultimately agreed it was better to buyRagnar’s alliance than start a costly militarycampaign against him. Thus, in 998 AC,Ericall offered Ragnar absolution; if theSoderfjordan pirate would pledge fealty andstop his raids against Alphatian and Norwoldshipping, the king would spare him from themight of his navy. Ragnar agreed, and sincethen has mostly directed his raids againstforeign shipping; specifically Oceansend, theHeldannic Territories, Helskir, and northerncountries of the Western Sea of Dawn; butalso often attacks ships from the Alphatianmainland or the Isle of Dawn, and the mostisolated villages upon Norwold’s coasts,when the opportunity arises.

Personality: Ragnar is a thoughtful andcalculating man, ruthless and authoritarian,whose desire for wealth is never sated.

Despite his behavior, he holds a surprisinglystrict notion of Northmen honor. Oncegiving his word, Ragnar’s loyalty is absolute.Of course, this means the opposite is alsotrue, his threats unconditional as well.

Dominion: Ragnar’s jarldom consists of asandy stretch of coast along the TranquilCoast’s northern end. The sea aroundNoskien is treacherous, and quite difficult tonavigate unless one knows where the variousshallows and seamounts are located. Theplain is swept by strong winds; resulting instubby plants covering the soil, giving way towoodland only far inland. The village ofNoskien lies beneath one of the few coastalcliffs in the dominion. Ragnar keeps a smallflotilla of viking longships there. A steep pathrises above the village to a line of hillsbeyond, and on the highest of these is whereRagnar has built his keep. Noskien’spopulation is made up of many natives andNorthmen, and a small percentage offoreigners captured during raids broughthere as slaves. Only the “feoffees” class,Northman warriors and leaders appointed bythe jarl, are allowed to own land in thedominion; also forming the backbone ofRagnar’s advisors, lieutenants, and seacaptains.

Special Features: Because of having beenraised as a raider, Ragnar always favorsswiftness over brute force, learning the valueof performing feats of agility and dexterityover brute strength. In combat, he preferswearing light armor and fights in a two-weapon style, using sword and dagger.Ragnar’s most trusted advisors are MadsDitmerson (Chaotic 8th level Cleric ofThanatos, worshipped in the Immortal’snorthern guise of Darga), a former comrade

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of Ragnar’s father; and Thomara Lhenic(Chaotic 7th level Magic-User). While Ragnaris not a follower of Darga, he allows Mads torun a half sunken temple in Noskien, in hisImmortal’s name, where the cleric secretlypractices human sacrifice by drowning.Thomara; a beautiful young woman of mixedNorwolder-Alphatian descent fromOceansend, whom Ragnar captured, makingher his slave; became his favorite concubine.Afterwards “freeing” her, when she becamehis favorite mistress. Thomara still harbors asecret desire for revenge against him.

Relevant Possessions: Leather armor +2,normal sword +2,34 ring of protection +2,ring of water breathing.

Sources: NPC from Tharquil’s homepage, inFrench, and not available anymore on theweb.

Rolland Adlamson,Baron of Nevoshed

Neutral 8th level Fighter


Appearance: Thirty-two years old, six feettall and slender weighing 168 pounds.Although having handsome features, Rollandis an albino, with light gray eyes having areddish tint, and completely white hair. Hewears his straight hair down his back, andgoes clean shaven. Despite a sicklyappearance, Rolland is wiry and swift. Hedoes not usually venture forth before sunset,as prolonged exposure to sunlight hurts his

pallid skin. When under the sun, Rollanddons magical plate mail engraved withgolden lion heads, the baron’s coat of arms,and wrapping himself in a satin purple cloak.

Background: Born in a rural village inKendach, Rolland Adlamson was son of apeasant family. After his parents died, he wascast out from his village because of his oddalbino appearance. Fleeing into theDunadale Bogs’ wilderness, he lived amonggroups of bandits. Following the banditsdefeat by local forces, the boy was sparedand taken in by an Alphatian warrior. Seeingpotential in the boy, the warrior decided toeducate and train him. Acting as the warrior’ssquire, Rolland became a proficient fighter inhis own right. Having taught Rollandeverything he knew, his benefactor finally bidhe go off in search of adventure, and makehis own fortunes. Rolland had manyescapades in the Known World and the northuntil 991 AC, when he stumbled upon thetiny village of Nevoshed, nestled in amountain valley near the Great Bay ofNorwold. Nevoshed’s lord had a daughter,Galathea, whose husband had been killed byraiding frost giant weeks earlier, her lordfather having been seriously wounded aswell. Though mortally wounded, the lordhastily organized a tournament in whichcompetitors would fight against a championfor his daughter’s hand, as local traditionrequired. It fell upon Lord Nevoshed’schampion Pongo, a dwarf, to decide whowould be his daughter’s husband. By chance,Rolland met Galathea, falling deeply in lovewith her. Galathea loved Rolland in return,despite his appearance, and asked he takepart in the tournament. The evening beforethe event, Galathea secretly drugged Pongo,and after defeating the other competitors,34 Ragnar ’s sword i s ca l led “Ta lon” and a l lows

i ts wie lder to cas t two t imes per day.

http://www.reocities.com/Area51/Shire/7837/jdr.html

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Rolland easily defeated the ailing dwarf.Thus, Rolland became husband to Galathea,and when Galathea’s father died weeks later,Rolland also became Lord of Nevoshed. Inthe following years, Rolland and Galathea(Neutral Normal Woman) pledged fealty toKing Ericall, earning them baronial status.They also have a daughter, Lina, born in 994AC. Today, Rolland and his beautiful wife arecontent ruling their secluded dominion, andare seldom seen at court unless summonedby the king. In most instances, Galatheamore often shows up in the capital alone.

Personality: Rolland is forthright, solemn,and reserved; often behaving callously whendealing with people of lower status or rank.Nevoshed justice is extremely severe towardlawbreakers and criminals. His albinism andstrange appearance do not endear him toothers, either. The people of Nevoshed donot love him, but respect and fear hisleadership and authority; Rolland being anefficient ruler who has successfully defendedthe dominion from giant and humanoid raidsin the past. Rolland deeply loves his wifeGalathea and daughter Lina, and will stop atnothing—even jeopardizing friends,dominion, and king – to protect them.

Dominion: Nevoshed is an old dominionalso dating back to the latter half of the 9th

century AC, during the last Norwoldcolonization before Eriadna’s reign. Thepurpose of the dominion was to establish aroute between Foxes’ River and Kilmik Valethrough Green Pass; but when the LongWinter came the entire plan faltered.Nevoshed survived Witch Queen Frota’sreign, but remained an isolated wildernessoutpost. Shandril, widow of the original Lordof Nevoshed, had only a young daughter.

Deeming the girl would not survive to ruleNevoshed, Shandril decided to follow localmarriage custom, staging a tournament todecide her husband. Since Shandril’s time,over a century ago, Nevoshed has continuedthe custom of matrilineal succession, thecrown passing to the eldest daughter, whosehusband is chosen through tournament.

The Barony of Nevoshed is located amongforested mountains along the Foxes’ River.Deep snow blankets the dominion in winter,and bitter winds blow down from theheights. The principal village of the barony,also named Nevoshed, is a fortifiedsettlement located at the confluence of theFoxes’ and Blue Rivers, which flows fromEagles’ Barrier to the northeast. The Foxes’River being the larger of the two. The baron’scastle rests upon a high hummock toweringover the village. The barony’s inhabitants aremostly Norwolders and Vrodniki, withAlphatians making up the bulk of the castle’spersonnel. Foxfolk lupin inhabit thedomain’s fringes. Hunting, logging, andtrapping are Nevoshed’s main occupations;the products often shipped on log bargesdownriver to the coast and onwards toAlpha; often accompanied by what little tradeproducts are gained from neighboringNorwolder and Vrodniki tribes. Thedominion is harassed by raiding frost giantsin winter, and humanoid (mostly troll)marauders, but they rarely attack Nevoshed,defended by the baroness’ veteran guard anda hardy and well-armed militia.

Special Features: Baron Rolland’schampion, and his predecessor’s as well, is ahideous dwarf hunchback nicknamed Pongo(Lawful 9th level Dwarf), and despite beingutterly stupid is extremely faithful and

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monstrously strong. Rolland defeated Pongo,in part thanks to Galathea’s treachery, in thelast tournament held in Nevoshed. Pongopledged his loyalty afterwards and has beenRolland’s faithful servant ever since.Baroness Galathea’s love for Rolland hasdiminished these past years, and she hasbecome somewhat distant toward him, whichgrieves the baron as he still has strong lovefor her. While feeling connected to Nevoshedand her family’s history, Galathea does notcare for baronial administration, leaving theduties to her husband, enjoying every chanceshe has to journey to Alpha. Taking in thepleasures a more civilized place, as well asaffording her the opportunity to frolic withthe men of Alpha’s court. Nevertheless, sheloves her daughter Lina, wanting to raise heraccording to Nevoshed custom, and wouldnever abandon Rolland or the dominion.

Relevant Possessions: Amulet of protectionagainst undead,35 plate mail +1, ring ofprotection +2, two-handed sword +3.

Sources: NPC from Simone Neri’s owncampaign, after an NPC of the adventure “Lamaledizione del divoratore d’anime” by R. DiMeglio and S. Peruzzi, in “Kaos”, an Italianfanzine of the 1990s, Issue No. 17.

Sabatio the Fiend,Lord of Somyra

Chaotic 9th level Fighter


Appearance: Sabatio is sixty-three years old,and of average height at 5’9”, yet rotund andburly weighing 190 pounds, with a squatappearance and unattractive features. Sabatiohas strong wide jaw, and low forehead withbushy eyebrows. His eyes are brown, and hishair white worn shoulder length, with a thickbeard and mustache. Almost never takes offhis armor, and always sports a goldencoronet as a token of his authority.

Background: Sabatio de Florio was born inOreggiano, Caurenze Principality; son of alocal stonecutter. Instead of following in hisfather’s footsteps, Sabatio found intimidationand bullying easier, earning money takingdisreputable jobs blackmailing and robbingpeople for his clients. Once coming of age,he enlisted in Caurenze’s army, increasinghis meagre officer’s wage through extortion.Sabatio’s military career ended after he andhis band robbed a man turning out to havepowerful connections with the wizard elite.Sabatio and some of his men desertedinstead of facing capture and trial, fleeing toDarokin. In the following years, Sabatio hiredout the services of his small mercenary bandto the highest bidder; typically crimekingpins, unscrupulous noblemen, andbrigand chiefs; touring Darokin, Thyatis, theHeldannic Territories, and parts of the Isle ofDawn. Around 976 AC, Sabatio’s banddecided to head to Norwold, a land leftlawless by the last war between Thyatis andAlphatia two decades before. Hired as

35 This amulet grants a +2 bonus on savesaga ins t undead spec ia l a t tacks - -a ghoul ’spara lys i s , vampire ’s gaze, e tc . I t a l so enab lesthe wearer to avoid the ef fects of spec ia la t tacks f rom undead which do not usua l lypermi t a sav ing throw (such as energy dra in ) i fsuccess fu l ly making a save versus Spel l s wi th a-2 pena l ty .

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mercenaries, squeezing goods from peasantsand plundering helpless villages, Sabatio’sband toured the eastern coast of Norwoldnorthward. Infamously known as “the Fiend”due to the wicked and brutal actions carriedout by his band. Eventually, in 982 AC, theyarrived in the domain of Somyra, whose lordhad been killed and being ravaged by orcsand giants descending from the Dragon SpurHills. Utilizing a magical belt’s power foundduring his travels, Sabatio managed toextend control over the orc chieftains,turning them against the giants, and chasingthem out of the dominion. Sabatio thendecided they should seize the domain;occupying the castle of the late Alphatianlords. Sabatio claimed title of Lord ofSomyra, imposing his tyrannical rule over itsinhabitants. When Alphatia startedrecolonizing Norwold in 985 AC, “the Fiend”paid his due, secure the coasts near hisdominion and Kilmik Vale to the south usinghis human and orc troops; earning theAlphatians’ trust. When Ericall became Kingof Norwold in 992 AC, Sabatio wasreluctantly confirmed as Lord of Somyra,earning the lowest rank of landed nobility.Sabatio cares little about his rank so long ashe is able to rule his dominion in any fashionhe sees fit. Currently a widower; Sabatioleaves increasing governmental duties to hisson Aloiso ‘the Hawk’ (Chaotic 6th levelFighter), a thirty-five year old possessingworse traits than his father. Aloiso is atreacherous opponent, with an interest innecromancy.

Personality: Sabatio cares about little andno one, only respecting those stronger thanhimself. Always scheming, he seeks to gainthe upper hand in all his interactions.Constantly wary and trusting no one,

including his own son and former comrades,Sabatio favors the company of his orcminions over all others. Sabatio is content tosilently rule Somyra, allowing his men toabuse the local population, so long as it doesnot result in open rebellion. However; hismen freely raid settlements outside Somyra’sborders, taking slaves to trade, andparticipating in any number of disreputableactivities as long as blame does not reachtheir lord. Sabatio has neither love norrespect for King Ericall, but fears the eventualsolidification of the king’s power overNorwold, doing his best to keep the kingweak in order to continue his depredationsundisturbed.

Dominion: The Lordship of Somyra islocated on the coast south of Raiders’ Pointand the Eagles’ Barrier, reaching inlandtoward the Dragon Spur Hills. The originaldominion was colonized less than a centuryago by settlers migrating from Oceansendand the Thyatian Empire, establishing theoutpost of Adia. Some years after 912 AC, thesmall dominion was seized by Someys ofArogansa, an Alphatian exile given the task ofeliminating Thyatian control over Adia byImperial Prince Tylion, to earn a pardon forhis misdeeds. Someys conquered the area,installing himself as eponymous Lord ofSomyra. For over a generation Someys’descendants ruled Somyra, ignored by theAlphatian Empire. In 980 AC, the domaincame under attack from giant controlled orctribes of the Dragon Spur Hills. The currentLord Somyra was killed, and the countrysideravaged. The dominion was spared totalannihilation by Sabatio’s timely arrival. Yetfalling under his iron fist, life improved little.Somyra’s population fears Sabatio and hassuffered their abuses, but as the dominion

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was preserved, many view Sabatio’s men asthe lesser evil.

The dominion includes villages along thecoastal plain, and other farming settlementsround Deepwater Lake, located in thesouthwestern forest. There the small fortifiedsettlement of Adia is found, surrounded by afew manor houses dating back to Thyatianoccupation. Three Stones’ Clearing, anancient stone henge consisting of threestanding stones, lays nearby. Localsuperstition considers the site cursed, andcould well be true as the stones lay over anancient Norwolder burial site, unbeknownstto most of the population. The wooded hillsto the northwest are only sparsely settled,and below the mountain slopes lies a castle

built by the Lords of Somyra; now Sabatio’sresidence. The castle boasts many magicallycrafted devices left by its Alphatian lords;including magical traps, golems, and anunusual technomantic flying machine (seethe sidebar) assembled by gnomes ofStoutfellow. Half the inhabitants of thedominion are descendants of Thyatian andOceansendian settlers, with Norwolderscomprising the other half. Somyra’s subjectsare mostly farmers and shepherds, huntingand fishing to supplement these livelihoods.

Special Features: Aloiso has uncovered thenecromantic power of Three Stones’ Clearingand is trying to discover a ritual to tap into itsenergy; transforming his father’s comradesinto his undead minions. A now ederly

Brandiggan’s Flying Machine

This odd machine was assembled by half-genius half-madman Brandiggan, a gnomefrom Stoutfellow. Appearing as a thirty footlong twelve foot wide boat hull, having twowood and metal wheels on the underlyingside, complete with four huge mechanicalwings. The front three-quarters are coveredby a large cabin featuring a number of thickglass portholes, and the bow is adorned bya figurehead fashioned in the shape of alarge hoopoe. The remaining rear quarter ofthe hull is uncovered, and appears like thedeck of a normal ship.

Inside the cabin, the machine has a controlpanel featuring pulls, levers, rollers, andpulleys which allow the crew to move themachine’s mechanical wings. The entirecontraption has a technomantic framework,built along the lines of devices Serraine’s

gnomes might assemble using the FantasyPhysics General Skill from PC2, Top Ballista.The two large underlying wheels allow themachine to land freely if a long enoughlevel landing place is present.

The flying machine has an Armor Class of 5and 65 Hull Points. It can carry up to ninepeople in addition to 30,000 coins ofweight. It can reach a maximum speed of sixmiles per hour (80’ per round) if windstrength is normal or lighter, but this speedis modified like a normal ship if the wind isstronger, behaving similar to a sailing shipduring gales or storms. In order to makethe machine fly, three crewmen are needed,one of which must assume the pilot’s role.The pilot must have an Intelligence score of17 and Dexterity score of 15, or a dedicatedPiloting General Skill.

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Sabatio fears someone among them may riseagainst him, and would rather Aloiso succeedhim, not realizing his son would probablydispose of him. Untrusting his own men,Sabatio prefers stationing them far from thecastle, which at present is defended by hisorc warriors. His only trusted advisor isSelenican mage Musad ibn Wathil (Chaotic5th level Magic-User), nicknamed “Sepia” duehis skin coloration, and is actually in leaguewith Aloiso.

Relevant Possessions: Battle axe +2 ofslicing, belt of the orc king,36 chain mail +3.

Sources: NPC from Simone Neri’s owncampaign, after an NPC of the adventure “Icavalieri dell’ombra” by C.L. Pancini, B.Sidoti, and S. Peruzzi, in “Kaos”, an Italianfanzine of the 1990s, Issue No. 16.

The Vatski Princes

Five Vatski principalities are found in the so-called Vatskiy Rodina (“Vatski homeland”)located in the lower Ransarn River valley.These domains were created when localVanatic clans and tribes decided to civilizeover the course of the last two centuries,developing a culture and customs which arequite different from neighboring peoples,much less the Alphatians. Five larger

domains are found in this region, each ruledby a knyaz – Vyolstagrad and Stamtral beingthe largest, with Gunvolod, Lazarsk, andOdna following – and numerous smallerdominions ruled by a boyarin. Knyaz isusually rendered in Thyatian and Alphatiantongues with the words meaning “duke” or“prince”, while boyarin is translated with“baron” or with the neologism “boyar”.Gunvolod’s ruler, being of Heldanner origin,styles himself jarl, but his Vatski subjects stilluse the term knyaz when referring to him.

When King Ericall established rule overNorwold, he sent emissaries to the Vatskiprinces of the region, asking them to join hisnewly founded realm. Most Vatski rulerspolitely received Ericall’s ambassadors,ensured alliance with Alpha, and gifted theenvoys presents for the king, but refused torecognize the King of Norwold as their liege.Two however; namely the knyaz of Lazarskand Vyolstagrad, agreed to become Ericall’svassals if the king would support themagainst the rival princes. As a result, both theknyaz of Lazarsk and Vyolstagrad are titledcounts in Norwold’s noble hierarchy, whileother knyaz are considered allied clientrulers, and treated with the respect due alanded lord in Norwold hierarchy. The rulersof Vyolstagrad and Lazarsk, as well as otherVatski princes, exclusively use the traditionaltitle of knyaz; generating a lot of confusionat Alpha’s court, since knyaz translates to“duke” in Alphatian, still the Vatski princesare considered counts within Norwold’shierarchy.

Note that besides the five knyaz describedbelow, a number of lesser domains ruled byboyarin exist in the Vatskiy Rodina, in the

36 Recovered by Sabat io in the F ina l Range,th is be l t was fash ioned for an orc k ing of o ld . I tgrants the wearer powers ident ica l to a

. Addi t iona l ly , the wearer ga ins a+3 bonus on react ion ro l l s toward bugbears ,gob l ins , hobgobl ins , and orcs ; and i s ab le tocas t a t wi l l . The maximum numberaf fected by the at any g iven t ime is 100Hit Die.

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area found between the principalities ofOdna, Stamtral, and Vyolstagrad.

Avel Vankomirovich,

Knyaz of Odna

Chaotic 7th level Cleric of Pearl


Appearance: Thirty years old, with ice grayeyes and fair complexion, Avel is thoughtattractive by most Vatski. Though of mediumheight he is strongly built at 5’8” and 141pounds. Avel keeps his black hair, beard, andmustache cropped, in contrast from thetraditional fashion followed by most Vatskiboyarin. He also bears a large burn mark onhis left arm. Avel favors furs and garments invarious shades of brown; his magical ringalways displayed on his left hand. Theknyaz’s unusual golden crown is fashionedinto a snake swallowing its tail, with an orbornamenting its head, and is also Avel’s holysymbol.

Background: Avel is first son of Vankomir,former knyaz of Odna. Though in truthNatasha, Avel’s mother, gave birth to twins.However Vankomir, a harsh man awareruling Odna allowed for no internal strife,had Avel’s twin taken away soon after theinfant was born, abandoning him in thewilderness of the southern mountains.Neither Vankomir nor Natasha ever spoke ofthis, and few know the truth about the twins’birth. Another son, Gennadiy, was born sixyears later. Together Avel and Gennadiywere schooled in administration and trainedin combat. Vankomir also taught his sons the

necessary respect shown dragonkind and theimportance of their good relations in thefuture. During his youth, Avel grew fond ofAglaja, a boyarin’s daughter; the twobecoming close friends, and eventuallylovers. In 990 AC, Aglaja’s family manor wasplundered by raiders from Stamtral, and shewas raped and killed along with most of herfamily. Odna’s army, aided by a blue dragonfrom the Wyrm’s Head, tracked down andmassacred the raiders, but for Avel’s true loveit was too late. The young prince’s hatredand resentment of Stamtral only grew. In thesubsequent years, Avel traveled throughoutthe nearby Isbreidd and Wyrm’s HeadMountains pleading the dragons help takerevenge against Knyaz Stano of Stamtral,promising all Stamtral’s power and riches ifthey supported Avel in the future. Avel alsopromised to adopt Volos, the Vatski dragon-god (an alias of the Immortal Pearl) as hispatron. When Vankomir died in 998 AC, Avelbecame knyaz of Odna. Despite pressurefrom his mother, and several Odna boyarin,he did not wed, saddened by the loss ofAglaja. A couple of years ago; however, hemet Stasya, a beautiful and mysteriousVrodniki woman claiming to have livedamong the dragons. Stasya claimed she wassent by the dragons to aid Avel in his questfor revenge, giving him the magical ring ofdragonshape as gift. Stasya quickly becameAvel’s most trusted advisor, and soon afterhis lover.

Stasya in truth is Eshritheren, a large femalewhite dragon under suzerain of a dragonruler of the Wyrm’s Head Mountains. Thisdragon king wishes control over the entireVatskiy Rodina, using both open alliance andintimidation when appropriate. He employssubtlety as well, using his dragon subjects to

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infiltrate various levels of Vatski society. Themagical ring Stasya gave Avel, compels theknyaz to honor his allegiance with thedragons, and Stasya is additionally chargedensuring Avel does not discard it. Stasya isoften seen in Odnagrad’s court, but is absentjust as often, allegedly wandering themountainous wilderness consorting with herbeloved dragons.

Avel’s mother, Natasha Savelyevna (Neutral4th level Fighter, sixty-one years old), isconcerned by Stasya’s influence over theknyaz, wanting to discover more about thismysterious woman. Avel’s younger brotherGennadiy—a twenty-four year old Neutral10th level Fighter— though loyal fears hisbrother’s desire for revenge might bringhardship to the duchy. Gennadiy is popularamong Odna’s subjects, and currently leadsthe duchy’s armed forces. He is married toBorislava Filatyevna (Lawful Normal Woman,twenty-three years old), daughter of aboyarin family. They have two children;three year old son Timofiy, and daughterOgafia, age one year.

Personality: Avel is a self-assured, focused,and able manipulator. The tragic events ofhis youth molded his harsh and heartlesspersonality. Avel is single-minded, enactingrevenge upon Knyaz Stano of Stamtral hisonly concern; and would sacrifice all,including friends and family, to reach it.Even though Avel has become Stasya’s lover,their relationship is based on passion andmutual objectives, not true love. Avel feels hewill never love again, his heart dying withAglaja. He has completely given himself overto the Immortal Volos, whom he believes is apowerful and vindictive god, in the hopes thedragon deity might help him achieve his

revenge. Avel often performs ceremonies andsacrifices to Volos in a secluded temple in hiscastle, surrounded only by a handful ofVatski priests. Praying dragons of the Wyrm’sHead Mountains unleash their wrath uponStamtral. Avel secretly trades away most ofOdna’s precious gold and silver, coveted bydragons in order to complete theirCeremonies of Sublimation. Obviously, thedragons have no intention of raiding Stamtralunless absolute success is guaranteed, butwill defend their pawn Avel should any threator coup endanger his role as knyaz.

Dominon: The Duchy of Odna wasestablished in the first half of the 10th centuryAC, when a boyarin of the Vatskiy Rodinamanaged to expand his realm throughmarriage and conquest, enveloping nearbydominions. With Stamtral looming from thenorthwest, Odna existence had always beenprecarious. Over the years Odna hasattempted alliance with Gunvolod andVyolstagrad, to the south and northeastrespectively, to halt Stamtral’s expansion.Long coveted by Stamtral the knyaz of Odnacontrols the mountain passes over thewesternmost spur of the Wyrm’s HeadMountains’ leading from Vatskiy Rodina toRansarn River Valley. Stamtral’s desire toconquer Odna further increased decadesago, when veins of gold and silver werediscovered in the mountain slopes south ofOdna. The knyaz of Odna able to dissuadeStamtral from invading only by seekingsupport from dragons living in the easternmountains, promising gold and silver inreturn. One dragon among them evenhelped Odna’s soldiers thwart a number ofraids launched into Odna’s territory. Withnthe last few years, since Gunvolod’s alliancewith Stamtral, rumor relates Odna’s new

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knyaz has further strengthened his alliancewith the dragons, but the terms of thisagreement remain shrouded in mystery.

Odna is a small domain whose population isalmost entirely Vatski. Interestingly, asizeable dwarven minority lives there, mostlyimmigrants come in the last fifty years afterdiscovery of gold and silver. The dwarvesmanage a great deal of the duchy’s miningactivity, having precise arrangements withthe knyaz regulating number of mining sites,quantity of metal, and share of profit.Unintegrated with the Vatski population, thedwarves tend to keep to the mines. Theduchy’s most important and largest miningsettlement Zmeynk, lies in the southernfoothills. Odnagrad, largest village of thedomain, is the location of the knyaz’s castleand court. The few boyarin holding land inthe duchy are fervently loyal to the knyaz,aware that if Knyaz Stano of Stamtralconquered Odna, they would suffer the samefate.

Special Features: Rarely entering combat inhuman form, Avel prefers using his magicalring, polymorphing into white dragon form.When forced to fight in human form, hemakes ample use of his clerical spells,protecting and healing his troops, ratherthan engaging in direct combat. In melee, hewears chain mail and fights with a magicaltwo-handed mace.

Relevant Possessions: Mace +2, ring ofdragonshape.37

Sources: “The Skaufskogr and Beyond” by G.Agosta, in “Threshold” Issue No. 7.

Dagur “Widechest” Froðisson,

Jarl of Gunvolod



Appearance: Thirty-nine years old and fairskinned, at 6’9” tall and 273 pounds, Dagur’simpressive build warrants comparison to asmall giant. Broad-shouldered, large-chested,and overweight, Dagur’s enormous figuretowers over even the tallest Heldannerwarrior. Dagur has green eyes and long,blonde hair usually tied in a variety of braidsand pigtails in Heldanner fashion, withmedium-length beard and mustache. Hisnose, crushed by a blow during a past battle,gives Dagur a particularly unattractive face;often being compared to an orc inappearance by his enemies. Because of hislarge build, Dagur is slow, often assuming anoff-balance stance from an old wound to hisright knee. He usually wears rich, heavy fursand dark clothes, coupled with goldencoronet and jeweled necklace, tokensdisplaying his rank.

Background: Dagur, son of Froði, is one ofthe hofdhingi from Stamtral; abandoning theduchy after a failed coup against its new

3 7 This beau t i fu l p la t inum r ing fea tu res a d iamondcarved in the shape o f a d ragon ’s head . I t a l l ows thewearer to shape change in to a sma l l wh i te d ragononce per day . The e f fec t func t ions iden t i ca l l y to the9 t h l eve l mag ic -user spe l l , hav ing adura t ion o f one tu rn . The r ing i s a l so “cursed” ,fo rc ing an au tomat i c f r i end ly reac t ion toward

dragons f rom the wearer , as i f under the e f fec t s o f a spe l l cas t by the dragon in ques t ion . Th i s

curse ac t s invo lun ta r i l y even i f the wearer i sunaware a d ragon i s presen t . For example , i f thedragon has taken human form. The r ing ac t s as acursed i t em when t ry ing to l i be ra te the bearer f romi t s e f fec t s .

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knyaz Stano in 980 AC. Dagur, alreadyblessed with enormous stature, was proudlyraised by his father to be the ultimatewarrior, claiming his son had been blessedby the Immortals with the blood of giants. Inhis youth, Dagur learned little else besidesfierceness in battle, honing his weapon andcombat skills; constantly unable to appeasehis insatiable appetite when not in training.Dagur was twenty-two when his father led hiswarband, alongside those of other Heldannerchieftains, to conquer the eastern shores ofLake Gunaald establishing the domain ofGunvolod. Like other hofdhingi, Froði seizedlands in the new duchy, and he and Dagurboth took noble Vatski wives belonging tolocal clans. As Jarl Vígharður grew older,Froði began playing a prominent role atcourt. One of the jarl’s army leaders, Froðimanaged placement of his son as captain ofVígharður’s personal guard. During thoseyears, Dagur took part in many battlesagainst rebel Vatski, humanoid warbands,and Vrodniki hosts from the east; becominga respected and feared figure in the jarl’scourt. Gradually receiving greaterrecognition by Vígharður, over his own sons.When Vígharður died in 994 AC, theHeldanner leaders quarreled amongstthemselves over selection of a new jarl.Dagur challenged the late jarl’s sons for theright to rule the duchy; killing the elder,Áskell. Younger brother Hálfdan saw it betterto flee finding refuge at Stamtral court. Thus,Dagur became the new jarl. His rule hasbeen characterized by excessive force againstinsurrection, donations to friends andrelatives, wild excess at court, and deceitfultrading policies with neighboring peoples.Dagur’s finest achievement is the tradeagreement struck with Knyaz Stano ofStamtral, temporarily halting the continuingenmity between Gunvolod and the northern

duchy, present since 980 AC. The dealincluded assassination of late JarlVígharður’s younger son Hálfdan, mercilesslycarried out by Knyaz Stano.

Both Dagur and younger brother Aðalsteinnwere married to older women by their father.Widows of noble Vatski, whose husbandswere killed in recent skirmishes withHeldanners. While Agrafena has adapted,Iskra has never warmed to Dagur, finding hisbehavior repulsive.

Dagur wife, Iskra Volyinichna (ChaoticNormal Woman, fifty-one years old), hasgiven him two sons. Froði (Chaotic 5th levelThief, twenty years old) and Ingimar, atwelve year old boy. Dagur also has a sonfrom a former concubine. Halldór (Neutral6th level Fighter), already a formidablewarrior at eighteen years, happens to be thejarl’s favorite son. Dagur is often seen in thecompany of one of his concubines, as hiswife is much older. Most often gorgeous yetmiserable Nadezhda (Chaotic NormalWoman, twenty-eight years old), Áskell’swidow. Now living as de facto prisoner atDagur’s court, and forced to please hermaster, offered the chance she would likelymurder him.

Dagur’s brother Aðalsteinn (Chaotic 13th

level Thief, thirty-one year of age), is marriedto Agrafena Demyanovna (Neutral NormalWoman, forty years old). They have two sons;thirteen year old Úlfur, and eleven year oldÞorvaldur. Aðalsteinn is an expert wildernessscout, skilled in light weapons and rangedcombat, which he has taught his nephewFroði, much to Dagur’s chagrin.

Lastly, Hildur is Dagur’s and Aðalsteinn’syounger sister (Chaotic Normal Woman,

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thirty-one years old), and Aðalsteinn’s twin.An alluring woman, exerting great influenceover Aðalsteinn, and schemes to place himon the throne. Fearing her intrigues, Dagurhas recently managed to send her away,marrying Hildur with Bogatyr (Lawful 16th

level Fighter, forty-eight years old), knyaz ofa Vrodniki tribe living east of Gunvolod.Alliance with Bogatyr is of great importanceto Gunvolod, nonetheless Hildur deeplyresents her brother sending her to live withVrodniki barbarians. Though Hildur’shoneyed persuasion is slowly bendingBogatyr’s ear in Aðalsteinn direction. Hildurpromising Aðalsteinn would reward him forhis support with lands and title.

Personality: Despite lawful alignment,Dagur is not a good-hearted man.Tyrannically ruling through the strength ofhis Heldanner warbands and their chiefs,who fervently support him. He despisesdissent to his rule, and hates being made afool. Aware he is unable to grasp the subtlystratagems of court, he has become moreparanoid with the passing of years, fearingdeception or betrayal, even by those close tohim. Proud and vengeful, Dagur rarelyforgives slights to his authority orintelligence. His honor does not well sufferfailures and defeats. When his underlingssuffer setbacks, punishment is usually meteout harshly. Facing defeat, he is likely toretreat; seeking revenge against opponentswhen finally gaining the upper hand, thoughthrough darker means if his adversary is toopowerful.

Dominion: Founders of Gunvolod descendfrom Heldanner exiles finding asylum in theDuchy of Stamtral during the reign of KnyazBoroda (953-977 AC). The Heldanner

captains, called hofdhingi, supportedBoroda; yet a rift occurred when many alliedwith numerous rebel boyarin switchedallegiance to Stano. When Stano overthrewBoroda, the hofdhingi supporting the formerknyaz initially bent the knee to Stano. Butsoon after, in 980 AC, stage a failed coup,forcing them to flee Stamtral to avoidpersecution. The Heldanner warbands sailedupriver, following the course of the RansarnRiver, finally entering Lake Gunaald; theeastern shores of which were settled byVatski and ruled by independent boyarin.The Heldanners indiscriminately attackedthese domains, quickly conquering them.Installing their strongest leader, Vígharður‘Longbeard’, as jarl—equivalent of the Vatskiknyaz or “duke”. Vígharður ruled until hedied in 998 AC. The warband leaders turnedfeudal lords then chose Dagur as jarl.

Ruled by Heldanners, Gunvolod is uniqueamong Vatski domains. Despite Vatskipopulation majority, the ruling class andbulk of the militia are comprised ofHeldanner mercenaries and their families. Atrait Gunvolod shares with the Duchy ofStamtral to the north. Many Heldanners havetaken Vatski wives, and have integratedreasonably well with the Vatski majority,despite Gunvolod’s resentful boyarin, stillperceiving the Heldanners as foreignbarbarians.

As is customary in Heldannic tradition,Gunvolod’s jarl is chosen by majority voteamong warband leaders, most often fallingupon the strongest or most battle testedamong them. A jarl, in fact, is more a firstamong peers than a true prince. This doesnot mean Dagur ‘Widechest’ does not harbor

39



dynastic ambitions, but whether one of hissons will succeed him remains to be seen.

The Duchy of Gunvolod is strategicallylocated midway along the trade routefollowing the Ransarn River. Both ofGunvolod’s jarls have tried improving thetrading vocation of the domain, but most theVatski inhabitants of Gunvolod are farmersand fishermen, while many Heldanners havebecome the traders, building sturdy smallerversions of Northman longships to sail therivers and lakes of the region. The route eastascends upriver along the Ransarn, to a postwhere the river becomes unnavigable, thenproceeds overland to the town of Saffir,beyond the Lirovka’s Alps. Besides thetraders of Saffir, Gunvolod’s trading partnersinclude Vrodniki tribes dwelling in theRansarn River valley. Sparse trade isconducted between Gunvolod and theStrelets Hetmanate on the opposite shores ofGunaald Lake. The most important traderoute; however, runs northward to AzureLake and down to the halfling town of Leehaand Great Bay beyond. Gunvolod competesfiercely with Stamtral for control of the traderoute.

Recently, through the mediation of aforeigner named Rurik Heilagurson (seeStamtral’s description below), Gunvolod andStamtral have reached an agreement overtrade and other issues, making the twoduchies uneasy allies and freeing Stamtralfrom enemy threat toward the south. Sincetreaty with Stamtral, Gunvolod lacks manyenemies, and Vrodniki tribes to the eastrecognize the importance of mutual trade.

Special Features: Though Dagur is anenormous man, he is big-boned and obese

rather than muscular or physically powerful.His very presence exerts fear in lesser men,and while an excellent combatant withpoleaxe and long sword, is not as strong asone would expect. His physique also makeshim sluggish in combat, nonetheless the jarlof Gunvolod is quite capable of defeatingmost opponents in melee, thanks to hisintense training. Dagur is also skilled with athrowing axe. Dagur prefers fighting afoot, itbeing quite difficult to find a horse largeenough to bear him, charging into combatfearless of missile fire, thanks to his magicalshirt. Donning magical splint mail withoutshield; Dagur usually makes use of his ball ofpower to terrify opponents.

Relevant Possessions: Ball of power,38

normal sword +2, ring of command,39

38 See AC4 Book of Marve lous Magic , pg 12.39 This magica l r ing enab les the wearer use ofthree charm- l ike powers , each of whichconsumes some of the r ing’s 12 remain ingcharges . Though the r ing i s capab le of be ingrecharged by a magic -user . The three powerson ly funct ion on humanoid creatures ogre-s izedor smal ler . The f i rs t , through expendi ture ofone charge, a l lows the wearer to i ssue a s ing le -word command which a chosen target wi th inhear ing range i s ob l iged to fo l low in the nextround. Creatures wi th an In te l l igence score of13 or h igher , or wi th 5 HD or more, areent i t led a save vs spe l l s to avoid e f fect . Thesecond, a l lows the wearer to expend twocharges to cas t a spe l l , ident ica l to the1 s t leve l magic -user spe l l , yet las t ing one fu l lday. Addi t iona l charges may be spent to extendthe spe l l ’ s durat ion one addi t iona l day percharge used. The th i rd, a l lows the wearer to usetwo charges , implant ing a suggest ion in thetarget ’s mind, forc ing them to obey a course ofact ion for one hour. Each addi t iona l chargespent extends the durat ion another hour.Targets of the second and th i rd powers areent i t led a save vs spe l l s to res is t the ef fects .

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silken shirt of invulnerability to missileweapons,40 splint mail +2.41


Nevik II Volodyich,

Count (Knyaz) of Vyolstagrad



Appearance: Nevik II is a thirty-four yearold, charming man of average height at 5’9”tall, and slender, nearly feminine build,weighing 144 pounds. He has knowing, light-green eyes, defined cheekbones, and shortred hair, with full mustache and croppedbeard. Nevik customarily wears rich, heavy,traditional clothes of a knyaz at court, likingexcessive jewelry. The knyaz wears morepractical, yet not less refined, clothes forinformal occasions or combat.

Background: Nevik is younger son of KnyazVolodya III of Vyolstagrad. Alongside brotherVolodymyr, he was raised absorbingaristocratic Vatski tradition. During theVrodniki invasion of 987 AC, Volodymyr wasslain in battle, leaving Nevik as heir toVyolstagrad. Stamtral’s machinations andexpansion, after defeating the Vrodniki

horde, threatened Vyolstagrad’s veryexistence. Leveraging the nobility’s fear ofStano, Stamtral’s knyaz, Nevik garnered theirsupport under his banner. Brilliantly leadingVyolstagrad’s forces in skirmishes againstStamtral’s army, Nevik repelled Stano fromthe western border. Upon his father’s deathin 989 AC, Nevik ascended as knyaz of theduchy. Aware of Vyolstagrad’s powerful andbelligerent neighbor to the west, Nevikbegan a process of centralization, ensuringbetter defense and development of therealm. These measures conflicted with theboyarin’s traditional rights and privileges,which Nevik was determined to curtail.Gaining additional support from a risingmercantile and artisan class and formation ofa unified Vyolstagrad church, all benefitingfrom his expanding sphere of influence,Nevik’s centralization plan is currentlyworking. In part because most boyarin fear

40 This magica l s i lken sh i r t i s worn beneatharmor, and i t grants the wearer tota l immuni tyf rom any type of non-magica l miss i le weapondamage; act ing l ike a permanent

spe l l .41 Spl in t mai l i s s imply cha in mai l re in forcedthrough the addi t ion of ver t ica l over lappingmeta l p la tes over the torso, arms, and legs . I tshould be cons idered ident ica l to banded mai lfor game purposes .

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internal conflict would allow Stamtral’sarmies to seize the realm. Despite thepresent situation, a small number boyarinare conspiring to undermine Nevik’s growingpower.

Nevik II is married to Knyagynia Luba(Lawful Normal Woman), a strong mother fortheir two sons; Volodymyr, ten years old; andVaclav, age six; and daughter Vesela, fouryears. The rest of the knyaz’s householdconsists of the families of his two cousins.Nadia (Lawful Normal Woman), the younger,is wife of Aethelwulf Eahlmundsson (Lawful7th level Fighter), Chief Magistrate of therealm. Zora (Neutral Normal Woman), theelder, is married to Barnim Draganev(Chaotic 3rd level Fighter). Their son Velibor(Lawful 12th level Fighter), is Vyolstagrad’sarmy commander. Knyagynia Luba’sbrother, Bogdan Zdravkov (Lawful 6th levelThief), administers the knyaz’s finances.Aethelwulf, Barnim, Velibor, and Bogdan areall honorary members of the knyaz’sdruzhina (armed retinue) as well. Also amember of the druzhina is the knyaz’strusted companion, Ispan adventurerAlphonso Rodophino (Lawful 14th levelFighter),42 an enormously muscled man fromThyatis, but nonetheless an extremely kindcharacter.

Personality: Nevik’s ultimate goal is tostrengthen his hold over Vyolstagrad in orderto subjugate the knyaz of Stamtral, reducingthat duchy to a vassal state. This would makehim most powerful of the Vatski princes, and

allow creation of a united Vatski realm underhis leadership. Nevik considers the infightingboyarin a quarrelsome lot, keepingVyolstagrad regressive and divided, doomedto fall under oppressive control of a foreignpower. Currently Nevik considerssubinfeudination under King Ericallcopasetic; stalling Stano’s expansion, besidessuppressing the boyarin’s opposition, andplacing the knyaz in high standing withinNorwold’s hierarchy. Nevik is an upright andhonorable Vatski ruler trusted by hissubjects, and will remain loyal to the king solong as it does not hamper his aims. Thoughresourceful and adaptable, the knyaz is alsoirresolute, vacillating, and often influencedby conflicting opinions; and therefore proneto leaving deeds unfinished and goalsunrealized, despite his dream of a unifiedand powerful Vyolstagrad. Nevik’s vision fora united Rodina is ambitious, but only thefates can tell if he will succeed.

Dominon: Vyolstagrad is the oldest, largestand most politically stable Vatskiprincipalities of the Rodina. Founded byKnyaz Volodya I Volodymyrovich in 840 AC,it soon grew to include many smallerdomains ruled by boyarin establishedaround the same time in the Vatskiy Rodina.Distinct from other principalities, mostnotably Stamtral, Vyolstagrad has had a stablegovernment over the entire course, over acentury and a half, of its existence. Its knyazfalling only once to a boyarin usurper.Current knyaz, Nevik II, inheriting thethrone from his father Volodya III in 989 AC,pledging fealty to King Ericall in 994 AC;being rewarded with title of count, andcountering the aggressive expansion ofnearby Stamtral.

42 A lphonso (or Al fonso) was featured in CM4Earthshaker ! as one of the pre-generated PCs.His leve l has been lowered to re f lec t theadventure takes p lace severa l years a f ter theGreat Land Rush.

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Vyolstagrad is easternmost of the VatskiyRodina principalities, bordering theSevernaya Polovina to the east, traversed byfierce Vrodniki tribes. North lay the BloodyScythe and Valley of the Wind, both plaguedby dangerous denizens such as dragons,humanoids, and giants. The duchy enjoysgood relations with the nearby principalitiesof Lazarsk and Odna, and small boyarinfreeholds lying southwest. Vyolstagrad’sinteractions with eastern Vrodniki tribes aregenerally amicable, and a stable trade existsbetween them. Border skirmishes andinvasion are infrequent occurrencesnevertheless. Having recently become a tradepartner of Stamtral, Gunvolod is currentlymistrusted.

The duchy’s population is predominantly ofVatski descent, with a Heldanner minority. Inthe east, many families descend fromVrodniki clans civilizing in Vyolstagrad andbecoming farmers over the last century.Vyolstagrad’s many boyarin and okolnichy(landed lords) form the Duma, an assemblytypically exerting a good deal of control overthe knyaz. During the reigns of Volodya III,and especially Nevik II; however, the Duma’srole has been progressively marginalized,favoring a body of appointed officials (thenamestnik), having administrative authorityover various districts of the duchy; inparticular its towns and villages. Thenamestnik’s authority often conflicts withthe traditional rights of local boyarin. Nevikeven forbid marriage between members ofthe druzhina (the knyaz’s armed retinue)and the boyarin’s families, in order toprevent the latter from allying with theknyaz’s commanders. Nevik also promotedthe rise of a fledgling merchant and artisanclass, with the aim of using its support to

augment the knyaz’s power and furthercurtail the aristocracy. The knyaz has alsotried to strengthen the unity of the realmthrough formation of an organized Church ofVyolstagrad, and the building of templesdevoted to the Immortals Yaro and Yara(Frey and Freyja). Nevik expects PatriarchAlexis Vatutin (Neutral 12th-level Cleric ofFrey) and the neonate church’s full supporttoward his plans of centralization.43

These developments have spurred somediscontent among boyarin not representedin the druzhina, who resent the autocraticturn of the last two knyaz and would like tobring the Duma back into a prominent rolein Vyolstagrad. Most boyarin; however,continue to support Nevik out of concerntoward nearby Stamtral; nonetheless acouple of their colleagues have begunweaving treacherous plots with foreignforces, Stamtral above all.

43 The newfound Church of Vyols tagrad i sbased in the Duchy of Vyols tagrad, and i t s maintemple i s located in the domain’s capi ta l . TheChurch reveres nature in a l l i t s var iousmani fes ta t ions, cons ider ing i t s main Immorta lpatrons d iv ine twins in the Vatsk i pantheon,Yaro and Yara (Frey and Frey ja ) . The Church i sa sor t of formal ized dru id ic h ierarchy, and i scons idered par t of the larger Dru id ic Circ le ofNorwold, inc lud ing both regu lar c ler ics anddru ids . I t s patr iarch and h igh pr ies ts of tenper form ceremonies in concer t wi th dru idsacross Norwold. Nev ik I I v ied for thechurch’s es tab l i shment and conso l idat ion tocounter the in f luence and pol i t i ca l power of themost po l i t i ca l l y act ive re l ig ious leaders in thearea preaching t rad i t iona l Vatsk i Immorta l s . TheChurch i s popular among the common people,but pr ies ts of convent iona l Vatsk i Immorta l s - aswel l as the i r a l l ies in the ar i s tocracy - do notv iew i t s presence favorab ly .

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Logging and farming are the mainoccupations of the duchy, with meagremining operations southeast. Trade alongStryna River to Azure Lake is obstructed bythe hostile Duchy of Stamtral; so theoverland route through Ransarn Valley,passing through the Duchy of Odna, iscommonly taken. King Ericall’s colonizationdecree and subsequent establishment ofadditional dominions, may increase trafficalong the route linking the Vatski Rodinawith Skogenvår. This trail travels northeastfrom Vyolstagrad, ascending High Pass, beingthe major saddle of the Bloody Scythe.

Vyolstagrad is the duchy’s fortified capitaland the site of Nevik’s castle, founddangerously close to the slopes of theWyrm’s Head Mountains, its people alwayson the lookout for rogue dragons, despitedragon attacks being rare. Obechek, laying inthe heart of the northwestern woods, is avillage famous for its archers andcrossbowmen. It is also known for itsbowers, fletchers and trapping and loggingindustries. The settlement is plagued bywerewolves, unknown the local boyarin andhis relatives are their leaders. The village ofDepoksna, in the northeast, is trade centerfor exchanges with tribes of the SevernayaPolovina. The mining village of Sumarokoyva,on the eastern border, contains freemen andslaves, some bought from the Vrodniki,mining iron and gold. Bityansk and thesurrounding plains produce the duchy’sgrain, milk, cheese, and meat. Stryna, abeleaguered community often hit by raidsfrom Stamtral’s reavers, is famous for theprized Strynaski horse breed. Vyzama, afishing community on the southern border,is ruled by a boyarin puppet in the hands ofthe Immortal Mara’s (Hel) worshippers,

promised great power after recovering amagical helm sacred to Mara, allowing him tocontrol of vast numbers of undead.Vyzama’s priest of Hel has struck secretalliance with Knyaz Stano of Stamtral. Thevillage of Selchnogorsky, on the southernborder, is haven for every sort of fugitive,criminal and outlaw; which during a longstruggle for succession over the last severalyears, brought to power a treacherous andevil boyarin with plans to destabilizeVyolstagrad from within, then allying himselfwith Stano of Stamtral.

Special Features: Nevik usually enterscombat on horseback, his choice weaponsinclude a short bow at distance, even havingsome skill firing from horseback, thenwielding a lance closing combat. Inprolonged battles, Nevik wields his legendarysword of the giants, keeping an axe asweapon of last resort, either used in melee orthrown. He commonly wears a beautifullyornate set of chain and lamellar armor,consider this armor as banded mail,preferably carrying a shield only whenfighting afoot.

Relevant Possessions: Hand axe +3 ofhealing, sword of the giants.44

44 This powerfu l anc ient weapon wasbrandished by Nev ik ’s ancestor , and founder ofVyols tagrad’s ru l ing dynasty , Volodya I .Accord ing to legend, the weapon was craf ted byg iant weaponsmiths for Osmund, a myth ica lAnta l ian hero. The weapon g lows wi th a fa in tgo lden l ight and funct ions as a

, automat ica l ly sever ing a target ’s head on anat tack ro l l o f a natura l 18-20, or a 19-20 i f thetarget i s larger than man-s ized, and i s on lysuccess fu l on a ro l l o f 20 i f the v ic t im is meta lor s tone. In addi t ion, i t s wie lder can breatheand act normal ly underwater , as i f on land, eveni f res t ra ined by spe l l s such as , ,

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Sources: CM4 Earthshaker!, “The Skaufskogrand Beyond” by G. Agosta, in “Threshold”Issue No. 7, description of Volstagrad fromthe Mystara section of the Italian GamesAcademy forum by Corann.

Nazariy Zhucharnov,

Count (Knyaz) of Lazarsk

Neutral 3rd level Fighter


Appearance: Nazariy is forty-seven years old,with a 6’2” tall fit figure, weighing 176pounds. This contrasts with his pale sicklycomplexion. He has greying black frizzy hair,distrustful light brown eyes, and goes cleanshaven. Nazariy, often mistaken for a girlduring his youth, was praised for his“beautiful” appearance, and is still striking,albeit in an androgynous way, having adelicate triangular face, small nose, androunded jaw. He usually wears clothing inblack hues.

Background: Nazariy is first son ofZhucharn, the knyaz of Lazarsk. Growing upunder the strong influence of his motherGrusha, the real ruler of the duchy. Raisedtogether with his two younger twin sisters,Sofya and Valeriya. During his youth asubmissive character made him the object ofridicule among his peers, and he came todetest the more brutal and savage traits ofVatski culture. Since a young age, his parentshave attempted to prearrange marriage. YetNazariy showed little interest in women,neither was he interested in succeeding his

father as knyaz of Lazarsk. While Grushadevoted great energy arranging profitablemarriages for her daughters in order toproduce an heir for Lazarsk, Nazariy spentmost his time learning music, poetry, anddance. When Zhucharn died, Nazariybecoming the new knyaz of Lazarsk, Grushastill handled most administrative duties.Nazariy traveled to Alpha in 987 AC, and wasfascinated by Alphatian culture; returningwith a few cosmopolitan Alphatian friends;one of whom, Sarosh, became his lover.Grusha died two years later, her deaththreatening to sink Lazarsk into completeanarchy. Fortunately for the duchy, throughmarriage with the knyaz’s sister Valeriya in987 AC, Kazimir Borisov became Nazariy’sbrother-in-law. Already a powerful mage,Kazimir and his wife were determined toprevent Lazarsk falling prey to Stamtral andZilantsk’s forces,45 and thus stepped into theknyaz’s role, obvious Nazariy uninterested inruling. Kazimir’s initial act, in 992 AC, wasforcing the knyaz to marry, signaling achange of tack in the soveriegn’s strategy tohis boyarin. The old regent knyagynia

.

45 Z i lantsk i s a draconic k ingdom found west ofLazarsk; see , by G.Agosta, in “Threshold” I ssue No. 7.

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having died, Nazariy at last decided to marryand produce an heir. Unfortunately,Nazariy’s arranged mate, Nika Kolzakovna,despite her best efforts, was disheartened theknyaz preferred his male lover to her bed,thus preventing conception of an heir. Onthe contrary, the “forced” marriage pushedNazariy further into Sarosh’s arms, and afterNika’s arrival, he unsparingly staged dramaticacts of jealousy. Despite the failed match,Kazimir has strove to establish good relationswith the Alphatians, ensuring Lazarsk’sallegiance with Alpha, and placing theknyaz’s younger brother, Viktor, at KingEricall’s court as King’s Master of Horse.Ironically, Kazimir’s seizure of Lazarsk’srégime, have made Nazariy and his ambitiouslover Sarosh, envious and resentful. Today,Lazarsk is a hotbed of intrigue, where variousfactions of the knyaz’s family compete forpower. Kazimir’s drive to make the duchystronger, resisting Stamtral and Zilantsk’sinfluence, is mostly succeeding thanks to hiscommanding presence at court. Both Zilantand Stano fear the powerful wizard, butshould Kazimir be removed…

Clan Zhucharnov is quite large. The knyazhas two twin sisters, Sofya and Valeriya. Sofya(Neutral Normal Woman, forty-five years old)is a widow, her husband having died elevenyears prior; but has twin eighteen years oldsons, Tikhon (Chaotic 4th level Cleric ofIxion) and Slava (Chaotic 5th level Thief).While Sofya loves her sister and believesKazimir’s regency is best for Lazarsk, bothher sons long to be knyaz. Both are soquarrelsome and selfish; however, theycannot manage to even ally with one anotheragainst common foes. Valeriya (Neutral 2nd

level Thief, forty-five years old), whose firsthusband was an old boyarin, died eighteen

years ago without giving her children. In 987AC, she married her second husband,Kazimir Borisov (Neutral 17th level Magic-User, forty-two years old), an okolnichy andformer adventurer, studying magic inDunadale and Draco. Valeriya has fourchildren with Kazimir. Three sons, Rostya agefourteen, Leontiy twelve, and eight year oldVadim; and a daughter Radinka, four yearsold. Since his marriage with Valeriya, Kazimiracts as regent of Lazarsk; considering mostthe Zhucharnov family unsuited to rule, anddreams of placing one of his sons upon thethrone, though being more interested in theduchy’s welfare than in personal ambitions.

Zinoviy, a younger brother of the knyaz, diedat sixteen in 977 AC. Nazariy’s other youngerbrother, Viktor (Chaotic 17th level Thief,thirty-seven years old), is a shrewd andcharismatic man, managing to attainKazimir’s trust, and through him, obtaincharge as the King’s Master of Horse inAlpha. Viktor acts as Kazimir’s eyes and earsin Norwold’s capital, a vitally important rolefor the regent. Yet Viktor has goals of hisown, planning to seize the throne of Lazarskfor himself, seeing his brother-in-law as themain obstacle in his quest. Using his positionin Alpha, to Kazimir’s detriment, keepingimportant information from Kazimir, leakinginteresting news and details to Kazimir’sfoes, including Knyaz Stano of Stamtral. Fornow, Kazimir is unaware of Viktor’streachery. Viktor is a megalomaniac and seesacquisition of Lazarsk as the first step towardeven greater power, even dreaming of reignover Alpha! Viktor has had many affairs withwomen of various persuasion, but has nevermarried, secretly in love with his sisterEvgeniya (Chaotic Normal Woman, thirty-three years old), the youngest of Nazariy’s

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siblings. Their incestuous affair has enduredsince Evgeniya was twenty, managing to keepthe dalliance secret. Viktor also ensuredEvgeniya’s marriage to Ruslan (NeutralNormal Man, 26-years old), one of Nazariy’sformer lovers, in order to keep her fromother men. In fact, he is father of herchildren; Ksenya ten, and Olena, seven.Lately the two have curtailed theirrendezvous, due to Viktor’s appointment inAlpha as court officer. Periodically he returnsto Lazarsk, or Evgeniya visits him in the capital.

The current knyagynia Nika Kolzakovna(Neutral 6th level Fighter, thirty years old)hates both Nazariy and Kazimir, whopersuaded her to marry the knyaz. She istrying to increase her position at court bytaking an active role in government, butKazimir is reluctant to share informationbecause of her lack of experience and hislack of trust. Nika also endeavors to forge analliance with Nazariy and his Alphatian loverSarosh (Chaotic 5th level Fighter, thirty-fiveyears old) against Kazimir. Should Nazariyfinally resolve to rule, challenging Kazimir’sclaim, he could afterwards banish Kazimir foralleged treason. Both the knyaz and his wifecould then live as they please. Though afterKazimir’s disposal, both Nika and Saroshwould surely plan to eliminate the other. Ifher plan to ally with Nazariy and Sarosh fails,she might even garner the support of Tikhonor Slava and have Nazariy assassinated,making her available for another, moreprofitable marriage. Nika currently abates herunfulfilling sexual life entertaining handsomemen of court with ephemeral affairs. Nika isadditionally a skilled huntress and archer.

Personality: Nazariy is essentially aweakling. Though possessing the strength of

character to bring forward a course of action,he lacks the conviction to take charge overthose who oppose him. The result being healways avoids proceeding in order to escapejudgment, unrealizing even that course is adecision, thereby exposing him tounfavorable opinion. Nazariy wishes only fora life faraway from his scheming family, buthas never been brave enough to leaveLazarsk and resume life elsewhere. Whentime permits, regrettably about once a year,Nazariy enjoys travelling to Alpha to attendcourt entertainments. Recognizing he isunsuited to rule, Nazariy knows leavingKazimir in charge of government is the bestdecision for Lazarsk, this also being thereason Nazariy is reluctant to dethrone him.Despite this, the knyaz is often coerced intohearing Sarosh’s criticisms, and to avoiddispleasing his young lover, often ends upupsetting or hampering Kazimir’s work.

Dominon: The Duchy of Lazarsk wasestablished around 940 AC by Stamtralboyarin Alexiy Zhucharnov. After beingousted from his lands, due to internalconflicts in Stamtral, Alexiy led his men toconquer the sparse Hengerian clans andVatski settlers living in the plains southwestof Azure Lake, beyond the Ransarn River’sreach. Alexiy proclaimed himself knyaz,creating the new dominion of Lazarsk.During Alexiy’s reign, the duchy grew into anagricultural region, which started attractingimmigration from Vatskiy Rodina. AfterAlexiy’s reign, the proceeding knyaz ofLazarsk were all weak individuals, includingthe duchy’s current heir. Though in actuality,Lazarsk current policies are dictated byKazimir Borisov’s domineering personality.Shortly after Alexiy’s rule, Lazarsk fell underthe influence of nearby Stamtral, paying

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tribute to Knyaz Boroda, ruler of Lazarsk’smore powerful neighbor. Moreover, Lazarskhad to contend with another powerfulpresence on its western border; draconickingdom Zilantsk, ruled by the green dragonZilant. Zilant held suzerain over manydragons, as well as various Hengerian clansof the Maghnar Valley. Ultimately Lazarsk’sknyaz yielded, offering Zilant tribute.Though Stamtral experienced debilitatinginternal strife, it was insufficient to allowcessation of Lazarsk’s tribute. Alphatia’sseizure of Norwold, and installment of KingEricall in 992 AC, presented newpossibilities. Lazarsk’s knyaz decided topledge fealty to King Ericall in AC 994,coinciding with the knyaz of Vyolstagrad’soath. Afterwards Lazarsk stopped sendingtribute to Stamtral, hoping alliance withAlpha would substantially dissuade Stamtral’smilitary ambitions. The tactic has beensuccessful thus far, though the duchy hasfurther fallen under Zilant’s sway.

The knyaz rules from his castle in theeponymous village of Lazarsk, upon theshores of Azure Lake. The rest of the duchy iscultivate fields; dotted with hamlets, thorps,and the manors of various boyarin andokolnichy. Like most the Rodina, Lazarsk’spopulation is mainly Vatski immigrants,while about a third of the population hasHengerian heritage. Despite the duchy’s ideallocation along the trade route crossing AzureLake, surprisingly little trade passes throughLazarsk, as Stamtral and Gunvolod to thesouth, defend their lake trade more actively,having larger armed fleets. Fishing is the onlyother activity of the duchy. The knyaz’sbrother-in-law, Kazimir Borisov, is pressuringAlpha to increase Alphatian presence in theAzure Lake region, in order that Lazarsk have

more opportunity to compete with Zilantskand Stamtral, besides allaying their militarypresence.

Special Features: Nazariy disdains combatpreferring flight or surrender. He gleanedsome fighting ability in his youth, his fatherZhucharn forcing him to drill under one ofhis best warriors, but has long abandonedany training with edged weapons. Nazariyordinarily carries a magical dagger andnaught else. When hunting, he dons leatherarmor and wields a bow, the only weapon heoperates proficiently.

Relevant Possessions: Dagger +1, ring ofprotection +2.


Stano Bolemirov,

Knyaz of Stamtral

Chaotic 15th level Fighter


Appearance: Forty-five years old, Stano hasa rugged, tough and potbellied exterior,reaching 5’11” and weighing 198 pounds.Stano’s complexion is tanner than usualamong Vatski. He has a long face with roundchin, large reddish nose betraying a strongdrinking habit, and droopy hazel eyes. Stanohas curly brown hair worn short, and a thickbeard and mustache as is customary amongVatski nobility. His clothes are usually quitetacky, preferring they be vividly dyed. Among

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his favorite jewelry is an eye-catching ivoryearring.

Background: Firstborn son of Bolemir, apowerful boyarin of Stamtral who married awoman of Heldanner descent, at only twentyyears of age, Stano rose to the thronethrough an alliance of boyarin andHeldanner mercenary captains; ousting theprevious knyaz, Boroda, in 977 AC. Stano’sfamily was already very powerful in Stamtral,and Stano’s mixed heritage contributed tohis rise, amenable to Vatski noblemen andHeldanners alike. Soon after; however, Stanomanaged to shed the yoke of boyarin’scontrol, playing rivals against one another,while preserving the greater duchy’s militarycooperation. Since his first years as ruler,Stano has shown possession of the best,some would say worst, Vatski traits; being acruel and merciless warrior, feared leader,and cunning conspirator. Thanks to outrightmilitary support, he was able to quellopposition, employing the most treacherousmeans without fear of retribution; havingBlackrock’s boyarin poisoned then replacedwith his cousin, an ally of Stano. LeadingStamtral’s military forces in many battlesthroughout his reign, Stano’s most successfulexploit was routing the Vrodniki host whichinvaded the Vatskiy Rodina in 987 AC.Despite loss of control over the Duchy ofLazarsk, whose knyaz pledged fealty to KingEricall, Stano has managed to establishalliance with many of the independentboyarin of the Vatskiy Rodina. His spies haveinfiltrated the neighboring Duchy ofVyolstagrad, weaving intrigue anddiscontent; and he has made overturestoward Thyatian agents, promisingallegiance, with the goal of expanding

Stamtral into a united Vatski kingdom, withhimself as king.

Stano’s wife Knyagynia Rikissa (NeutralNormal Woman), is a forty year old charmerwith expensive tastes. She is drawn to power,skillfully playing on her husband’s narcissismto influence his actions. Rikissa is stern andprotective toward their four children. Theeldest, Olga (Lawful Normal Woman, twenty-four years old), is a beautiful young womandespising her parents’ thirst for power, alongwith her current suitors; Ivor Heimgarlsson(see below) and son of Blackrock’s boyarin,Oleg Butrinev. She has instead instigated asecret affair with Rurik Heilagursson (seebelow). Olga’s younger sister, rebel Radmira

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(Chaotic Normal Woman, sixteen years old),is envious of her older sister. Next is ten yearold Brana, a precocious little girl. Theyoungest, and prospective heir, is their onlyson. Eight year old Borimir is afflicted by avengeful curse laid upon Stano by a Vrodnikishaman, when after defeat of the Vrodnikihorde, the knyaz brutally impaled a Vrodnikiinfant with his lance as a cautionary warning.The curse foretold Stano’s only son wouldbleed profusely, to wash away his father’s sin,and that only a Vrodniki shaman’s magiccould ease his pain. In fact, Borimir suffershemophilia, needing herbal concoctions tostop the bleeding, with all clerical healingseemingly unable to help him. Only thespells of ostracized Vrodniki shamanGorshavin (Neutral 13th level Shaman) seemto help him. Owing to his divine power,Gorshavin has found refuge in Stamtral, andis now a stable presence at Stano’s court. Heis adored by Borimir and Brana, and hasbecome confident and ally of KnyagyniaRikissa.

Personality: Stano is cruel and merciless, asis expected by the worst Vatski boyarin.Driven only by an unrestrained ambition toincrease his power, fed by his egotism, Stanowould sacrifice almost anyone and anythingto further his goals. His youthful conduct asmilitary commander, earned the respect ofhis brutal mercenaries, and fear fromStamtral’s nobility and subjects. Stano iscunning, pursuing his aims with icydetermination, though volatile and quick toanger.

Stano’s goal is to raise Stamtral’s status toone of the most powerful realms of centralNorwold, conquering rival Vatski duchies,Vyolstagrad in particular, in the process.

Additionally subjugating smaller freeholds ofthe Rodina, and subduing the Vrodniki tribesof the Severnaya Polovina, making them hisvassals. In the end, he foresees the VatskiRodina as a large and powerful realmindependent from Alpha, with himself as firstVatski monarch. Since coming to power,Stano has planned plots to weaken his morepowerful neighbors, and conductedconspiracies to subvert weaker ones.Through blackmail and bribes, he has alreadystruck alliance with several free boyarin ofthe southeast, of whose sons and daughtersare “guests” at Stamtral’s court. He hascontact with Viktor Zhucharnov, theambitious and dangerous brother ofLazarsk’s knyaz living in Alpha. Stano hasalso played on the discontent of some ofVyolstagrad’s boyarin, hoping to sufficientlydestabilize the duchy, allowing easyconquest. If this weren’t enough, he alsoentertains offers from Thyatian spies.

Only one thing worries Stano; the issue ofsuccession. Due to Borimir’s failing health,should the boy die, Stano’s eldest daughterOlga would inherit the throne. Thus, Olga’smarriage constantly occupies the knyaz’sthoughts. Stano wants marry her to son ofBlackrock’s boyarin or leader of his cavalry,Ivor Heimgarlson; but Olga loathes them both.

Dominon: The Duchy of Stamtral is one oftwo major Vatski principalities in the VatskiyRodina. It encompasses the entiresoutheastern shore of Azure Lake as well asmuch of the surrounding forest. The duchywas created around 900 AC, whenKnyagynia Rada unified various Vatski tribesand clans of the area into one political entity.Her line quickly died out, and Stamtral’s sagaover the last century is one power struggles

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and bloody coups between military factionsand the noble elite. The last coup brought ayoung Stano to power in 977 AC. Fierce andfeared even at the time, Stano managed tosecure his throne despite opposition of anumber of boyarin, whom he later coldly cutdown.

Stamtral’s population includes a sizeableimmigrant Heldanner minority, since from953 AC mercenary bands have fled fromHattian conquest of the Heldann Freeholds.Most of those immigrants, and theirdescendants, live in settlements in Stamtraland Blackrock along the shores of AzureLake. Despite common history andintermarriage in the last half-century, manyVatski still consider the Heldannerforeigners. More than one ruling boyarin inthe eastern half of the duchy look down onthem as crude barbarian warriors, unworthyof a place among Vatski society. Currently,hostile feelings toward Heldanners havebeen silenced, Knyaz Stano’s familyintermarrying with Heldanners in the past.Yet those secretly opposing him, cite hisHeldanner heritage as one of many reasonsStano is unsuitable as knyaz.

The duchy’s economy is agricultural, alsoexploiting the plentiful fish and timberresources. Stamtral also enjoys a desirablelocation along the trade route running fromRansarn River valley to Leeha and Great Bay;however, Stamtral’s knyaz has never investedmuch effort on improved trade. The duchy’spower is quite centralized, ruled with an ironfist by the knyaz and his army. Boyarin andokolnichy (landed lords) mostly with militarybackgrounds, and a number of Heldannermercenary captains, called hofdhingi, roundout the nobility; making the Duma, the

nobles’ parliament, subservient to theknyaz’s will. The knyaz’s castle rests in thetown of Stamtral, found at the point of theRansarn River’s entry into Azure Lake. Otherboyarin control parts of the duchy, but mostare closely aligned with Knyaz Stano. Theduchy is seen as one of the most aggressivein the Vatskiy Rodina; and until 994 AC, theLazarsk’s knyaz paid tribute rather than faceconquest. Stamtral possesses a steadfastarmy, of which the cavalry force is mostfeared. Led by an unforgiving man ofHeldanner origins, Ivor Heimgarlson,uncompromisingly enforcing the will of hisliege throughout the duchy, often leading hismen on raids against neighboring dominions.

Special Features: Stano rarely takes thefield, but despite lack of training over the lastfew years, he does not frown upon enteringcombat. When doing so, Stano uses hismagical bridles with deadly cunning,converging on his victims from above.Entangling them with his net, he thenfinishes opponents with his magical sabre.Stano’s favorite combat tactic is to brandishhis sabre astride his horse, but is also skilledwith use of the lance and spear.

Ivor Heimgarlson (Chaotic 16th level Fighter),leader of Stamtral’s cavalry and the knyaz’slieutenant, is as ambitious as Stano himself;hoping for Stano’s consent to marrydaughter Olga as reward for his services.Once securing his ties to the throne, Ivor willfirst eliminate shaman Gorshavin, then theknyaz and his wife, finally finishing off youngBorimir; though not necessarily in that orderif other opportunities arise. Afterwards hisascension as the new knyaz would becertain. Ivor is charged with keeping upcontact with Viktor Zhucharnov and the

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malcontent boyarin of Vyolstagrad. Heanticipates help from those men given theright moment, assuring his rule of a muchlarger Stamtral, which encompassesneighboring lands as well.

Unfortunately, a newcomer stands in thepath of Ivor’s success; Rurik Heilagursson(Neutral 13th level Fighter). Rurik is formermember of the Antalian Guard,46 beingemployed as one of Thyatis’ agents inNorwold. His superior is Longtooth, one ofthe claimants showing up in Alpha on theoccasion of Norwold’s Land Rush recentlyannounced by King Ericall. Rurik has beengiven the task to establish ties betweenThyatis and willing Vatski princes, fosteringanimosity from Alpha’s control. Rurik hasmanaged to integrate himself into Stano’scourt after having successfully mediated atrade agreement with the Duchy ofGunvolod, to the south. Rurik makes nosecret of his past affiliation with the AntalianGuard, and has enthralled Stano with tales ofThincol Torion’s deeds, including those ofancient Thyatian emperors, particularlyZendrolion I. Historical figures Stanoconsiders prime examples and past successesof political cynicism to be emulated.Currently, Rurik works to persuade theknyaz to improve the duchy’s military forces,readying Stamtral for conquest of

neighboring principalities, coaxing Stano toentrust him with this task. In the meantime,Rurik has met the knyaz’s daughter Olga,and the two have fallen in love, beginning asecret affair. Despite the assumed secrecy,Olga’s affection for Rurik is quite evident atcourt. As Rurik’s feelings are sincere, thisturn of events might hinder his mission. Infact, Rurik’s presence has made an enemy ofIvor Heimgarlson, seeing Rurik both as a rivalfor Stano’s favor and Olga’s affection.

Relevant Possessions: Bridle of soaring,47

chain mail +3 of energy drain, net +1 offlying, normal sword (sabre) +4.48

Sources: CM4 Earthshaker!, “The Skaufskogrand Beyond” by G. Agosta, in “Threshold”Issue no. 7, description of Stamtral from theMystara section of the Italian GamesAcademy forum by Corann.

46 The Anta l ian Guard i s an e l i te f ight ing forceof the Thyat ian Empire, and de facto persona lbodyguard of the Emperor , t rad i t iona l ly madeup by warr iors of nor thern ethn ic i ty , ha i l ingf rom the Northern Reaches, Heldann, andNorwold. The Anta l ian Guard t races i t s or ig insback to the end of the 7 t h century AC, whencurrent emperor Giovanni I Porpora - us ing theHis tory of the Thyat ian People (by J . Ruhland) -dec ided to return home wi th the reg iment ofnorthern mercenar ies he had gathered dur inghis days as adventurer and imper ia l genera l .

47 See AC4 Book of Marve lous Magic , page20.48 Stano’s sabre “Dragonrage” i s an he i r loomfrom the t ime of Rada, f i r s t o fStamtra l . The sword’s power can be used threet imes per day, each use grant ing i t s wie lder achoice of the fo l lowing powers : (a ) an addi t iona la t tack dur ing a s ing le combat round; (b ) caus ingfear in a l l creatures wi th in 30’ of the wie lder ;(c ) shoot ing a 60’ long l ine of f i re dea l ing 6d6points of damage, or ha l f that amount i fsuccess fu l ly sav ing vs . dragon breath.

http://pandius.com/thy_hist.html

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Rogues, Barons and Pretenders

So, the King of Norwold has decreed the startof the Great Land Rush! Only the mosthonourable and valorous men and womenwill be awarded by King Ericall a dominionand the hard duty to tame the savagewilderness of Norwold… Will you be one ofthem?

All kinds of people are showing up in Alphaon occasion of the Spring Fair of AC 1002:famous adventurers, knightly champions,and clever rogues - each one hoping to catchthe eye of the king, to be granted a dominionin Norwold, and to become part of thenobility. While all sort of characters arecoming from all over the Known World andthe Alphatian Empire to take part in the LandRush, a good half of them are made of non-magical people coming from the Alphatianmainland and Bellissaria - places where only

spellcasters can be noblemen and whereeveryone else is thus banned from achievinga social rank higher than gentry.

This article presents a number of interestingNPC claimants that will be among those whowill compete against one another to get adominion from King Ericall. Individual DMscan use them to run the dominion-awardsusing the rules presented in ‘The Great LandRush of Norwold’ (elsewhere in this issue),or choose among them the dominion rulershe prefers. Note that the NPCs listed hereinby no means exhaust the number ofclaimants attending the Spring Fair - eachDM might add to them PCs and NPCs fromhis own campaign; also remember that asmany additional claimants should be non-spellcasters coming from the Alphatianmainland and Bellissaria.

by Simone Neri (Zendrolion),with contributions by

Giampaolo Agosta (agathokles),Marco Dalmonte (DM),

Matthew Fleet (Carillion),and Hervé Musseau (Andaire)

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THE CLAIMANTS

Each of the following entries presents one ofthe NPC claimants who will try to get adominion from King Ericall. Each entryincludes information about the NPC’sbackground, motives and goals, family andhirelings (if any), secrets, and personality.NPC stats (including magic items) are givenin BECMI D&D rules format. A good deal ofthese NPCs come from canon adventuremodules of the CM and M lines; since theassumption behind most of those adventuresis that they are set somewhere in the futureafter the Spring Fair (which happens in

CM1), in many cases the NPCs’ levels havebeen lowered to the one they should havehad at that time, and hat NPC’s entry). Someof their magic items have been taken awayfrom their equipment (assuming they willearn them in the near future).

Each NPC’s most relevant possessions(mostly, magic items) are also listed. Notethat many of those items are not found in theRules Cyclopedia; their description is givenin the last section of this article, “Magic ItemsNew and Unusual”.

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Claimants Checklist

Use the following list to search rapidlyamong claimants, take a quick look at theirclass and level, and to give the PCs an idea ofother claimants through the shortdescription line presented here. Note that

these short descriptions give an idea of howa character looks or seems like, not of whathe or she really is. In the table’s Class & Levelcolumn, ‘EW’ stands for Elf Wizard and ‘Ele’for Elementalor (new class, see the sidebarattached to Shuren’s entry).

NameClass &Level

Short Description for PCs

Adik de Chevas MU15 Learned scholar and poet from Glantri.

Alak Dool MU19 Ambitious and authoritative Glantrian mage.

Allisa Patrician F15 Traveled, proud, and petite Ethengarian archer.

Arcadius MU16 Absent-minded, lore-pursuing Karameikan wizard.

Arkias C16 Masked fighting spellcaster from the Isle of Dawn.

Bardeen Longwalker F15 Adventurer, explorer, and knight from Ostland.

Brogahn of the Steppes F15 Severe, dwarf-loving Ethengarian warrior chief.

Celia T19 Fascinating and trade-minded Karameikan woman.

Claransa the Seer MU15 Scholarly and enthusiast Karameikan diviner.

Delsel Oaktree E10 Dexterous and easygoing wood elf from Minrothad.

Dimitri Dikhoff F18 Burly, fearsome-looking Karameikan fighter.

Elarianthas Blackblade EW16 Wood elf adventurer from Karameikos with a vision.

Ernest Day F16 Good-willed Darokinian former paladin of Koryis.

Fergus the Justifier F15 Valorous and just Vestlander warrior and jouster.

Geoffrey of Heldann C15 Fugitive priest of Frey from the Heldannic Territories.

Hanz Vackelin F18 Fierce, elf-hating mercenary captain from Hattias.

Isabella Kartuebius MU15 Seductive, pleasure-seeking Thyatian sorceress.

James Essex F16 Noble warrior from Wendar in search of fame.

Knolimer Knolin MU15 Deranged Darokinian inventor and tinkerer.

Longtooth T20 Crafty Ierendian corsair in search of a new home.

Lucci Dhay T16 Swindling and thieving Karameikan exile.

Magdalena Lintaine C15 Stern crime fighting cleric of Tarastia from Darokin.

Maltus Fharo F19 Rich, independent-minded Darokinian fighter.

Mark Acres F15 Powerful magic-armed adventurer from Westrourke.

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Adik de Chevas

Learned scholar andpoet from Glantri

Lawful 16th-levelMagic-User


Appearance: 44 years old, unattractive, short(5’3”) and quite overweight (185 lbs.); tanskin, bleach blonde hair (becoming white)

worn short, short beard and moustaches,grey eyes. Favours long, warm, andcomfortable but expensive-looking clothes.

Background: Adik was born in Perigon(Nouvelle Averoigne, Glantri), from anAveroignan father and a Sindhi mother, butleft his homeland at an early age afterstudying at the Great School of Magic.Disgusted by the rampage of politicalintrigue which plagues his homeland, Adikleft Glantri to lead the adventuring scholar’slife. A well-travelled character, Adik hasaccumulated a great deal of knowledge; he is

NameClass &Level

Short Description for PCs

Max the First F15 Massive Darokinian fighter with dynastic ambitions.

Maximillian F15 Stubborn but unpredictable she-knight from Karameikos.

Ney F18 Alien, lawful ant-like creature in search of a liege.

Niles Douglass F20 Renowned mighty champion and knight from Hillvale.

Ossian MU15 Shrewd and wary mage from Redstone.

Quentin Jax MU15 Aristocratic Alphatian wizard from Randel.

Quillan Elm-Grower E10 Friendly, human-loving elven diplomat from Alfheim.

Rutger Dag F15 Wild and frolicsome wilderness ranger from Vestland.

Sandralane of Glantri C16 Beautiful refugee priest of Ariana from Glantri.

Shariskan F24 Ruthless mercenary commander from Ekto.

Shebb Woolsey T23 Shrewd, well-travelled master rogue from Karameikos.

Shuren Ele15 Mystical elementalist of light from Vestland.

Sieger von Duwn MU20 Powerful mage and air corsair from Hattias.

Siegfried Sixx F16 Brave and heroic Northman fighter - with a vengeance.

Trent the White F17 Handsome, pure-hearted former paladin from Heldann.

Weston the Tall T15 Proud, well-traveled wanna-be merchant from Darokin.

Winnifred of the Lake C15 Spirit-guided oracle of Tubak from Ethengar.

Zoltan Hytaxius C19 Albino priest on a quest for the Immortal Ilsundal.

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an experienced scholar in the fields of arts,ethics, and politics, as well as an author ofsome books on those subjects and anacclaimed poet. He spends much of his timedelving in his studies and traveling to meetother scholars, and visiting libraries andlearning institutions. Adik has a long-standing friendship with the paladin Trent‘the White’.

Personality: Adik is extremely intelligent,possesses an enormous culture, and is well-versed in a wide variety of topics. He is calmand thoughtful, and always ponders asituation a lot (sometimes too much) beforeacting. Adik is not especially combative orfond of warlike attitudes, and reliesexclusively on his magic if the need forcombat arises; he is also quite stolid and lazy,favouring intellectual pursuits while leavingphysical ones to his servants and fellows.Despite being a writer of love poems, onesubject Adik does not have much experiencewith is women – he could have hard timesresisting the wiles of an alluring lady.

Goals: Adik wants to put an end to his daysas a wandering adventurer and scholar, andestablish a base to carry on his studies, writehis books, study magic, and try to enrich hisknowledge of politics through the actualpractice of government. He would like tomake his domain a place for the study ofdivination magics. Adik will also get theopportunity to make his poetry and treatisesknown at the court of Alpha – and through itto Alphatia.

Dominion Choice: Adik will try to get adomain in an area which is well-shelteredfrom dangers and also not too far from a

large settlement with access to internationalrelations and trade routes.

Special Features: Adik has a preference fordivination magic, but he is a generalistwizard and has accumulated a lot of spells –protection spells, force and energy spells,mind-controlling ones, illusions,transportation and movement spells, andspells which alter living and unliving matter– though few were created by himself.

Relevant Possessions: Buckle of armour AC3, cape of protection, staff of power, wand ofnegation.

Source: M2 Vengeance of Alphaks, MystaranAlmanacs, provisional write-up by GiampaoloAgosta.

Alak Dool

Ambitious andauthoritativeGlantrian mage

Chaotic 19th-levelMagic-User


Appearance: 53 yearsold, tall (6’) and lean (148 lbs.), light skin,with a seemingly authoritative and severegrandfatherly look; he sports a huge andthick beard and long moustaches which wereonce red but now have almost wholly turnedwhite, and green, misleadingly-harmless

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eyes. Alak favours long tunics and surcoats inbrown, red, and gold.

Background: Alestair (this is his true name)was born in a lesser noble clan inCaerdwicca, on the southern Isle of Dawn. Inhis youth he alternated work aboard a pirateship with the study of magic in Ochalea andAeria. Afterwards, he began selling hisservices as a mercenary wizard, working forvarious crime lords of Ne’er-do-well and forunscrupulous noblemen and merchants. At30, having gathered a sizeable wealth, heentered slave trade on his own, being mostlyconcerned with western sea routes; this tradebrought him to the court of the “Black Rajah”of Jaibul, where he lived many years, siringtwo sons to a local Sindhi woman, adoptingthe name “Alak” (a Sindhi corruption of“Alec”, short form for his name), andbecoming quite close with the Rajah to thepoint of being further apprenticed in thearcane arts by him. After havingunsuccessfully tried to win the control ofJaibul at the death of his patron, and seenthe death of his family at the hand of the new“Black Rajah” as a result, he fled to Glantri,where he attended the Great School of Magicfor a while and had some contacts with thelocal underworld and aristocracy. Never agood leader, he was unable to gather enoughsupport to win a dominion in Glantri, so hewent back to Thyatis at 44. There heperformed quite well as a blackmailer,bodyguard, and assassin for some senatorsand noblemen, at last coming to theattention of Emperor Thincol himself, whorecruited him as a special secret agent of theImperial Guard. As a pivotal mission of hiscareer, Alak then received the duty tobecome the main Thyatian pawn in Norwold.He is financed both by the throne and by

some other wealthy Thyatian patrons, whohave secured contracts with him in order toput their hands on Norwold’s rich resourcesonce the region falls under the empire’scontrol. Alak never uses his original nameAlestair, and since he used a fake name bothin Glantri (Halach Duehl) and during his lastyears in Thyatis (Alexander Dolantius), hehas managed to cover his traces well beforeeventual snoopers. At Ericall’s court, hepretends to be of Glantrian origin; he isindeed followed by some Glantrian wizards,who are his apprentices and henchmen,including his right-hand, the AalbaneseHarold Loye (Chaotic 7th-level Magic-User).

Personality: Alak is driven first and foremostby ambition – loyalties, friendships, ties,promises, oaths are only tools for him, to behonoured as long as they contribute tofurther his goals, otherwise to be droppedand discarded. He is also arrogant,unpleasant, extremely selfish and cruel, anddelights in crushing weaker enemies, and inseeing his opponents suffer humiliation anddefeat.

Goals: Alak is backed by the Thyatian Empireand has come to Norwold to secretly spy andreport to the Thyatians on the kingdom’sdevelopment; once Thyatis is ready, theempire will invade Norwold: EmperorThincol expects Alak to betray Ericall andside with the Thyatians – who have promisedhim nearly half of Norwold and thekingdom’s crown for this. Thus, Alak’s goal isto establish a strong dominion and raise apowerful army to be ready to take his moveagainst the king as soon as possible; for thelatter purpose, he will likely try to win thesupport – through money, or by whatevermeans – of humanoid tribes and clans, or of

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local barbarian peoples (whom he howeverconsiders less submissive than humanoids tothe promise of loot and riches), and get ridof anyone who stumbles in his way.

Dominion Choice: Alak will try to get aterritory in the northern half of Norwoldwhich is not too-far from one of thekingdom’s main cities, but at the same timenear a pool of hireable humanoid tribeswhose services he might buy and whom hecould unleash against his enemies once thewar begins. If possible, he will try to get adominion not too near the other baronies -he will need to keep his humanoid army asecret for quite some time.

Special Features: Alak is fond ofsummoning, illusion, mind-control, andenergy attack spells above all; in combat, helikes to use summoned monsters andcreatures to fight in melee, all the whilemisleading and tricking his foes with hisillusions and charms, or targeting them withdeadly energy spells. His spells come from avariety of traditions – Thyatian, Alphatian,Ochalean, Sindhi, and Glantrian. Alak alsobenefits from the help of several spies andagents which Thyatis has sent in Norwold (allthieves, fighters, and magic-users of 9th-16th

level).

Relevant Possessions: Ring of protection+4, staff of power, wand of illusion, wand oflightning bolts.

Source: CM1 The Test of the Warlords, M2Vengeance of Alphaks, provisional write-upby Giampaolo Agosta, Tharquil’s homepage(in French; not available anymore on the web).

Allisa Patrician

Travelled, proud,and petiteEthengarian archer

Lawful 15th-levelFighter

Str 13, Int 9, Wis 12,Dex 18, Con 10, Cha14

Appearance: 25 years, very short stature anddelicate body (4’11” per 81 lbs.), lightcopperish skin tone, and an overall petiteappearance; grey, almond-shaped eyes andblack, half-back long, straight hair, often tiedin knots, braids, and tresses. Sometimes shewears Ethengarian-style dress (in theKrondahar fashion) in green and red colours,but usually prefers wearing clothes (oftenmasculine) in the fashions of Glantri andDarokin.

Background: Born into the Taijit tribe inEthengar by the name of Lisai, she was still ababy when her mother Tessia was forced toflee the steppes after a rival chief had killedher husband and two other sons. Mother anddaughter were found by a widower Glantrianwizard of Thyatian origins, DomitiusPatrician, who welcomed the two in hishouse in Bramyra and married Tessia acouple of years later. Allisa, as Lisai wascalled by the man she considered her realfather, assumed the surname of Patrician,and was raised alongside Domitius’ son fromhis first wife, Adrian (who was two yearsolder than she), but her mother ensuredAllisa would not forget her Ethengarianheritage, teaching her the language, the


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customs, and the legends of her native land.When she turned 14, she was sent byDomitius to Glantri City together with Adrian- but, while the latter attended the GreatSchool of Magic, Allisa was not scholarlyenough to become a wizard, and shepreferred to take lessons in swordsmanshipand archery from Erewan teachers. At 16,Tessia died revealing to Allisa on herdeathbed the true story of her origins. Allisawas shocked and intrigued at the same time,and vowed to travel to Ethengar to know herhomeland and avenge the father andbrothers she had never known. Wishing toimprove her skills first, Allisa wentadventuring for some years in Glantri, Sind,Darokin, and Thyatis - her steps alwaysfollowed by her adoptive father’s henchmento ensure she did not put herself in deadlydanger. During her travels, Allisa masteredthe mounted archery style from formerGlantrian, Darokinian, and Kerendan militaryofficers. While in Thyatis City, she steppedon the toes of the Shadow Hand and endedup fighting in the Coliseum for a while - untilfreed by Domitius’ agents. Four years ago,she finally decided to head back to Ethengarto embrace her native culture and avenge herfamily; after some adventures in the steppes,she found and killed her family’s murderers(which happened to be relatives of OktaiKhan), and then had to fight her way out ofthe Taijit lands, which she did successfully.Her deeds were soon known among theother tribes, but no khan or chief couldconvince her to join his tribal warriors. Ayear ago, after much time spent adventuringin Ethengar, disappointed by the violentculture of the steppes, she went back toBramyra, learning that meanwhile Domitiushad died. Allisa had a short and passionateaffair with Adrian, but when he asked her to

marry him, she declined and the two partedamicably. Allisa wanted to change life again,leaving behind her both Glantri andEthengar, and headed north without aprecise destination. Eventually, Allisa heardabout the incoming Spring Fair to be held inAlpha, and resolved to go there in search ofnew adventures. Allisa is accompanied bytwo retainers her adoptive brother Adrianasked the girl to bring with her for companyand protection: an aging man-at-arms fromGlantri City, Duccio Martini (Lawful 7th-levelFighter), and a young Caurenzan physician,Ennius Constanza (Neutral 3rd-level Thief).

Personality: Allisa is a free spirit, with afriendly and open personality, and enjoysgoing on adventures, riding horses andtending them, and putting her skills to thetest. She is also very proud of herself, andwill not miss the opportunity to makeanyone who ribs or offends her (due to beingshort, being a woman, being Ethengarian,and so on) change his mind. During her life,Allisa has learned the value of others’ help,and she is always grateful to those who sheconsiders good people, her friends, or whohave benefited or favoured her: to those, shealways keeps her word, never breaks an oath,and is utterly loyal.

Goals: Allisa has come to Norwold to findnew adventures and tests for herself, and willattend the Spring Fair in Alpha on a lark. Shedoes not crave a dominion, but if the kingwill grant her one, she will devote herselfseriously to the task or the ruler. If givenopportunity, she will try to build herdominion into an idealized miniatureEthengar, with the trappings of theEthengarian culture but deprived of itsviolent features.

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Dominion Choice: Loving horses and horse-herding, and wishing to establish a dominionakin to the Ethengarian culture, Allisa willprefer a site with plains or grasslands asdominant terrain, but will not disdain otherterrain types as long as there are enoughpasturelands for some horse herds.

Special Features: Allisa uses a mix offighting styles learned around the KnownWorld. She has an almost uncanny level ofawareness and is a true master of the bowboth on foot and on horseback, being able tofire rapidly and still with cool precision.When fighting mounted, she prefers sabreand shield (discarding the lance which is toolarge for her stature); while on foot shefavours two-weapon fighting with sabre andaxe or dagger.

Relevant Possessions: Hand axe +3returning, longbow (Ethengar bow) +3,normal sword (sabre) +2, plate mail +3,shield +2.

Source: CM1 The Test of the Warlords, M2Vengeance of Alphaks, Mystaran Almanacs,provisional write-up by Giampaolo Agosta.

Arcadius

Absent-minded, lore-pursuing Karameikanwizard

Neutral 16th-level Magic-User


Appearance: 34 years old, fair skin, mediumheight and lean build (5’8” per 139 lbs.),black hair worn long and usually tied in aponytail, clean shaven (but not regularly),with brown eyes. Arcadius is an unassumingman who retains his lowly origins,augmented with scholarly lack of interest forpomp. He wears worn robes, be it for travelor adventure or lab research, and even atcourt. He sometimes absentmindedly addsthe first cloak or hood he finds, and oldsturdy boots. Half-forgotten items, many ofthem magical, or of historical significance, orsimply of passing interest, are stashed innumerous pockets, and Arcadius occasionallyfishes one out, and either plunges deeplyinto its examination regardless of hisentourage, or begins discussing the object'simportance, usage, power, and other piecesof lore, often to the dismay of his unwittingaudience.

Background: Olavv Tushdbov was born inrural Traladara, where the boy's prospectswould not have been very bright were it notfor his village elder's realization that suchintelligence would best serve theoreticalpursuits rather than the practical, workinglife of the hamlet. Thus Olavv was sent totown with a letter of recommendation, andeventually found his way to the Magicians'Guild. With a passion for history, myth andelder lore, he eventually left in order to

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travel the world, taking the name “Arcadius”for himself - a Thyatian name, which in ruralTraladara Olavv thought would sound moreauthoritative and wizardly. In those days, headventured together with Celia, Zoltan,Siegfried, and Ney (see their separateentries). Although he gleaned a lot, it alsoinvolved more danger than he anticipated,and all that travel interfered with hisresearch. He would like to turn a new leaf inhis life, settle down, set up an extensivelibrary and lab, and limit his adventures tolore-gathering expeditions. He has recentlycome to Alpha with his friends, and theyseparated in order to ask a domain from KingEricall individually - which may just be theoccasion that Arcadius was longing for.

Personality: Arcadius is perceived to be anarchetypal absent-minded wizard with soleinterest in his studies. He definitely is that,but he can also be aware of eventssurrounding him - he just typically choosesto ignore them as trivial and turn his mind tomore interesting topics, tuning out thedistractions. But when required he can bepractical (to the limit of his abilities),tedious, dedicated, and even relentless; thishappens naturally in his extensive pursuit ofknowledge, but it might also be in the helpof a friend. Arcadius has other quirks: hehates barking, biting, drooling dogs, and heholds that water is fine for drinking andmaybe washing but not for immersingoneself into nor sailing over, and he hopeshe never will have to recall where he stashedany water-breathing spell scroll.

Goals: After Arcadius arrives at Alpha, thequiet conjurer quickly quits the crowdedcourt for the calm countryside to commencehis compelling quest. The wily wizard will

willingly wander by wood and wildernessand watch at once the world's widest wyrmwolds, voyaging through vast vistas andviolent volcanoes and visiting valley villages,rejecting the rich riverlands and ridden roadsthe rival rulers will race for and ruthlesslyrow over. The modest magician will movethrough mountains and morasses to map themost marvellous monuments of mortal menand magical monsters. The sage sorcerer willscale snowbound summits and silently scrysecret and sacred sites in his scaled surveyfor a secluded sanctuary.

Dominion Choice: Arcadius would prefer asmall dominion in a remote area, where hecan conduct his magical research and poreover esoteric tomes without the disturbanceof court duties or lording over unruly settlersor resentful natives. He is not a hermit,though, and will look for a place that issufficiently inhabited and not isolated, as hewill need workers to have his tower built andsupplied. It has not escaped his attentionthat the court of Alpha might give him achance to gain access to the vast repositoryof Alphatian lore. Arcadius also wonderswhat myths, legends, histories and artefactshe can collect from the natives of Norwold:hin and elves and dwarves, Antalians, butalso he marvels at what caches of knowledgecan be found amid the fabled, long-livingdragons.

Special Features: Arcadius's topical areas ofresearch are history, languages, and peoples,especially of the lost or hidden kind. Anyclue to Nithia, the Hollow World, orBlackmoor is sure to pique his interest. Quitethe numismatic, Arcadius has assembled alarge collection of coins. His main interestslie in pieces from lost and forgotten nations,

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like that octagonal coin with hieroglyphswhose origin he is trying to puzzle out, andin non-metallic currencies - the more esotericor magical the better. He also collectsfeathers and wonders if there is, or everwere, a people using feathers as currency.

Relevant Possessions: Coin of good luck,dagger +4 of alignment detection, ring ofprotection +3, ring of telekinesis, staff ofdispelling, star of the smallfolk.

Source: Mystaran Almanacs (Hervé Musseau).

Arkias

Masked fighting spellcaster from the Isle ofDawn

Chaotic 16th-level Cleric of Alphaks

Str 16, Int 13, Wis 18,Dex 12, Con 15, Cha 11 (5)

Appearance: 44 years old, small (5’4” tall)but very massive (he weighs 158 lbs.); sportslong straight and black hair, but is otherwisecompletely bald; his grey eyes shimmer withmad fanaticism. Once his Dawner ancestrywas recognizable on his fair-complexionedbody, but now that he is suffering from thedisease known as the “necromancer’sreward” (see the sidebar) his appearancedoes not differ much from that of an undead(hence his Charisma score of 5 indicated inbrackets). In public, Arkias always wearsheavy robes and clothes which hide hisdecaying appearance, including a full-facesilver mask resembling a plain human visage.

Background: Pwyll (this was his originalname) was born in a village in northernHillvale; he lost both his parents when hewas four during the last war between Thyatisand Alphatia (AC 959-962), and beganwandering the countryside, sometimeswelcomed in by a peasant family, sometimesbullied and beaten, soon trying to get whathe needed to survive without any regard forothers. His natural cunning and physicalprowess allowed him to push ahead, but hisharsh youth took its toll on his personality,as he began to harbour an utter hate of otherhuman beings and became totally ruthlessand uncaring about others. At 16, he hadbecome a young but feared brigand devotedto extortion, murder, and robbery. But thensomething changed his life: to flee fromauthorities, he assumed the identity of one ofhis latest murders, an Alphatian namedArkias. When he rummaged through theman’s possessions, he found an unholysymbol and a small book of prayers - the manhad secretly been a devotee of the ImmortalAlphaks. Liking the violent and hatefulcontent of the prayers, he began almostunwittingly to worship Alphaks, whoseattention was caught by the strong hatred forlife the boy harboured. The fiend began tospeak to Pwyll in his dreams, and grantedhim divine spells, slowly transforming theyoung brigand into a fanatic worshipper andmaking him forfeit at all his old identity, tothe point where he assumed the name Arkiasfor himself. Since then, Arkias has wanderedthe Isle of Dawn, alternating between unholyquests to please his Immortal patron, secretactivities to spread the cult in Hillvale andDunadale, and service in mercenarycompanies to appease his blood thirst. Whilehe was servicing in the Scarlet Plumes, hewas discovered to be a worshipper of

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Alphaks by the company’s captain Shariskan,who was however convinced by Arkias toadopt the Immortal fiend as his personalpatron. Later, Shariskan even raised Arkias -who in the meantime had begun to spreadAlphaks’ teachings to his comrades - to therank of his personal aide de camp. WhenShariskan decided to lead the Scarlet Plumesto Norwold to offer the company’s servicesto King Ericall, Arkias followed him afterShariskan’s promise to grant him land toestablish a community of cultists of Alphaksin exchange for units of undead with whichto supplement his army. Among Arkias’personal retainers is a beautiful Ostlander-born woman raised in Helskir, Nadia Meelia(Chaotic 9th-level Cleric of Hel), owner of aninfamous artefact of Entropy, the Stick of theDead (see the box).

Personality: Arkias no longer has apersonality of his own: he is fully devoted tothe will of his Immortal, and dominated byan insane thirst for blood and by boundlesslust - these are the only feelings which matterfor him. Arkias enjoys violence and rape, andlikes to have prostitutes and slaves ready topleasure him. Due to his hatred of life, hehas also developed a fanatic interest forundeath; Arkias regularly uses necromanticspells and his ultimate wish is attaininglichdom to continue to serve his patroneternally.

Goals: Alphaks plans to use Arkias’ presencein Norwold to foster violence, destruction,and war in the region. He wants his cleric toget a place under his own control where toset a base of operation for a new cell ofAlphaks worshippers; this is the main reasonbehind Arkias’ deal with Shariskan. Once hegets his dominion, Arkias will devote himself

to gather Alphaks’ cultists from abroad andto build an undead army to use when themoment comes. Until then, he will try tocarry on these activities as discreetly aspossible in order to avoid alerting the king’sattention - nevertheless, he will do near tonothing to develop his dominion and hisunfortunate subjects will suffer under his evilrule.

Dominion Choice: Arkias will notpersonally take part in the Great Land Rush.He will take any land Shariskan will granthim; he really has no preference, one placeor another will do as the new home ofAlphaks’ cultists.

Special Features: As a cleric of Alphaks,Arkias can use the whip, the dagger, and thetwo-handed sword besides usual weaponsallowed to clerics. Besides the powers hisImmortal grants to him, Arkias suffers from aterrible magical illness called the“necromancer’s reward” (see sidebar).

Relevant Possessions: Cloak of protection+1, mace +2/+5 vs lawful creatures, platemail +3.

Source: Tharquil’s homepage (in French;not available anymore on the web).


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The Necromancer’s Reward

Arkias suffers from an horrible magicaldisease called the “necromancer’s reward”,which hit his body many months ago. Thedisease hits those who spend many weeksin a row using necromantic spells anddabbling with fiendish powers. Basically,each time a character affected by the diseaseuses a spell which has something to do withthe dead or the undead (speak with dead,animate dead, and so on) or which ispowered by entropic energy, its level isadded to a total, which is recorded and

compared to the table below (the effects arecumulative):

Arkias’ current score on this table is 21. Thedisease can only be cured by a cleric of atleast 30th-level casting heal andresurrection on the character in a row.However, the disease’s course can be haltedand regressed by coating the afflicted’s bodywith the fresh blood of living creatures - ingame terms, the score on the table goesback by 2 for each Hit Die or creatureskilled in the process.

Total SpellLevels Effect

5 Charisma score drops by 1 point; the character become very pale, with asickly complexion and dark circles around the eyes.

10 Charisma score drops by 1 points; skin becomes wrinkled, with smalldarker spots all over the body and an emaciated visage.

15Charisma score drops by 2 points; the skin wrinkles even more (makingbones and teeth clearly visible), bloody streaks and dark bruises appearon the character’s body; the character heals naturally at half rate.

20Charisma score drops by 2 points; the character’s flesh starts to decay insome points, the skin falls to pieces exposing open bloody patches, hisface becomes skull-like; natural healing stops altogether.

25 or moreCharisma score drops by 2 points; the character’s appearance becomesvirtually indistinguishable from that of a fresh zombie; the characterdoes not heal naturally anymore.

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Bardeen Longwalker

Adventurer,explorer, andknight fromOstland

Neutral 15th-levelFighter

Str 18, Int 9, Wis 10,Dex 15, Con 17,Cha 14

Appearance: 36 years old, very tall (6’5”),muscular and sturdy (238 lbs.), broadshoulders and large build; light tannedcomplexion (from his long voyages), redheadwith hair worn at neck-length, beard andmoustaches, blue eyes. Bardeen favoursclothes in black and various shades of red,often adorned with silver or gold jewels; inbattle he can be seen on horseback in fullplate armour as well as charging on foot withlittle or no armour.

Background: Born in a small village inDunadale, when he was three Bardeen’sparents were killed during an Ostlander raid,and he himself taken by one of the Northmenand brought to Ostland as a thrall. Sometimelater, thanks to his build and strength,Bardeen was noticed by Jarl Halldor ofHammersholm during a child’s brawl at afeast, and brought to his court. He spentseveral years there, was made a freeman bythe jarl, was trained in combat, andeventually came to consider Ostland hishome. Bardeen, however, had to withstandthe envy and hate of the jarl’s children, inparticular of Sigrid, who resented the formerthrall’s physical prowess. When Bardeen was

The Stick of the Dead

This magic item is a minor artifact ofEntropy created by the Immortal Hel andcurrently in possession of one of Arkias’retainers, the priestess Nadia Meelia. TheStick was created decades ago by theImmortal Hel to help one of her patriarchsdefend a small community of cultists onthe Isle of Dawn, but was lost when its firstowner and his followers were slaughteredin a battle against the Alphatians; theartifact was later found by Arkias and Nadia- the latter was then visited by Hel in herdreams and allowed to keep the Stick.

Sphere: EntropyMagnitude: MinorPower Points: 92

Weapon Type:The Stick functions incombat as a staff +3doing 2d6 base damage.

Powers:Animate dead (60’range, animates 40 HDof undead).

Handicaps:

Recharge cost: 1 HD ofcreatures must besacrificed to make theartifact recover 1 TP.

Penalties: The owner’s alignmentchanges to Chaotic.

Description:

The Stick resembles along human femurbearing at each end onehuman skull adornedwith spikes.

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14, Halldor died and his sons started toquarrel among themselves for hisinheritance; Bardeen knew that the first thingSigrid would have done was to get rid of him,so he was forced to leave his land and wentto Westrourke. Since that time, he travelledmost of the civilized countries of the world,going even as far as the Savage Coast andBellissaria, undertaking many adventureswhich earned him a large fortune and hisnickname of ‘Longwalker’. During hisvoyages he has been a raider, a seaman, anexplorer, an adventurer, and at last a knightin the service of Queen Eldrethila ofTheranderol. Now he has decided to earn adominion in Norwold and put an end (atleast temporarily) to his travels.

Personality: Bardeen is a hero at heart,always striving to find new adventures,enemies to defeat, battles to win, and newthings to be discovered. He loves weaponsand armour, women, and food, but he is alsoa cosmopolitan man, accustomed to being incontact with diverse cultures and ethnicities;Bardeen loves telling stories about the placeshe visited or the deeds he performed, but henever does so in a boastful way. Bardeendoes not care much about politics, but he isan honourable man and is used to keep hisword - once he will swear allegiance toEricall, he will remain true to it as long as theking will behave loyally.

Goals: Bardeen has decided to settle downfrom his voyages for a time, building a homefor himself to return to after his adventures,where he can store his possessions, andwhere he can devote himself to the study ofhis favourite weapon, the sword. He is notlikely to settle down definitely for the life ofdominion-ruler, however, and as soon as the

call of adventure reaches him again, he willleave his dominion for long periods of time.

Dominion Choice: Bardeen would like tohave a dominion on a coastal area, near thesea or on the banks of a large river or lake,from which he could hear news of distantlands and eventually resume his travels assoon as his wanderer’s spirit overtakes himagain.

Special Features: Bardeen suffers from aphobia toward dogs and doglike creatures(such as lupins and hell hounds), caused bya traumatic encounter with dogs he hadduring his childhood. Moreover, during histravels he developed a knack for learninglanguages, and he knows a truly amazingvariety of tongues, albeit at basic level. Incombat he prefers fighting on foot in orderto exploit the full potential of his skill withthe sword; also, due to his stature, he needsvery large warhorses - Blackbull, his currentfavourite black stallion, is indeed a fearsomesight in battle.

Relevant Possessions: 15 bolts +1, heavycrossbow +3, normal sword +4 ofdefending (named “Heart’s Ward”), shield +3.

Source: M2 Vengeance of Alphaks, MystaranAlmanacs.

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Brogahn of the Steppes

Severe, dwarf-lovingEthengarian warriorchief



Appearance: 43 years old, copper skin tone,imposing figure, very tall (6’4”) with broadshoulders and large physique (238 lbs.);Brogahn is not particularly attractive, with ascowling face, long straight black hair, and ahuge black beard and moustaches, but he hastwo very deep, almond-shaped green eyes(unusual for an Ethengarian). He wears richand colourful clothes in a mixed variety offashions from Ethengar, the NorthernReaches, and Ylaruam, while in battle hedons his magical plate armour andwarhammer of dwarven make.

Background: Boga (this is his originalname) was born within a low-standing clanof the Yugatai tribe, in Ethengar. Trained asa horse warrior, he was considered a weirdoin his tribe, because due to his large build henever became particularly quick at firing withthe bow from horseback, developing insteadgreat skill in melee. Despite his battle deedsduring the tribal wars which raged in thesteppes from AC 987 on and duringskirmishes with the Gostai goblins, Bogacould not find proper recognition within histribe. So he left the Khanates and wentadventuring through Ylaruam, the NorthernReaches (where he seized from her master a

thrall girl of Redstone origin, Caitlin, whowould become Boga’s first wife some timelater), and Rockhome. He earned great fameamong the dwarves when he saved the life ofPrincess Noris, daughter of King Everast XV.Finding Rockhome to his liking, Bogalearned to fight with the warhammer in thedwarven style, and even grew a large beardin dwarven fashion. In Rockhome he alsobefriended the dwarf Gimluk, a formeradventuring companion of Moglai Khan,together with whom Boga went back toEthengar, becoming the dwarf’s mainEthengarian fellow and artillery apprentice.Later, Boga became one of the GoldenKhan’s advisors; due to his alien combatstyle, Boga was never allowed in the Keshak,but bested some of the steppes’ strongestwarriors in melee combat and wrestling.This, the presence of still another seemingoutsider (besides Gimluk and Akmad ibnYussef), and Boga’s untimely habit ofcontesting other khans in front of Moglai,earned him the enmity of many high-rankingpersonalities of the khanates. Thingsescalated when a vengeful khan had Boga’sfirst wife, Caitlin, strangled to death.Eventually, Moglai himself withdrew hisfavour from him in order to satisfy his khans,and Boga was implicitly forced to leave thesteppes. Upon his leave, he adopted thename his first wife had always called him inher native tongue, “Brogahn”. He decided tohead north into the Heldannic Territoriesand Norwold, followed by his friend Grotto‘the Tall’ (Lawful 10th-level Dwarf, awandering Rockhome dwarf who spent someyears in Ethengar with him),1 and by his clan- his second wife Gwendai (Neutral NormalWoman, a 24-year old submissive

1 Grot to the Ta l l i s featured in CM3 SabreRiver as one of the pre-generated PCs.

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Ethengarian woman), his five children (threefrom the deceased Caitlin and two fromGwendai), and his two lesser brothers withtheir respective families. Currently his clanhas settled north of the Skaufskogr Hills,while Brogahn has travelled to Alpha toanswer King Ericall’s call for dominion rulersand pledge allegiance to him.

Personality: Perhaps Brogahn did like thedwarven culture so much because he shareswith the rockborns so many personalitytraits: he is severe, glum, and taciturn, andhis menacing appearance puts others in awerather than inspiring regard. Brogahn isconscious and somewhat proud of his skills,but he knows he is far from perfect and isready both to take advice from trustedindividuals and to learn from his faults. He isalso a truthful person, who can be a loyalfriend and ally; he will be loyal to Ericall,unless the king shows weakness, lack ofhonour, or otherwise loses Brogahn’srespect. To some non-Ethengarians, Brogahncan appear rude and backward (for exampledue to the custom of keeping multiple wivesor to take war prisoners as slaves), but this ismore due to his Ethengarian upbringing thanto his actual personality. Like manyEthengarians, Brogahn is wary of magic-usersand does not trust at all people of Glantrianorigin.

Goals: Brogahn wants to achieve fame andrenown as a great warrior and leader of hisown khanate; he would have preferred toobtain them in his native country, but he iseager as well to pursue his goal in theuntamed lands of Norwold, trying to becomea recognized leader among the region’s localnomad and settled peoples. Once establishedas a ruler, Brogahn will strive to build a

prosperous dominion and to serve his liegeloyally to the best of his skills.

Dominion Choice: Brogahn would like toset his dominion in a wilderness land, wherehe would be better able to test and prove hisskills as a ruler and leader. If available, hewill chose lands resembling his nativesteppes, such as grasslands or plains, orwhere local nomad tribes which he couldbefriend are known to roam. He will not beinfluenced by the land were his clan hascurrently settled - if necessary, he will leadthem to a new location.

Special Features: Brogahn has mastered theuse of the warhammer from the dwarves andwields it in a style unusual for a human - letalone an Ethengarian. Contrary to theEthengarian custom, he charges into battlepreferably on foot, protected by his heavyarmour and shield, and only rarely fightsfrom horseback, using the lance.Nevertheless, he is still an accomplishedrider and archer. Brogahn’s magical platemail and warhammer are both of dwarvenmake; his armour is a gift of King Everast XVof Rockhome, while he found thewarhammer in an ancient Modrigswerg tombin Soderfjord.

Relevant Possessions: 20 arrows +2, platemail +4, shield +2, short bow +1,warhammer +3.

Source: CM1 The Test of the Warlords, CM2Death’s Ride, CM3 Sabre River, M1 Into theMaelstrom, Mystaran Almanacs, provisionalwrite-up by Giampaolo Agosta.

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Celia

Fascinating and trade-minded Karameikanwoman

Neutral 19th-level Thief


Appearance: A 28-year old, tall (5’11”),slender (138 lbs.), beautiful woman withlong, straight black hair and tanned skin,famous for her piercing green eyes, withwhich she dazzles and mesmerizes men andwomen alike. As her fortune grew, shenaturally embraced wearing the finer clothesavailable, and is as comfortable in richlyembroidered silk dress and jewellery (somemagical) at court, as she is in the sturdiest,enchanted leather padding (or the filthiestrags, if she requires such a disguise) forcloak-and-dagger endeavours. Whatever herattire, she has a whole supplement of blades,tools of the trade, gems and coins, andvarious magical items concealed, in mundaneor extra-dimensional pockets.

Background: An orphan from Specularum,Celia had to learn early on how to survive inthe streets. Although Celia never found out,the King of Thieves inexplicably extended hisprotection over her, rather than recruit her.This access to the Kingdom of Thieves'resources helped her, although sheattributed her growing success to her daringskills, quick wits, easy charm, and good luck.The young woman was nonetheless capturedby the Iron Ring; there, she fell in love withfellow captive Zoltan during their dauntless

escape. She has kept company with himsince, although the enigmatic priest hasremained mum about his affection. Aftermany adventures together with him andother companions (Siegfried, Arcadius, andNey - see their separate entries), Celiaaccompanied them to Alpha in order to askfor a dominion from King Ericall.

Personality: From her lowly origins Celiahas risen high, and she has no doubt that shecan achieve anything she sets herself up to.She doesn't believe she can ever fail, nordoes she see the role others may have playedin her successes. Life is a play, a game, inwhich she is the triumphant heroine. She hasentered a new stage, Norwold, with a newrole, aristocrat, and a new guise,guildmistress. She is thrilled and enchantedat the prospect, and wonders how this willplay out and help her enrapture Zoltan.

Goals: Celia has come to Norwold withZoltan, although she approves the decisionto move and looks forward to ruling her owndominion and becoming part of Alpha'snobility. She sees the northern wilderness asa diamond in the rough, a large piece of landwith plentiful resources that needs only to beconnected to the trading lanes of theThyatian and Alphatian empires to thrive andprosper. She intends to run her dominion asboth a trading guild and a thieves' guild, witha vision to start her own commercial empire.She has never been a prince in the Kingdomof Thieves and thus has never learned how tooperate such a network, however.

Dominion Choice: Celia will look for primecommercial real estate: a coastal domain witha good harbour and no reefs or otherhazards, ice-free for as long as possible

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during those long winters, and near enoughto the existing shipping lanes that she canconvince merchant captains to make theextra leg. Inland access to the riches ofNorwold, including to other settlements anddominions, would also be most useful.Whatever infrastructure doesn't yet exist buthas potential she will construct with heramassed gold. One particular requirement isthat her dominion be close by Zoltan's; sheknows the priest will not care for themercantile development of his demesne, andwill let her handle that aspect - and of courseshe wants to be able to visit him often.

Special Features: When Celia locks eyeswith someone, she can keep her targettransfixed indefinitely and read into theirsoul. Celia only gets a vague impression ofwhether the person she puts under suchscrutiny is trustworthy and amenable to her,but the longer she keeps her hold the moreunnerving it becomes to the other party, as itseems that Celia is boring through their mindand ferreting their most private thoughtswhile they stand helpless. Many areconvinced that Celia knows their darkestsecrets. Also, Celia has amassed quite afortune over the years, effectively using herKarameikan network of fences andmoneychangers. She also handles the bulk ofZoltan's assets (of which she keeps what sheconsiders a fair fee), and when she can getaway with it other people's as well (generallywithout their knowledge).

Relevant Possessions: Bag of holding,buckle of lockpicks +15%, chameleon blade,leather armour +3 of blending, necklace ofprotection +3.


Claransa the Seer

Scholarly and enthusiastKarameikan diviner

Lawful 15th-level Magic-User


Appearance: 36 years old, fair complexion,small height (5’4” tall) but willowy andlightly built (105 lbs.); Claransa has wavyblond hair, worn a little below shoulder-length, and clever green eyes. Claransa triesto keep her apparent age roughly at 25 yearsthrough use of magical means. She preferswearing bright gowns in simple colours andof simple design, under her ever-presentmagical cloak.

Background: Born as Claransa Tyrevic inVatresh (the Traladaran town which wouldbecome Threshold some years later), herfamily was the result of the union betweentwo upper-class merchant families ofTraladaran and Thyatian origins. Claransawas discovered possessing a high aptitudefor arcane magic and apprenticed under oneof Threshold’s local wizards for some years;after that, she studied for a long time at theMagicians’ Guild of Specularum under GrandMaster Teldon, and became one of the mostimportant teachers in the guild, specializingin divination spells - something which earnedher the nickname of “the Seer”. During thoseyears she also adventured successfully farand wide in Karameikos under Teldon’sadvice, but she would rather spend her timestudying or reading. However, since shealways longed for traveling abroad and to see

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faraway places, Teldon thought to encourageher to leave Karameikos and travel north, toget some experience of the wider world in arougher region such as Norwold (which themaster had visited half a century before).Halfway between uneasy and excited, thusClaransa left for Norwold with the goal tosettle and establish a personal base for herstudies and for further travels. During hertravel, she overcame her anxiety anddiscovered she loved actual travel andadventure abroad as much as she hadpreviously only thought in her head. Shethen came to Alpha with the aim to ask KingEricall for a dominion.

Personality: Claransa is a bright andenergetic person, always willing to find anddiscover new things, and often bored byrepetitive, uninteresting or common duties -fact is that she never found studying andreading to be repetitive tasks! Herpersonality makes her often overenthusiasticabout new things, but then she grows moreand more indifferent about them when shehas gone well into them; she is not fickle,however, because she has the patience andsteadiness to pursue duties she has to, evenif she does not like them anymore. Claransais a truthful person, and can represent a loyaland steadfast friend. Also - as she did haveless than the average share of romantic affairsin the past - Claransa is quite sensitive abouther appearance, shy when faced withsomeone she likes, and thus likely to fallbefore the romantic attention of a handsomehero or lord.

Goals: Claransa considers her Norwold tripjust something more than a “holiday” afterwhich she will come back to Specularum.Nevertheless, she wants to establish in

Norwold a base for her magical researchesand for further travels; right now she hardlyfigures how much ruling a dominion couldkeep her away from those activities, and sheonly sees the intriguing side of it. However,she is likely to grow bored by the duties ofadministration, and on the long run shecould get confident enough to feel the callfor adventure again - so much to make hersell her dominion or put it back in the handsof the king.

Dominion Choice: Claransa will try toestablish her home in one of the mostcivilized areas, likely a coastal area, fromwhere she could easily start her travels andimport magical tomes, components, andmaterials she could eventually need for herresearch.

Special Features: Claransa knows a widevariety of spells, but her speciality isdivination - spells that detect, see throughthings, discover secrets, bring newknowledge, and so on; not a few among herspells also come from the tradition ofTraladaran folk magic. Due to heradventuresome past, she is also a capablefighter, both with the staff and with daggers.At her arrival in Alpha, she will also have withher a lot of money - part coming from herfamily, part from her adventuring days.

Relevant Possessions: Two daggers +4,displacer cloak, ring of protection +1, staffof wizardry.

Source: CM1 The Test of the Warlords, CM2Death’s Ride, CM3 Sabre River, M1 Into theMaelstrom, Poor Wizard’s Almanacs I-III,Joshuan’s Almanac, provisional write-up byGiampaolo Agosta.

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Delsel Oaktree

Dexterous and easy-going wood elf fromMinrothad

Neutral 10th-level ElfLord (Attack Rank E)


Appearance: 163 years, good-looking forhuman standards (average for an elf), and tall(5’5”) but slightly overweight for a wood elf(126 lbs.); straight brunette hair worn verylong, and hazel eyes. Delsel likes to wear richclothes, usually long and preciously-embroidered tunics and surcoats.

Background: Delsel was born in a wood elfclan on Alfeisle, Minrothad. Despite beingraised as a proper member of the clan, henever developed a taste for the woodlandlife, nor for the woodworking activities of hisisland kin. Delsel was instead fascinated bythe water elves’ love for travel, and by therowdy character of human society. Defyinghis father’s wishes, Delsel did not enterGuild Verdier, finding instead his placeamong the ranks of Minrothad’s MercenaryGuild, first in the Home Guard, later in theMarines. There he had the opportunity tospend a lot of time on the cosmopolitanTrader’s Isle, travel the waters of the Sea ofDread, see some ports of the Known World,and undertake a number of adventures. Healso met some fellow elves who, like him,had chosen to avoid traditional clan life, andwere searching for their own place in theworld. After many years of service, three

years ago Delsel went “on vacation” - as theMinrothad wood elves call their years-longbreak from work - adventuring in the Sea ofDread, living for a time in Tel Akbir, andgathering around him a bunch of like-minded elves from Minrothad. During one ofhis most successful adventures, he and hisfellows recovered an ancient elven treasurefrom the bottom of the Sea of Dread tracingback to the Taymoran age - among theseriches Delsel found his magical golden chainmail, a powerful ancient elven relic. Then,Delsel decided to put to fruition his wealth,and to explore the coasts beyond the KnownWorld; he chose to try to establish a newcosmopolitan home for his fellows in thenorthern and untamed lands of Norwold,reaching Alpha to petition King Ericall for adominion. Delsel comes to the king’s capitaltogether with a couple dozen retainers andformer adventuring companions, a mixedgroup including humans and elves from ahalf-dozen Known World countries.

Personality: Delsel is a cosmopolitancharacter, who loves social interaction,carefree adventure and fun; he does not havemuch sympathy for the secluded life manyelves live, and enjoys much more thecompany of other races, humans especially.Despite this, Delsel still considers himself“on vacation” and still keeps sparse contactswith his friends, patrons, and family inMinrothad - not barring a possible returnhome in the span of some years. Delsel alsohas a taste and passion for beautiful andprecious things such as art, jewellery,clothing - and good-looking human girls aswell.

Goals: Delsel sincerely wants to try buildinga home for himself and his followers in

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Norwold, and will strive to carry out this goalin the best way he can. However - unless thelife of a standing dominion ruler takes adefinitive hold on him - he will feel the needto end his “vacation” after some years, likelygoing back to Minrothad if a goodemployment opportunity arises in theMercenary Guild’s or the government’shighest ranks. To this aim, Delsel will try tomake his deeds in Norwold known in hishomeland, and to create tradingopportunities for his countrymen throughhis presence in the north. At the end, shouldhe go back home, he will likely leave hisdominion to one of his most trustedfollowers.2

Dominion Choice: Delsel will try to get adominion on a coastal area, in a regionwhich is easily reachable by the trading shipsof the Minrothad Guilds. He will also try toset his dominion in a central area, one wheremany other human dominions are located.Delsel has no interest or attachment to theForesthomes of Norwold, and will not try toset his dominion over one of those.

Special Features: Delsel is extremely swiftin melee combat and when firing with hislongbow; he does not like entering in meleeunless necessary, so he prefers relying on hismissile skill and arcane spells in combat.Delsel is particularly fond of human girls,whom he finds more warm and welcomingthan their elven counterparts; if he happensto meet a good-looking human girl or lady,Delsel will therefore likely try to seduce her.

Relevant Possessions: Ten arrows +3,golden chain mail, longbow +2, sabre of thewereslayer.

Source: M2 Vengeance of Alphaks, PoorWizard’s Almanacs I-III.

Dimitri Dikhoff

Burly, fearsome-lookingKarameikan fighter

Chaotic 18th-levelFighter


Appearance: Dimitri is 35-years old, a burly,stocky bulldog of a man (5’10” tall per 201lbs.). He wears heavy armour and largeshield, and wields a broadsword, tocompound this image. He adorns a helmet inthe image of a charging minotaur, whichsports two wicked-looking, foot-long horns.Removing his helmet does not alter theoverall impression, as Dimitri has a strongneck and large head with several scars, close-cropped dark brown hair, and a remorselesscast to his maroon eyes.

Background: Dimitri left his poorTraladaran family at an early age, eager tocarve himself a better place in the world.Moving up from thug to sellsword tomercenary, and from goon to captain, healways has a higher position in sight. His

2 De lse l appears as a Commander of theMinrothad Gui lds ’ f leet (and then Ass is tantGovernor of Aegos ) in the three book lets of thePoor Wizard’s Almanac ser ies .

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advancements often leave a trail of corpses:whoever stands in his way had better standaside or they are mercilessly dealt with.Dimitri is currently the unloved, butunchallenged, leader of a mercenary band,the Hissing Snakes, which he is marchingnorth.

Personality: A strong, hard, ruthless man, hebelieves that the strong are meant to rule theweak. Being second best is never acceptableto Dimitri: he always strives for first place.When faced with superior opponents, hetemporarily yields to them, biding his timeuntil he can devise a way to best them. Hefavours superiority through might of arms,but victory by any means is still victory, andit is the others' failure if they expect a fairfight and pulled punches. He is oftenoverlooked by his adversaries, who dismisshim as a simple brute that can be subdued,but the man is more clever than he appears,and unrelenting.

Goals: The next step in Dimitri's rise isbecoming a ruler. He will have to learn newskills, but that doesn't deter him: he willstudy not just administration, but alliances,strategic warfare, and the whole game ofthrones. His ultimate goal is to replace hislord as king. The appearance of SiegfriedSixx at Ericall's court has only slightly alteredDimitri's plans. Though he no longer caresfor that old rivalry, which he settled long agoand has no wish to revisit, he has the naggingfeeling that that woeful brawler might comeafter him with violent intent - he knows hewould. So he will keep an eye on Siegfried,and if the mutt wants to bite, Dimitri intendsto put him down again - and for good this time.

Dominion Choice: Naturally, Dimitri wantsto poach the best dominion possible. At hisarrival in Alpha, he has no idea what the bestconsists of, but he intends to find out. Hefully expects that the other new lords willlikewise want the finest location; in fact, thatis probably how he will rank potentialdemesnes: by the size of the competition.Dimitri will welcome the challenge ofcontending with rivals, and will do whateverit takes to prevail.

Special Features: When upset or enraged,Dimitri may gore his opponent with hishelmet, generally in a sudden, surpriseassault. Although he is generally assumed tobe a strong fighter who poses no threatoutside of fair, hard combat, Dimitri is a slyman who tips the scales in his favour bycatching his enemies unaware and by playingdirty tricks. To such end, he carries a numberof items of the offensive kind, includingseveral poison-tipped blades, though Dimitrigenerally tailors his strokes and shuns suchlast-resort tricks.

Relevant Possessions: Amulet of mindshielding, charm of proof against poison,helmet of goring, necklace of spell resistance,normal sword (broadsword) +3, pendant ofunscryableness, periapt of health, plate mail+2, ring of protection +3.


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Elarianthas Blackblade

Wood elf adventurer from Karameikos witha vision

Neutral 16th-level Elf Wizard3


Appearance: Handsome, 250-years oldCallarii wood elf with medium build (5’5” tallper 119 lbs.); fair skin, light brown shoulder-length hair, and hazel eyes. Elarianthasalways sports a smiling face, a shrewd andlight-hearted look, and speaks with aharmonious voice. He always wears clothingin some shade of green, and when needed hedons his magical chain mail decorated withfloral patterns.

Background: Elarianthas was born in thetown of Rifflian, in Karameikos, the son of anelven trader. Once he reached adulthood,Elarianthas followed his older brotherBelrain’s footsteps, becoming an adventurerand spending the last century travelling andexploring the Known World and Alphatia; inthe course of his travels he joined variousadventuring groups, coming into contactwith many races and religious faiths. Duringa past trip in Norwold, Elarianthas listened toa prophecy of the Crones of Crystykkregarding the rise of a powerful elven nationin the region, and since then has hoped to bethe subject of such a prediction. Back in

Karameikos, he founded a new clan, theBlackblade, joining some young Callarii andVyalia followers, and persuaded them tofollow him to Norwold in his bid to obtain adominion from Ericall and fulfil his destiny.In this quest, Elarianthas is also accompaniedby his father Thyandros (Neutral 9th-level Elf),who now acts as the Blackblade clanmaster.

Personality: Thanks to his travels,Elarianthas is more cosmopolitan and opento change and novelties than most of his kin.He possesses an enthralling personality, hiscreative mind is always on the move withnew ideas, but he is also pragmatic and neverlets his thoughts bring him too far away fromreality. Elarianthas sympathizes with helplessor interesting creatures and individuals, andalways tries to act as their patron andprotector. He is also a quite self-centredperson, available to listen to all opinions butin the end considering his own to be the bestdue to the wealth of life experiences hepossesses. The elf is also quite driven bywhat he believes is his destiny, and he islikely to subordinate everything which doesnot endanger the life of an elf - like the fealtyto Ericall - to his goal.

Goals: Elarianthas wants to fulfil theprophecy foretold by the Crones of Crystykk,founding in Norwold an elvish realm inwhich elves coming from differentbackgrounds and cultures (including theNorwold Foresthomes) could coexist andfeel like they are part of the same clan, theBlackblade. As means of cultural unification,he plans to create a new religion (theAncestors’ Faith) whose pantheon willinclude all elven Immortals, and a specialnatural reserve devoted to the cataloguing

3 E lar ianthas fo l lows the advancement ru lesfeatured in GAZ5 The E lves of Al fhe im, page64, but uses the s tandard Magic -User spe l l l i s t sfor spe l l s , and not those shown there. He isessent ia l l y an e l f who has chosen the path ofmagic , carry ing on the s tudy of arcane spe l l sand ha l t ing h is advancement in combat sk i l l s( the oppos i te of the s tandard E l f c lass ) .

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and study of the whole elven known magiclore (the Evergrun Project).

Dominion Choice: Elarianthas is alreadyfollowed by Callarii and Vyalia elves; he willchoose a domain in an area near a ShiyeForesthome, to add the contribution ofanother elven culture to his goal. However,in order to keep contacts as open andfrequent as possible with other regions’elven cultures, he will also try to get adomain in a coastal or easily-accessible area.

Special Features: Elarianthas is good atfighting with the sword and at firing with theshortbow, but his full martial skills becomeevident when he rotates his magical halberdover his head. Also, his arcane spells comefrom the most varied elven cultures of theKnown World and beyond.

Relevant Possessions: Chain mail +4 ofelectricity, elven cloak, elven longsword,halberd +3/+6 vs dragonkind, ring ofprotection +2, short bow +3.


Ernest Day

Good-willedDarokinian formerpaladin of Koryis



Appearance: 44 years, medium height (5’9”tall) with a stout physique (181 lbs.); hazeleyes, short brown hair - with a recedinghairline - and large handlebar moustachewhich splits his face in half, but no beard.Ernest usually sports a broad smile andwears simple clothing while not donning hisarmour and weapons; his hearty laugh is wellknown to all who have met him.

Background: Ernest was born in a farmingvillage in one of the borderlands of Darokin;wishing for a better future than that of thepeasant, he left his home and started hiscareer as adventurer becoming a wanderingfighter. After many adventures around therepublic, he began to feel the futility ofadventure for itself, and began his personalsearch for higher moral values to live for. Hefound his answer in the philosophy of theImmortal Koryis, the patron of peace wellappreciated in Darokin. Thus Ernest becamea devout paladin of this Immortal, wanderingthe Known World and then coming to theIsle of Dawn to further the cause of peace.During an unfortunate quest, he was trickedinto unwittingly aiding a villain to reach hisgoals, and as a consequence he lost hispaladin powers. Thus, as a way to atone his

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deeds, Ernest decided to head for Norwold,settle down from his wanderings, andestablish a dominion under the rule of Ericallinspired by the values of Koryis. Ernestarrived in Alpha accompanied by his squireMarcus Trebonian (Lawful 4th-level Fighter, ayoung warrior of Thyatian ancestry), hisspiritual guide Corwyn Dioministre (Lawful6th-level Cleric of Koryis, an aging priest ofthe Church of Darokin), and the charmingMallia ben Mousa (Lawful 6th-level Magic-User, a small 24-year old lady fromTameronikas, Ylaruam, who met Ernest onthe Isle of Dawn and has fallen in love withhim but is still not sure of the man’s feelingstoward her).

Personality: Ernest is cheerful and good-natured; some people refer to him as “goodytwo-shoes”, and he indeed lives up the idealof a paladin of Koryis even if he is one nomore. He is usually seen doing somethinggood - helping a maiden across a muddy spotin the road, feeding a lost puppy, orcheerfully tipping a beggar. Well-meaningand pious, Ernest has none of the “holierthan thou” attitude of many paladins andclerics - quite the contrary, his past mistakeshave taught him a good deal of humility.Ernest is strictly lawful and loyal, and willstay by King Ericall’s side unless he believeshis liege has turned evil. Ernest likes hisretainer Mallia ben Mousa and knows herfeelings, but is still unsure about marrying awoman this much younger than him; he isotherwise attracted to women with an exoticlook and showing martial prowess, and inthis phase of his love life he could betempted to court any such lady (one of thosecould be his fellow pretender Allisa Patrician).

Goals: Ernest has come to Norwold toestablish a bastion of hope and peace in thiscold northern land; through omens sent bythe Immortal Koryis to his companionCorwyn Dioministre, he has learned thatNorwold will soon need his presence topreserve peace, and he is more than eager todo his part. Ernest has also learned that alow-profile cleric of Koryis named FinnisterMcAlister is one of King Ericall’s personaladvisors, and is looking forward to meetinghim.

Dominion Choice: Ernest would like tochoose a dominion in an area where he canprotect an important road or trade route, orwhere he can act as mediator with a foreignrealm; he does not fear braving thewilderness of Norwold to form his dominion.

Special Features: Ernest is quite skilled withthe use of the normal sword and the lance;on the battlefield, he appears as the typicalarmoured knight, frowning on long rangeweapons he considers unworthy of singlecombat between honourable adversaries.

Relevant Possessions: Normal sword +2/+5vs chaotic beings (named “Peacekeeper”),plate mail +2, shield +2.

Source: CM1 The Test of the Warlords, M2Vengeance of Alphaks, Mystaran Almanacs,provisional write-up by Giampaolo Agosta,Tharquil’s homepage (in French; notavailable anymore on the web).


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Fergus the Justifier

Valorous and justVestlander warriorand jouster



Appearance: 32 years old, tannedcomplexion due to sun exposure, large andmuscular (6’2” tall per 213 lbs.); Fergus ishandsome, with neck-long light brown hair,moustaches, and dark blue eyes. He likes towear practical clothes of good manufactureand simple jewels - even if most of the timehe is seen around wearing his magical platearmour fitted with a full barrel helm.

Background: Fergus Yorath is a native ofDunadale; his Dawner family belongs to thelanded nobility of Dunadale and is related tothe local Alphatian Lunn family, and to theregion’s governor, Tastagarth. Fergus hadnot an ounce of talent for wizardry, was noteven of average intelligence, and neither washe very pious, so even the priesthood did notsuit him - all this was very disappointing forhis family, who hoped he could become partof the elite of the Alphatian Empire. Beingquick-handed and strong, Fergus was rearedto become a good fighter, and for a time heserved as a palace guard for Tastagarth, evenadopting the surname Lunn for himself, butin time understood that the AlphatianEmpire was not the place where he couldbecome rich or famous. He therefore left for

the Known World, travelling there for nearlyten years and visiting most of the civilizedcountries. For a time, he settled in Vestlandand he became so fond of the NorthernReaches that he elected Vestland as his newhomeland. In Vestland he became a hero,recovering a large Modrigswerg treasure andwinning several tournaments. During the lasttournament he won in Norrvik, he heardnews of the land rush started by King Ericallin Norwold, and - being that the northernkingdom was quite like the Northern Reachesin character - he decided to travel to Alphaand have a look, with the prospect to finallysettle down and try the challenge to run adominion.

Personality: Fergus is a loyal and noblecharacter who wishes to incarnate the idealof the heroic warrior - he is fair, true to hisword, and in Vestland has the fame toharbour a great sense of justice - hence hisnickname “the Justifier”. Once he pledges hisloyalty to King Ericall, he will be on hisliege’s side even in the direst ofcircumstances. Due to his lack of sharpness,however, Fergus can be easily fooled orswayed by rumours, prejudices, and by thesly words of quick-witted agents of foreignpowers.

Goals: Fergus has come to Norwold toestablish his own dominion and start a newphase of his life: until now he has been a verysuccessful wandering knight, but he is noweager to put his skills to the test in the matterof ruling. He will strive to build a prosperousdominion, putting his honour and that of hisking first, then the welfare of the realm as awhole.

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Dominion Choice: Fergus will choose adominion which reminds him of theNorthern Reaches - on the coast or near thesea, but with mountains at its back. Whereverhis dominion happens to be, he is ready totame the wilderness in order to carve it out.

Special Features: Fergus is a great rider andas soon as he establishes his dominion islikely to keep a stable with some preciousand valuable horses. While he is very good atjousting on horseback with full armour andlance, he is as skilled with the longbow (he isalso a great hunter) and - despite his largebuild - very swift with the sword in melee.

Relevant Possessions: 20 arrows +1,longbow +2, normal sword +3, plate mail+3, shield +2.


Geoffrey of Heldann

Fugitive priest ofFrey from theHeldannicTerritories

Lawful 15th-levelCleric of Frey


Appearance: 40 years old, tall and imposingfigure (6’1” tall), well-built (168 lbs.), hisbody bears some marks from past battles;Geoffrey has deep blue eyes, long anddishevelled brown hair (now turning grey),and is clean-shaven. He usually wears hisarmour but when he does not he prefersplain and comfortable tunics and vests.

Background: Geoffrey was born as GuðfriðrBaldursson to a Heldanner family in thetown of Grænthæð - renamed Grunturm bythe Heldannic Knights - in the recently-conquered Heldann Freeholds. Faithful tohis family and his people’s traditions,Guðfriðr resented the foreign Heldannicrule, and devoted himself to becoming aworthy godi of the Immortal Frey. During hisyouth he adventured in his native region, butfound most of his good efforts thwarted bythe Heldannic Knights; his constant efforts tohelp the sick and the poor in his country,however, brought him both a goodreputation among the Heldannercommoners and a power the Hattianoverlords began to fear. Thus, when his famebecame widespread, he was forced to go intohiding. Thereafter, he worked to build anetwork of followers, mostly young priests,with the aim to stir up the population andoverthrow the Heldannic rule. Despite hiswork, Guðfriðr discovered withdisappointment that the Heldannercommoners’ will to fight the Knights was notas strong as their fear of dying. Moreover, theEyes - the Heldannic Knights’ spies - werestill trying to capture Guðfriðr’s men, and - ifa rebellion did not break out - the risk for hisfollowers to carry on underground activitiesin Heldann was becoming far too great. So,Guðfriðr decided to leave Heldann forNorwold, in the hope of diverting the Eyes’

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attention from his followers at home and thatthe Kinghts’ reach would not dare follow himinto Alphatia’s territories, thus allowing himto build a new life as a leader and hero inEricall’s realm. To part with his previous life,Guðfriðr decided to assume the name“Geoffrey”, a Dawner-like variant of his namethe Alphatian court will have less difficulty tospell. He comes to Alpha armed with littlefunds, but a lot of experience; he also bringswith him a small band of rangers, fighters,and priests of Frey.

Personality: Geoffrey is a serious, intenseman, ferocious and awesome to behold incombat, but capable of great tenderness andkindness in times of peace. He spends muchtime quietly meditating by himself, andlistening for the will of the Immortal Frey.Geoffrey despises the Heldannic Knights andevery power devoted to violent conquest andoppressive rule; he is confident in Ericall’sgoodness and hopes that his kingdom will bevery different from what he has heard of theAlphatian Empire. Geoffrey will stay true toNorwold’s people first and foremost,supporting the king unless Ericall mistreatsthe region’s native peoples or allies with theHeldannic Knights - an unlikely event at best.A last note regarding his name: he currentlyuses the name “Geoffrey of Heldann” forhimself, and dislikes being called “Geoffreyof Grunturm” or “Guðfriðr of Grunturm”, asthese are the names with which hisHeldannic would-be captors call him.

Goals: Geoffrey hopes to win some respitefrom the Heldannic Knights in Norwold, inorder to devote himself to build aprosperous seat for a church of Frey in theregion, and to go on quests and adventuresto improve the welfare of local people.

Geoffrey would also like to marry and have afamily, something he had always longed forbut has never been able to achieve.

Dominion Choice: Having abandoned thehope of a Heldanner uprising against theHattian conquerors, and wishing to put asmuch land as possible between him and theHeldannic Knights, Geoffrey will choose adomain located in the northern region ofNorwold, possibly in an area of hills orwooded hills which reminds him of hishomeland.

Special Features: As a priest of Frey,Geoffrey is skilled in the use of the longsword and of the dagger, and often makesuse of those weapons, wielding his magicalmace mostly against tougher opponents ofundead. Geoffrey is quite able to call hisImmortal’s divine powers to heal, cure, feed,and protect other people, and is likely to putthem to use to benefit the subjects of hisdomain.

Relevant Possessions: Mace +3/+5 vsundead, plate mail +3, shield +3.

Source: CM1 The Test of the Warlords, CM2Death’s Ride, CM3 Sabre River, M1 Into theMaelstrom, Poor Wizard’s Almanacs I-III,provisional write-up by Giampaolo Agosta.

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Hanz Vackelin

Fierce, elf-hatingmercenary captainfrom Hattias



Appearance: 33 years old, large andmuscular body with a hardy physique (6’4”tall per 214 lbs.); unpleasant appearance,with a very square face, bald head withbrunette short beard and moustaches,sunken hazel eyes, weathered skin from timespent under the sun, and scars of pastinjuries all over the body. Hanz alwaysdresses in military uniform, and in combat hedons a dreadful horned full helm; hisfavourite weapons are two magical hand axeshe wields at the same time, which gives hima demonic look on the battlefield.

Background: Hanz was born on the islandof Hattias, Thyatis, the lesser scion of a localnoble landowner family. Still a boy, he joineda Hattian brotherhood of knights - the Orderof the Black Swan - as required by hisupbringing; however, Hanz’s arrogantcharacter earned him the displeasure of theorder’s leaders, and he was eventuallybanished from it. Then he left Hattias andentered various mercenary units, fightingalongside the Thyatian army in theHinterlands and on the Isle of Dawn. Aftersome time, his prowess earned him enoughrespect, wealth, and fame to allow him to setup his own cavalry mercenary unit, the

Thundering Hoofs. During the clashesaround Helskir between Thyatis andAlphatia, Hanz joined his forces with those ofShariskan - another mercenary leader on theThyatians’ payroll (see his description below)- and the two became friends, with Hanzsoon becoming Shariskan’s right arm.Sometime later, after the end of theircontract with Thyatis, they decided to headfor Norwold to offer their mercenary servicesto King Ericall in exchange for a dominion.

Personality: Hanz is full of himself and doesnot easily tolerate anyone overshadowinghim, unless that person possesses power andrank higher than his own - in fact, at themoment Hanz only respects his colleague,Shariskan and will likely disregard ordersand commands coming from anyone else(including King Ericall, unless the latterproves able to keep Hanz in line). In general,Hanz is extremely disrespectful towardpeoples of lesser stations, and he considersboth his soldiers and his future subjects asdogs - to be sufficiently fed and ruledthrough fear. Hanz also feels a deep racialhatred toward non-humans and demi-humans, elves in particular - his secretfavourite hobby has always been finding elvesto hunt, capture, torture, or sell on the slavemarket. He also likes to do a lot of martialand physical exercise on a daily basis.Differently from his ally Shariskan, Hanz doesnot worship Alphaks, but does not despisethe Immortal either - he is just uninterestedin religious matters and only cares to pray tothose Immortals whom he thinks couldfavour him in a given situation; anyway, Hanzhas no love for Arkias, who he knows is apriest of Alphaks, meddles with the undead(something he does not like at all), and moreimportantly has Shariskan’s ear.

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Goals: Hanz and Shariskan want to offer theservice of their army to Ericall and get adominion as pay. According to their plan,Shariskan will try to get a bigger slice of land,and then will cede a part of it to Hanz andanother to Arkias as vassals; this means thatHanz’s domain will be close to hiscolleague’s. Hanz plans to use hismercenaries and dominion to increase hisown and Shariskan’s power - for the momentunder the banner of Ericall, but eventuallyon their own. He will follow Shariskan’spolicy toward the king as long as it provesprofitable to him; if later Shariskan will proveweak or of no more use, Hanz will nothesitate to dispose of him and of his sons,and take control of his lands and soldiers.

Dominion Choice: Hanz will not take partdirectly to the Great Land Rush. He will takewhatever part of Shariskan’s land his friendbestows him; if available, he will try to get anarea near a Foresthome, in order to practicehis favourite sport against the elves.

Special Features: Hanz is quite skilled infighting with two hand axes at the same time,both on foot and on horseback, and lookslike a formidable foe in the midst of a battle.Hanz also commands the Thundering Hoofs,a unit of 200 battle-hardened heavyhorsemen wholly made up of men comingfrom Thyatis and the Isle of Dawn.

Relevant Possessions: Brooch of protection+1, hand axe +3 of terror, hand axe +2/+4vs elves, lance +2, plate mail +3.


Isabella Kartuebius

Seductive,pleasure-seekingThyatiansorceress

Neutral 15th-levelMagic-User


Appearance: Good-looking, 28 years old, tall(5’10”), with light tan complexion, and acurvy figure (150 lbs.); blonde bobbed hair,alluring amber eyes which add to her overallsensuous look. She likes wearing skimpyclothes - usually in combination with hermagical cloak to wrap around her body, andwith elegant jewellery - to distract andembarrass people around her.

Background: Isabella was the third childborn into a family of lawyers and landownersin Kantrium, Thyatis; after being apprenticedto one of Kantridae’s local mages, she causeda sexual scandal which severely embarrassedher family and ruined the marriage they hadplanned for her. Thus Isabella ran fromhome at 18, travelling through the easternKnown World and alternating dirty jobs formoney to adventuring. From time to time shealso furthered her arcane studies underavailable or bribable mentors, or inuniversities in Tel Akbir, Tameronikas, andNewkirk. Always in need of money, a coupleof times she seduced wealthy men in orderto put her hands on their money (through


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legal methods or theft) - most of which shequickly squandered in lavish parties, costlypastimes, and various pleasures. Wanted inThyatis for fraud, she moved to the NorthernReaches but, during an unfortunateadventure in Soderfjord, she was trappedinside a cursed ruined castle, until a group ofadventurers freed her some weeks later (inthis occasion she also seized the staff ofNaglfari from the spirit of the ancientsorcerer who had kept her trapped). Aftersome adventures together further north, theygrew quite close and decided to head toNorwold under the leadership of Isabellaherself to establish their own domain. Amongher entourage is Zordak (true name SergejRovenscu, Chaotic 9th-level Thief), a veryhandsome wandering jester and rogue – whoalso dabbles in arcane magic – fromSpecularum, whom Isabella plans to employas a spy once she has obtained a dominion.

Personality: Isabella is a pleasure-seekerwhose main interest is gathering money tofulfil her physical lusts and desires; sheenjoys flirting, tricking, and shocking otherpeople, but she is also smart, rational, andcynical – fearing not to follow a course ofaction that others may consider wrong (suchas hiring orc mercenaries as her armybecause they are cheaper, for example). Shedoes not crave wealth, magic, or power perse, but only as means to achieve tranquillityand a comfortable status which would allowher to satisfy all her wishes.

Goals: Isabella wants to build a place whereshe can live together with her fellows,without too much to worry about andplunged into her pleasures. After becominga dominion-ruler, however, she will developa passion for political intrigue and for

administration and finance as the meanswhich allows her to gather money for herpersonal aims. She harbors no particularaffection for Ericall and Norwold, and shewill likely side against them should Eriadna’sscion happen to fall on the losing side of aconflict.

Dominion Choice: An area not far fromcivilization or existing towns, preferably on acoast, large river or lake; Isabella wouldrather choose a dominion in fertile plainterrain, with as few dangers as possible andfar from known ones. Her first choice wouldbe one of the small peninsulas or bays whichdot the southern coast of the Great Bay.

Special Features: Isabella possess a widearray of spells learned while studying undervarious mentors and universities. She favoursprotection, transportation, and divinationspells, with some added transmutation spellsand self-affecting illusions; her attack spellsare usually based on light, electricity ordisintegration. Isabella is also quite skilled inthe use of the staff, and she likes fighting inmelee against lesser opponents.

Relevant Possessions: Armband of strength,broom of flying, cape of night and fire, ringof protection +1, staff of Naglfari.

Source: NPC from Simone Neri’s owncampaign.

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James Essex

Noble warrior from Wendar in search of fame

Lawful 16th-level Fighter


Appearance: 42 years old, light skin tone,short but sturdy (5’7” tall per 141 lbs.); he isbalding on top of head, but keeps short blackhair (now greying) on its sides. James hasround blue eyes, a slightly upturned nose,thin lips, and is clean shaven. He favours richclothing and jewellery which make easilyknown and highlight his noble heritage.

Background: James Essex is the last scion ofthe Essex noble family, an Anglais clan whodwelled in Glantri before the “Light of Rad”(AC 859). Defeated in the subsequentuprising against the ruling wizards, the Essextook shelter in Wendar and lived in exile inthe country’s southern reaches, marryinginto local human clans and soon giving upthe hope of overthrowing the Glantrianmagocracy. James was raised in the familymansion and trained in the warrior traditionof his ancestors, learning swordplay,jousting, and horse riding. Quite fond of theelven culture, during his youth he wentadventuring with a mixed human and elvenparty in the Northern Wildlands, on the AdriVarma Plateau, and in the Wendarian Ranges,gaining fame and wealth from his deeds. Helater married and started a family, but theprospect of inheriting the family’s sparsefortunes in Wendar did not appeal him.When his father died five years ago, Jamesstarted making plans for leaving the countryand setting his home in a place where theEssex could again win recognition and glory.

The chance to move came the last year, whenJames heard news of the incoming SpringFair at Alpha, during which King Ericall ofNorwold would award dominions to worthycandidates. Leaving the family possessions inWendar to his lesser brother Ywain, hetravelled to Norwold’s capital city with hiswife Morwenna (Chaotic 9th-level Thief, a 37-years old shrewd courtier from one ofWendar’s human noble clans), one son and adaughter (respectively 3 and 7 years old), hiscousin Wymond (Chaotic 7th-level Fighter)with his family, and two dozens of retainersbetween servants and guards.

Personality: James likes to be the centre ofattention, be it at court, at a feast, or duringcombat; he enjoys ceremonies, banquets,parties, and social events, and dislikes beingalone. With others, he is courteous andamiable. Despite his flexible lifestyle whichhas allowed him to manage his lifesuccessfully until now, he sometimes makesserious mistakes in judgment due tosuperficiality, and his easy-going ways givehim a poor control over the members of hisfamily and his allies. James is an honourableman and will not turn his back on the kingunless there is some very good reason forthat (and high personal profit could be oneonly if King Ericall has behaved badly orpoorly toward him).

Goals: James wants to raise again thefortunes of the Essex family, building astrong dominion in the untamed region ofNorwold. Determined to put aside his daysas an adventurer and local hero, James willput all his efforts on the task of ruling,wielding his sword only to lead his army andhosting as soon as possible tournaments andfeasts to establish alliances and ties with

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other Norwold lords. He does not realize,however, that the purpose requires muchmore skill and intelligence than bravery inbattle and social grace.

Dominion Choice: Wishing to build aprosperous dominion, James will select anarea which he thinks promising from theresources perspective and not excessively farfrom civilization; he would particularly likean area on one of the great rivers ofNorwold, and near the region’s majesticmountains.

Special Features: James is a skilled knight,able to fight both with the lance and with thelongsword; when fighting on foot againstlesser opponents, he usually prefers to usehis magical battle axe in order to maximizethe damage he can do on his enemies.Besides his magical shield, in battle heusually dons his beautiful suit armour.

Relevant Possessions: Battle axe +2,dagger of the gianthunter, “Gemstone’sBane” longsword, ring of loved onesprotection, shield +1.

Source: D&D Companion Set.

Knolimer Knolin

Deranged Darokinianinventor and tinkerer



Appearance: 40 years old, fair-skinned,medium height (5’9” tall); Knolimer was thinand wiry as a youth, but now age has addedsome pounds to his frame (174 lbs. weight).He has blue eyes and shoulder-length dark-hair, beard and moustaches with a blaze ofgrey both on the temples and facial hair.Knolimer usually sports a knowing smile. Hefavours modest (almost beggarly) robes, withsleeves often rolled up above the elbows tokeep them out of the way of his tinkering.

Background: Knolimer was born into amercantile family of Favaro, Darokin,affiliated with House Pennydown. Being thethird son of the family with scarce chances(and will, for that matter) to inherit the clan’sfortunes, he devoted his brilliant butdisorderly intelligence to arcane studies,soon becoming fascinated by what kind offantastic devices magic was able to power.Knolimer studied magic in variousDarokinian universities, even attending theGreat School of Magic in Glantri for a while,and used what he earned throughadventuring and selling of his magic skill forhire to further his studies. As soon as he wasable to gather sufficient funds, he set up alaboratory where he began experimentingwith a bunch of new arcane inventions andideas. His family came to consider him aweird person, whose extravagant and curiousinventions were sometimes of use, but whowas best left uninvited to social events. Atlast, Knolimer managed to convince HousePennydown to buy one of his inventions, butthe thing malfunctioned, doing great damageto one of the house’s assets and most of allto the Knolin family’s reputation. Knolimerhad to pack his things and leave the republicbefore the wrath of his family and of HousePennydown. This was about ten years ago.

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He then adventured for many years, havingto leave on paper many interestinginventions he would have liked to create, andcarrying behind him a cart half-filled withhalf-completed or ready-to-be-sold minormagical trinkets. During those years heamassed enough money to considerestablishing a new laboratory somewhere. Hechose Norwold, where King Ericall was aboutto grant lands to skilled candidates willing torule a dominion, and headed there togetherwith some adventuring companions of theprevious years, like the wandering paladinEthendril h’Caramore, Shebb Woolsey (seehis own entry), and Unice Ethans (Lawful15th-level Fighter, a Dawner swordswomanfrom Septentriona with an obsession for pinkthings); the latter then became romanticallyattached to him and the two plan to ruletheir future dominion together.

Personality: Knolimer is an odd character, agenius resembling in every way a derangedscientist completely out of the real world, atrue volcano of strange, innovative butunusual ideas which make sense only in hisown mind. The surprising thing is that hisinventions almost always function - whichhas something to do with his greatintelligence and his deep understanding ofmagic - albeit sometimes with comic ornearly-futile effects. Unfortunately, heproduces so many new ideas that he oftenhalts his work on his previous projects todevote himself to the newer ones - with theresult that he leaves many of his would-becreations in a half-completed or unfinishedstate. When he comes out from his tinkeringfury, Knolimer is a kind man, sensible to theproblems of others, and a good friend intimes of need.

Goals: Knolimer wants a place where hecould store the bunch of magical creationshe drags behind him, and set a laboratory,forge, and library for his own arcaneexperiments. He will attend any other dutywith scarce enthusiasm, and will bedisinterested by politics and court matters.Obsessed with his inventions, and quitedisorganized, Knolimer will be a less thanadequate dominion ruler, but will try tocatch anyway his subjects’ love by sharingwith them his adventuring income.

Dominion Choice: Knolimer will likelychoose a place along a trade route, where itwould be easier to get the materials neededto establish a keep and a fully-equippedlaboratory; he is not worried by the fact thatthis way his dominion could be in the core ofaction: he plans to let his mate Unice handleall the political and military work.

Special Features: Knolimer’s specialty lies inhis skill to produce seemingly-futile magicaltrinkets, and putting them to some use. Hiscreations are in line with the style of thosewhich can be found in AC11 Book ofWondrous Inventions. Alchemy,transmutation, and energy spells are those helikes most and finds more useful for hiswork. One of his lifelong commitments isunderstanding the nature of time and how toalter it. Among his most (in-)famouscreations is the thyme machine, which datesback to his Darokinian times, an item able torelease in a place a pleasant scent lasting foryears. His current project (still mostly in hismind only) is that of building an item insidewhich to grow one’s clone at an acceleratedrate.

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Relevant Possessions: Ring of protection+3, vest of protection AC 2, wand oflightning bolts.

Source: M5 Talons of Night.

Longtooth

Crafty Ierendiancorsair in search of anew home

Chaotic 20th-levelThief


Appearance: 33 years old, tannedcomplexion, not very tall (5’6”) and lean(126 lbs.), with black hair worn short, a verythin moustache, and beady light green eyes.He usually shows a smiling and craftyexpression. Longtooth usually wears clothingin black or dark red, often including a leathersurcoat and a large plumed hat.

Background: The Ierendian corsair“Longtooth” is in truth LonginusDolichodon, a master spy from the ThyatianEmpire. Longinus was born in a lower classfamily of Port Lucinius, Thyatis. Since he wasa boy, his sleight of hand and natural stealthhelped him survive in the seedy dockneighbourhoods of his home city, swellingthe meagre wage his father (a marine in theimperial fleet) brought home. Through hisfather, Longinus was proud of his nation’s

military power and longed for the day hewould have contributed to it. However,never fit for the life of the soldier, he tookanother path, becoming part of theunderground criminal world of PortLucinius; he swiftly rose through its ranks,but eventually secretly sold out all hiscriminal colleagues to an ambitious andinfluential judge (whose carrier would havelifted off thanks to the capture of thosecriminals) in exchange for a ranking withinone of the empire’s secret agent corps. Firsthe served as an agent of the Treasury Guard,then as a member of the Speculatores, thebranch of the Thyatian military specialized inreconnaissance and espionage. After a shortbut extremely successful career in theSpeculatores, Longinus was selected as oneof the Agentes in Rebus, the elite spies of theThyatian Empire. In his new capacity, hereceived from his superiors an importantmission concerning Norwold: he had the taskof building a Thyatian spy network in thatkingdom. Longinus worked hard and long tobuild his cover for the mission, setting up theidentity of an Ierendian corsair, “Longtooth”- so-called because of a large giant seaserpent tooth he bears as a lucky charmaround the neck; he even had to take to thesea for quite a time and form a true piratecrew. Then last year, Longinus received wordfrom Thyatis to set off for Norwold and takepart in the Spring Fair. He arrived in Alphawith his corsair ship, manned by a colourfulcrew - which includes both real pirates andThyatian spies - with the alleged purpose toestablish in Norwold a new home for hispirate colleagues and put aside his life on theseas.

Personality: As far as Thyatian agents go,Longtooth is rather evil and even more

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treacherous (Thyatians would say “skilled”)than the average Thyatian; he is proud of thetrust Emperor Thincol has placed on him forthis task, and will do anything he can to carryit out successfully, reasoning correctly thatthis is the chance of his life for his career inThyatis. Despite his treacherous personality,Longtooth is utterly loyal to his Emperor andhomeland, and will never betray them;however, he is neither a fool nor a fanatic: hewill rather flee to fight another day than diefor the Empire.

Goals: Longtooth is Thyatis’ key secret agentin Norwold. A professional spy, his task is tosubvert King Ericall’s rule by attracting asmany noblemen as possible to the Thyatianside and hindering the others, in preparationfor the time when the empire will be ready tolaunch a military invasion of Norwold. Tothis end, he will establish a dominion inNorwold and use it as a base for his covertoperation. He will try to befriend most of thelords at different times, doing his best topersuade them to join Thyatis and toinfiltrate the courts of all the lords loyal toAlphatia. Anyone who gets on Longtooth’sbad side is likely to be visited by a squad ofmaster spies during a moonless night; whilethese agents are looking primarily for magicitems, they do not rule out murder, inparticular if the target has greatly angered orinsulted Longtooth. While Longtooth’soperation is quite extensive, he does anexcellent job of covering his tracks - if a lordcatches a Thyatian spy in his mansion, he hasa very difficult time linking the spy toLongtooth.

Dominion Choice: Longtooth will choose ashis domain a coastal area, with as muchaccess as possible to other dominions - and

an easy way out of Norwold if things go awry;the choice of a coastal area is also consistentwith his corsair cover identity.

Special Features: Longtooth is lightningswift when fighting with the sabre (or sabreand dagger - his favourite combination) andwhen firing with the longbow withmarksman-like precision. He is a master ofnon-magical disguise, stealth, andinfiltration, and has at his disposalconspicuous funds from the Thyatian Empireto carry out his task, as well as a number ofexpert spies and agents (all Thieves, plussome Fighters and Magic-Users, of level 9th-16th).

Relevant Possessions: Leather armour +3,longbow +3, normal sword (sabre) +4(named “Sharkfang”), ring of protection +3.

Source: CM1 The Test of the Warlords, M2Vengeance of Alphaks, Mystaran Almanacs,provisional write-up by Giampaolo Agosta.

Lucci Dhay

Swindling and thieving Karameikan exile

Neutral 16th-levelThief

Str 13, Int 10, Wis 15, Dex 17,Con 10, Cha 14

Appearance: 36years old, good-looking, with lighttanned skin,medium height (5’7” tall) and buxom figure

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(139 lbs. weight); Lucci has light blue eyes,and luxurious, straight brunette hair tied inan attractive-style long ponytail. She favoursrich and costly silk garments in black andyellow, and is quite fond of jewellery, butswitches to more practical clothes whenadventuring or “on job”.

Background: “Lucci” was born as LuciliaDhay in Sambay, Sind, daughter of a Sindhimerchant and of a Thyatian woman fromSpecularum; after her father’s death, hermother relocated to Karameikos’ capital cityto be near her family, craftsmen affiliatedwith the Goldsmiths’ Guild. During heryouth, Lucci learned jewellery crafting,became a skilled trader, and also delved intoless honest activities she practiced as amember of the Kingdom of the Thieves; shealso crossed swords a couple of times withthe agents of the Iron Ring. After one of theirmajor slave trade operations had beenruined by Lucci, the Iron Ring struck a secretdeal with the Veiled Society to have Lucciframed for the murder of Duke Stefan’sadvisor Krollan (AC 991, in truth the VeiledSociety itself was behind the assassination).Lucci, seeing no hope of clearing her name,resolved to flee, but before leaving the grandduchy she managed to rob one of the IronRing’s masters of a large sum of money. Withthe Iron Ring’s agents behind her and thirstyfor revenge, she had to flee from one countryto another between the Known World andthe Seas of Dawn, eventually managing toshake off her pursuers after some years, allthe way earning a living through smuggling,swindling, and thievery. One year ago, sheheard news about the Kingdom of Norwoldand the incoming Spring Fair, and sheheaded there to try to establish a stablehome. After many years of silence, Lucci -

hoping that the Iron Ring had by now givenup the search for her - wrote a letter to herfamily in Specularum giving them an updateabout her current whereabouts and status.Unfortunately for her, the letter wasaccidentally intercepted by the Iron Ring,who might still send some agent in thefaraway north to dispose of Lucci and avengethe damage and insult the thief did to theorganization more than ten years ago. Lucciis accompanied by her best friend Nefere(Neutral 11th-level Magic-User), a Thothianarchaeologist and scholar of her homeland’spast who came to Norwold to inquire aboutancient Thothian traces in the north.

Personality: Life has taught Lucci to live forthe moment, to be flexible and independent.An accurate person, she always strives to gether job done with skill and precision - butshe hates unnecessary violence, and her bestweapons are stealth and subterfuge. Inrelationships, Lucci is a sociable, kind andempathetic woman - but she is also wary ofothers: in a group she lets other speak andstays quiet, keeping her personal opinionssecret and being neither a leader nor afollower. Once she speaks, however, she isgenuine and what she says is usually whatshe feels or thinks. Lucci would like to start afamily, but she will not until she feels safeand stable enough, and until she finds aperson she loves and trusts.

Goals: Lucci is tired of watching her back,and sincerely hopes that Norwold will be theright place - huge, wild, and faraway - toavoid being spotted again by the Iron Ring.In any case, the region offers plentiful placesin which to hide and - in the meantime - topractice her crafts. Lucci wants to be a rulercommitted to her tasks, but will also try to

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augment her treasury with smuggling andthievery against the most arrogant,oppressive, or rich noblemen. She considersEricall a good man and will not betray himfor personal gain - unless her personal safetyor that of those she loves is at stake.

Dominion Choice: Through trading withthem foreign goods, Lucci would like to getsupport from local native people in order toobtain help, protection, and a cheap army.She deems that the horsemen tribes who livein the steppes north of the Great Bay wouldbe the best target of her policy, so she will tryto get her dominion there, in an areacontrolling one of the trade trails whichreach Autuasmaa from the south.

Special Features: Lucci’s specialty lies inswindling and smuggling, activities at whichshe’s a real expert. In combat, she tries notto kill her adversaries unless they are toodangerous, mindless, or monstrous. One ofher favourite tactics is to entangle heropponents with her net (flying by surprisewith her magic carpet, if possible) in order tocapture them as prisoners or simply keepthem out of combat.

Relevant Possessions: 12 arrows +3, flyingcarpet (large enough to carry 10 persons),leather armour +3, longbow +1, net (small)+2, normal sword +3, ring of protection +2.

Source: M2 Vengeance of Alphaks.

Magdalena Lintaine

Stern crime fightingcleric of Tarastia fromDarokin

Lawful 15th-level Clericof Tarastia

Str 12, Int 9,Wis 18, Dex 9,Con 11, Cha 15 (12)

Appearance: 37 years, attractive, faircomplexioned, medium height (5.5’ tall) andstrong build (132 lbs.), with wavy, long lightbrown hair and hazel eyes. Despite her looks,Magdalena often has a distant and slightlyhaunted expression, as she takes many of theworld's injustices onto her shoulders in anattempt to correct them. She usually has aserious manner about her as well, and thesetraits combined make some people slightlyuneasy in her company (for such people, usethe Charisma score listed above in bracketsas opposed to the full score).

Background: Magdalena was born inDarokin, and had the misfortune of beingorphaned at the age of seven. She wassubsequently taken into care by a smallconvent of the Immortal Tarastia, andeventually became a cleric within that order'sranks after showing much promise at arelatively young age. She moved to Akorrosat the age of 23, where she served as a localjudge in matters of family dispute, andearned a reputation for being wise and fair inher decisions. During those years, she was sosuccessful in hunting down lawbreakers thather name is still feared by certain criminalfraternities based in Darokin. However, she

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also began feeling dissatisfied by the way thepeople worshipped her patron Immortal,paying lip service to her or praying toTarastia only in times of need. So, she leftDarokin with some adventuring friends, andafter some travels and adventures sheeventually came to King Ericall's court inorder to carve a dominion of her own inNorwold. Among Magdalena’s oldadventuring comrades who followed her toNorwold are Varlius Olavich (Lawful 12th-level Fighter), a half-blood Karameikan whoMagdalena plans to employ as captain of herguard, and Mylissia Leafglade (Neutral 10th-level Elf), a carefree Alfheimer wood elf whowill serve as Magdalena’s court magist.Arriving much sooner than the Spring Fairduring which the king will award dominions,Magdalena has already had the opportunityto meet some of those who will participate inthe Land Rush.

Personality: Magdalena has a reputation forbeing righteous, determined to bring aboutjustice and difficult to deceive. From herDarokinian upbringing, she has alsodeveloped a keen business sense. Magdalenais definitely truthful, a trait which enablespeoples to easily recognize her goals andaims, and to strike fast friendship with like-minded people - or to make enemies ofdifferently-disposed ones. Among thecharacters she met during her recent stay inAlpha are her friend Sandralane of Glantri - acleric with whom she shares a similaroutlook of life - and Longtooth, whoMagdalena thinks is up to no good, even ifshe has no proof of this yet. Finally, soonafter meeting her, important characters atEricall’s court (likely Beriak Alanira orMadiera, at the very least) will successfully

identify her as a useful and trustworthy allyin bringing civilization to Norwold.

Goals: Magdalena has come to Norwold toestablish a domain which closely follows theImmortal Tarastia's tenets, in order to bringabout justice and exact revenge against thosewho propagate evil. She also wants to builda prosperous dominion, and to this aimMagdalena will try to strike trade deals andestablish trade routes with the merchanthouses of Alpha.

Dominion Choice: Magdalena has spotted acouple of locations on the northern coast ofthe Great Bay, directly north of Alpha, whichcould be good places to establish herdominion (and to carry out her trading plansfor it) due to their close proximity to Alpha.If none of those places turns out to beavailable, she will first resort to choosing anyother location on the northern coast of theGreat Bay, or otherwise any coastal site of thebay itself.

Special Features: Magdalena has all theabilities of a powerful matriarch of theImmortal Tarastia. Besides that, she also hasa knack of sensing imminent danger, whichhas led to at least one assassination attemptfailing miserably. Some say she is touched bythe Immortal Tarastia herself in this regard.

Relevant Possessions: Boots of speed, platemail +2, ring of protection +1, shield +1,sling +1, warhammer +2.

Source: Vaults of Pandius (Matthew Fleet).

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Maltus Fharo

Rich, independent-minded Darokinianfighter



Appearance: 38 years old, lightly tannedskin tone, average height and build (5’9” tallper 165 lbs. weight); Maltus has blackstraight hair worn to the neck, moustache,and light brown eyes. He is in good shapeand usually seems younger than his actualage. Maltus favours expensive and form-fitting clothes.

Background: The second son of a Magistrateof the Borderlands in Darokin, Maltus wastrained as a warrior at his father’s castle. Hejoined the Darokinian army as a cavalryofficer for a short but intense time, beingstationed in some of the most dangerousposts in the Republic - Fort Nell and FortHobart. Then, he worked as a guardcommander in caravans that crossed theBroken Lands, the Alasiyan desert, and theGreat Waste. In those years he alsoadventured quite frequently with a group ofclose-knit companions, and in his spare timeMaltus enjoyed Darokin City’s social life andcourt life at his family’s castle. He had morethan one liaison with various women inthose years, but never resolved to quit his lifeand start a family. After many years, he hadamassed a large fortune which would haveallowed him to buy a Magistrate position in

Darokin of his own; however, Maltus did notlike at all the meddlesome attitude of theDarokin government, preferring instead tosettle in a quiet, remote location far awayfrom bickering and backstabbing politicians.Therefore, he decided to head for Norwoldto attend the upcoming Spring Fair in Alphaand win a dominion in that northern region.He is accompanied by some of his formeradventuring Darokinian friends, who willserve as his advisors once he will haveestablished a dominion: Guy of Brad (Lawful11th-level Fighter, his second in commandduring Maltus’ time in the Army), Maryan ofHalls (Neutral 10th-level Magic-User, amagician of some skill), and Jarred Nowell(Lawful 14th-level Cleric, a patriarch of theChurch of Darokin who disliked all thepoliticking going on in the church).

Personality: Maltus has a somewhat militarymind, and wants things done as hecommands or plans, is a perfectionist anddoes not tolerate conflicts against hisauthority by those who must obey onepossessing his rank; thanks to his leadershipability, this is not usually an issue. For hisfuture dominion, he will then be also anefficient and caring ruler, intelligent enoughto think of innovative solutions for newproblems which may arise. On the otherhand, his self-assurance makes him also aquite independent-minded character: he willbe loyal to the king, but will demand a gooddegree of autonomy in the management ofhis fiefdom. Maltus has never thought to starta family so far, but things are likely to changeonce he will have stably settled in his domain.

Goals: Maltus wants to get a land which hecan carve out of the wilderness as he sees fit,a place where he would rule as he pleases

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without having to submit to heavy externalinfluences. To him, the young Kingdom ofNorwold seemed perfect for his goal. Oncesettled, he will devote all his skills and timeto the development of his dominion.

Dominion Choice: Maltus will chose aremote location for his dominion - one of thesmall wooded valleys which dot themountainsides of Norwold’s interior willparticularly appease him, especially if theyinclude some lakes, which he loves.

Special Features: During his career, Maltushas become an expert of the Darokin fencingstyle (rapier and main-gauche with lightarmour), but later he has gradually switchedto combat styles more suited for heavyarmour. Anyway, even now Maltus prefersusing his broadsword one-handed, whileleaving his off-hand free while on foot; heuses the shield (in combination with thelance) mostly when fighting from horseback.

Relevant Possessions: Armband ofabsorption, “Benefactress” broadsword,boots of wall walking, plate mail +3, shield+3.

Source: CM2 Death’s Ride, provisional write-up by Giampaolo Agosta.

Mark Acres

Powerful magic-armedadventurer fromWestrourke



Appearance: 26 years old, brown skin, verytall (6’3”) but slender and gracefully-built(181 lbs. weight), facial features which recallhis Nuari maternal lineage. Mark would havewavy black hair, but regularly shaves his headand face. His round, night-black eyes and hisappearance remind those of a predator readyto strike. Mark likes to dress in combinationsof contrasting colours, in particular black andwhite.

Background: Mark was born in the sparsely-inhabited Sveikassli Woods (north ofNewkirk, in the Grand Duchy ofWestrourke), the son of a native hunter andbrigand, and of Simakoko, a beautiful Nuarispellcasting woman who had fled the PearlIslands for some misdeed and had come tohide in this outlying corner of the empire.Mark’s father died fighting against the orcs ofthe Dust Reaches, but Simakoko was able toassume the control of his brigands behindthe scenes by charming her husband’sliutenant and becoming his lover. Mark grewin the shadow of his puppeteer mother,feeling an unhealthy attachment to her and afierce jealousy toward her lovers. After sometime, the count of Viksdalen (one of thelesser dominion-rulers of Westrourke) won a

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series of skirmishes against Mark’s brigands;Simakoko secretly met the count, seducedhim, and persuaded the man to take her andher son to his castle in exchange for thelocation of the band’s lair; his mother hadconvinced Mark that this was the only thingto do to survive. While Simakoko became thecount’s concubine at Viksdalen, Mark grew athis court, learning to fight, to ride, and tobehave as a courtier. When he came of age,he also went adventuring and after someyears he joined the company of the youngThrainkell Firestorm, the son of the archdukeof Westrourke, which earned him somerenown in the north. Three years ago,Simakoko killed the count of Viksdalenduring a quarrel; the archduke wanted herbrought to justice, but Mark stood in defenceof his mother, routing the guards who hadbeen sent to arrest her. Thrainkell, defyinghis father’s orders, confronted Mark in aduel, but was badly beaten; as aconsequence, Mark robbed his former friendThrainkell of a powerful magical sword madeof black steel that the two had previouslyfound together. Mark fled with his motherfirst to Helskir, then to the Alphatian side ofthe Isle of Dawn, where he had many moreadventures, selling his services as bodyguard,sellsword, and mercenary - all the whileusing his earnings to grant Simakoko adecent lifestyle. Then, hearing news of theincoming Spring Fair in Norwold, his motherpersuaded Mark that settling there asdominion ruler would be a goodopportunity, and they headed for Alpha.Mark arrives in the king’s capital togetherwith his mother Simakoko (Chaotic 11th-levelCleric of Masauwu, a still comely Nuariwoman in her fifties), a couple of herservants, and the Thyatian Sophria Nusenius(Neutral 8th-level Magic-User), former

member of Thrainkell Firestorm’s group andMark’s lover since a short time before hisduel with his friend.

Personality: Mark is totally dominated bythe influence of his mother, for whom hefeels an attachment so strong that he will doalmost anything to protect and please her.Recently, however, the presence of Sophria -who despises Simakoko’s control over theman - has augmented Mark’s internalconflict: on one side he loves Sophria andwould like to emancipate himself fromSimakoko, on the other he feels an irrationalfear of separating from his mother. Simakokoand Sophria dislike one another, and bothare in their own ways fighting a battle for thecontrol of Mark - how this will end and forhow much time Mark’s emotional stabilitywill be preserved is still to be seen. Apartfrom this, Mark is quick-thinking and verymuch self-confident, sometimes to the pointof foolishness; he could be sentimental, butsees this as a weakness - to thedisappointment of Sophria.

Goals: Mark sees Norwold as a good place tosettle down, gain a ranking among Norwoldlords, and eventually build a family withSophria; indeed, the story of his victoriousduel against archduke Donegal’s son alreadyearned him some popularity among theAlphatian noblemen. Unfortunately, they arenot Mark’s aims which matter, but those ofhis mother. The malicious and schemingSimakoko actually wishes to turn theKingdom of Norwold into a hotbed ofintrigue and treachery of which she will pullthe strings; she plans to use charm,seduction, false promises, illusions, anddisguise to make other lords her puppetsand turn them one against the other - a

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situation from which her son would emergeas the winner; obviously, Simakoko’s mainissue is keeping control of her son againstSophria’s influence. This means thatSimakoko will lead Mark to exploit to hisown advantage the eventual strugglebetween Thyatis and Alphatia over Norwold,misleading others through treachery ifnecessary. While Mark knows his motherworships some sort of native Nuari Immortal,he is still not aware of the being’s entropicnature.

Dominion Choice: Simakoko will persuadeMark to choose a dominion in a central areawith as much access as possible to thegreater number of other dominions; any traitof the Norwold seacoast will purposely fitthis description.

Special Features: Mark has gathered anamazing deal of unusual and powerful magicitems, mostly found during his adventures inthe Northern Reaches, Heldannic Territories,Norwold, and the Isle of Dawn. Worthy ofnote is his magical black steel bastard sword,taken from the young Thrainkell Firestorm,which is also a relic of historical significancefor Heldanners (see the weapon’s entry inthe “Magic Items New and Unusual” section,at the end of the article). Mark is quite ableat fighting with a number of weapons,including various swords and horsemenweapons, such as the lance, but he is notvery skilled in ranged combat. Apart whenjousting, Mark usually favours mediumarmour at best, as he does not like to behindered by shields and heavier armour.

Relevant Possessions: Black steel bastardsword, mirror of enlightenment, platebarding +2, pouch of traveling, ring of magic

resistance, ring of the Hunakoi, warhammer+1 returning of finding, white dragonscalearmour.


Max the First

Massive Darokinian fighter with dynasticambitions



Appearance: 35years old, light skintone, very muscular,tall and massivelybuilt (6’ per 221 lbs.).

Max has blue eyes under thick eyebrows andshort, curly dark brown hair and moustache;his voice is deep, but unpleasant and easily-remembered by those who have heard it.When not going to combat, Max favoursfashionable, pastel-coloured clothes.

Background: Iulius Maxentius (this is histrue name) was born in Julinius, Thyatis, intoa family of master armorers who made goodprofits provisioning the imperial armies.Iulius learned and became skilled at hisfather’s craft, but longed for more action inlife. When he was a boy, he was feared for hisstrength among his peers, and when he grewup he began selling his services as hired

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force and bodyguard to neighbourhoodbosses, innkeepers, and local traders. Later,to his father’s disappointment, he left thefamily business to his younger brother andenlisted in the imperial legions, serving therefor ten years in various provinces, and alsotaking part in the early stages of theHinterlands’ conquest. Despite hisexperience, Iulius was disappointed by hislack of advancement in the higher ranks ofthe Thyatian army, maturing the idea(somewhat right) that he was beingoutmatched by less-experienced peopleswho knew high-placed persons, were sons orfriends or noblemen, or who were well intopolitics. Then he left the army, and spent thenext years adventuring alone and selling hisservices as mercenary, bodyguard, andbounty hunter to the highest bidder. Iuliuswas quite successful in his crafts and amassedquite a wealth, but his ambition pushed himto wish for something more. However, hewas not rich enough to bribe someone tobuy a nobility title in Thyatis, he did notbelong to the aristocracy, neither was he hepopular enough to win a senatorial election- so he had little hope to raise his socialstatus in the Thyatian Empire. Then, Iuliusheard news about the far northern Kingdomof Norwold, and correctly reasoned that thiswas a young and potentially rich land whichcould offer him more hopes to fulfil hisambitions. So, he embarked alone in his triptoward Alpha; knowing that the AlphatianKing Ericall would not trust a Thyatianformer army-man as his vassal, Iulius decidedto pose as a Darokinian fighter under thename of “Julian Max” and to avoid bringingwith him servants or henchmen who mightbetray his true identity or blackmail him.

Personality: Max is driven byoverconfidence and ambition - he never likedto submit to individuals who, in his view,were far less skilled and capable than him.Once he loved his homeland, but with thepassing of years he has realized that Thyatiswas no better than other nations inunfairness and corruption; he has thereforeresolved to live for himself, caring only forhis own interests and not for what otherpeople call their “loyalties”. Max is acompetitive person, malicious and somewhatcruel, but his arrogance sometimes makeshim daydream about future successes andlose focus on the current situation.

Goals: Max’s ambition is cantered on onegoal: establishing a dominion, starting afamily, and beginning his own dynasty -which one day, he hopes, will rule not onlythe Norwold region but even the wholecontinent of Brun! This is the reason why heattaches “the First” to his name in official orformal circumstances - he sees himself as thefirst of his future dynasty. With this goal inmind, Max will try to find as soon as possiblea suitable mate (in the past he has hadvarious transient affairs, none of whichproduced any children), to build a powerfuldominion (mostly from a military point ofview) and to gauge what opportunities arisein the near future: he wants to choose thebest for himself, and he sees the likelyconflict between the major powers overNorwold as full of opportunities for himself.Max will side with the one who makes himthe best offer, regardless of his oath of fealtyto the king.

Dominion Choice: Max will rather choosean accessible area than a wilderness one; adomain’s worthy capital must stand in a

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central area, with good fertile fields but alsowith few powerful rivals in the vicinity.Likely, if available, Max will choose to set hisdominion in the coastal plains north ofOceansend (and not too near to the city).

Special Features: Normally, Max is afearsome fighter, nearly unstoppable incombat and relentless in crushing hisopponents. That is, until now. Max knowswell that a dead man can father no children,and see the rise of no dynasty; so, in combathe seems a bit cowardly and unwilling totake any undue risk. Apart from this, Max isquite skilled both in foot and horsebackcombat; he is also an expert at intimidation,tailing marks, and jungle survival - even if itis some time since he last practiced thoseskills.

Relevant Possessions: “Enslaver” normalsword, heavy crossbow +2, plate mail +3,shield +4.

Source: CM1 The Test of the Warlords, M2Vengeance of Alphaks, provisional write-upby Giampaolo Agosta.

Maximillian

Stubborn butunpredictable she-knight fromKarameikos



Appearance: 31 years old, olive complexion,tall and with a wiry and tough build for awoman (5’11” per lbs.); she has straight,shoulder-length brown hair, and narrow greyeyes. Maximillian looks about five years olderthan her actual age, but people tend to findher a bit attractive, especially if they likesquare-jawed, manly women. She usuallywears clothes in plain colours which sportsome distinctive feature (a unique design, anelegant embroidery, and so on), but she isnot as careful to tend to them, so they oftenappear crumpled or have dirty hems. Onformal occasions and in battle, Maximillianwears beautifully-carved suit armour with afluted design, which is making her famousand starting a fashion among armorers.

Background: Maximillian Holt was the onlydaughter of a family of poor agriculturallabourers who worked in a manor outsideSpecularum; her father’s family were nativesof Septentriona, but had moved to Traladarain the early 9th century AC, while her motherwas of full Thyatian descent. She lived heryouth in poverty, but her life changed when,still a child, she stumbled by chance upon a

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lost ring of invisibility, which she used tofind a neighbour’s lost child. The deed madeher famous among the poor people living inthe South End of Specularum, andMaximillian started to use her newfoundability to help people and humble evil orarrogant high-ups. During her youth, she wasnoted by a priest of the Church ofKarameikos, who thought the girl had a greatpotential if only she could be directedtoward a good cause. While Maximillian wasenthusiast about the Church’s philosophy,the priest was soon disheartened by the girl’sfickleness and lack of will in pursuing aplanned purpose. Under the sponsorship ofher priestly mentor, Maximillian started anadventuring career which her superiors inthe Church judged random and aimless - atone time she was even persuaded by the Cultof Halav to join their ranks before onemember of the Order of the Griffon broughther on the “right” path! The latter introducedMaximillian into his knightly order, trying tostrengthen her personality through tests anda friendly rivalry. Maximillian quickly becamea skilled fighter and in a short time evensurpassed her teacher, but her will had nottaken any step forward. In the next few years,she became convinced that the order and thefaith she belonged to were oppressing theTraladaran people; she suddenly left theOrder of the Griffon and became a robberknight, sometimes in league with Traladaranrebels and conspirators. After havingwitnessed how the Traladaran families pulledthe strings of what she considered the“resistance movement” against the Thyatians,only to increase their own power and wealth,she left for Darokin in disgust. There sheserved under many patrons and did manyadventures, but came to hate the plutocracyand the ruling merchant elite for their lack of

moral values. At last, she heard of theincoming Spring Fair in Norwold anddecided to go there, to find at last a king anda cause worthy of her services or - at least -establish her own realm marked by righteousvalues.

Personality: Maximillian’s main trait is herunpredictability, which is due to a generallack of willpower. She is stubborn andtenacious in the pursuit of her aim, and hasa competitive spirit which drives her ineverything she does - the problem is thatsuch an aim changes frequently, to the pointthat other people often think she acts in atotally random way. In fact, Maximillian iseasily influenced - new ideas, opinions,suggestions, persons, cultures, philosophies,and religions can sway her from a statedcourse of action or from an order given toher; this does not mean she is a wimp, onlythat she is very changeable. As soon as thecourt of Alpha gets to know her, she will beknown as “Mad Max” (short form forMadame Maximillian). Besides this,Maximillian - despite her chaotic alignment -is a good-willed person and will be a strongsupporter of King Ericall (as long as she doesnot change her mind about him). Maximilliansince her childhood has held a specialfascination for magic items and for theirpowers, and will try to acquire or seize(depending on the owner and on thecircumstances) an item of special interest forher.

Goals: Maximillian has realized that themodern love for money has ruined what sheconsiders the great realms of the past (theKingdom of Darokin, the Traladaranprincipalities, and the classical ThyatianEmpire). She has left the Known World in

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search of a place where a new kingdom willbe born according to values she likes -honour, courage, goodwill, strength of arms,and justice. She hopes that the new Kingdomof Norwold will be such a realm, and she isdetermined to become one of the kingdom’sleading noblewomen, to help King Ericallthrough her advice, and to establish her owndominion along the same lines.

Dominion Choice: It’s be impossible toknow what sort of things might hitMaximillian’s imagination in the moment shewill make her decision as to where to settle.However, given her competitive drive, shewill likely choose a place in a wild anddangerous area of the realm, or near thedominion of another pretender sheconsiders a rival.

Special Features: Maximillian is aformidable fighter, both on horse and onfoot. Her mount is a huge black stallionnamed Blue. The weapons she likes most arethe lance or sword and shield on horseback,or the two-handed use of a sword or apolearm on foot. She is also quite skilled inthe use of the longbow. In battle Maximillianis relentless, and once she has resolved toenter a fight she has never been known towithdraw from it, determined to defeat heropponent or be crushed in the attempt. Oneof the most distinguishing features ofMaximillian is her custom-made suit armour,fashioned in Newkirk, which sports abeautiful fluted design - within some timesuch armour design will become known as“Maximillian armour” after her.

Relevant Possessions: Five arrows +5,darkflame sword, dagger of the fool,halberd +5, ring of piercing.


Ney

Alien, lawful ant-like creature in search of aliege

Lawful 18th-level Fighter


Appearance: Ney is a 34-year old, 6’ tallfurmy, an offshoot race of formians (see thebox). Despite its bipedal posture, it remainsvery ant-like, with a body covered inprotective black chitin, and a head thatsports mandibles, antennae, and fly-likemulti-faceted eyes. Without vocal cords,speaking is impossible, but with enoughpractice Ney has been able to use itsmandibles to mimic a clickety approximationof human language. Ney is asexual, althoughas a warrior it is oftentimes addressed in themasculine gender due to local stereotypes.Ney wears at all times a tailor-made, magicalplate and helmet above its chitin, and a set offour swords strapped on its back, to theexclusion of any additional clothes. Ney isquite the alien sight, even at an Alphatiancourt.

Background: Ney was a warrior specialist inthe hidden furmy Mystaran colony, butduring a hurricane was swept from its postand thrown at sea; it managed the feat ofsurviving both storm and sea, and waseventually rescued by a human ship - aboardwhich he met Arcadius, Celia, Siegfried, and

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Furmy

Monster Type: Monster (Very Rare).

Furmies are humanoid equivalents ofnormal ants that stand upright on their twohind legs and uses their four front limbs asarms, giving them a more humanlikedemeanor. Furmies are an offshoot, lesshive-minded sub-species of the formians,which breeds only individuals, each withtheir own personality (no drones) in orderto be more adaptable in the settling of newworlds. An adult furmy is about 6’ tall.

They normally live together in “anthills”called colonies. Furmies are asexual; thequeen only lays eggs that are hatched intomature furmies according to the colony'sneeds (the eggs need one year before theycan be hatched, but can then be storedindefinitely). The first eggs laid (generallybetween a couple and a half-dozen) arequeen eggs, while all other eggs are normalfurmies.

A furmy's eyes are multi-faceted like those ofa fly, granting it 60' infravision and a 360°vision - which means what, unless it isblinded, a furmy cannot be surprised. Itschitinous black carapace grants it a naturalarmor, while its four upper limbs allows itto wield a wide variety of weapons andshields (most warrior furmies areambidextrous and can use a great variety oftactics with perfect dexterity); if no otherchoice remains, a furmy will defend itselfusing its mandibles. Furmies are resistant tospells and poison (getting +1 to savesagainst those attacks), and are immune tocharm effects. Furmies can communicateempathically with each other when within60', or telepathically when in contactthrough their antennae. A furmy can doubleits movement rate by running on it six limbs.

Furmies have a tremendous sense of loyaltytoward their queen and their colony. Theywill typically sacrifice their lives for thegreater good of the colony. This does notmean that furmies have no personality andare mechanical, instinct-driven creatureslike ants, quite the contrary, just that theirscale of value would appear alien to mostsentient creatures. Most furmies are ofLawful alignment, and in fact eggs arenormally scried for chaotic tendenciesbefore hatching-and eggs that would bearpotentially unstable individuals aredestroyed mercilessly. Each furmy is bornwith its future decided for it in advance; thecolony provides it with all it needs,including training for its position in thesociety. Most furmies are simple workers(farmer, craftsman, etc.), some are warriors,while some are bred for wizardry or

Armor Class: 4Hit Dice: 2Move: 120’ (40’)Attacks: Up to 4 weapons

or 1 biteDamage: By weapons or 1d4No. Appearing: 5d10 (2d6)Save As: F1Morale: 8Treasure Type: L, OIntelligence: 10Alignment: LawfulXP Value: 20

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Zoltan (see their separate entries). Notknowing how to find its way back tothe colony, it eventually resolved thatits original duty was over (the colonywould promote a suitablereplacement), and transferred itsloyalty to its rescuers, accompanyingthem in their adventures throughunknown lands, with strange peoplesand customs that it was unpreparedfor. Living among them is a constantstruggle for sanity, but Ney provedadaptable enough to survive this newordeal. Once the group arrived inNorwold, Ney parted with itscompanions in order to personallyoffer its loyalty to King Ericall.

Personality: Like all its kinfolk, Neywas bred to be a loyal, obedientsubject, but the loss of a clearhierarchy and chain of command hasbeen trying. Yet Ney has been able toadjust in those challengingcircumstances, proving its exceptionaladaptability. Because of its nature, Neystill has a hard time grasping variousconcepts like money and property,prosperity and poverty, sale and trade,fame and power, sex, love, and family,lying, treachery, and treason, andmany more, often causing it to makemajor blunders (more often than notat its own expense, but rarely evenrealizing it).

Goals: Ney is anxious and eager toswear fealty to a king, and finally havea clearly established, lawful overlord.The fact that it is a king, not a queen,is a bit troubling, not to mention thatthey are both chaotic humans,

priesthood or other important positions; thus,furmies of all classes and levels can beencountered. A furmy's life span is about 100years; queens generally live about 500 years.

All furmies have an instinctive fear of water, andwill avoid crossing seas and oceans, or evensmaller water bodies - there is no known furmysailor. They also fear fire. Because of theirstrange look and behaviour, furmies willgenerally have a

hard time meshing with other races - but that issomething they rarely do anyway. Due to theirphysiology, they cannot speak the humanoidlanguages without a very strong accent(generally described as chopped and clicking,but the differences are actually morefundamental). Because of their nature, furmieshave a hard time grasping various concepts likemoney, property, poverty, trade, fame, sex, love,family, lying, treachery, treason, often causingthem to get into trouble - even if they hardlyrealize why.

Furmies are not native to Mystara, but fromanother world where insect-like creatures arethe dominant form of sentient beings. Onecolony accidentally came to Mystara long ago,and though it is very rare, some of its memberscan sometimes be encountered. The exactlocation of the Mystaran colony is a secret nofurmy will reveal to any non-furmy. The furmiesworship the Immortal Furmy, allegedly the onlyfurmy to have ever reached immortality, and thefounder of their society as an orderly one.Though not native to Mystara and mostlyuninvolved in its politics, Furmy grants spells toIts Mystaran priests.

Terrain Type: Cavern.

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although the fact that Ericall ultimately servesan empress is a comfort. Ney wants toestablish whether entering the service of theking is the right decision, but if it becomesliege to Ericall, it will be with bindingfaithfulness.

Dominion Choice: Ney has no preferencefor a dominion, and fails to fully grasp whatbecoming a ruler would entail besidesbringing order. Whatever the king bestowswill become Ney's domain, but if the kingdoes not apportion, Ney will choose arandom plot of land not too far from Alpha,one with some population, fertile lands andresources. In no case will Ney go against theking's wishes, nor against any councillor’s,and it will certainly not fight other pretenders.

Special Features: Ney has specialized in avery aggressive four-handed combat,wielding a sword in each hand, making it aformidable warrior. But much to its dismay,this style does not mesh well with other,humanoid fighters, preventing formationfighting. Nor can Ney communicate easilywith fellow combatants to coordinate tactics.Ney also benefits from infravision, and all-around field of view, strong natural armour,a good resistance to poison and spells andmental attacks. Ney fears fire and water andcannot swim (nor float), and is generallyhindered by its difficulty to communicateeffectively, its lack of comprehension formany common sense concepts, and itsunwavering sense of loyalty and duty. Havingno concept of private property or personalpossession, as whatever is necessary is freelyavailable from the hive, Ney only keeps whatit deems useful, and nothing else. It alsotakes whatever it needs without regard for itsowner, although after years spent among

humans it has determined that this is notalways acceptable behaviour, though when itis or not still baffles Ney. Whomever itassociates with for a long period learns todeal with this idiosyncrasy by allowing Ney totake whatever it wants and keep the rest,which is not always such a bad proposition,as Celia knows. The only things it keeps arehis armour and four swords; both Ney’sarmour and swords are alien in appearance,and fashioned from an unknown, glittering,extremely hard and sharp kind of mineral. Itsarmour is custom-made to fit Ney’s oddshape. Ney does not keep coin or jewellery,nor does it understand money.

Relevant Possessions: Four normal swords+5, plate mail +5.


Niles Douglass

Renowned mightychampion andknight fromHillvale


Str 16, Int 8, Wis10, Dex 16, Con14, Cha 10

Appearance: 43 years old, rather attractive,large, tall (6’3”) and heavily-built (223 lbs.weight), with light skin, dark grey eyes, longand silky dark brown hair (greying, but he

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dyes it), beard and moustache; Niles likes towear precious clothes in elegant style,favouring white and orange as colours, evenif he seldom seems at ease within them.

Background: Niles was the fourth son bornin a family of the landowning gentry in thecountryside of the Kingdom of Hillvale, onthe Isle of Dawn; his family migrated there acouple of generations ago from the ShadowCoast, where it had its roots. Young Nileswasn’t quite bright, but showed manyphysical qualities, and at the age of twelvewas sent to be apprenticed as a warriorunder his uncle, a famous wandering fighter,in order to be able to serve one of Hillvale’sprominent noblemen. Niles spent hisadolescence travelling with his uncle,learning swordsmanship, archery, horsebackfighting, and many more things. When hisuncle finally became a member of the king ofHillvale’s guard, he acted as his squire for atime, then entered the guard on his ownright after some years, performing quite welland demonstrating a high degree of loyalty inthe missions which the king entrusted tohim. When the old king of Hillvale died,Niles left East Portage and travelled aroundthe Alphatian Empire, adventuring andworking as bodyguard and personalchampion for a variety of wizards and magic-using noblemen. His combat prowess earnedNiles great fame and ultimately a job inSundsvall’s Imperial Guard, where he met ayounger and talented Torenal. After manysuccessful years of service, at last he had toleave the Guard due to a scandal which burstout when he had an affair with a young andaristocratic girl from the imperial court. Nilestravelled back home, spending the next yearsadventuring and serving under various kingson the Isle of Dawn. It was a year ago that he

was reached by King Ericall’s emissaries, who- having heard tales of his valour - offeredhim the opportunity to earn a dominion inNorwold; Niles decided that time was right,and he left the Isle of Dawn for the coldnorth, journeying to Alpha to meet the king.In his travels, he is accompanied by hisfriends, Lorian Lazarok (Lawful 10th-levelFighter, from Hillvale) and Shevrashan(Lawful 7th-level Fighter, from Greenspur), bysome servants, and by his very beautiful andyoung wife, Helga Dygmirian (ChaoticNormal Woman) - a 25-year old half-Common Alphatian and half-Northmanwoman from a noble Helskirian family.Helga’s father was killed during the recentfighting between Thyatis and Alphatia aroundHelskir, and she was forced by her brother tomarry Niles, who had fought alongside theirfather; Helga was indifferent toward thischoice at first, but gradually developed adislike for Niles, whom she does not love,doing everything possible to embarrass himwith her flirtatious and shameless behaviour.

Personality: Niles is a truthful and sternperson, used to obeying orders and stayingtrue to his patron or liege - including hissoon-to-be new king; however, his lack ofcleverness makes him rather rigid in hisbehaviour. Niles is also quite serious and shy,and while he is a great ally on the battlefield,he slowly becomes boring and dull duringsocial events. Niles is greatly attracted to hiswife Helga, and despite her disrespectfulbehaviour toward him, he tries to do all hecan to please her, often with distressingresults.

Goals: Niles has come to Norwold toestablish a dominion and build there what hecould not build in Alphatia or at home; he

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wants to improve his reputation with theking and the other lords, and to this aim willtry to make his dominion prosperous, hire aformidable army, enlist the aid of the bestretainers available, and take part in as manytournaments, jousts, and festivals aroundNorwold as possible. He would also like toproduce an heir with Helga, who on theother hand does her best to avoid gettingpregnant by him.

Dominion Choice: Niles would like tochoose a domain on Norwold’s eastern coastor along the eastern coasts of the Great Bay,areas with easy access to the Alphatianmainland and to the Isle of Dawn, where hisand his wife’s families still dwell.

Special Features: Niles is a very skilledcombatant with a variety of weapons, asrequired by one who has performed for yearsthe job of protecting powerful wizards andnoblemen. On foot, he favours sword andshield style, but he is also expert at fightingwith two-handed weapons like histhreatening poleaxe. Niles is quite fond ofshooting with the longbow, but rarely usesthis weapon in combat, and mostly only inarchery contests and while hunting. Onhorseback, he likes fighting with lance andshield and is quite unstoppable whilecharging. Niles always wears heavy armour incombat, most often his magical suit armour,beautifully-crafted for him by one of his lastAlphatian patrons.

Relevant Possessions: Longbow ofmarksmanship, poleaxe +2, shield +2,“Steelbreaker” longsword, suit armour +3.


Ossian

Shrewd andwary mage fromRedstone



Appearance: 27years old, faircomplexion, tall(height 6’1”) but thin and frail (137 lbs. ofweight), with light red hair - worn short, witha well-trimmed beard and moustache - andgrey eyes. Ossian prefers to dressinconspicuously when he does not wantothers to focus on him, while he wears richclothes which make his rank clear when hewants to soar above others.

Background: Ossian von Mereklar was bornin Hattias, the son of a Hattian noblemanwho wished his son to become a battle magein the Thyatian army; thus Ossian was sent tothe Collegium Arcanum in Thyatis City.Following his father’s will, after completinghis training Ossian enlisted in the Thyatianlegions, but discovered that military life wasnot for him because of his frail physique andthe strict rules against which he had alwaysstruggled in his own family since being a boy.A year later, Ossian caught the opportunity todesert during a mission against a humanoidtribe on the Westrourke-Dunadale border onthe Isle of Dawn, when he let hiscompanions believe he had died during thecollapse of one of the orcs’ caves. Then he

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renounced his surname and wandered theIsle of Dawn as an adventurer and problem-solver for hire, uniting with variousfellowships but never becoming part of themfor very long - his nature pushed him tonever stay together with the same people fortoo long, and to never forge permanent tiesto anyone. Pretending to be a mercenarywizard from Redstone, two years ago hejoined the crew of captain Sieger von Duwnon the flying ship Silver Arrow, but when thecaptain announced his wish to establish adominion in Norwold, he again left his fellowcrewmen with the goal to arrive at Alpha onhis own and obtain his personal dominionfrom King Ericall.

Personality: Ossian’s character is coy andmistrustful, always wary of other’s moves andon the look to discover their truemotivations; this nearly borders on paranoia,as he often tries to put himself in anadvantageous position over his fellows’eventual betrayal, and to devise various plansto defend himself. He is intolerant of rulesand orders others may give him, and the onlyperson he truly trusts is himself. He bears noparticular loyalty toward King Ericall (oranyone else for that matter, including hishomeland), and will obey him only as long asit is advantageous for him, and as long as theking’s control over his vassals continues tobe light-handed. While Ossian has parted onfriendly terms from his companions of theSilver Arrow - Sieger von Duwn, Shuren, andothers - he does not feel obliged to them,and will help or collaborate with them onlywhen it suits him.

Goals: Ossian’s only goal is to finally find aplace - his dominion - where others will obeythe orders he gives them, and no one will

control him anymore. He knows this is hischance to give a turn on his life, and so he isdetermined to build a powerful andorganized dominion, to bath in intrigue, andto fight harshly his opponents - in a word, todo everything that is needed to reach his goal.

Dominion Choice: Ossian will try to set hisdominion on the shores of the Great Bay orat least on its vicinities, in the attempt to staynear the capital of Norwold and still not beeasily reachable just in case he may have toflee.

Special Features: Ossian’s character makeshim appear almost fearful in combat; whenthe odds are against him, he is likely to exitthe fray and save himself regardless of others.In combat he favours damaging long-rangespells and illusions which may keep himfrom being directly involved in melee; healso tries to surround himself with morepowerful companions who make him feelshielded from danger.

Relevant Possessions: Dagger +3/+6 vsdragonkind, ring of protection +4, rod ofaerial might, tunic of shielding, wand offireballs.


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Quentin Jax

Aristocratic Alphatianwizard from Randel

Lawful Large GoldDragon


Appearance: Inhuman form, Quentinappears as a 45 yearold Common Alphatian, of medium heightand slender build (5’10” tall per 148 lbs.);copper skinned, with long golden, silver-striped hair and short, well-trimmed beardand moustache; his eyes are hazel andslightly slanted, deep and ever-moving. Hewears a heavy, white brocade tunic andalways carries a crystal staff whose top isshaped like a question mark (his staff ofwizardry).

Background: Quentin Jax is in truth thealternate human identity of Jaq’antixuen, a240-years old gold dragon. He is native ofRandel, in the Alphatian continent, butstarted to haunt the Wyrmsteeth Range ofNorwold about a century ago, becoming aleading personality of Windreach and of theParliament of Dragons. When the Alphatianscame again westward in AC 985 in anotherattempt at colonizing Norwold, the dragonsof Windreach feared this would provokeanother great war between the humans andthe other dragons of the Wyrmsteeth Range,most of whom obeyed the authority of MorsRufus, the red dragon ruler of the region. So,

in order to avert this risk and keep peace inthe area, they secretly sent Jaq’antixuen toEricall’s court with the duty to infiltrate theNorwoldese nobility, gain the favour of theking, and eventually inducing him to keepthe humans’ settlements out of the dragon’ssacred mountains. Thanks to hispolymorphing powers, Jaq’antixuen thusassumed the identity of Quentin Jax, a richAlphatian wizard coming from Randel’scountryside.

Personality: Jaq’antixuen is utterly loyal tothe cause of the Dragon Nation representedby the Parliament of Dragons in Windreach.He, like his kin, feels invested by the GreatOne with the duty to keep at bay the risk ofanother full-scale war between humans anddragons – and if fulfilling this task meanspracticing some necessary deceit againsthumans or different-minded dragons, so beit. Jaq’antixuen is particularly wary of thepowerful human magic-users who attendEricall’s court (who might discover his trueidentity), and of the Wyrmsteeth dragonswho regularly threaten peace indulging inraids and forays against the human lands.

Goals: As Quentin, Jaq’antixuen will try topersuade Ericall to grant him a dominion; hewill make large use of gifts to the king and toother would-be noblemen and influentialpersons if necessary, through the richessupplied to him by Windreach. Once in placeas dominion ruler, Quentin will continueusing the wealth of his dominion to keep theking’s favour, and at the same time he willmake fake shows of power against thedragons (with the compliance of Windreach’sleaders) in order to become Ericall’s front-man in Alpha’s dealings with the dragons.Quentin’s ultimate goal is to have the king

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publicly (and in written form, if manageable)agree to keep the humans’ expansion out ofthe dragon-dominated areas and to punishany trespasser. Once this goal has beensecured, Quentin may even quit his identityas a nobleman with some excuse orexplanation. If Quentin’s true identitybecomes known, he is likely to silence thediscoverer through bribe or blackmail first,resorting to harsher methods if no other wayproves sufficient.

Dominion Choice: Quentin needs adominion rich in natural resources,preferably in precious ores. He has alreadythrown his eye on the area south of Leeha,where the Ransarn River passes through theGiants’ Mountains – a place rich in golddeposits – and will make any effort to try towin it.

Special Features: The physical ability scores(Str, Dex, and Con) listed above refer toJaq’antixuen’s human form. As a large golddragon, he can speak, cast magic-user spells,and polymorph into animal shape – oftenassuming that of a bird of some type. Inbattle, Quentin makes large use of his magicstaff, both in melee and to cast spells.

Relevant Possessions: Amulet of protectionfrom crystal balls and ESP, ring of protection+5, staff of wizardry.


Quillan Elm-Grower

Friendly, human-loving elvendiplomat fromAlfheim

Lawful 10th-levelElf Lord (AttackRank E)


Appearance: At 154 years old, Quillan is ayoung wood elf; he is of medium height,with a slender physique (5’3” per 96 lbs.),and delicate facial features. Quillan’scomplexion is lightly tanned, like that ofmost elves of the Grunalf clan, due to thetime spent in the open. He has thin, straight,long brunette hair, goes clean shaven, andsports friendly dark blue eyes. Like mostelves, he is considered attractive according tohuman standards. Quillan always wearcomfortable clothes in elven fashion, hisfavourite colours being dark red and variousshades of green.

Background: Quillan was born into theGrunalf clan, in the elven Kingdom ofAlfheim. Since he was very young, hedeveloped an uncanny talent for tendingplants and growing trees, and a specialaffinity for elms. During his youth, Quillanapprenticed under skilled Grunalf foresters,and learned the trades of his clan, becominga good boater, tracker, and hunter. Likemany young elves, he felt the call ofadventure and completed many successful

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quests in Alfheim, down the forest’s riversand in the depths of its groves. Later, after hebecame one of the most prominent forestersand tree-tenders of clan Grunalf, KingDoriath of Alfheim sent him to Erewan, thewood elven principality in Glantri, answeringa request from Princess Carlotina, whowould have liked to get some help fromAlfheim to carry on her program of tree-planting in her principality. Quillan travelledthere, and settled in Erewan for a long time,becoming a trusted friend of the mostprominent members of the Erewan clan,including Carlotina and her family. Quillanalso had the chance to visit Glantri andnearby countries during those years -Darokin and Wendar in particular - and gotto know more closely the human society,discovering he liked it very much, andbefriending many human personalities inthose countries. In many occasions, thanks tohis knowledge of the humans and their ways,he acted as middleman between the elvenclans (be they the Erewan or someWendarian or Alfheimer clan) and thehumans, acquiring some fame in the field ofdiplomacy. Eventually, eager to move and seenew places, he headed north, following thetales regarding the elves of the Great Forestof Geffron (on the Denagothian Plateau) andthe Foresthomes of Norwold. After hearingthe tragic truth about the former, he decidedto head for Norwold, wishing to meet theelves who dwelled there. During his journey,he also learned about the incoming SpringFair in Alpha, the capital city of Norwold, anddecided to head there to have a chance tomeet the local human king and his lords, andsee if he could put his skills to some use toget a dominion in the Kingdom of Norwold.

Personality: Quillan is peaceful, curious andoutgoing, even with members of other races,an unusual trait for a wood elf at best. He isconsidered in particular a friend of humans,since he likes their rambunctious company,their rowdy good humour, and their “hasty”ways. Quillan fancies himself a bit of adiplomat and always tries to calm downquarrelling people and make them come toterms before blood is shed. He is also a loyalperson, who can be trusted once he hasgiven his word or agrees to help a friend inneed.

Goals: Quillan has come to Norwold to meetthe Foresthome elves and learn more aboutthem, their culture, and their ways. He seesthe Kingdom of Norwold as an opportunityto put his diplomatic skills at use, because hesupposes that those aloof elves living in theforests of the interior will sooner or laterhave the need to establish relationships ofsome kind with the court of King Ericall - hisaim is to act as a trait d’union between them.Once installed as dominion ruler, Quillanwill focus on his role as middleman, and willlikely not develop his domain that much.

Dominion Choice: Quillan will try to get adominion from the king in an area includingone of the known Foresthomes. Then, hewill carve a niche inside the elven society,and persuade the elven clan he chose to actas their ambassador to the court of Alpha.Quillan will claim his dominion over the areaonly after he has got permission from theclan; in the time to come, he will alsobecome quite dependant on the clan’sdecisions regarding foreign matters, and thisfact may eventually portray him as anindividual reluctant to help the king at best(or as a traitor at worst).

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Special Features: Quillan’s favouredfighting style is shooting with the longbowfrom distance, something he does withlightning speed and deadly precision. He isalso quite skilled in fighting with longswordand shield, but he does not like melee andenters close combat only when he has to.

Relevant Possessions: 20 arrows +1,chainmail of the forest lady, longbow +3,normal sword +2, shield +2.

Source: CM1 The Test of the Warlords, CM2Death’s Ride, CM3 Sabre River, M1 Into theMaelstrom, provisional write-up byGiampaolo Agosta.

Rutger Dag

Wild and frolicsome wilderness ranger fromVestland

Neutral 15th-level Fighter


Appearance: 29 years old, fair skin, very tall(6’3”) and stout (203 lbs.): Rutger has lightbrown straight hair, worn at shoulder-lengthwith some braids and pigtails, beard andmoustache, and light blue eyes. He favourswearing fine clothes and furs in theVestlander fashion, with a few butostentatious jewels - if needed, however, hewill fit in a rougher dress more suited towilderness adventure.

Background: Rutger was born in Bergen,Vestland, to a family of river boaters; whenhis father died, he and his brothers tookdifferent paths altogether, with Rutgerabandoning the family trade and movingwest to pursue adventure in the wildernessof Vestland. He sold his services as scout,hunter, and ranger, traveling from theTrollheim hills to the Soderfjord Jarldoms.Rutger performed very well in all his duties,and as upper class peoples and jarls heard ofhis deeds, they began to hire his services aswell; thus, in a relatively short time, Rutgermanaged to gather a sizeable wealth throughadventuring and to build a good fame as awarrior in the Northern Reaches. Wishing tosee something else of the world and most ofall the “true” north, the homeland of thelegendary Antalian peoples, he left Vestlandfor Norwold to invest his money into his newproject: the establishment of a dominion. Hisgoal brought him to attend the Spring Fair inAlpha.

Personality: Rutger is a typical Northmanfighter: he is savage in battle, courageous tothe point of foolhardiness, wild in hispastimes - loving banquets, parties, drinkingand eating - but does not appreciate“civilization” as intended by the Thyatians orAlphatians much. This is one of the reasonswhy he has left his native land to come toNorwold: it was becoming too civilized forhis tastes. Rutger is a devout follower of theImmortal Thor, and is also quitesuperstitious. He knows Fergus the Justifier(see his entry) by fame, and considers theDawner a rival.

Goals: Rutger has decided to put his wealthto some use, and try to establish his owndominion in Norwold. He has heard stories

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about Ostlander pirates of the past sailingnorth and imposing their will through theforce of arms on local peoples; while he issomewhat fascinated by their heroic figures,Rutger frowns upon their excessive barbaricsavagery, and would like to set a dominion inNorwold according to a more orderly,Vestlander way. Dag, however, will be notoverly loyal to Ericall: by his standard, beingnamed king by a distant empress is no title torule, so Ericall will have to prove his worth toearn Rutger’s respect. Once Rutger fullycommits himself to Ericall, however, hishonour will force him to follow the king tothe end. If Ericall does not convince him,Rutger will fight hard for independence,against Alphatians, Thyatians, or HeldannicKnights alike, though he might settle for aposition as vassal of any of these powers,assuming the terms are acceptable for hisold-style Northman sense of honour.

Dominion Choice: Rutger will select adomain in a region inhabited by theNorwolder tribes of clans - he believes (notincorrectly) they will appreciate his style ofrulership. Preferably he would like to choosean area of coastal plains or woods in thenorthern Tranquil Coast.

Special Features: Rutger likes to fight in thetraditional Northman style, but he realizesthat in the modern world a successfulwarrior has to know and put to use otherfighting techniques. This is why Rutgeralways takes the battlefield wearing hismagical plate mail, even if he favours chainmail of even lighter armour for more covertactions. In combat, he usually fights with hismagical sword and shield, but at times he letsSwordmaiden (his sword, able to fly and fightby itself) to fight alone while he targets his

opponents with his longbow, or charges intobattle wielding the classical Northman battleaxe. Due to his experience as ranger andscout, Rutger is quite skilled at tracking,hunting, and snaring in the wilderness, andhe knows well many foraging, survival, andnature- or animal-related skills.

Relevant Possessions: “Seeker” longbow +4,normal sword +2 of flying (named“Swordmaiden”), plate mail +2, shield +4.

Sources: CM1 The Test of the Warlords, M2Vengeance of Alphaks, provisional write-upby Giampaolo Agosta.

Sandralane of Glantri

Beautiful refugeepriest of Arianafrom Glantri

Lawful 16th-levelCleric of Alphatia


Appearance: 27years old, very pale skin tone with bluishtints, average-height (for an Alphatian),slender and shapely body (5’10” tall per 139lbs.). Sandralane is very pretty, withcharming ways, an alluring smile, and a softand melodious voice; she has long jet blackhair, equally dark eyes, and a fascinating hintof mystery always playing on her expression.

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She wears elegant, pastel-coloured butunpretentious and seemingly-modestclothing, which manage to show her beautyin a natural and innocent way.

Background: Sandralane Jaavernel was bornin a village in the Principality of Blackhill,Glantri. Her parents were among the lastsurviving members of the deceased Order ofthe Golden Fountain, an old sect devoted toAriana (an alias of the Immortal Alphatia)eradicated by the magocracy in AC 861; theOrder was cantered on a magical healingspring which was cursed and infested bymonsters after the priests’ slaughter.4 Somefew devotees of Ariana continued to worshipher in secret, in the hope that one day thecurse might be lifted and the cult of theirImmortal re-established. When Sandralaneturned 15, however, the Glantrian authoritiesdiscovered her parents’ clerical activities, andthe two were burned at the stake. The girlfled to Corunglain, where she was welcomedin the small group of Glantrian exiles due totheir faith in the Immortals. WhenSandralane received omens and comfortfrom her patron Ariana, she decided topursue the goal of avenging her parents andre-establish the cult of her Immortal inGlantri. She founded a small shrine to Arianain Corunglain for her base of operations, andtwo times she returned to Glantri, trying to

organize resistance against the wizard-princes. The second time Sandralane wasdiscovered by an agent of the Supreme Judgeand barely managed to escape with her life.Her organization in Glantri was crushed, andseveral priests were captured and executed.Sandralane decided she would not risk thelives of her followers anymore, and decidedto fully embrace the peaceful and altruistteachings of her Immortal; thus she beganinvestigating the possibility of founding acolony for the Glantrian heretics. Norwoldseemed a likely location, so Sandralanetravelled to Alpha to ask for a dominion fromKing Ericall. She arrives in the capitalaccompanied by four young Alphatianfollowers of Ariana from Glantri: the twopriestesses Meriona Derethol (Lawful 3rd-level Cleric of Alphatia) and Talia Ashai(Lawful 4th-level Cleric of Alphatia), and thetwo “templars” Nekorin Shasat (Lawful 2nd-level Fighter) and Tolman Pedrevan (Neutral5th-level Fighter) - the latter is hopelessly inlove with Sandralane, but knows that thewoman does not consider him anythingmore than a very good friend.

Personality: Sandralane is a kind, self-sacrificing, and good woman; she haslearned from her past mistakes that it is oftenbetter to take care of others first, and onlythen of one’s inner passions and feelings,and that in any circumstance it is better tothink about consequences before acting. Shehates tyranny and evil, but thinks that in thelong run a kind word of persuasion andone’s virtuous example can help fighting itbetter than swords and severe laws.Sandralane sincerely despises the faithlesswizards who rule the Glantrian magocracy,and would like to help anyone wishing toflee from her unlucky homeland;

4 The Order was f i r s t in t roduced in theadventure “The Founta in of Hea l th” by A.Dupuis , in “Dungeon Magaz ine” no. 39(January/February 1992, Vol . VI I , No. 3 ) . Thecu l t o f Ar iana should be more cantered onpeace, harmony, and order ra ther than onart i s t ic express ion, wi th a spec ia l in teres t forhe lp ing others through hea l ing and promot inghea l th . The Order ’s (and supposed ly Ar iana’s )ho ly symbol i s the prof i le of a wyvern- l ikegargoy lesque creature.

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nevertheless, she no longer believes that aviolent insurrection can overthrow thewizards’ regime, and hopes that prosperityand time will make her native country moretolerant. Sandralane, due to her life as anoutlaw and refugee, did not have much timefor love in the past years, apart from a coupleof short affairs; now, if she manages to settledown in Norwold, she could even welcomelove and family, if they came her way.

Goals: Sandralane wants to establish apeaceful and prosperous haven for anyonefleeing from persecution due to religiousreasons. Her goal mainly calls on Glantrianrefugees who worship Ariana, Razud,Valerias, Ixion, or similar good-aligneddeities, but as Sandralane is very tolerant shewill welcome anyone from any country,provided he or she worships a goodImmortal and is willing to live a peaceful andtolerant life among her subjects. She will notcarelessly make anyone’s fight her own -unless the safety of her subjects is at stake.One of Sandralane’s goals in Norwold -something she would like to do as a tributeto her martyred parents - is reviving the cultof Ariana in this northern land, and hopes toattain Ariana’s favour for this purpose.Sandralane will be loyal to King Ericall, andwill most certainly oppose both the Thyatiansand the Heldannic Knights should they try toinvade the realm, though, being Glantrianborn, she holds no prejudices against them.

Dominion Choice: Sandralane wants herdominion to become a haven for peoplepersecuted due to their faith - primarily fromGlantri, but also from elsewhere. Therefore,she would like to establish it in an areawhere such people can arrive easily, perhaps

near a major port like Oceansend or Landfall,or elsewhere on the eastern coast of Norwold.

Special Features: Sandralane can take partin combat and prove her skill in a melee, butshe does not take pleasure at all in thoseactivities. Rather, she prefers defeating heropponents though effects which paralyze,incapacitate, or charm them, without hurtingthem directly (this is not true if she isfighting mindless things or beasts,obviously). While she is skilled in the use ofthe mace, her favourite weapon is hermagical staff. Preferably, she travels withouther armour, unless combat is to be expected.

Relevant Possessions: Mace +4/+5 vsundead, plate mail +2, shield of the SupremeWaterbearer, snake staff.

Source: CM1 The Test of the Warlords,Mystaran Almanacs, provisional write-up byGiampaolo Agosta.

Shariskan

Ruthlessmercenarycommander fromEkto



Appearance: 46 year old CommonAlphatian, very tall and lean (6’2” per 176lbs.), hard and muscular body; golden-

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skinned, with keen amber eyes, straightblonde hair worn short, and a shaved face.Usually wears military uniform and armour,but also likes more comfortable - if plain -clothes in various shades of dark colours.

Background: Shariskan was born in Ektointo a well-to-do mine-owning family. Whenhe was still a child, the family’s main minewas depleted, and the family’s wealth startedto decline. After his father’s death when hewas 12, Shariskan sold most of hisinheritance and used the money for trainingunder Ekto’s veterans. Afterwards, he wentadventuring for a while, often selling hisservices as a bodyguard and as a mercenary.In the course of the years, Shariskan rosethrough the ranks of the Scarlet Plumes, themercenary company of which he was amember, thanks to his bright tactical mindand organizational skills; eventually, hebecame their leader. Under Shariskan’scommand, the Scarlet Plumes fought for themost varied parties - rival kings in theAlphatian Empire, Ochalean governors, onthe Isle of Dawn both for Thyatis andAlphatia, and so on. Shariskan amassed asizeable wealth, enlarged the company, andmade it one of the most renowned andlooked-after mercenary armies in both Seasof Dawn. Years ago, he discovered aworshipper of the Immortal Alphaks, Arkias(see his own entry) amongst his troops, andwas drawn into raising the vile fiend as hispersonal patron of war, slaughter, anddestruction, always praying to his patron onthe eve of important battles. Later, he evenmade Arkias his own aide de camp. Whileparticipating on the Thyatian side in clashesagainst the Alphatians around Helskir,Shariskan joined forces with Hanz Vackelin,leader of the Thundering Hoofs mercenary

company (see his own entry); the twobecame friends and, at the end of theircontract with Thyatis, decided to head forNorwold, to offer their services to Ericall inexchange for a dominion. Shariskan ismarried to Mei Zheng-Yin (Neutral 10th-levelFighter), an Ochalean warrior who joined theScarlet Plumes several years ago; they havethree sons, the elder of whom, Hesen, is tenyears old.

Personality: Shariskan is a shrewd andcalculating man, with a particular aptitudefor military logistics and organization. He isrespected by his men, who trust him andcarry out his orders without question, beingmore attached to the company than to theircountries of origin. Shariskan is wary of theindividuals he surrounds himself with - evenif he gives the impression of trusting them, intruth he always tries to keep countermovesprepared against eventual back stabbings.Despite having worshipped the ImmortalAlphaks in the past only to win his favourbefore battles, Shariskan has beenunavoidably drawn - partly due to thepresence of Arkias at his side - to embrace hispatron’s full doctrine, including his Alphatia-hating dogma; he is not particularlybloodthirsty himself, but encouragement ofpillaging and violence on his men’s part andtoleration of evil and necromantic magichave become common behaviours to him.Nevertheless, even if he regularly asks forArkias’s advice, Shariskan’s list of prioritiescontinues to be firstly augmenting his ownpower and wealth, secondly the welfare ofthe Scarlet Plumes, and only third hisreligious observance - anyway, if the formertwo can be obtained while following thelatter, all the better.

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Goals: Shariskan plans to offer the service ofhis mercenary army (together with that ofVackelin) to Ericall and receive a dominionas pay. According to the plan Shariskan hasconceived with Vackelin and Arkias, theformer will try to get quite a large slice ofland, and then will cede a part of it to thelatter as vassals, thereby in Shariskan’s plan,creating a large land block under the controlof him and his army. Once in place as adominion-ruler, Shariskan will strive to builda small realm and make it survive; he will nothesitate to betray the king at the first possibleoccasion just to please his Immortal patron,but will openly side against the king only ifthis suits his best interests and those of hiscompany.

Dominion Choice: Shariskan will try to geta coastal dominion, preferably on the easternNorwold coast south of the Great Bay (northor south of Oceansend will make nodifference), in order to have ready contact,supply, and escape lines to other lands,allies, and employers. He would like to getthe title of count from the king, and elevateArkias and Vackelin to baronial status as hisvassals.

Special Features: Shariskan ridesSharpclaw, a large trained and extremelyfierce hippogriff (+2 size modifier; see RulesCyclopedia, pages 214-215). When onhippogriff-back, he usually fights with a lanceor with his magical shield and “Warbringer”wielded one-handed. While on foot heprefers wielding his bastard sword two-handed. Besides those listed below,Shariskan owns many other magic items withvaried effects, taken as gifts or rewards fromhis employers. Shariskan’s mercenarycompany, the Scarlet Plumes, is a large force

of 1000 men (many are Thyatians, but morethan half come from various places on theIsle of Dawn and the southern islands), madeup of crossbowmen, heavy infantry,artillerists, and some light cavalry (notcounting Vackelin’s Thundering Hoofs); thecompany is famous for efficiency andruthlessness, and is quite loyal to Shariskan -even if it only harbors a few worshippers ofAlphaks.

Relevant Possessions: Banded mail +3,dagger +4 of hiding, shield +2 of proofagainst cold, “Warbringer” bastard sword.


Shebb Woolsey

Shrewd, well-travelled masterrogue fromKarameikos

Neutral 23rd-level Thief


Appearance: Is in fact155 years old - but keeps his appearancemagically at 40 - medium height (5’9” tall),with fair complexion and a lithe and limberbody, despite some pounds added to hisframe by infrequent action (156 lbs.). He hasthinning brown hair, a none-too-thick beard,moustache, and a sly but encouraging smile.Shebb has small green eyes, covered by a pairof spectacles (stolen from a wizard). He is


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often heard aching from an uncountablenumber of alleged old wounds. Shebbdresses quite simply and practically, alwayscarrying on him in various pouches andpockets - regardless of social circumstances -the most unusual trinkets and tools of histrade.

Background: Shebb was born in Halavos(nowadays Kelvin, Karameikos), about fiftyyears before Traladara was conquered by theThyatian Empire. His father’s ancestors wereDarokinian mercenary leaders who hadfought on the side of the Black Count of theMoor (Morphail Gorevitch-Woszlany) in theVampire War which ravaged northernTraladara in the first half of the 8th centuryAC. Their descendants chose to stay inTraladara after the count’s people fled to theHighlands, and had settled in the tiny villagewhich was all that remained of the oncemighty city of Halavos. Due to theirancestors’ allegiance they were despised byeveryone and considered a dishonouredfamily, but continued to sell their services asmercenaries to the most unscrupulous of thelocal petty lords. Shebb did not like to followthe military path his father had planned forhim, but spent his youth associating with badcompany, frequently running away fromhome, wasting his time in trivial pastimes(like drinking, gambling, and sex), and eventurning to do illicit activities himself. In fact,he and his fellow wastrels took turns daringone another to take risks, in order to inspiregreater excitement with each new challenge- this swiftly brought them beyond theborder of the law, and Shebb learned manythieving skills in his adolescence, likecutpursing, pickpocketing, burgling,shadowing, and so on. When his fellowsturned more violent, his family gave him anultimatum – follow in his father’s steps or

leave! Instead he decided his time with bothwas over, and travelled to the city ofMarilenev (nowadays Specularum), where hestarted a promising career as a thief, alsodabbling in trade and city politics. His good-willed nature, however, often brought Shebbat odds with his own allies and patrons, andhe had to flee the city after exposing anintrigue (by one of the guilds he had workedfor so far) he felt was unfair. Shebb, thenabout 30 years old, travelled east to ThyatisCity, attaching himself to a local prominentsenator, for whom he performed many tasks- from trade, protection, and information, tobribing and spying. Thyatis’ troubled internalsituation and the time of desegregation theempire was going through ensured there wasquite a space for illicit activities and intrigue.He earned quite a lot of money in this timeand kept a comfortable lifestyle; his patron’sdealings also taught him how things reallywent among men - nothing was done fornothing, everything and everyone had a cost,be they persons, feelings, ideals. Shebb andthe senator’s daughter also fell in love withone another and started a passionate affair;however, when the senator presented hisdaughter the choice between staying withShebb and marrying the scion of anotherwealthy senatorial family, the girl chose thelatter to ensure a future for herself and herfuture children. Shebb’s heart was broken,and he left Thyatis. He wandered the KnownWorld for many years, associating at timeswith traveling adventurers, earning muchmoney in one place and stopping for manyyears more in another, only to leave againwhen he had spent everything. He alternatedshort and intense times of activity and longtimes of inactivity, and as the years went onwithout having given a direction to his life,he felt the necessity to use potions oflongevity and other magical means to keep

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himself young as the world grew olderaround him. In the last twenty years or so hehas more or less constantly associatedhimself with an adventuring group whichincluded the wizard Knolimer Knolin (see hisown entry), the fighter Unice Ethans, thepaladin Ethendril h’Caramore, and others;together with them, he decided to head forNorwold to attend the Spring Fair and seewhat this new adventure has to offer.

Personality: Shebb is a good-willed person;he has no particular sympathy for laws andrules, and does not care about them as longas breaking them causes no harm or does notput anyone in danger. He has an easy-goingnature that allows him quickly to becomefriends with nearly anyone, but possess littleleadership skills and was never one to leadothers, favouring the role of advisor or right-arm to those in command. Shebb is down-to-earth and somewhat cynical, as his past lifehas given him insight about how the worldand men really work; he also appreciates andrespects other people who assume thisattitude, because he thinks they will farebetter in their lives. On the other hand, helooks down with commiseration on idealists,who in his opinion will soon be disappointedwhen the world shows them its true face.Shebb still longs for the carefree time he hadin his youth, and devotes himself to thosesame pursuits as then, whenever he can; theresult is that he accumulates large sums ofmoney in short times of frantic, adrenaline-filled activity, and then sits down to spendand enjoy them for much longer times - thisexplains his quite low level, compared to hislong life.

Goals: Shebb is still trying to figure out whathis purpose in life will be - but after more

than a century and a half, it is a little doubtfulif he will manage to find it. He is a man wholives for the day, and his arrival in Norwold isperfectly in line with that: he wants toestablish a dominion, try his skills atrulership, and use his hold as a base forfurther adventures and thieving operations;this is all he needs to know at the moment.Despite his lack of leadership talent andorganizational qualities, in the long run - ifthe need arises - he will use his personalfunds from adventuring and thievingactivities to make his subjects’ lives better.

Dominion Choice: Shebb is interested inthe various thieving guilds and criminalorganizations which operate in the infamoustown of Landfall. In the hope of makingcontact with them and getting a slice of thetown’s business, he will likely select adominion not far from Landfall, maybe northof the Skaufskogr Hills.

Special Features: Shebb is thequintessential rogue: his long life hasallowed him to master quite a wide range ofskills and abilities - from swindling to stealth,from pickpocketing to trap lore, frombargaining to spying, from lockpicking toprestidigitation, and many others. He isdeadly swift with the dagger, both in meleeand especially from a distance, and alwayskeeps various daggers hidden on his person;he is also quite good at swordplay, but doesnot like fighting in melee and always tries tosolve a conflict with other means than abattle - or, if forced to fight, tries to get theupper hand through subterfuge, agility, andtreachery rather than sheer force.

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Relevant Possessions: Boots of speed,leather armour +3, ring of life protection,rod of weaponry.

Source: M5 Talons of Night.

Shuren

Mysticalelementalist oflight from Vestland

Neutral 15th-levelLight Elementalor


Appearance: 26 year old fair-complexionedNorthman of medium height (5’11”) andbuild (159 lbs.); Shuren has straight brownhair worn short, azure eyes, high cheekbones,and a lively look. He always wears strangeleather armour studded with crystal shards,his magical cesti and sword.

Background: Born in Vestland as Søren, hewas apprenticed together with his lesserbrother Anders by his father Elrik to becomea member of the Light Elementalor sect. Uponcompletion of their training, the brothers - aswas custom in the sect - assumed new names,Søren becoming Shuren and Andersbecoming Hanzo.5 Then they left together insearch for adventure, but after some timeHanzo parted from his brother in order toemancipate himself from his protection, andjoined another adventuring group, which was

5 E lementa lors cus tomar i ly change the i r nameupon the i r entrance in the sect ; see the s idebar .

The Elementalor

Character Class

Elementalors are individuals belonging toa very ancient, interplanar sect whichoriginated on a faraway Prime MaterialPlane world named Draconia millenniaago, and which now spans many otherplanets on the Prime Plane as well as someother Inner and Outer planes. The sect’soriginal goal was the ultimateunderstanding of the nature of themultiverse as a set of opposites, andpreservation of the balance between theenergies which make it up. In ancienttimes the sect broke up into variousbranches, each one devoted to one of theelemental essences (Air, Earth, Fire, Light,Shadow, and Water); now each branchpossesses a number of small cells spreadall over the planes, whose goal is tofurther the primacy of their chosenelemental essence.

The Elementalor character class was firstdevised by Marco Dalmonte; we will givehere a brief and simplified overview of itsfeatures1.

To be eligible as an Elementalor, acharacter needs a score of at least 12 inCharisma, a score of at least 10 in Wisdomand Constitution, and a Neutral alignment.The class uses the same XP advancement,Hit Dice, saving throws, and armorrestrictions of the Magic-User, has theTHAC0 of the Thief, and can use allweapons allowed to the Thief class(basically, all ranged and one-handedmelee weapons). An Elementalor can usemagic items restricted to Magic-User use,but only as long as those items produce

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to travel beyond the Sea of Dawn. Much timelater, as they had promised when theyseparated, the two brothers returned hometo meet their parents again; however, Hanzowas changed and his father was shockedwhen he learned that he had altered hispowers, vowing himself to the power ofShadow. Shuren accused Hanzo of betrayingtheir father’s teaching - failing to understandhis brother’s real motivation behind hischoice of Shadow. Hanzo, in fact, was tryingto shake free of his elder brother’s shadow,something he had suffered since they werechildren. The two brothers quarrelled andfought but when Hanzo cast a powerfulshadow spell against Shuren, their fatherElrik interposed himself between the spelland the elder brother, losing his mentalsanity due to the power of Hanzo’s spell.Shuren then tried to kill the younger brother,but was prevented from doing so by hismother, and Hanzo managed to flee. As hismother, a priestess, learned from theImmortals that - apart from a miracle - onlyHanzo himself could have undone the effectsof his spell on Elrik, Shuren swore to findhim to achieve justice and attempt to heal hisfather. He then left on his search for Hanzoin the company of a fellow WaterElementalor, Shen, heading for Denagothwhere he followed the rumours of amysterious Shadow Lord he believed mighthave been Hanzo. Disappointed by theresults of his search, he was forced to flee thecountry for his life, together with Shen, andthe two by accident ended on board of thewizard-corsair Sieger von Duwn’s flying ship,the Silver Arrow. The two became part ofSieger’s crew, following the captain in manyadventures but never managing to findHanzo. Eventually, when Sieger headed forNorwold, Shuren decided to leave the

effects tied to his own Domain and do notuse energies tied to its opposite.

When a character becomes anElementalor, he assumes a new one-, two-or three-syllable name to mark thebeginning of the new path he has chosenand his physical and spiritual renewal dueto the elemental essence which imbuesand permeates his body and soul. Theelemental essence is transferred to acandidate by his master, who thus canexercise a degree of control over thedisciple’s soul (until the disciple reaches5th level, the master has a limited form ofempathy toward him and once per roundcan issue a one-word, non-suicidecommand that the disciple must carry outfor one round). The elemental essencedetermines the Elementalor’s chosenenergy type - called “Domain” - and itsopposite as well2.

Spellcasting

An Elementalor can cast arcane spellsusing the progression table of Magic-Users;the spell slots allowed for each spell levelto represent the maximum number ofspells of that level that he can cast. TheElementalor needs not memorize spellsbeforehand (he can choose which spells tocast among those he knows on the spot),but has to rest for eight hours to replenishhis elemental energies. At each level, anElementalor gains knowledge of a numberof new spells equal to half his Charismascore; he can select them among the spellsbelonging to the spell levels he is able tocast, but at least half of them have to berelated to his Domain and none can berelated to its opposite. The maximum

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captain and set his own domain in Norwold,as a means to manifest his presence to Hanzoand hope to lure his brother into coming tohim.

Personality: Shuren is extroverted,debonair, and very brave; he does notparticularly love authority figures anddespises having to submit to other’s ordersbecause he is a free spirit at heart. Despitehis independent personality, Shuren is agood-hearted person - while he pursuesindividual goals most of the time, he will alsodefend to the hilt those he considers hisfriends, even at the cost of his own life.Having spent much time on the Silver Arrow,Shuren is well-disposed toward his formercaptain Sieger von Duwn and the othermembers of the crew.

Goals: Shuren has decided to establish hisown domain in Norwold for one purposeonly: reaching fame and glory in order tolure his brother Hanzo to him. He believesthat Hanzo is thirsting for revenge, and thathe will not miss the chance to carry it out ifhe manages to find his elder brother.Another of his goals in Norwold is trying tomeet the Crones of Crystykk to know fromthem if there is any other way to restore hisfather’s mental sanity. Moved by those twogoals, Shuren will do what is necessary to leta dominion grow - that is, in his opinion,assist in its foundation and then selectingtrusted people to manage it - but then he willlikely leave for long times to pursue hispersonal aims, at least until he has managedto solve the matters revolving around hisfather and Hanzo.

Dominion Choice: Shuren will try to get adominion in a resourceful and easily

number of spells an Elementalor can knowfor each spell level is equal to 10 + hisCharisma modifier.

When casting a spell, an Elementalorneeds to speak, have at least one free handand a handful of his chosen element nearhim (a flame, a drop of water, a pinch ofsand, etc.), otherwise the spell will notmanifest. Also, he uses his own physicalenergies to power the spell, temporarilylosing 2, 4 or 6 points of Constitutionwhen casting a spell of 1st-3rd, 4th-6th, or 7th-9th level, respectively (half that amount ifthe spell relates to his own Domain). LostConstitution points are recovered at therate equal to the Elementalor’sConstitution bonus per round (one everytwo round if the character has noConstitution bonus) - e.g. an Elementalorwith a Constitution score of 16 (+2modifier) recovers 2 lost points ofConstitution per round.

Elementalors have their own spell lists - ageneral one common to every Domain,and one for each Domain. Including herea translation of the class’ spell lists fromDalmonte’s original writeup in Italian goesbeyond the scope of this article.Nevertheless, at the bottom of this sidebaran usable Elementalor spell list ispresented, formed only by spells from theRules Cyclopedia and other canonsupplements.

Individual DMs are encouraged to devisetheir own Elementalor spell list, addingnew Domain-specific spells as needed.Only keep in mind that the effects relatedto each Domain should be roughly thefollowing:

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● Air: air, atmosphere, flight, gas, sound;

● Earth: earth, petrification, rock, sand,stone, earth and rock shaping;

● Fire: fire, magma, high temperatures,explosions;

● Light: light, speed, transportation, force,electricity, illusions manipulating light;

● Shadow: shadows, darkness, illusionsmanipulating shadow, mental confusion;

● Water: water, liquids, acid, cold energies.

Due to the link between the Elementalor’sspells and the six universal essences, anElementalor gets a +1 bonus on savesagainst effects tied to his Domain, butsuffers a -1 penalty on saves related to itsopposite. Also, he imposes a -1 penalty onhis opponents’ saves against the spellsbelonging to his own Domain he casts, anddamaging spells cast by him and tied to hisDomain always inflicts 1 additional point ofdamage per damage die. An Elementalorsuffers as well 1 point of damage less perdamage dice from effects (mundane ormagical) related to his own Domain.

Other Abilities

Starting from 3rd level, an Elementalor canresearch new spells belonging to hisDomain, and from 9th level on he can evenresearch those belonging to other Domains(with the exception of the one opposite tohis own). Starting from 9th level, anElementalor can also craft magic items,but those must replicate the effects of oneor more of the spells he is able to cast.

An Elementalor possesses a couple ofadditional special abilities. First of all, his

accessible area in which a new domain couldswiftly rise and prosper; thus he will try toavoid too remote or faraway locations. A sitearound the Great Bay probably will suit hisgoals better.

Special Features: As a Light Elementalor,Shuren’s elemental powers revolve aroundspeed, instantaneous transportation,lightning, and force effects. Shuren’s combatstyle combines those powers with his naturalagility and his talent in the boxing unarmedcombat style (further augmented by hismagical cesti).

Relevant Possessions: Two cesti +4,normal sword +3, ring of protection +3,ring of spell turning (5 spells).


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hard physical and spiritual training grantshim a psychophysical balance whichconfers a +1 bonus on saves against alleffects which affect the bodily health andstructure, or the mind.

Second, each Elementalor possess a form ofelemental resistance tied to his Domain,as follows:

● Air: immunity to magical deafness;

● Earth: ignores up to three successfulattempts to petrify him;

● Fire: ignores damage from non-magicalfires for a number of continuous roundsequal to to 1 round per Constitutionpoint;

● Light: immunity to magical blindness;

● Shadow: possess an infravision up to60’ which is powerful enough to seeeven through magical darkness;

● Water: can breath underwater for anumber of minutes per day equal to hisConstitution score.

It is rumored that a special branch ofElementalors, called the “Duals”, hasmanaged to master two elemental essencesat once, gaining access to the powers ofboth Domains (at the cost of having alsotwo opposites); it is said that such duplicitymust always include one FundamentalDomain (Air, Earth, Fire, or Water) and oneTranscendent Domain (Light or Shadow).

Elementalor Spell List

The following list, while simpler andsmaller than that featured on Marco

Dalmonte’s website, has been includedhere to provide a ready-to-use collection ofspells for the NPC named Shuren or anyother Elementalor PC or NPC a DM wouldlike to create.

The list has been formed using only spellsdrawn from canon rules and settingsupplements - the Rules Cyclopedia and theGAZs series. Most of them are magic-userspells, but spells coming from other classes’lists (Cleric, Druid, Elf Wizard, HalflingMaster, Minrothad Merchant Prince,Shadow Elf Shaman, Shaman of Atruaghin,and Shaman of Ethengar) are also featured.Because of the limited number of existingcanon spells, you should handle the listwith some care. I suggest you to use theguidelines featured in the article The Colorof Magic (by Dan Joyce)3 to add some spiceto the listed spells, and to make themconsistent with the Domain they belong to.

Some examples. A magic missile cast by aFire Elementalor will be made up of fire orlava, while the one cast by a ShadowElementalor will be a bolt of dark energy.An ESP or know alignment spell will allowan Elementalor to read a target’s mind orsoul through a perception of theproportion in which the six elementalessences are found mixed in the subject. Adisintegrate will dissolve the ties betweenthe elemental essences which keeptogether the target’s body. A holy word willharm all the subjects within range whoseproportion of elemental essences isdifferent from the caster’s one. A barriercast by an Air of Fire Elementalor willconjure up in the area of effect a number offire- or air- made rotating blades. A power

http://www.pandius.com/colormag.html

http://www.pandius.com/colormag.html

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word kill cast by an Air Elementalor willrelease a sound keen enough to kill atarget. A watcher from an EarthElementalor will target a stone instead ofan animal, while an entangle or web willcause the victim’s feet to become engulfedin the earth itself or strands of clay tosprout from the earth to immobilize atarget. A hunting paint will cause an EarthElementalor to draw upon the strength ofthe soil (maybe sprinkling some earth orsand over his body). A cause fear cast by aFire or Shadow Elementalor will make thetarget feel through the caster’s eyes thedestructive power of fire or the sinisterforce of shadow, respectively. A thornspearin the hand of a Fire or Water Elementalorwill be made of fire or ice. A hold personpowered by the Shadow Domain willanchor the targets to their shadows,effectively immobilizing them. Createmonsters spells cast by a ShadowElementalor will conjure up creaturesmade of shadow. A Water Elementalor’smirror image will be made of water orvapor, his web will be made of ice, and hislightning spells will do damage by acid orcold energy. In the same fashion, a WaterElementalor casting transport throughplants will move through liquids andbodies of water, and his creeping doom willsummon a movable area of deadly cold. Ashapechange will allow a WaterElementalor’s body to become fluid andable to assume the form of other creatures.

In the following list, spells marked by anasterisk (*) are actually reverse form ofregular spells. The supplement where thespell is described is also indicated inbrackets (RC stands for Rules Cyclopedia).

For spells found in the Rules Cyclopedia,the character class from whose list the spellhas been drawn is also indicated after aslash (MU stands for Magic-User, C forCleric, and D for Druid).

General Elementalor Spells

1st level: analyze (RC/MU), detect magic(RC/MU), magic missile (RC/MU).

2nd level: detect evil (RC/MU), ESP(RC/MU), locate object (RC/MU).

3rd level: dispel magic (RC/MU),infravision (RC/MU), know alignment(RC/C).

4th level: enchanted weapon (GAZ5),remove curse (RC/MU), wizard eye (RC/MU).

5th level: contact outer plane (RC/MU),truesight (RC/C).

6th level: anti-magic shell (RC/MU),disintegrate (RC/MU).

7th level: lore (RC/MU), spell turning(GAZ12).

8th level: holy word (RC/C), permanence(RC/MU).

9th level: immunity (RC/MU), survival(RC/MU).

Air Domain Spells

1st level: floating disc (RC/MU), predictweather (RC/D), shield (RC/MU).

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2nd level: levitate (RC/MU), obscure (RC/D),web (RC/MU).

3rd level: create air (RC/MU), fly (RC/MU),protection from normal missiles (RC/MU).

4th level: control winds (RC/D), dispel fog(GAZ9), slow* (RC/MU).

5th level: cloudkill (RC/MU), conjureelemental (RC/MU), telekinesis (RC/MU).

6th level: barrier (RC/C), shout (GAZ8),weather control (RC/MU).

7th level: reverse gravity (RC/MU), summonweather (RC/D).

8th level: explosive cloud (RC/MU), travel(RC/MU).

9th level: power word kill (RC/MU).

Earth Domain Spells

1st level: pass without trace (GAZ12),shield (RC/MU), watcher (GAZ13).

2nd level: entangle (RC/MU), hunting paint(GAZ14), web (RC/MU).

3rd level: protection from normal missiles(RC/MU), slow* (RC/MU), striking (RC/C).

4th level: harden* (RC/MU), rock door(GAZ13), wall of stone (RC/MU).

5th level: conjure elemental (RC/MU),passwall (RC/MU), stoneform (RC/MU).

6th level: flesh to stone* (RC/MU), moveearth (RC/MU), pass rock (GAZ13).

7th level: earthgrip (GAZ8), earthquake(RC/C).

8th level: statue (RC/MU), transportthrough rock (GAZ13).

9th level: meteor swarm (RC/MU).

Fire Domain Spells

1st level: cause fear* (RC/C), faerie fire(RC/D), thornspear (GAZ8).

2nd level: heat metal (RC/D), produce fire(RC/D), resist fire (RC/C).

3rd level: fireball (RC/MU), firebow(GAZ14), striking (RC/C).

4th level: control temperature 10’ radius(RC/D), fire gate (GAZ14), wall of fire (RC).

5th level: conjure elemental (RC/MU), fear(GAZ5), sword of fire (GAZ12).

6th level: barrier (RC/C), transmute rock tolava (GAZ13), weather control (RC/MU).

7th level: delayed blast fireball (RC/MU),lower lava (GAZ13).

8th level: explosive cloud (RC/MU), sword(RC/MU).

9th level: meteor swarm (RC/MU).

Light Domain Spells

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1st level: faerie fire (RC/D), light (RC/MU),radiance (GAZ8).

2nd level: continual light (RC/MU), detectinvisible (RC/MU), invisibility (RC/MU).

3rd level: haste (RC/MU), invisibility 10’radius (RC/MU), lightning bolt (RC/MU).

4th level: call lightning (RC/D), dimensiondoor (RC/MU), protection from lightning(RC/D).

5th level: ball lightning (GAZ9), telekinesis(RC/MU), teleport (RC/MU).

6th level: magic door (RC/MU), massinvisibility (RC/MU), summon object(RC/MU).

7th level: sword (RC/MU), teleport anyobject (RC/MU).

8th level: force field (RC/MU), power wordblind (RC/MU).

9th level: prismatic wall (RC/MU).

Shadow Domain Spells1st level: cause fear* (RC/C), darkness*(RC/MU), sleep (RC/MU).

2nd level: continual darkness* (RC/MU),mirror image (RC/MU), phantasmal force(RC/MU).

3rd level: hold person (RC/MU), silent move(GAZ12), slow* (RC/MU).

4th level: confusion (RC/MU), fear (GAZ5),hallucinatory terrain (RC/MU).

5th level: confound (GAZ12), feeblemind(RC/MU), hold monster (RC/MU).

6th level: create normal animals (RC/C),madness (GAZ12), porjected image(RC/MU).

7th level: create normal monsters (RC/MU),power word stun (RC/MU).

8th level: create magical monsters (RC/MU),power word blind (RC/MU).

9th level: create any monster (RC/MU).

Water Domain Spells1st level: precipitation (GAZ5), resist cold(RC/C), thornspear (GAZ8)

2nd level: mirror image (RC/MU), waterwalking (GAZ8), web (RC/MU).

3rd level: lightning bolt (RC/MU), waterbreathing (RC/MU), watery form (GAZ9).

4th level: control temperature 10’ radius(RC/D), create water (RC/C), ice storm/wallof ice (RC/MU).

5th level: ball lightning (GAZ9), conjureelemental (RC/MU), dissolve (RC/MU).

6th level: calm water (GAZ9), lower water(RC/MU), weather control (RC/MU).

7th level: summon weather (RC/D),transport through plants (RC/D).

8th level: creeping doom (RC/D), sword(RC/MU).

9th level: shapechange (RC/MU).

1 A fu l l wr i teup of the c lass ( in I ta l ian ) i sfound on Marco Dalmonte’s webs i te .

2 Oppos i t ion between the Domains i sdetermined us ing the ru le for s tandarde lementa l oppos i t ion, wi th on ly one addi t ion:L ight opposes Shadow.

3 From “Dragon Magaz ine” no. 200(December 1993, Vol . XVI I I , No. 7 ) .

http://ddmystara.altervista.org/Elementalor.pdf

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Sieger von Duwn

Powerful mage andair corsair fromHattias

Neutral 20th-levelMagic-User


Appearance: 30 yearsold, tall and slender (5’12”), skinny (168lbs.); olive skinned, with black, shoulder-length straight hair, and brown eyes with agloomy look. Always wears clothes in darkcolours, usually a short tunic, pants, andhigh boots.

Background: Sieger’s father was a Hattianwho was disclaimed by his family when hedecided to marry into a small landowningKerendan family. Against the wishes of hisfather – who wanted him to become a priestof Khoronus – the 11-year old Sieger joineda wandering wizard. When this guy turnedout to be a master of magical disguise and acorsair working for the governments ofMinrothad and Thyatis, Sieger became part ofthe crew of his ship, the Silver Arrow, beingtrained in the arcane arts by his mentor. Afterthe latter had got the Silver Arrow enchantedto become a flying ship, Sieger gradually rosethrough the ranks to become the ship’s firstmate. Years later, when his mentordisappeared during a trip in an Outer Plane,Sieger managed to seize control of the SilverArrow against possible rivals, and led theship to Norwold in order to receive adominion from Ericall and settle down.Among the Silver Arrow’s crew - besidesShuren and Ossian (see their own separate

entries) - are his trusted friend Ulf Karlsson(Lawful 12th-level Cleric of Odin, a Heldannerpriest who saved Sieger’s life years agoduring a battle against a white dragon), andthe mercenary Baraka de Hutt (Chaotic 14th-level Fighter, a Thyatian-Nuari half-bloodswordmaster, devotee of the ImmortalKorotiku).

Personality: Sieger is taciturn and serious,determined and pragmatic, and does not liketo waste time. He often appears gruff andcold, even cruel in some circumstances, buthas a noble soul and does not like to useforce unless it is necessary – but in the lattercase then he resorts to any means to achievevictory. His thirst for power and for magicalknowledge is his only weakness – there isnothing he would not do to become morepowerful, and this often leads him to crossthe border between good and evil withouttoo much inhibition.

Goals: Sieger wants to settle down from hislife of continuous wanderings, creating adominion of his own to carry on his magicalresearch undisturbed, but he also wishes it tobecome a prosperous realm in order tosatisfy his thirst for power. If there shouldappear a chance to make his dominionindependent from Ericall in the future, somuch the better. Sieger is also planning touse his arcane talent for disguise tointroduce himself to Ericall on two separateoccasions under two different identities – hisaim is to establish a dominion for each oneof his two identities, and then use some ployto merge them together under his control.

Dominion Choice: Sieger would like toestablish his dominion in an area withnatural resources which would allow hisrealm to prosper – fertile and arable lands

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around a great river, or presence of richmineral deposits would be the best. His firstchoice will fall on the plains south or west ofLeeha.

Special Features: Sieger is a specialist ofdestructive energy spells and tacticalcamouflage magics, and has mastered the artof magical disguise to unparalleled levels.Thanks to this ability, he is able to maintaintwo fictitious, different alternate identitiesbeyond his own, which are impervious tomagical means of detection (including atruesight spell), but may still be dispelled.Continued practice of fake personas can(very rarely) cause personality disturbancesand conflicts in his mind. Sieger is also anexpert of the jeet kune do martial arts stylehe learned during a trip to Ochalea.

Relevant Possessions: Cestus +5/+10 vsundead, ring of spell storing (15 spell levels),ring of combat power, ring of protection +4,Silver Arrow (two-masts, brigantine-classflying ship).


Siegfried Sixx

Brave and heroicNorthman fighter -with a vengeance



Appearance: Siegfried is a 31 year old, talland well-muscled warrior (6’1” tall per 187lbs.), with short blond hair, beard andmoustache, and green eyes. He always wearsblack, with a black surcoat over his armour,black boots, and black gauntlets. His shield ispainted black, and he is now consideringpainting his plate mail black as well,especially if he intends to wear it at court: heis loath to part with his mails, but he willhave to embellish it if it becomes his formalattire. He will have to design a coat of armsfor his dominion, and he intends toemblazon it on his armour; certainly it willhave black predominant.

Background: Born to a family of Thyatianacrobats of Northman descent, Siegfriedacquired wanderlust and a desire to rise instation. A strong man trained with blades, hejoined a band of mercenaries, until herealized that the choice of destinations andemployers would never be his, and hischance at glory and riches was meagre. Heleft the company and became an adventureron his own, free to choose his quests andtraveling companions. Ever would he push tolead, decide, and get first pickings, and ifrebuffed would part ways with the ungratefulsidekicks. One day treacherous DimitriDikhoff took up quarrel with him, and a

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fistfight erupted. A lucky punch left Siegfrieddazed, so Dimitri grabbed a blade and droveit through him. The villain quickly gatheredall of their belongings before his crime wasdiscovered, and left Siegfried to die. No aidcame in time, but another companion,Zoltan, brought him back to life. Siegfriedknows he owes him, though he has no ideawhether the priest ever intends to collect. Inthe following years, Siegfried adventured fora while together with Arcadius, Celia, Zoltan,and Ney (see their separate entries); thenthey decided to head to Norwold and partedso that each of them could claim his or herown dominion from Ericall.

Personality: Siegfried is strong of arm andcourageous in battle; qualities that hebelieves make him a natural leader. He israther reserved, though, and brasherpersonalities sometimes fail to defer to him.Siegfried lives his life as a story in which he isthe hero, and he never stops to put himselfin someone else's shoes. Siegfried isuncomfortable with the notion of death(unless he's the one dealing it), ever more sosince his own untimely demise and unnaturalraising: he does not care for the sight ofgraveyards, tombs or coffins, or the companyof undertakers or the departed, and heespecially abhors undead. He is alsodistrustful of magic; magic-wielding undeadare to him an especial kind of wrong in needof rectifying. Hero Siegfried cannot (or willnot) see the irony of his situation.

Goals: An unexpected sight greets Siegfriedat his arrival in Ericall's court: there standsDimitri Dikhoff, his murderer, still alive afterall those years, also come to the king's call toclaim his own dominion! Siegfried's bloodfreezes cold as he is overwhelmed with arenewed yearning for revenge. From that

moment on, he will be driven by thatultimate goal: to bring Dimitri to his personalbrand of justice. Unless he can do it quickly,and he is not certain this is what he craves,his goal might be complicated by the fact thatthey both will be vassals of Ericall's, in whichcase Siegfried will patiently yet unrelentinglybuild up towards that inevitableconfrontation. It might involve finding allies,hiring henchmen, training armies, and evendeveloping his dominion most efficiently, butSiegfried will do all of that is required of alord with an ulterior drive. He both yearnsfor and dreads its resolution.

Dominion Choice: Siegfried's choice ofdominion will be heavily influenced byDimitri Dikhoff's, and vice-versa. Theirenmity may lead them to lay claim to thesame lands and fiercely compete over them,or to settle adjacently. This will inevitablylead to disputes over border lines or tradingrights or access to resources; any disputemay be the spark that escalates the latentconflict to armed skirmishes and into full-blown warfare.

Special Features: Siegfried often switchesfighting style between sword and shield andtwo-handed sword. In particular, whenfighting undead, he typically enters into abattle-frenzy after his first hit, and drops hisshield to hack through the undead, with hisbroadsword in both hands, until they are allreturned to the grave. Unbeknownst toSiegfried his resurrection also geased him ingiving assistance to Zoltan in his quest.

Relevant Possessions: Armour of thebulwark, “Death Mate” broadsword.


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Trent the White

Handsome, pure-hearted formerpaladin fromHeldann



Appearance: 31 years old, extremelyhandsome, with fair complexion, a tall andslender, but muscular, figure (6’1” tall per176 lbs.). Trent wears his straight darkblonde hair at medium length, with no beardor moustache, and has brown eyes whichusually cast a determined and serious look.When no combat or action is to be expected,Trent favours simple clothes in plain colours,often white or grey - otherwise, he alwaysdons his array of magical arms.

Background: Trent was born as HelmutJaschke in the Heldannic Territories, asecond generation Hattian immigrant fromThyatis. Son of a retired army footman,Helmut was raised in the Hattian tradition tobelieve that the Heldannic Knights were aforce of good which had brought order andcivilization to the Heldanners. An enthusiastof those ideals himself, Helmut showedoutstanding martial skills and, still a youth,was able to become a member of the order inhis own right. But as he started to travel theland his countrymen had conquered, Helmutwitnessed abuses, oppression, and injustice,and ultimately realized that the Hattiandominion over the Heldanners was indeed a

tyranny and convinced himself that theorder’s leadership was corrupt and evil. Oneday, his life changed when he turned on hiscommander and companions to save aHeldanner family from their abuses andtorture; after this deed, he renounced hismembership in the Heldannic Order andjoined instead the Heldanner rebels againstthe Knights in the uprising of AC 992-993.Following the defeat of the uprising, Helmutstayed still for a while with the rebels in theAltenwald, then abandoned his homeland toseek adventure in the rest of the world, andgain more experience. He even repudiatedhis faith in Vanya and was consecrated apaladin of the Immortal Thor, giving up hisHattian name and assuming as his new name“Trent” - the name of the brook where theHeldanner family he had saved a couple ofyears before had lived, attaching to it thenickname “White” to signify the newfoundpurity of his ideals. Trent travelled much ofthe Known World in the subsequent tenyears, going as far as Sind and the Alphatianmainland; during his travels he met theGlantrian wizard-scholar Adik de Chevas, andthe two adventured together for a while. Inthe last few years Trent has had manyadventures in the wilderness of Norwold,and has decided to stay there to help defendthe land from the encroaching expansionismof the Heldannic Knights and the ThyatianEmpire. He has thus resolved to put an endto his days as a travelling paladin, and settledown to rule a dominion in the Kingdom ofNorwold. This goal has brought him,alongside his faithful squire Heydar (Lawful5th-level Fighter, a 20-years old former slavefrom Vertiloch), to the court of Alpha toattend the Spring Fair, where he met his oldfriend Adik again.

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Personality: Trent is the exemplar championof good who strives to erase from the worldany trace of evil and injustice. He iscourageous against all perils, honourableeven towards his worst enemies, and true tohis word even where this could cause himsome troubles. He has seen much of thecivilized world and hopes that the youngKingdom of Norwold will develop alongmore fair directions than its oldercounterparts did; at the moment heconsiders the Alphatian Empire to be thelesser evil, but dreams of a future Norwold asa kingdom of good, independent from anyempire. In pursuing his ideals and those ofhis patron Thor (whom he still worshipsdespite having abandoned his status aspaladin),6 Trent is strict anduncompromising, to the point of ignoringthe opinions of others. In private dealings,he is extroverted and easy-going,demonstrating special sensitivities whentalking about or discussing topics whichmight hurt or upset the listener. Once at thecourt of Alpha, Trent - who is beautiful,noble-hearted, and still unmarried - willlikely become the object of the attention ofmany ladies and noblewomen, but he doesnot trifle with heart’s matters: he might haveagain, as he has had in the past, a short-livedaffair with a woman he likes (provided thisdoes not break her heart), but will start a

family only with his true love - once he findsit.

Goals: Trent wants to help build a righteouskingdom of Good in Norwold; his aim is toestablish a strong dominion, make it prosper,eradicate any evil nestled within the realm,and advise King Ericall to make sure he doesnot depart from the path of Good. He isparticularly harsh in opposing anyexpansionism from the Heldannic Knightsand from the Thyatian Empire, which heconsiders the root that spawned thetyrannical Order of Vanya. In voicing thisopposition Trent could find an ally andfriend in Geoffrey of Heldann - even if thelatter is far less combative than he, himself.

Dominion Choice: Trent would like to setup a dominion in an area which ensuresresources, prosperity, and chances ofdevelopment; if he spots a wilderness ordangerous area with those characteristics, hewill not hesitate to choose it. If given thechance to choose amongst two equally goodareas, Trent will likely pick the one nearer tothe southern area of Norwold - he would liketo be in the front line should a conflictagainst the Heldannic Knights break out.

Special Features: Trent is a formidablefighter both on horse and on foot; he rideshis powerful white steed, called Starkesross.He is a master of the longsword, which helikes to use in sword-and-shield combat style,but is also quite capable with the lance fromhorseback. When fighting on foot, if battlingagainst large creatures or monsters, heusually relies on his magical two-handedsword to cause more severe wounds.

6 M2 Vengeance of Alphaks ( se t some years inthe future wi th respect to th is ar t ic le ) has Trentthe Whi te as a domin ion-ru l ing pa lad in; th isconf l i c ts wi th the BECMI ru les , accord ing towhich on ly a wander ing F ighter of Name- leve l(or h igher ) can choose the Pa lad in c lass opt ion.Then, in order to make th is NPC cons is tent wi ththe BECMI ru les , I had Trent g iv ing up h ispa lad in s ta tus (but not h is fa i th in Thor ) tobecome a domin ion-ru ler in Norwold.

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Relevant Possessions: Dagger +3, platemail +3, shield +5 of reflecting, “Starshine”longsword, two-handed sword +3.

Source: M2 Vengeance of Alphaks, MystaranAlmanacs.

Weston the Tall

Proud, well-travelledwanna-be merchantfrom Darokin

Lawful 15th-level Thief


Appearance: 36 years old, slightly tannedcomplexion, tall and spindly (6’3” tall per179 lbs.); Weston has hazel eyes and wavy,medium-length light brown hair. He lost hisleft eye in a fight many years ago, and nowwears an eyepatch to cover the disfiguringscar that is left; his face is also marked bymany other little scars which give him a wornand somewhat wrinkly appearance. Westonhas the attitude of a merchant - talkative,likeable, and sociable - and tends to dresslike one, with tight-fitting, boldly-colouredclothes, hats, and surcoats. He always wearsa jade bracelet on his left wrist (a jewel left tohim by his deceased mother).

Background: Aldo Weston was born inDarokin City, the son of a merchant of HouseMauntea who died when he was still a child.Aldo and his brother Berto grew up with hismother’s family, but the woman’s relativesand the untrustworthy administrators she

had chosen to handle her deceasedhusband’s fortunes took away most of themoney the two boys could inherit. WhileBerto managed to get a respectable job inone of their maternal uncle’s shops, Aldo wasdrawn by the wish to re-establish his father’sfortune, and tried to make a name as a traderfor himself. His pride, lack of administrativeskills, and scarce grasp for accountabilitypushed his business more than once beyondthe legal boundaries and into the shadiestareas of activity. When his mother died, Aldofurther distanced himself from his relatives,and problems with the law forced him tomove first to Athenos, then to Ierendi. In theisland kingdom, Aldo became known as“Weston the Tall” due to his height and leanfigure, and this nickname remains attachedto him ever since. He perfected his agilityand fencing skills, but - despite his closenessto one of the aristocratic families who sat inthe Tribunal of the kingdom - his fortune asa merchant did not improve at all; instead,he was involved in some pirating andsmuggling activities, which forced him againto move. In the next years, he was always onthe move, traveling to most of the cities ofthe Known World, and never staying in thesame place for more than a few weeks. Heusually managed to make a lot of moneyduring those stays, until the local authoritiesbegan to suspect him of some crime or catchhim red-handed. But Aldo always managed toescape with his life and enough money torestart a business elsewhere. Eventually, histravels brought him to the virgin Kingdom ofNorwold, where he has decided to start adominion and a - hopefully longer-lived -legal business. Besides a large sum of money,Aldo comes to Alpha to attend the SpringFair followed by three Darokinian characters:the trader Dalia Hogarth (Neutral 4th-level

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Thief, one of his last employees), by hisnephew Elio Weston (Chaotic 3rd-level Thief,who left the home of Aldo’s brother Bertowithout the latter’s permission), and by hisapprentice Charles Isen (Neutral 5th-levelThief).

Personality: Weston is good-willed andalways filled with the best intentions; hewould like to be a successful trader, but hefeels he has no time (actually, intelligence)for slow, complicated laws and regulations,so his fast-paced attitude invariably pits himagainst the system; this is why he has becomea better thief than he will ever become amerchant. In fact, Weston sometimes breaksthe laws in such a gross (and unwitting, as faras he has cared to know) way that even theauthorities cannot believe their eyes. Thisdoes not mean that Weston has not learnedanything from his past adventures: he knowsof his difficulties to keep a legal profile for along time, and he has learned always to lookout for dangers, troubles, and to retain aswift way out of any situation or place.Weston has otherwise a likeable, evencharming dashing personality; he is generallytrustworthy (as much as a thief can be), butis also quite proud and tends quickly tobecome irritated and offended when onequestions his motives, actions, skills, feelings,or insults his honour. In the past, Weston hasseduced more than one woman, and has hadmany affairs and relationships - none ofwhich has ever lasted due to his way of life,being always on the move; it would not beodd to see one day one of Weston’s formerlovers knocking at his door in search ofrevenge or holding a child of his in her arms.

Goals: Weston wants to see if he can at lastestablish a successful mercantile enterprisein a new region like Norwold where no one

(supposedly) knows his fame or past deeds.He will put all his efforts into reaching thisgoal, but given his ascertained lack of skills inthis area of business, his success will likelydepend on how trustworthy or able theadvisors are that he will surround himselfwith. Nevertheless, Weston will keep eyesopen for any sign of danger, and will betempted to pack his belongings and skip theregion again if the prospects start lookingtoo bad for him.

Dominion Choice: Weston will choose alocation good enough to support amercantile business - anywhere on a largeriver or on the seacoast will do for him,provided the area is not too far in theinterior or in a (much) too cold climateband. When choosing his dominion he willalso consider if the places can provide a safehaven for him in case of danger, and whatescape routes are available.

Special Features: Weston has excellentlymastered many thieving skills, feats of agility,and stealth. He can also be quite persuasiveand manipulative, if only his plans were notso simple and totally lacking the subtlety theywould need to ensure success. Luckily forhim, Weston has also an uncanny sense fordanger, which has saved his life and freedomon more than one occasion. In combat, hefavours the use of the rapier, often using it tofight in two-weapon combination with amain-gauche in his left hand; Weston is alsoquite proficient in the use of the longbowand of the throwing dagger.

Relevant Possessions: Two daggers +2,normal sword (rapier) +3, leather armour+3, ring of protection +1.

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Winnifred of the Lake

Spirit-guided oracleof Tubak fromEthengar

Lawful 15th-levelCleric of Ixion


Appearance: 32 years old, very attractive,fair complexioned, tall and slender (5’11” tallper 141 lbs.), with long, luxuriant, wavygolden hair, and large grey eyes. Winnifred’shairstyle and clothing reflect her Ethengarianupbringing: she usually straightens her hairwith hot irons and wears them in theelaborate, precise, and beautiful styles ofupper-rank Ethengarian women; hersophisticated dresses are in that style as well,with rich jewellery and white, pink, andorange as prevailing colours.

Background: Winnifred7 Gwendadottir wasborn in the Heldannic Territories, the

illegitimate daughter of a native freeholderand a thrall woman from Westrourke. Thegirl’s growing up took place against thebackdrop of the growing resistance that thenative Heldanners were putting on againstthe Heldannic Order. Her childhood was alsovery unhappy because she and her motherwere kept as servants in the household of herfather, while being despised by rest of herfather’s family and having to withstand allsorts of insults and abuses. In AC 978,Winnifred’s father took part in the greatHeldanner rebellion against the knights; theuprising failed and when the Order’sretaliation came one year later, the knightstrapped the man’s family in his mansion andburned it to the ground, killing all theoccupants in the process. Winnifred was leftsurprisingly unharmed by the fire whichengulfed her home and family. People in thearea began speaking with awe of the childthat survived the fire, and the knights begansearching for her, fearing she might give newbreath to the unrest. Winnifred, who had notyet reached an age of ten, started to travelfrom place to place in southern Heldann,helping local families with the healingpowers she realized she possessed, andreceiving food and shelter as payment. Amysterious being of light began to appear inher dreams and spoke to her, revealing hewas the Immortal source of her powers andthat he had chosen her as one of hischampions on Mystara; Winnifred foundsolace in this relation, and started to worshipand pray to the Immortal. At last, theHeldannic Knights caught up with Winnifredon the shores of a small lake at the bordersbetween Heldann and Ethengar; the girl,thanks to the magical ring of water walkingshe had found during her wanderings, ranover the water’s surface to the centre of the

7 In M2 Vengeance of Alphaks th is NPC’sname is l i s ted as “Winnefred” in the heading ofthe character ’s capsu le on page 32, but as“Winni f red” another two t imes in the sameparagraph and aga in on page 23. I have thuschosen “Winni f red” as the correct spe l l ing ofher name.

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lake to escape the knights, all the while usingher divine powers to shield herself from theknights’ missiles and hindering theirattempts to get close to her. While thestruggle went on, a patrol of Uighurhorsemen arrived; the Ethengarians chasedaway the knights and persuaded Winnifred tojoin them, although they were intimidated bythe girl’s powers. Winnifred thus went to livewith the Uighurs and learned the lifestyle ofthe Ethengarian nomads; after thecircumstances the nomads had found her in,she became known to them as “Winnifred ofthe Lake”. The tribal priests told her thebeing she prayed to was the Immortal Tubakthe Lawgiver (the alias of Ixion worshippedin Ethengar) and, surprised by Winnifred’sinnate gifts and despite the fact she was aforeigner, they agreed to formally train her asa priestess. In the span of a few yearsWinnifred was able to become a powerfuland respected priestess of Tubak in her ownright. Since she was anyway considered anodd and alien addition to the tribe’s life, shewent to live on a small islet in Yakgar Lake, inthe Uighur lands, famous for its hot watersprings; there she became a sort of hermit ororacle for the Uighurs, only enjoying thecompany of the nature spirits who lived inthe lake and those of occasional questingheroes, khans and chiefs in search of advices,or adepts and priests seeking counsel.Winnifred adventured much in the steppesthose years, even visiting the Spirit Worldthrough the gate on the top of the WorldMountain. When conflict between peoplefrom Heldann and the Uighurs broke outagain in AC 994, Winnifred preferred to avoidtaking sides in it, and moved from Ethengarto seek her place in the world elsewhere. Inthe next few years, she travelled Wendar, theDenagothian Plateau, and then the Norwold

region. At last, she received omens from herpatron, who urged her to settle down inNorwold, establish a community ofworshippers of him and a powerful domain,and contribute to defend the fledglingKingdom of Norwold. She accepted gladlyand enthusiastically the content of this omenand decided to take part in the dominion-awards which will take place during theupcoming Spring Fair.

Personality: Winnifred is a kind-hearted,friendly, and sympathetic person, with anextroverted personality despite her lonelyyouth, and a great willingness to work inconcert with others. She is very spontaneousin her dealings and immediately cuts to thechase without beating around the bush.Winnifred is optimistic about people, andused to being over-indulgent with them,often allowing anyone a second chance toprove him or herself. When silent, she alwaysappears to cast her gaze beyond worldlyappearances and have a more thoroughunderstanding of things; she is as wellcapable of putting a great focus on anythingshe does, and will become an efficientdominion ruler. While she has not been thatused to the most advanced trappings ofcivilization during her life, Winnifred haslearned to know and enjoy them, and lovesall the fine, beautiful, and precious thingsone can get through magic, trade, andmoney. Winnifred has had a number of shortflirts with occasional visitors during her timeas “oracle” of Yakgar Lake (one even with abeing from the Spirit World!), but none ofthose ever spawned a durable relationship.She is still unsure if her role as Tubak’schampion will ever allow her to cultivate alove story, but she would be glad to discoverit will.

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Goals: Winnifred’s goal in Norwold is tofulfil her Immortal patron’s omen: build astable and orderly domain ruled by the wordof the law, establish in it a new centre ofTubak worshippers (likely throughestablishment of a new church), and help theyoung King Ericall to develop his realm andgovern it with justice. Winnifred will beambitious in pursuing Tubak’s will and, oncein possession of a dominion from Ericall, shewill strive to expand her holdings andincrease her influence in the kingdom, all theway remaining one of Ericall’s most loyalsupporters. Soon after the establishment ofher dominion, she might benefit from thearrival of some adepts and priests who haveheard of her in Ethengar, and who wouldlike to offer her their services.

Dominion Choice: Winnifred will choose adominion located in an area which offersgood opportunities for future expansion, andwhich will be in an easily accessible but stilldefendable area. Any inland location alongone of Norwold’s main rivers or along thecoast of a shielded or secluded bay will suither tastes.

Special Features: Winnifred is not a fighterat heart and in combat mostly makes use ofthe powers granted her by Tubak forprotection, healing, and to disable,knockout, hinder, or capture her opponents.If the need arises, she uses her spells withoutregret to harm, and her melee weapons tostrike, most of all if confronted by theminions of evil or chaos. Winnifred’s mosttrusted companion and advisor is SechegurKhan, a lawful ancestor spirit8 of anEthengarian khan of the distant past that she

freed from the evil spirits who kept himprisoner in the Spirit World and who hassince decided to assist her. Sechegur appearsas a powerful middle-aged Ethengarian horsewarrior; he only manifests himself whenWinnifred asks for his advice or when hewishes to communicate with her or defendher from harm.

Relevant Possessions: Mace +4 (named“Lawgiver”), plate mail +3, ring of waterwalking, Tubak’s Eye.

Source: M2 Vengeance of Alphaks.

Zoltan Hytaxius

Albino priest on a quest for the ImmortalIlsundal

Neutral 19th-level Cleric of Ilsundal


Appearance: Zoltan's appearance is verymuch defined by his albinism. His skin, hair,and his eyes are all white; in addition, hewears white clerical robes, adding to hisghostly cast. His medallion, which also actsas his holy symbol, is in the shape of a whitetree whose branches wrap around his neck,and contains a single living root that seemsto float in a sea of whiteness above his navel.Zoltan is 5’11” tall and weighs 154 lbs.; hetends to travel light, and most of his gear ishidden beneath his robes or in concealedpockets. He is actually 32-years old, but thereis an ageless quality to him, from hisalbinism, mannerism, and perhaps sometinkering from his patron Immortal, makinghim seem at times either young, old, ormiddle-aged, and most often of

8 Cons ider Sechegur Khan a lawfu l ghost ingame terms.

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indeterminable age, adding to his sense ofetherealness and mystical wisdom.

Background: Born to a poor family ofThyatis City, Zoltan Hytaxius became theleader of a band of teenage bullies as a wayof not being rejected as a monster for hislack of skin coloration. When the girl heloved died of an overdose, he felt disgustedby the so-called civilization and left for thewest. In order to avoid encounters he didn'tfollow roads, roaming aimlessly throughfields and forests alike. One day he stumbledupon a group of elves from the Vyalia clan,inhabiting the lands between Thyatis andKarameikos. They treated him with respect,not giving any particular attention to hisdiscoloration. The local treekeeper, sayinghis patron Ilsundal had forecast that his fatewould be very important to the elves, taughtZoltan the Way of Ilsundal in only a few years- an amazingly very short time from the elves'perspective. He also gave him a medallionwith a root he had cut from the living Tree ofLife, telling him he would know what to dowith it when the time came. Still unsure ofhis path, but now a young cleric who hadabandoned his Thyatian past, he left theVyalia in search of his destiny. In thefollowing years, he adventured together withCelia, Arcadius, Siegfried Sixx, and Ney (seetheir own entries); then, they decided tohead to Norwold and parted, so that each ofthem could claim one dominion from Ericall.A mischievous sprite, Maeva ap Lywell VanGwernach (Neutral 9th-level Sprite),colloquially nicknamed “Tac” after the wayshe punctuates her many practical jokes,accompanies Zoltan, generally invisibly.

Personality: Zoltan generally seems cold,distant, alien, yet authoritative and

trustworthy, traits based largely on hisappearance that he has fostered over theyears. But for all the engineered emotionaldistance, his close friends can find clues thathe cares deeply. Zoltan fears that if hefollows his emotions, he might slip back tohis old, best-forgotten ways, so he keeps hisdecisions rational - or rationalizes them -with an end-justifies-the-means approach. Yetat his core he is full of humanity; he alwayssmiles at Tac's shenanigans, and cherishesCelia's attentions.

Goals: Ilsundal plans to return the Shiyeclans of Norwold to his fold.9 He knows thetask will be arduous, as they follow Eirynduland have left the Kingdom of Shiye-Lawr toremain free folk. For that purpose he hasgroomed the strangest champion, one best

9 Zo l tan comes f rom the Mystaran Almanac’svers ion of Norwold, in which sources l ike Dawnof the Emperors and Wrath of the Immorta l s areassumed to take precedence over o lder modules ,l ike CM1 Test of the War lords (where theFores thomes have the i r , and thusworsh ip I l sunda l ) . The background of Zo l tan,differently from the rest of the art icle ,assumes that the Fores thome e lves , be long ingto the Shiye, do not worsh ip I l sunda l , but h isr iva l E i ryndul . This choice was made to respectZol tan’s authored or ig ina l background. Anyway,i f you want to use Zol tan in the vers ion ofNorwold used in the res t of the ar t ic le and aspresented in the “A Trave l ler ’s Guide toNorwold” ar t ic le ( see “Threshold” i ssue no. 7 ) ,you cou ld s imply assume that I l sunda l ,foresee ing some vague but great danger for thee lves of the Known Wor ld ( i .e . the events to ldin Wrath of the Immorta l s ) , has sent Zo l tan tos t rengthen h is ho ld over the Fores thomes ofNorwold, in t roduc ing among them a new andmore powerfu l spec ies of .Otherwise, you cou ld a l so assume that on ly apar t of the Fores thomes worsh ip I l sunda l , whohas sent Zo l tan to conver t the other ones whichst i l l fo l low Ei ryndul .

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suited to challenge the trickery of thenorthern elves. As Ericall called for heroes togain dominion over the vast region heclaims, which would include theForesthomes, he judged the time right toreveal to Zoltan visions of his plans andknowledge of the growing of a daughter Treeof Life. Zoltan has no particular interest inEricall's kingdom or any of the human lords,but will use them if they can help in hisquest. Any elven lord or human ruler with aninterest in elven matters will have hisparticular attention.

Dominion Choice: Zoltan's task is to walkamong the Shiye elves of Norwold, sharewith them the wisdom and bounties ofIlsundal, and guide them towards the divineguidance of his patron Immortal. He willchoose the clan most amenable to histeachings and give them the gift of a Tree ofLife, then expand and cultivate his spiritualinfluence along with offshoot treesthroughout the Foresthomes. Although thatinitial Foresthome may represent Zoltan'sdominion by Ericall's recognition, the priestwill in no way feel bound by this officialrecognition: it is just a starting point for hisquest.

Special Features: Zoltan is the mainprotagonist in a plot initiated by Ilsundal toincrease his sphere of influence overNorwold. Zoltan prays to his patron forguidance and spells as all priests do, but atcritical junctures he may receive specialadvice, direction, and spell complement tobetter assist in his quest. Zoltan may alsoincant through a long, more taxing ritualusing his medallion; in that case, he can tapthe lingering power of the root to revoke anyspell ever channelled through a Tree of Life

of that lineage. Zoltan has also learned tostage his ethereal appearance to maximumeffect. Zoltan's most prized possession is aroot cut from the Vyalian Tree of Life, part ofhis medallion of the living root; Ilsundalrecently hinted in dreams that Zoltan wouldimbue the root with the Immortal’s divineessence, and grow a Tree of Life and an elvenkingdom in the north.

Relevant Possessions: Bracers of armour AC2, hardwood staff, medallion of the livingroot, scroll of creation.


MAGIC ITEMS

NEW AND UNUSUAL

Many of the NPC claimants described abovepossess strange, unique, and unusual magicitems. Those items which can’t be found inthe Rules Cyclopedia are described below.

Amulet of mind shielding. This amuletgrants its wearer a +3 bonus on saves againstall spells and effects aimed at controlling,charming, fascinating, or dominating one’smind.

Armband of absorption. This magicalarmband absorbs any arcane or divine spellof 1st through 5th level, using one charge eachtime; the item has five charges left and is notrechargeable.

Armband of strength. See AC4 Book ofMarvellous Magic, pages 9-10.

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Armour of the bulwark. This armour is aplate mail +2 which continuously radiates aprotection from normal missiles and whichreduces the damage done by spells by 1point of damage per damage die (to aminimum of zero).

Black steel bastard sword. This awesomebastard sword +3 is made of black steel; anhistorian looking at it may recognize thesword as “Hugrakkur” (“Courageous” in theHeldanner tongue), the weapon which wasonce brandished by the hero Heldann ‘theBrave’ at the great battle of Gil Eldur (alsoknown as the battle of Feuerhals) against thetroll army which had invaded his land (AC710). The sword’s current owner, MarkAcres, has still not realized the historicalimportance of the weapon. “Hugrakkur”requires a Strength of at least 15 to beproperly handled (otherwise the wieldersuffers a -2 penalty on attack rolls and theweapon inflicts only half base damage) anddoes not grant any bonus to attack rolls, butadds a +3 bonus on damage; moreover, ifgripped it protects the wearer like a ring offire resistance, shields him from all detect,ESP, and know alignment spells, andreduces the damage from any fall to amaximum of 1d6 damage.

“Benefactress” broadsword. Maltus Fharo’sweapon functions as a normal sword +3 ofhealing. It has a decorated sword hilt whichmakes it resemble a Darokin rapier in design,but its blade is actually wider and heavier.

Boots of wall walking. These boots allowthe wearer to stand or walk on any verticalsurface as if it were flat.

Bracers of armour AC 2. They function inthe same manner as a buckle of armour; seeAC4 Book of Marvellous Magic, page 21.

Brooch of protection +1. Functions exactlylike a ring of protection +1.

Buckle of armour AC 3. See AC4 Book ofMarvellous Magic, page 21.

Buckle of lockpicks +15%. See AC4 Bookof Marvellous Magic, page 21.

Cape of night and fire. This short cape (itonly reaches the upper thighs) was crafted bythe Modrigswerg; it is black on one side andred on the other, and can be worn on eitherside. The cape confers a +2 bonus to AC onthe wearer, but its other additional powersdepend on which side of the cloak is worn asthe outside one; however, those powers donot function under true daylight. If the blackis outside, the wearer gains infravision (up to90’), has the same powers of an elven cloak,and can invoke at will a darkness spellcantered on himself; if the red is outside, thewearer gains the benefits of a ring of fireresistance, and can cast at will the spells lightand produce fire.

Cape of protection. See AC4 Book ofMarvellous Magic, page 24.

Chain mail of the forest lady. This armouris a chain mail +4. Quillan Elmgrower, thearmour’s current owner, earned it as a giftfrom one fey lady after he successfullyrecovered the remains of the creature’sdeceased elf lover in the depths of the GreatForest of Geffron; the armour had been theone owned by the deceased elf in life. Thesmall rings of its chain are set in patterns

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which resemble leafs and flowers. Thearmour appears to be made of silver, andemanates emerald reflections.

Chameleon blade. This simple knife is intruth a +3 weapon; at the owner’s will, it canchange into a dagger, short sword or normalsword, all the while preserving its +3magical bonus.

Charm of proof against poison. The wearerof this amulet never makes saving throwsversus poison with a penalty (i.e. if the sumof bonuses and penalties ends up giving apenalty, the save is unmodified instead); italso grants a +2 bonus on all saves versuspoison, and also allows a special save at 17versus those poisons which do not allow fora saving throw.

Cloak of protection +1. Functions exactlylike a ring of protection +1.

Coin of good luck. This coin grants itsowner a +1 bonus on AC and a +1 or +10%bonus (as appropriate) on all rolls todetermine if the character suffers someadverse effect, including saving throws; thebonus does not apply to attack and damagerolls.

Dagger +4 of alignment detection. Thisdagger’s hilt has some small colourful gemsinlaid into it; if the dagger is pointed towarda creature, the gems glow in a given patternaccordingly to the target’s alignment,allowing the wielder of the dagger to read itas a know alignment spell was cast.

Dagger of the fool. This weapon functionsas a normal dagger +2 when used to strikein melee; when thrown, however, it picks its

own target, choosing randomly among allavailable ones - friends or foes alike - within30’ from the thrower (up to a maximum of20 possible closest targets). Rolls to hit anddamage are then carried on normally,regardless of distance or line ofsight. Maximillian, the weapon’s currentowner, is aware of this power.

Dagger of the gianthunter. This dagger ofelven make was found by James Essex in aburial ground in the Northern Wildlands;centuries ago, it was fashioned for an elvencommander who fought the giants of theMengul Mountains. The weapon is basicallya dagger +1/+3 vs giantkind, but also hasthe special power to detect any giant orgiant-like creature which approaches within200’; when this happens, the dagger’s bladeglows with an eerie blue-white light, whichbecomes brighter (up to the equivalent of alight spell) when the giant is close. A wielderof the dagger can turn down the dagger’sglow at will.

Darkflame sword. This bastard sword+2/+4 vs lawful creatures was crafted longago by the priests of the Immortal Alphaksand is imbued with the soul of a minor fiendof Entropy. The sword has a chaotic (andevil) alignment, an Intelligence score of 7, anego score of 8, and can communicatethrough empathy; its aim is to carry on thewill of Alphaks, and come back in the handsof a worshipper of the Immortal fiend. Itflickers with tiny black, cool flames, andbursts forth in black flames when sheathed.A creature hit by the sword must make a savevs wands or lose an additional 1d10 points ofdamage and be engulfed in magical flames,taking 1d4 damage per subsequent round;each round, after taking the damage, the

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victim can try another save which, ifsuccessful, stops the flames and the damage.Non-magical means (water included) areuseless to douse the flames. Whenunsheathed, the sword gives the wearerinfravision within 90’ and better chances toavoid being surprised (roll 1d8 for him orher instead of 1d6). The sword also carriessome weaknesses. First of all, the wieldersuffers a -3 penalty on attack rolls againstminions of Entropy (including fiends andclerics of entropic Immortals), who areimmediately aware of this weakness whenthey come within 60’ of the wielder. Second,the sword inflicts 1d4 damage less againstfire- and water-based creatures (includingred dragons, salamanders, elementals, fish,mermen, and so on); on those creatures, thedark flames burn for one round only. Thesword’s current owner, Maximillian, knowsthat the sword was fashioned by some evilvillain, but does not suspect it harbors thesoul of a fiend; she does not even realize thatthe feelings she sometimes feels are thesword’s attempt to establish an empathiccontact with her.

“Death Mate” broadsword. Siegfried Sixx’sprized weapon is a normal sword +3/+5 vsundead made from obsidian-black metal.When “Death Mate” hits an undead creaturefor the first time, the sword becomes attunedto the target’s unnatural life essence, andbegins to glow and pulse in such a way thatits vibe makes its wielder aware of theundead’s number of HD and general kind(whether it is mindless or intelligent, free-willed or controlled, a spellcaster, anenergy/age drainer, or a planar undead). Asecond hit by “Death Mate” to an undeadattuned to the sword disintegrates thecreature (undead with 7-12 HD can make a

saving throw vs death ray to avoid the effect,and those with 13-18 HD make their save at+3 bonus, while those with 19+ HD areimmune to this power). Wielding “DeathMate” also grants a +2 bonus on savingthrows against all undead special attacks(paralysis, poison, disease, etc. - but notspells), and nullifies up to 4 levels of energydrain per day.

Elven longsword. See GAZ5 The Elves ofAlfheim, pages 33-34.

“Enslaver” normal sword. This normalsword +4 allows its wielder to cast charmthree times per week.

“Gemstone’s Bane” longsword. Thislongsword can be used as a normal sword+2/+4 vs dragonkind. It deals triple damageagainst gemstone dragons. It was craftedduring the Time of the Second Dragonlord(beginning of the 6th century AC) for aWendarian elven hero.

Golden chain mail. Delsel Oaktree’smagical armour is a chain mail +5; it ismade of gold but sturdy as steel, and is anelven relic from the Taymoran age.

Hand axe +3 of terror. Hanz Vackelin’shand axe of terror can cast the spell causefear (reverse of the 1st-level Cleric spellremove fear) three times per day.

Hardwood staff. This staff is made of astrange, smooth black wood; it can be usedas a staff +3 that also ignores 2 points of thetarget’s AC due to manufactured armour(both mundane and magical, but not fromshield).

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Helmet of goring. This wicked-looking,horned, open-face helmet allows the wearerto forfeit all his normal attacks in a round tomake a goring attempt; if successful, theattack deals 1d6 damage (and counts as a +1weapon for the purpose of which creatures itcan damage). Wounds caused by the helmetbleed copiously, causing the victim to lose 2additional points of damage per round untilmagical cures are received or the victimspends 1d4 rounds bandaging herself(further hits by the helmet do not causeadditional bleeding). If the victim of thegoring attack is ogre-sized or smaller, shemust also make a save against petrification orbe stunned from the traumatic shock for 1d6rounds; also, if the goring attack roll againstsuch a victim was a natural 19 or 20, thetarget is automatically stunned (as above)and must save versus death ray or be killedon the spot.

Leather armour +3 of blending. On thewearer’s command, this armour can changeshape and form, assuming the appearance ofa normal set of clothing while preserving allits qualities (including weight); only atruesight spell can reveal the true nature ofthe armour.

Longbow of marksmanship. This magicallongbow +2 grants an additional +3 bonus(for a total of +5) on attack rolls against non-living targets (including constructs andundead) and on trick shots which do notdirectly harm a living target (like striking anopponent’s weapon, an apple on a child’shead, and so on).

Medallion of the living root. The medallionowned by Zoltan Hytaxius incorporates aliving root cut the Vyalia clan’s Tree of Life. It

continuously emanates a protection fromevil 10’ radius; moreover, while Zoltanwears it (that is, always), the cleric gains a +2bonus on AC and on all saving throws, andturns undead as if he was a cleric of twolevels higher.

Mirror of enlightenment. This beautifulwall mirror has the power to reflect the innerfeelings and disposition of a creature thatcomes in front of it when a command wordis spoken. It reflects the image of thecreature in such a way to lend equivalentinformation as if a detect evil/good, knowalignment, and a wand of enemy detectionhad been used.

Necklace of protection. This necklacefunctions as a ring of protection +3.

Necklace of spell resistance. The wearerautomatically takes half damage from spells(even those which do not normally allow fora saving throw), and one-quarter damage ifhe successfully makes a saving throw. If thewearer is targeted by a non-damaging effect(such as a death effect), he gets a +2 bonuson the saving throw.

Pendant of unscryableness. Functionsexactly like an amulet of protection fromcrystal balls and ESP which also shields fromall other detect and know alignment spells.

Periapt of health. Makes the wearer totallyimmune to all sorts of normal diseasescaused by nature or magic, but not tomagical disease such as mummy rot orlycanthropy; it also doubles the rate ofnatural healing.

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Plate barding +2. See PC2, DM’s Booklet,pages 39-40.

Pouch of traveling. See AC4 Book ofMarvellous Magic, page 57.

Ring of combat power. This magical ringcan be used three times per day. Each usegives its owner the choice between making 4attacks per round or getting a +10 bonus onone attack roll each round; each use lasts 10rounds.

Ring of loved ones protection. This ring isan heirloom of the Essex family; it has thesame powers of a ring of protection +3 onthe wearer, but also bestows a +3 bonus onsaving throws to friendly creatures within 5’of him.

Ring of magic resistance. This powerfulring bestows on the wearer an individualresistance of 45% against arcane and divinespells and spell-like powers targeting him; ifthe resistance fails, the wearer is still alloweda saving throw (if the spell allows one). Thering has no effect on permanent magicalitems, and its resistance cannot be loweredby the wearer unless he removes the ring.

Ring of the Hunakoi. This ring of Thothianmake bestows on the wearer an effectiveStrength score of 19 (see the table includedin Wrath of the Immortals, Book One, page52).

Ring of piercing. This magical ring allowsthe wearer to break on contact through allwizard lock, wall of force, hold, web, andsimilar spells of 7th level or lower; no harm

comes to the wearer when the magicalbarrier is disrupted. The ring also absorbs allmagic missile spells and electrical attacks(both natural and magical), making thewearer effectively immune to them.

Rod of aerial might. This magic rodresembles a long staff, and can be used incombat as a staff +1 which enables itswielder to cast the spells lightning bolt andfly once per day each.

Sabre of the wereslayer. This normalsword +2/+3 vs lycanthropes of Alfeislanderdesign has a long, curved blade, and can beconsidered a sabre; it dates back to the timeof the Silver Purge (5th century AC).

“Seeker” longbow. This longbow +4 isRutger Dag’s deadly ranged weapon. It is aprized, graceful and wonderful relic craftedon the outer plane of Alfheim, inhabited bythe High Elves of the Northman mythology;Rutger found it during one of his adventures.

Shield +2 of proof against cold. Thisshield +2 grants its wielder a +4 bonus onsaving throws against cold attacks.

Shield of the Supreme Waterbearer.Sandralane’s shield has the holy symbol ofImmortal Ariana (see footnote 5 underSandralane’s entry) engraved on its front; itwas the shield of the last Supreme Waterbearerof the Temple of the Golden Fountain (theOrder’s high priest), which Sandralanemanaged to recover after a dangerous quest inGlantri. It functions as a shield +4.

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Staff of Naglfari. This ancient magic staffwas crafted by Naglfari, a legendaryNorthman sorcerer who commanded thepower of storms and who lived in the 3rd

century AC. The item functions as a staff +2which inflicts 1d6 additional damage fromelectricity on each hit; the wielder of the staffcan also invoke the following spells at thelisted charge cost: call lightning (1 charge),protection from lightning (1 charge) andsummon weather (2 charges). The staff hascurrently 16 charges and it recharges whenhit by lightning (1 charge for each die ofdamage the lightning deals).

Star of the smallfolk. This star-shapedcrystal was manufactured by the faeries of thesky kingdom eons ago; it can radiatecontinual light as per spell at will, and allowsits owner to cast fly, invisibility, andpolymorph self once per day each. When thestar is clearly visible on the wearer, he gets a+3 reaction bonus from any elf, halfling,woodland creature, fey, or faerie.

“Steelbreaker” longsword. This normalsword +3, named “Steelbreaker”, wasfashioned by an Alphatian wizard for hischampion; when a successful deflect movewith “Steelbreaker” is performed by a wielderwho has Skilled or higher Weapon Masteryrank in normal sword, there is a 75% chance(minus 15% per “pluss” of the opponent’sweapon, if magical) that the opponent’sdeflected weapon breaks and is effectivelydisrupted. Also, “Steelbreaker” cannot bebroken through non-magical means.

“Starshine” longsword. This normal sword+5 is powerful weapon that was craftedcenturies ago in Ambur, Alphatia. “Starshine”is an intelligent sword of lawful alignment,with an Intelligence score of 9 and an ego

score of 9; the sword communicates throughempathy and can detect gems, detect magic,and see invisible.

Tubak’s Eye. This magic shield +3 appearsto be made of gold and is shaped like a solardisk with the engraving of the sun (actually,a flaming wheel) in front of it and a circle ofundulating blades projecting at its sides torepresent the sun’s beams. The shield can beused as a sword shield, and its use as aweapon is allowed to clerics of Ixion.

Tunic of shielding. This magic tunic grantsthe wearer the continuous effects of a shieldspell.

Vest of protection AC 2. Functions in thesame way of a buckle of armour (see AC4Book of Marvellous Magic, page 21).

“Warbringer” bastard sword. This mightybastard sword +3 was passed down throughgenerations of warlords, commanders, andgenerals on the Isle of Dawn. Besides itsmagical bonus, damage inflicted by thesword is determined by rolling the nexthigher die than normal (i.e. 1d10 instead of1d8, and so on, with 1d12 upgrading to 1d20at higher Weapon Mastery ranks), butwithout multiplying any other bonus.

White dragonscale armour. This scalearmour +1 was fashioned from the hide of alarge white dragon. It grants the wearer a +1bonus on saving throws against cold attacks,and reduces damage suffered due to coldattacks by 1 point of damage per damage diethe attack deals (or for every HD the attackerhas, if not applicable); cold attacks dealing 6or less points of damage are totally ignoredby the wearer.

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Who’s Who in the Wyrmsteeth

“The true power of the Dragon kingdom is amystery to us in many ways, and I believe noamount of investigation will solve it inreasonable time. We know the theoreticalextension of the Kingdom and the allegedpopulation of dragons and humanoids, butsuch figures are tentative guesses at best.Some past adventurers and spies say nodragon kingdom really exists, as the dragonsare too independent to have a society similarto the humanoid ones, and the Wyrmsteethis just a pretense so that the dragons are leftalone. Others say instead that the DragonKingdom is much larger and more powerfulthan we can conceive, spans huge territoriesall over Brun and pulls the strings of all thehumanoid nations. I believe we will never

know for sure, unless the dragonsthemselves let us know.”

From a report written by unknownadventurer (or spy), to King Ericall, around1010 AC.

“So you want to know how the Dragonkingis chosen? Well I could tell you, but then I’dhave to kill you.”

Mu’shadir Akraman, dragonkin citizen ofthe Wyrmsteeth, joking (or not) with aNorwolder friend.

by Francesco Defferrari (Sturm)** Who can take only partial credit for this article,as most of the text was compiled using existingsources as appropriately indicated in the notes, byGiulio Caroletti, John Calvin, Bruce Heard,Thorarinn Gunnarssonn, Simone Neri andGiampaolo Agosta.

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DRAGON HISTORY

AND SOCIETY

Dragons have inhabited the Wyrmsteethmountains1 since the dawn of time. Before

the Great Rain of Fire, the Dragon Empiredominated a vast area that included modernNorworld and surrounding lands, then awarmer country. At the time, sages believethe Empire spanned almost the entirety ofBrun. The red dragon Mengul was theEmperor for many centuries. The DragonEmpire fought against Blackmoor severaltimes, but was never conquered. After theGreat Rain of Fire, it seems the Empire wasdissolved, and at some point the WyrmsteethDragon Kingdom was created, at least by1900 BC when the red dragon Syare ruled itwith an iron fist. In 745 BC Syare became anImmortal, and for many years he had nosuccessor, until around 500 BC the bluedragon Lyalia became queen. After she waskilled fighting humans, the red dragonPradapukran succeeded her around 100 BC.She ruled almost unchallenged for fivehundred years, except for a brief tyranny bythe white dragon Quesa between 330 and336 AC. The Queen however abdicated forunknown reasons in 400 AC, leavingrulership to her mate Verslen. He was not aspopular as her among the dragons, however,and by 500 AC the Kingdom no longer had aking, and was ruled by the Parliament ofDragons and its appointed Speaker, the golddragon Marthaen. After the brief reign of theDragonking Thelvaeneir (513 AC), and somemore years with Marthaen as Speaker, by 550AC it was eventually decided that theParliament would elect a King, or a Queen,that would remain in charge as long as he orshe had the trust of the Parliament.Therefore in recent years reigns have lastedfrom a few years to centuries, as theParliament has to confirm the King or Queenevery three years. Sometimes a would-beKing (or Queen) can challenge the ruling

1 The Wyrmsteeth Dragons appeared in CM1(page 8 ) as 1000 dragons organized under a 23HD Huge Red Dragon Lord. Dragons of a l lco lors except Gold were sa id to be common inthe range. The Dragonlord t r i logy changed thepic ture, as the dragons were ru led by aPar l iament and i t s Speaker was a Gold dragon,and la ter a Gold dragon became Dragonking.Jamers Mish ler ’s Age of B lackmoor created theDraconian Empire f rom before the Great Rain ofF i re as inhab i ted by chromat ic dragons, enemiesof the Golden Empire founded by meta l l i cdragons in Davania . Giu l io Caro le t t i ’ s (and JohnCalv in ’s ) Gazet teer of the Wyrmsteeth assumeda Dragon Kingdom where the King i s a red andthe Church of Pear l dominates , ignor ing theDragonlord t r i logy. S imone Ner i ’ s His tory ofDragonkind and h is ar t ic le “A Trave l ler ’sGuide to Norwold” in the las t i ssue #7 ofThreshold magaz ine, page 5, used most ly theDragonlord t r i logy as pr imary source, ignor ingGiu l io ’s Gazet teer . Bruce Heard’s FutureHeldannic His tory p laces a Gold dragon,Eruptaar , as the Dragonking. The Mystara FanAlmanacs of 1014-1019 AC ignored a l l prev iousworks and p laced in the Wyrmsteeth a Tr iarch icKingdom. There i s a l so a s t r ik ing d i f ference intone between one vers ion or another , in theDragonlord t r i logy in par t icu lar the Wyrmsteethare an anc ient and c iv i l i zed rea lm, whi le inother fan vers ion the chaot ic nature ofchromat ic dragons seems to preva i l . The h is toryand pol i t i ca l sys tem above i s a tentat ive way toharmonize a l l the d i f ferent ideas , but each DMcan obv ious ly choose what he or she prefers .Subsequent notes wi l l ind icate who created apar t icu lar dragon and prov ide a l ink to theor ig ina l descr ipt ion, i f ava i lab le . Many canondragons are a l so l i s ted in the ar t ic le Who’s Whoamong Dragons by Bruce Heard, which re fers tothe Known Wor ld, or ig ina l ly pub l i shed inDragon Magaz ine 171: and the Vaul ts ofPandius a l so conta ins a genera l l i s t o f canon and fanon Mystara dragons.

http://pandius.com/ageblack.html

http://pandius.com/wyrms.html

http://pandius.com/drgnkndh.html


http://pandius.com/hk2000.html


http://pandius.com/whoswho.html


http://pandius.com/dragons2.html


http://pandius.com/ageblack.html

http://pandius.com/wyrms.html









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monarch to combat to gain some votes in theParliament. Such duels are never to thedeath, but the losing dragon will have tosubmit to the winner. If the Parliament is sodivided that it cannot agree on a single Kingor Queen, a Diarchic, Triarchic (or evenmore, theoretically) kingdom may occur. Inthis case however the rulers are called Earlsinstead of Kings (or Queens).Verslen, having learned to build betteralliances, ruled almost continuously from550 AC to 670 AC, then the blue dragonLhoran2 became King until 828 AC, when heascended to Immortality. Verslen became theDragonking again, creating the modernWyrmsteeth Kingdom as it is now.

Wyrmsteeth Kingdom

The map on the following page was takenfrom Robin D’s Detailed Map ofNorthwestern Brun 8mph and from my mapof Brun 24mph but it updates both as Ireplaced several dragon lairs and addedsome more. Each one of these lairs should beconsidered a city, with dragon vassals andhumanoid servants. More possible dragonlairs are indicated on the map, but areunnamed as their occupants have not beendeveloped yet. The dragons only exertnominal control over their borderlands,mainly to prevent encroachment into theirterritories by foreign powers such asNorwold or the Heldannic Knights, and intruth even many dragons outside the bordersof Wyrmsteeth are loyal to the Dragonking.

DRAGONS IN MYSTARA

The article “From Hatchling to ImmortalGuardians” by Bruce Heard, published inDragon Magazine 170, June 19913, and theDragonlord Trilogy by ThorarinnGunnarsson, published in 1994-1996 are themain canon sources for dragon society inMystara, but each has a quite differentapproach. The Ceremony of Sublimation asdetailed by Bruce Heard generates a highlyhierarchical society where hoarding treasureshas a great importance, and the Omens ofComing caused by the sublimation can havea major impact on the campaign, creatingalso a major natural enmity between lawfuland chaotic dragons. In ThorarinnGunnarsson’s depiction the ceremony isn’tmentioned and the different types of dragonseem to get along much better in anorganized and complex society. It’s up toeach DM to decide how to use these differentideas4.

2 He was ment ioned as a B lue leader in theDragonlord t r i logy. A Blue King at the t ime wasment ioned by S imone Ner i and GiampaoloAgosta in the i r ar t ic les in i ssue #7 of Thresholdmagaz ine.

3 “Dragons in the D&D game's Known Wor ld”and i t s correct ions.4 “The His tory of Dragonkind” by S imone Ner ihas made an at tempt to reconc i le these twovers ions.

http://pandius.com/tm_north_by_6inchnails-d5yfvcd.jpg

http://pandius.com/tm_north_by_6inchnails-d5yfvcd.jpg

http://pandius.com/immguard.html

http://pandius.com/dragons.html


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WYRMSTEETH KINGDOM MAP

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DRAGON RULERS

Verslen aka Mors Rufus aka

Red Death aka Renffeodagg, 23

HD Huge Red Dragon,

Dragonking

The current Dragonking5 (from 828 to 1014AC) was once a vassal of Pradapukran and heis rumored to be the father of her children.He more or less created the Wyrmsteeth asthey are now, inviting new settlers such asthe Glantrian dwarves, werewolves andThyatians, and allowing some contacts withthe outside world. He is also a priest of Pearl.Even if Eruptaar is his chief rival, he is ongood terms with him and the other golds,and with Jherdar, even if he tends to favorPearl over other religions6. He doesn’t trust

Ferrimyx, even if she has supported him sofar. He has alway been prudent in therelations with dragons outside Norwold,even when others requested much moredecisive actions, as in the case of Idris andVitriol7.

5 He was created by Giu l io Caro le t t i too. Ipostponed h is re ign to make t ime for the eventsof the Dragonlord t r i logy and the ascent ofDominagon’s fa ther Lhoran. I a l so th ink h isre ign should end before 1014 AC to account forthe presence of Eruptaar as Dragonking inBruce Heard’s Future t imel ine of the HeldannicKnights . By 1017 AC, accord ing to the 1017-1019 AC Fan Almanacs, there i s a Tr iarch icKingdom ru led by Vers len, Eruptaar andXanesh, a t leas t unt i l 1019 AC. By the end ofthe year probab ly a new vote wi l l occur in thepar l iament . Note that I dec ided to merge h imwith Giampaolo Agosta ’s Vers len as nominatedin h is map of the Draconic Omens of Coming inh is “Skaufskogr and beyond” ar t ic le , i ssue #7 ofThreshold magaz ine, page 170. I a l so un i f iedh im wi th the Renf feodagg nominated in the1017-1019 AC Fan Almanacs, and I suppose heis a l so the 23 HD Red Dragon ind icated as Lordin CM1. This un i f ica t ion of d i f ferent f igures i sof course tota l l y arb i t rary on my par t and theor ig ina l authors , even i f I t r ied to in form themwhen poss ib le , cou ld not agree fu l l y wi th mychoices .6 I have toned down the idea that he made the

Church of Pear l the on ly permi t ted re l ig ion, asin Giu l io Caro le t t i ’ s gazet teer , as that doesn’ tf i t very wel l wi th the Dragonlord t r i logy.7 The Onyx Ring and i t s leader , the b lackdragon Vi t r io l , and the ongoing co ld warbetween the church of Idr i s and the Wyrmsteethwi l l be descr ibed a long wi th other dragons ofthe wor ld in the next i ssue of Thresholdmagaz ine!

http://pandius.com/hkfuture.html

http://pandius.com/hkfuture.html

http://pandius.com/wyrmdrac.html

http://pandius.com/wyrmdrac.html

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Incendiarious aka

Pradapukran, 23 HD Huge Red

Dragon, former Dragonqueen

and Dragonlady of the Second

Legion

Incendiarious8 was the Dragonqueen ofWyrmsteeth from 100 BC to 400 AC. A greatwyrm of superior intelligence, originally fromRockhome. She had long lived with humans,roaming the world in search of adventureand magic. She eventually abdicated andsettled at the source of the Sabre river, whereshe now lives with her 5 children. She nowrarely meddles in the politics of the DragonKingdom, but her moral authority still hasgreat weight nonetheless. The currentDragonking is the father of her children (afact not widely known) and she officiallycommands the Second Legion of theWyrmsteeth’s army. She maintains contactwith her subjects using magical scrolls.

8 This dragon or ig ina l ly appears in CM3, TheSabre River , where she has 5 ch i ldren. In “TheDragon Kingdom of Wyrmsteeth” and“Wyrmsteeth Gazet teer cont inued” Giu l ioCaro le t t i supposed the CM3 dragon was thechi ld of another , male Incendiar ious thatre igned over the Wyrmsteeth. I prefer to un i fythe two f igures , a l so because dragons havelonger l i fespans in my campaign, but other DMscould dec ide otherwise and fo l low Giu l io ’svers ion ins tead. Pradapukran (potent f lame) i sjus t a “dragon name” I chose for her us ing somesanskr i t - l ike sounds.

Gemstone Dragons

Gemstone dragons (Crystal, Onyx, Jade,Sapphire, Ruby and Amber [or Brown])are canon Mystara dragons, but only theDragonlord trilogy by ThorarinnGunnarssonn gave a possible explanationfor their origin, summarized in SimoneNeri’s “History of Dragonkind”. Gemstonedragons were powerful dragon sorcerersthat tried to reach immortality and failed,gaining their present aspect. Theyeventually started a war againstBlackmoor, but were defeated and exiledto another world, where they fell underthe control of a being known as theOverlord. They returned to conquerMystara with him in 513 AC, were freedfrom the Overlord’s control and spared bythe Dragonking Thelvaneir (also theImmortal Diamond). Since then,Gemstone dragons have returned toMystara and some of them also live inNorwold and the Wyrmsteeth. Their leaderin Norwold is Thyralax, a 22 HD HugeRuby Dragon, often contested by his rivalMardius, a 22 HD Huge Brown (Amber)Dragon (They appear in AC10, Bestiary ofDragons and Giants, page 45, whereMardius tries to destroy Thyralax). Mypersonal take on Gemstone dragons is touse them as ancient breeds more commonin Skothar than in other Mystarancontinents.

In AD&D and later editions Gemstonedragons are of different kinds (Amethyst,Crystal, Emerald, Sapphire and Topaz) andhave psionic powers, but could be usedalongside the Mystaran ones if the DMwishes so..

http://pandius.com/wyrmsgaz.html


http://pandius.com/wyrmgaz2.html


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Eruptaar aka Hessuarveeum

aka Gheradaen the Golden, 24

HD Huge Gold Dragon,

Speaker of the Golds and

Ruby9

Speaker of the Golds and cleric of Diamond,Eruptaar10 is working to become the nextDragonking, and is likely to succeed within afew years. He has a young son, Kindling,whom he loves dearly. He is an old friend ofMarthaen and all the other gold dragons areready to support him. He advocates adecisive intervention against Vitriol and Idris.

Xanesh aka Khukh aka

Y'ilorchaem, 20 HD Huge Blue

Dragon, Speaker of the Blues

and Sapphire and Dragonlord

of the First Legion

Xanesh11 is the Speaker for the Blues and thecommander of the First Legion. He careslittle of other dragons, but he doesn't want toraise the ire of Verslen, and so is loyal to him.Xanesh hates Vedmak, and would opposehim in any case. Neither does he love theother reds, so could be inclined to support

Eruptaar in the future, if he cannot raiseenough support to become Dragonkinghimself. Xanesh’s lair contains a portal toYggdrasil12, the World Tree, and was once asacred place for the northern men, now lostin legends. Xanesh thinks he could build apublic temple around the portal, gainingsupport from humans and even the northernImmortals, but he also fears the otherdragons might not like such a move verymuch.

Jherdar aka Vedmak, 23 HD

Huge Red Dragon, Speaker of

the Reds and Amber

The Speaker of the Reds13 is a powerfuldragon in the Wyrmsteeth, and rumored tobe very rich. He is on friendly terms with thegold dragons, particularly with Marthaen andDaresha, and respected by Verslen andPradapukran, and is for this very reasondespised by some younger and ambitiousreds, such as Ferrimyx and Emberash.

Medyanka aka Ipsilon, 18 HD

Huge Green Dragon,

Dragonlord of the Third

Legion, Speaker of the Greens

and Jade

Commander of the Third Legion, Medyanka14

is probably the most savage dragon ofWyrmsteeth. A Great Wyrm of incredible

9 For Ruby dragons, see the Gemstone dragonss idebar .10 See the Bruce Heard l ink in note #2 formore deta i l s about Eruptaar . I have dec ided tomerge h im wi th the o ld go ld dragon Gheradaenment ioned in the Dragonlord t r i logy as an o ldergo ld, and wi th the Hessuarveum who is an Ear lin the 1017-1019 AC Fan Almanacs. Eruptaarshould then re ign a lone f rom 1014 to 1016 andwi th Vers len and Xanesh f rom 1017 to 1019.11 A lso created by Giu l io Caro le t t i in“Wyrmsteeth Gazet teer cont inued”. I ’ve un i f iedh im wi th the Fan Almanacs ’ Y’ lorchaem andwi th Giampaolo Agosta ’s Khukh.

12 See th is ar t ic le on Ysgard13 He appears in the Dragonlord t r i logy asleader of the Reds. I ’ve un i f ied h im wi thGiampaolo Agosta ’s Vedmak.14 A lso created by Giu l io Caro le t t i in TheDragon Kingdom of Wyrmsteeth, un i f ied wi thGiampaolo Agosta ’s Medyanka.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ysgard

The Dragon Kingdom of Wyrmsteeth

The Dragon Kingdom of Wyrmsteeth

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strength and magic, he considers himself asstrong as Verslen but has not challenged himyet because the current king gave him thetitle of the Dragonlord, and also because hehas very few supporters among otherdragons. Medyanka despises humans, andwould greatly enjoy waging a war againstNorwold - naturally with himself crownedEmperor of the region as the outcome. Thatis very unlikely as his vassals are not verystrong and not many others would followhim, unless he can become powerful enoughto force them.

Hk'rhal the Dragonlizard aka

Thalbar, 17 HD Huge Black

Dragon, Speaker of the Blacks

and Onyx and Dragonlord of

the Fourth Legion

Dragonlord of the city of Th'hral andcommander of the Fourth Legion, he enjoysthe self anointed title of Dragonlizard.Hk'rhal15 genuinely loves all lizardkin, whomhe has always regarded as made in the image

of dragons. He has helped them build thecity of Th'hral, where he is often found in theshape of a lizardman. The city has also apopulation of dragonborn and dragonkin.He doesn’t likes non reptilians much, butsome live peacefully in his city nevertheless.He respects Verslen, though he does not fearhim. So far he has always supported theDragonking, but he is considering Eruptaar’sclaim. He really hates Vitriol for the influencehe has over black dragons of the world.

Klaki, 14 HD Huge White

Dragon, Speaker of the Whites

and Crystal

Klaki16 is a staunch supporter of Verslen asthe Dragonking always shows him respectand gives him magnificent gifts, a small trickPradapukran employed before him. Klaki hascordial relations with the golds, the blacksand the blues but is annoyed by thearrogance of many reds and greens, such asMedyanka and Ferrimyx.

Marthaen, 25 HD Huge Gold

Dragon, Speaker of the

Dragon Parliament

Marthaen17 is a old and powerful gold withgreat influence and great expertise of magic.Still the Speaker of the Parliament, he hasnever desired to become Dragonking but hasalways been an informal “prime minister” ofthe dragon nation for all the kings in the last

15 A lso created by Giu l io Caro le t t i in TheDragon Kingdom of Wyrmsteeth. I ’ve un i f iedh im wi th Tha lbar , nominated as a B lack leaderin the Dragonlord t r i logy

16 Created by Giampaolo Agosta. Strange lyenough, no important whi te dragon isnominated in Giu l io ’s gazet teer nor in theDragonlord t r i logy.17 Important character in the Dragonlordtr i logy.



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five centuries. He is one of the mostpowerful dragons of the Wyrmsteeth but alsothe most likely to interact with agents,ambassadors and adventurers. Thelvaeneir,now the Immortal Diamond, mated withMarthaen’s sister Kharendaen, and hebecame the foster father of their daughter,his niece Therandael (described in the nextissue of Threshold), when they left for theImmortal realms.

Sandryth, 12 HD Small Gold

Dragon

Appointed by the Parliament as envoy18 inthe surrounding human dominions torepresent the Wyrmsteeth Kingdom, this goldlives at the moment in the Barony ofArcadia19 and is a friend of Marthaen.

Krasniy, 10 HD Small Red

Dragon

This small red20 rules the town of Saffir indisguise on behalf of the Dragonking, as theplace is considered strategic by theWyrmsteeth kingdom.

DRAGON PERSONALITIES

Daresha, 23 HD Huge Gold

Dragon

Mate of Marthaen and foster mother ofTherandael, Daresha21 is a powerful goldwho has no official power in the Wyrmsteethbut holds much influence, as dragons andothers often try to reach her for petitions orinformations meant for Marthaen and theDragonking. She patiently receives almosteveryone who asks for an audience,eventually.18 Appears in the Barony of Arcadia entry of

the fan a lmanacs. May not be appropr ia te fora l l campaigns or before 1000 AC.19 P laced on the western shores of LakeGunaa ld by the fan Mystaran a lmanacs Baronyof Arcadia entry .20 Appears in AC10 commanding humanguards , gr i f fons and wyverns , and PCs aresupposed to defeat h im, but la ter Saf f i r wasplaced near the Wyrmsteeth in the ar t ic le“Norwold Region”. Af ter the Heldann invas ionhe cou ld cont inue to ru le in d isgu ise, spy ing forthe dragons. There i s a l so a wi ld rumor that hewould be a doub le agent for the Church of Idr i s .

21 She appears as a character in theDragonlord t r i logy.

http://pandius.com/arcadia4.html



http://pandius.com/nrwldreg.html

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Tugar aka Lhorandyn, 22 HD

Huge Gold Dragon

Tugar22 is another powerful and influentialgold dragon who maintains good relationswith the humans, the centaurs and the otherpeople who live near to the Wyrmsteethwestern border. He is also informally calledthe Fifth Dragonlord, and he is consideringasking the King for this to become an officialposition. Tugar has developed an affectionfor Ellimyris (see below) and is preparinghimself to challenge Raruk and eventuallyFerrimyx23 to free her.

Seldaek, 16 HD Large Gold

Dragon, Priest of the Great

One and High Priest of

Diamond

As a cleric of The Great One and now alsothe High Priest of the Immortal Diamond,Seldaek24 is respected by everyone in thekingdom and is even able to influenceVerslen, even if the King is notoriously one ofthe faithful of Pearl. He maintains cordialrelations with pretty much everyone anddoes much of the everyday work of Saerna.

Saerna, 30 HD Ancient Huge

Grey Dragon, High Priest of

the Great One

Saerna25 belonged to the original race of theGreat Dragon from before the Great Rain ofFire, and no one knows how old she is. Herskin is gray with blue hues and wild rumorscirculate about her, such that she is thedaughter of the Great One or she was themate of Emperor Mengul. She intervenesvery rarely on matters regarding theKingdom but when she does, Kings orQueens do as she says. She sleeps for longtimes and Seldaek attends to most of thechurch’s everyday work for her.

Rzhavchina or Ferrimyx26, 19

HD Large Red Dragon

The ambitious red female had 12 offspringwith two different fathers (Aarl’lek andEmberash), 8 of them still living. She hasbeen building a power base for centuries,and controls directly her offspring (fromAarl’lek) Virraxn, Nithramor, and Lithiar andthe dragons Aillucent, Gwa-Dthorim,Hekhekh, Sutkehr, and Emberash. The fiveyoung offspring from Emberash still live withher. She hates Aarl’lek, who killed three ofher (and his own) children. She also hatesVerslen, the current Dragonking, who killedher son Hedfang in self defence when the

22 Created by Giampaolo Agosta, I ’ve un i f iedh im wi th Lhorandyn, nominated as a go ld leaderin the Dragonlord t r i logy.23 As Ferr imyx very probab ly wi l l be enraged i fTugar wi l l submit her mate24 He appears as a c ler ic of the Great One inthe Dragonlord t r i logy, but in “Dragons ofMystara, vers ion 2.0” Freder ic Ferro supposedhe cou ld have become a c ler ic of Diamond tooaf ter the ascens ion of The lvaenei r toimmorta l i ty .

25 She appears in the Dragonlord t r i logy26 Main source of th is descr ipt ion i s “Notes toDragon Society in Wyrmsteeth”. Many of thefo l lowing descr ipt ions are condensed vers ion ofthe or ig ina l ones by Giu l io Caro le t t i and JohnCalv in . The a l ternate name Rzhavchina comesfrom Giampaolo Agosta ’s Skaufskogr map, seenote 2





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young fool attacked him. She pretends tosupport the king, waiting for the right time.

Virraxn, 9 HD Small Red

Dragon

The smallest of Ferrimyx's offspring from hermating with Aarl'lek, Virraxn27 is content tostay in her mother's shadow. Ferrimyxtolerates the young female, for she iscompletely beholden to her mother. She canmost often be found in the presence ofFerrimyx.

Aillucent28, 12 HD Large White

Dragon

The ancient white was sheltered by Ferrimyxafter his defeat by another white dragon, andnow he uses his magical knowledge tobenefit her. Aillucent however hatesFerrimyx, who taunts him every time shevisits his laboratory lair. He is working on away to distil lycanthropy though he doesn’tplan to deliver it to Ferrimyx as promised,but rather to infect himself withlycanthropy29 to strengthen his failing body.He has several lycanthropic servants.

Gwa-Dthorim30, 13 HD Large

Green Dragon

A slender green who lives in the forestsbelow Ferrimyx's lair, subjugated by her in990 AC. He controls a flock of seven younggreens (2 small dragons, and 5 young [treatas 1/2 hit die of Small in the RC]) all hatchedfrom the same brood.

Hekhekh and Sutkehr31, 8 HD

Small Black Dragons

This brother and sister dominate severaldifferent lizard men tribes in the area, butthey too are vassals of Ferrimyx.

Raruk aka Emberash, 16 HD

Large Red Dragon

Emberash32 mated with Ferrimyx 4 decadesago and was subjugated by her. He cannotopenly defy Ferrimyx, but he secretly plansfor her downfall. He controls Laythanix,Ellimyris, and a flock of six white dragonsthat live near the peaks of his mountainterritory. The whites are not from the samebrood, but have banded together in order tobetter survive in these lands. Raruk hasrecently discovered that the caves under hislair go all the way to the Hollow World, andhe is now planning the best way to exploit this.

27 Created in “Notes to Dragon Socie ty inWyrmsteeth”28 As prev ious note.29 Under BECMI ru les , lycanthropy was dead lyto demihumans and cou ld on ly a f fect humans,but Ai l lucent d iscovered a way to d is t i l ana l tered s t ra in which i s ab le to a f fect dragons aswel l , and probab ly other creatures too.

30 As note 28.31 As prev ious note.32 Created in “Notes to Dragon Society inWyrmsteeth” , I ’ve un i f ied h im wi th GiampaoloAgosta ’s Raruk.





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Laythanix33, 15 HD Large Red

Dragon

This large red has just emerged from asuccessful Ceremony of Sublimation andwith his newfound size and strength, isconsidering re-challenging his feudal lordEmberash. After his master is taken care of,Laythanix intends to widen his power base.He is uncertain however about Ferrimyx’sreaction to such a move.

Ellimyris, 10 HD Small Gold

Dragon

Ellimyris34, originally from the west, has livedin the Wyrmsteeth for many years, focusingher attentions on the local humans anddwarves. Emberash subdued her severalyears ago. She detests obeying the red, buthas to admit that her fealty to him nowaffords her the ability to act in a much moreopen manner in this harsh land.

33 Created in “Notes to Dragon Socie ty inWyrmsteeth” 34 As prev ious note.

AD&D and newer editions

Dragons

As the Mystara campaign setting wasofficially converted to AD&D in 1994,dragon breeds of that edition and followingones have appeared both in canon andfanon Mystara, even if the official MystaraAD&D Monstrous Compendium Appendixdid not use them. The young copperdragon Vasylion the Younger appears inPoor Wizard Almanac III, pages 232-233,and some bronze dragons have appeared infan works. If a DM wishes to use the typicalAD&D breeds, metallic dragons such asBrass, Bronze, Copper, Electrum, Mercuryand Silver could be appropriate assubspecies of the canonically Gold dragonsquite common in Davania, where JamesMishler placed the Golden Empire beforethe Great Rain of Fire. Gemstone dragonscould be used in Skothar, see previoussidebar for details. AD&D Council of Wyrmscould also be a good source for theWyrmsteeth, even if the geographicalsetting is completely different (an island

chain), with interesting rules for halfdragons and dragon “kindred”. TheForgotten Realms 1990 Draconomiconintroduces Yellow and Steel dragons andChromatic crossbreeds, has someadventures and details several aspects of thelife of dragons. The 3ed 2003Draconomicon is another good sourceswith new dragon breeds, magic andprestige classes. Also the d20 2002 Slayer’sguide to Dragons by Gary Gygax(Mongoose publishing) has more details,breeds, lairs, spells, rules and adventures.The 3ed Monsters of Faerun describesBrown, Deep, Fang, Shadow, Song dragonsand dragonkin. The 4ed 2008Draconomicon: Metallic Dragons describesAdamantine, Cobalt, Iron, Mithral, Oriumand Steel dragons, and containsencounters, adventures, and more materialon dragon society and drakes. The 4ed2009 Draconomicon: Chromatic Dragonsdetails also Brown, Gray and Purpledragons and contains also encounters,adventures and information on dragonsociety.



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Nithramor, 15 HD Large Red

Dragon

Nithramor35 is the only remaining male ofFerrimyx's first brood with Aarl'lek.Nithramor banded with his brother Ligander,after leaving his mother’s lair, and the twobrothers did fairly well for themselves, untiltheir own father Aarl'lek slew Ligander, anddrove away Nithramor. In exile, Nithramorestablished a small domain in the deserts ofYlaruam, subjugating a small bronze36 and alarge blue. After completing his firstCeremony of Sublimation, Nithramor hasreturned to the Wyrmsteeth to reclaim hisbirthright. Ferrimyx has lent him support inhis efforts to re-establish himself, andNithramor is not ungrateful. He may bepersuaded to offer support to his mother ina time of need, but will not risk what he has.He has also formed tentative alliances withseveral dragons who lair near his father, inthe hopes of avenging his lost brother.

Lithiar, 14 HD Large Red

Dragon

Another offspring of Ferrimyx and Aarl'lek,Lithiar37 was the first to leave her mother'slair. She roams about the entire WyrmsteethRange but has a small lair in the north west.Lithiar despises her father, and covets hislands. She has helped in various schemes ofNithramor's, but has never proven to becompletely reliable. She holds Virraxn in

contempt, and doesn’t like the fact thatFerrimyx tolerates her, and for this reasonLithiar has not spoken to her mother in over150 years. She has never lifted a finger toharm either her mother or sister, but neitherwould she lift one to help them in any way.In fact she often dreams of their eventualdownfall.

OTHER NORWOLD

DRAGONS

The following dragons do not live inside theproper borders of the Wyrmsteeth Kingdom,but in other regions of Norwold. All of themare, at least nominally, subjects of theKingdom and must theoretically obey theDragonking. Each of these dragons howeverrules usually over a sizable number of localdragons and often also several humans andhumanoids communities.35 As prev ious note.

36 See “AD&D and newer ed i t ions Dragons”s idebar37 Descr ibed in “Notes to Dragon Socie ty inWyrmsteeth”. I ass igned her a la i r because adragon wi thout one seems a b i t s t range to me,but other DM could f ind a good reason for that !



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Quentin Jax aka Jaq’antixuen,

16 HD Large Gold Dragon

See Rogues, Barons and Pretenders bySimone Neri in this issue for more detailsabout him. He is loyal to the Dragonking anda friend of Marthaen.

Aarl'lek, 21 HD Large Red

Dragon

First mate ofFerrimyx, this hugered male38 is avicious dragon hatedby many. Ferrimyx,her clan and manyothers have askedthe Dragonking todeclare him aRenegade39 foryears, but Verslenhas always refused

so far because Aarl’lek is powerful, has manyvassals, and controls the strategic region ofthe Jagged Teeth. He also traditionally keepsan eye on Quesa on behalf of the King.Besides, if the king does declare him arenegade, he will probably not hesitate toally with the Onyx Ring.

S’hastarl, 18 HD Huge Black

Dragon

This ancient black dragon40 is the lord of theDragon Spur Hills for so many centuries thatmany doubt he is still alive. In truth he isalmost always asleep, but eventually he couldgather enough strength and power toperform a final ceremony to become animmortal. In the meantime his domain isruled by his daughter Jahinyar and his firstvassal, the green dragon Vinradrais41. Thetwo have not decided yet if they should fightor mate, in the meantime they compete forpower, but usually in a non-lethal way.

Dominagon, 19 HD Huge Blue

Dragon

The powerful son of Lhoran42, formerWyrmsteeth king that supposedly ascendedto immortality in 828 AC, Dominagon nowlives just outside the south eastern border ofthe kingdom. He is jealous of Verslen, whostole his birthright and even favored Xaneshover him among the Blues. He is consideringa reckless alliance with Vitriol of Denagothand the Onyx Ring43 to gain more power.

38 Created in “Notes to Dragon Socie ty inWyrmsteeth” too. I dec ide to p lace h im in theJagged teeth where S imone Ner i ment ioned ared dragon in h is “A Trave l ler ’s gu ide ofNorwold”, pub l i shed in i ssue #739 A dragon who doesn’ t recognize theauthor i ty of the Dragonking and the Par l iamentof Dragons, of f ic ia l l y or de facto, a conceptin t roduced in the Dragonlord t r i logy.

40 Created by Marco Dalmonte in h is entry forthe Barony of I ronwood in the fan a lmanacs andment ioned by S imone Ner i in “A Trave l ler ’sGuide to Norwold”, in Threshold magaz ine i ssue#7, page 80.41 Daughter and vassa l were created by me forth is ar t ic le .42 See note 3 about Lhoran, Dominagon isment ioned as the son of the Blue k ing inGiampaolo Agosta ’s “The Skaufskogr andbeyond” ar t ic le in i ssue #7 of Thresholdmagaz ine.43 That happens in my adventure “ In the Nameof the Dragon” pub l i shed in i ssue #7 ofThreshold



http://pandius.com/ironwood.html

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Quesa, 20 HD Huge White

Dragon

Probably one of the biggest white dragon ofthe world, Quesa44 doesn’t recognize theauthority of the King at all, but as she is nowconfined in her massif, Wyrmsteeth dragonsdo not consider her a big threat. Should shebe free again, the matter would be different,as Quesa reigned over the Norwold dragonscenturies ago and even the whites do notremember her harsh reign with fondness.

Grunevar and Geryashan, 13

HD Large Green Dragons

Brother and sister, these two dragons45 havequite different personalities. Grunevar livesin the Katfjellene hills southeast of Leeha,ruling over hill giants and orcs, and he hassometimes tried to attack the halfling shire.Geryashan instead lives in the Wyrmswoods,further east, where she has established analliance with elves and fairy folk. Neithertolerate trespassing in their territory, butrecognize the authority of the Wysmsteethking, even if Grunevar does that onlygrudgingly.

Zilant the green, 17 HD Huge

Green Dragon

Zilant46 is theundisputed lord ofthe Maghnar Valley,a heavily forestedarea west of theAzure Lake. As hehates Denagoth, andlocal humans andhumanoids sharethis sentiment, he isa close ally of the Dragonking, but keepsasking for a direct intervention against Vitrioland the church of Idris.

Svartbak the black, 14 HD

Huge Black Dragon

Lord of Menascha, the great northernswamp, Svartbak47 is always playing a gamewith Verslen and Vitriol, professing fidelity toboth and promising each to spy “on theother one”. Should he be forced to decide,he will probably side with Vitriol, as he iscloser.

44 See “A Trave l ler ’s gu ide to Norwold” bySimone Ner i in i ssue #7 of Threshold magaz inefor more deta i l s on Quesa.45 Two unnamed greens are descr ibed as aboveby Simone Ner i in “A Trave l ler ’s gu ide toNorwold” in i ssue #7 of Threshold magaz ine, Icreated the i r names.

46 Created by Giampaolo Agosta andment ioned a l so by S imone Ner i in i ssue #7 ofThreshold magaz ine, page 156.47 Created by Giampaolo Agosta in the map ofpage 170 of Threshold magaz ine i ssue #7.

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Pavystet, 11 HD Large White

Dragon

Ruler of the Vuoret Muistamisesta48, Pavystetcontrols several snow pardasta tribes andother humanoids of the mountains. He hasgood relations with the Crones of Crystykkand he is rumored to be a son of Icyclyn oreven of Quesa, or both. He recognizes theWyrmsteeth king, but he hates Aarl’lek andinsists he should be declared a renegade.

Icyclyn, 21 HD Huge White

Dragon

Believed to be older and bigger than Quesa,and supposedly once her mate, this whitedragon49 is a true legend of the north. Herules over a vast area, some say that indeedall the dragons north of the Great bay bow tohim rather than to the Wyrsmteeth king.Despite this, he officially recognizes the king,some say, provided that he is never botheredby him.

Shardarath, 14 HD Huge

Crystal Dragon

One of the few gemstone dragons known tohold a sizable domain in Brun, Shardarath50

rules Crystylyne Island in the far north. Hehas visited the Wyrmsteeth at least once andit’s believed he recognizes the authority ofthe king.

Jaakultien, 15 HD Huge White

Dragon

Her name means something like golden icein Kaarjalan, and she51 rules all the easternEverwinter lands and Itämaa. A mysteriousdragon, supposedly another child of Icyclyn,she officially recognizes the Wyrmsteeth king.

Ginzalias and Zydrazalias, 12

HD Large Green Dragons

“Amber green” and “Azure green”, as theylike to be called, are two green dragons,female and male, who rule the DraudgīsWoods52 south of Littonia and part of theplains to the west. They dominate severaltribes of goblins and have a great influence inthe area.

More on the Wyrmsteeth and the otherdragons of the world in the next issue ofThreshold magazine!

48 Ment ioned but not named by S imone Ner i inin “A Trave l ler ’s gu ide to Norwold” in i ssue #7of Threshold magaz ine, page 111.49 His va l ley appears in S imone Ner i ’ s “ATrave l ler ’s gu ide to Norwold” in i ssue #7 ofThreshold magaz ine and a l so in Robin D“Compos i te map of Norwold” in i ssue #6. I ’mnot aware of other canon or fan in format ionsabout h im, so I dev ised most of the descr ipt ion.50 Descr ibed by Mat thew F leet in “Adventuresin the Frozen North” pub l i shed in i ssue #2 ofThreshold magaz ine, page 129, and ment ioned

a lso by S imone Ner i in i ssue #7 of Thresholdmagaz ine, page 111.51 Created by me as i t seems the area wasdevoid of named dragons.52 Two unnamed green dragons appear in GazF6 The Kingdom of L i t ton ia by Geof f Ganderand JTR.

http://pandius.com/littonia.html

http://pandius.com/littonia.html

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The High Priestess herself destroyedKosmoteiros, the most sacred city of the Ladyof the Night, because Orcus the Evil,Champion of the Black One, had lay siege toit and the walls were about to collapse. Themost sacred Starlake had not to fall in thesacrilegious hands of the unworthy, becausethey would have brought eternal despair tothe many worlds. Therefore the HighPriestess called forth the Blackest Cloud, andeverything was cleansed.But the Shadows stayed.

From “The Legend of Darkness”, sacred textof the Church of Nyx, compiled at unknowndate.

Along the shore the cloud waves break,The twin suns sink behind the lake,The shadows lengthenIn Kundrak.Strange is the night where black stars rise,And strange moons circle through the skies,But stranger still isLost Kundrak.Songs that the Hyades shall sing,Where flap the tatters of the King,Must die unheard inDim Kundrak.Song of my soul, my voice is dead,Die thou, unsung, as tears unshedShall dry and die inLost Kundrak1.

Dark Fairies song, as transcribed by aTraladaran adventurer, later beheaded forappalling crimes.

1 This poem is taken a lmost unchanged f rom“The King in Yel low”

by Francesco Defferrari (Sturm)and Robert Nuttman (RobJN)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_King_in_Yellow

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I entered Kundrak with fifty brave brothersand sisters, the best the Lady had blessedwith value and bravery in my age. Only Isurvived, and now I reign over Ieronyx, thenew city I founded on the memory of thesacred Kosmoteiros. The Dark Nymphs Ibanished, but I do not delude myself inthinking they are forever defeated. They juststepped somewhere else to escape us. Andmy brothers and sisters? I still hear their callin the night. Sometimes I wake with a terrorI’ve never known before, fearing they areentrapped somewhere else, in a terribleplace from which I don’t know how to freethem.From the chronicles of Lord Keiros, about1580 BC.

And the Sun King fell in love with theSummer Queen2, Highest lady of the Forestpeople, and gave her the name Elienor,which meant “My True Light”. And theQueen bore him a radiant and beautiful childand the King loved her so much he gave herthe name Ashira, which meant “Queen of theHeavens”. And the worlds were blessed bytheir love, and scars repaired, enmityforgotten. But one day Ashira looked at thepeople of the worlds and took pity on them.She asked her father to spare them but theSun King, as much as he loved his daughter,could not grant her request. Ashira thensearched for an answer and discovered thesecret of her father. She created The Dreamof Fire and for that she was imprisoned in asecret place in the darkness of the earth.Lost writing of the Church of Ashira3,heretical sect, Azcan empire, approximately3300 BC.

SECRETS OF KOSKATEP,

LEVEL 6

This level can be reached going down fromarea 7 of Level 5 (Ieronyx, published in Issue7 of Threshold magazine). The PCs will findthemselves in Level 6, Kundrak, a cityfounded and still inhabited by dark fairies ofthe Unseelie court.

The text below repeats the originaldescription of this level in issue 1 ofThreshold Magazine (Mirror of Eternal Nightarticle). Read on to discover more on thislevel of Koskatep!

Level SIX, FAIRY AND DARK

After the destruction of Taymora, and beforeLord Keiros came here, the ruins wereinhabited for a short time by some darkfairies aligned with no one. Keiros was ableto banish them at the time, but the ancientevil that occupies the ruins awakened themagain. They are basically powerful ghosts ofseveral fairy folk, malevolent andmischievous, that will try to hurt anyonepassing by in the most creative and funny (tothem) possible way.

The secrets: There is a shortcut to avoid thislevel entirely both in the seventh and in thefifth levels, but it’s hidden by secret doorsvery difficult to spot.

The Darkers were not really able to defeatthe fairies but appeased them, granting themagain a corporeal form and the rule of thislevel. Now the place seems like a twisted,dark forest where dozens of dark fairies live,from sidhe to satyrs to pookas. The darkfairies are really just biding their time to

2 This s tory comes d i rect ly f rom Thorn’sChronic le by Robert Nut tman.3 See “Mirror of Eterna l Night” in i ssue #1 ofThreshold magaz ine to know more about Ashi ra .

http://thornschronicle.blogspot.it/2014/06/design-diary-time-before-years.html

http://thornschronicle.blogspot.it/2014/06/design-diary-time-before-years.html

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avenge themselves on Lord Keiros, whobanished them so long ago. They are willingto ally with anyone who will promise themrevenge.

Relevant history (expanded

from issue 1 of Threshold)4

1777 BC: To prevent Kosmoteiros fromfalling into the hands of Thanatos, the priestsof Nyx destroy the city with a terribleearthquake. Thousands die and the place isabandoned for many years as seismic activityincreases in the area.

1664 BC: After the destruction of Taymora,fairies of the Unseelie court, ancientinhabitants of Krystallac exiled long ago,build their city of Kudrak over the ruins ofKosmoteiros and try to use the Starlake, butdo not know of the hidden temple of Ixionbelow.

1597 BC: Lord Keiros, a Tal nosferatu andfollower of Nyx, conquers Koskatep from thedark fairies. Keiros rebuild the city as Ieronyx(sacred to Nyx). Vampiric followers ofThanatos attack several times but aredefeated. Former Kundrak is used as storage

and laboratories, but from time to timesomeone disappears in its strange halls.

1412 BC: After the time of the NosferatuKings ended with the Traldar crusadesagainst the undead, hutaakans took the cityfrom Lord Keiros, exterminating hisfollowers, and renaming the city Ranekek(Light over the Darkness). Hutaakans andTraldar settle the city, which over fourcenturies establishes peaceful relations withnearby giants and fairies. The hutaakansbuild over Ieronyx, using the original city ofLord Keiros as storage and treasury, and areunable to locate his hiding place. Kundrak issealed as the hutaakans perceive some eviloozing from it.

1021 BC: The red orcs sack and conquerRanekek, renaming it Rak. The orcs make theformer storage and treasury of the temple ofPflarr their main city. Below, the dark fairiesbegin to reappear in Kundrak, trying toexploit the red orcs’ superstitions for theirpurposes.

954 BC: Despite the successful campaign ofthe Traldars against the gnolls, the west isstill in their hands and orcs still rule the cityof Rak. In these years a large dwarvenexpedition sent by Loktal Ironshield of theGlittering Realm reaches the CruthMountains under the guide of generalWyrlum Lokar. After several battles, adwarven army defeats the red orcs andconquers Koskatep-Rak, renaming it Karrast.The dwarves are soon in constant warfarewith the gnolls that rule over the region.Level 5 is sealed by the dwarves who areunable to completely eradicate the undeadorcs that infest it, and so are the levels belowit.

4 Severa l deta i l s of th is h is tory come f rom myHis tory of Tra ladara. Other h is tor ies may d i f fer ,as the one presented in i ssue 1 of Thresholdmagaz ine d id (His tory of Karameikos by S imoneNer i , page 37) , but th is t imel ine cou ld eas i ly f i tin to them too.

http://pandius.com/tralhist.html

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912 BC: The dwarves are finally defeated bythe gnolls, who build their own city ofRanesh over the ruins. Shamans of Ranivorusand Thanatos begin to study the Starlake5,and establish pacts with the dark fairies ofKundrak.

841 BC: Followers of Nyx, aided by ogresand giants, attack Koskatep but are unable toconquer it from the gnolls. Yet they succeedin killing the most powerful shamans ofThanatos and burning their notes.

603 BC: The ogre king Kulfan conquersKoskatep in the name of Nyx and ogres ruleover the area for centuries. Human priests ofthe Lady of the Night live in the city alongwith them. Dark Fairies are again driven awayfrom Kundrak, but they linger in the darkand so the ogres and the followers of Nyxuse only some areas of level 6.

95 AC: The Darkers almost complete theritual to use the Starlake and bring forth theEternal Night, but are stopped at the lastmoment by an army of priests of Ixion, fromall over the Known World, who drive out theogres and occupy Koskatep for years.Soldiers of the Duchy of Achelos join theattack and establish good relations with thetemple of Ixion that is consecrated in theakropolis of Kotesh. The priests try to cleanseall the level up to the seventh, so the DarkFairies must abandon Kundrak completelyand are only able to occasionally torment thehumans with nightmares.

227 AC: The priests of Ixion have repelledseveral attempts by ogres, giants andfollowers of Nyx trying to reclaim the ruins,but are destroyed at last by a very powerfuland ancient vampire sent by Thanatos, TheLast One. Some of them escape to the lowestlevel and become defenders of the innertemple. In the following centuries ogres,giants, followers of Nyx, and evenadventurers sent by Ixion try to reclaimKoskatep, but The Last One destroys themall.The Last One discovers the existence of theDark Fairies in Level 6 and calls them back,forging an alliance with them.

445 - 788 AC: Adventurers from Achelos,ogres and giants or agents of Nyx andThanatos sometimes reach Level 6, only to beslain, their souls captured by the Dark Fairies.

818 AC: Lord Vudar’s expedition6 eventuallyreaches Level 6 but is decimated by the DarkFairies.

856 - 934 AC: Groups of adventurers,humanoids and later Traladaran rebels andThyatian explorers manage to reach Level 6,but are slain as the others before them.

944 AC: Thyatian priests of Ixion reach Level6, but are repelled by the Dark Fairies andminions of The Last One. Shortly after theyare all slain by orcs on Level 1.

955 AC - present days: Other adventurers,ogres and followers of Nyx manage to reachLevel 6 but are slain or repelled to the levelsabove.

5 As expla ined in i ssue 1 of Thresholdmagaz ine (Mirror of Eterna l Night , page 144) ,Koskatep i s the center of a mi l lenn ia o lds t rugg le between Nyx, Ix ion, Thanatos and Hel .

6 See Leve l 1 on i ssue #2 of Thresholdmagaz ine.

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The Random Critters table of level 2B (inissue 3 of Threshold magazine) and theWandering Parties table may apply here ifthe DM wishes so. In this case there is a 1%chance in each room that a Wandering Partywill be encountered.The Followers of The Last One encountertable of level 1 (in issue 2 of Thresholdmagazine, page 122), can also still be usedhere if the DM wishes so. One such followercould try to join the PCs to explore this level.Any Follower of the Last One will likely beallied with the Dark Fairies of this level, andwill lead the PCs into a trap or will try tocapture and bring them in the presence ofThe Last One himself (in Level 7). After theDarkers take control (see issue 1) anyFollower of The Last One will obviously keepa much lower profile and maybe even aid theparty against the Darkers to use them or leadthem to their deaths.

The layout of this level is strange andcompletely different from anything thathumanoid creatures would build. There arerooms without doors, strange shaped halls,massive walls that apparently serve nopurpose, refined constructions alongsideunfinished ones and so on. The city of theDark Fairies reflects indeed their chaotic andunpredictable nature, and nothing built in itseems to make any sense.A strange mist lingers everywhere in the hallsand the place is always gloomy and creepy.More often anyway people walking inKundrak do not see, hear, smell or feelwhat’s really around, but rather the multipleand unpleasant illusions that the Dark Fairiesleft there. Each room or area has thereforedifferent possible appearances that theexplorer could perceive, depending ondifferent factors as described in each room.

This level can be entered from area 7 of Level5 through stairs in area 8 of this level. In area14 another staircase goes down to Level 7,where The Last One dwells.

Spells that provide magical transportation,such as teleport, passwall, dimensional door,magic door, travel, gate and spells such asclairvoyance and find the path do not workon this level, the above and Level 7 belowdue to powerful wards placed by The LastOne and others before him. The DM coulddecide to apply the same rule to the levelsabove, at least from Level 2 and below,particularly if the PCs are of high level.Beside that, in this particular level castingsuch spells could also be extremelydangerous, opening portals to the Nightmaredimension and/or the Unseelie Court.Depicted in grey on the map is solid stonewhich is very difficult to dig. In white are theopen areas. The azure stream is the arrivalpoint of the nixies’ ways that run insideKoskatep from Level 1 to this one, touchingLevel 3 too, as described in the past issues ofThreshold magazine. “Open areas” should beconsidered a relative term as much of theterrain is rugged and full of debris. The areacould be partially illuminated by eerie fairylights or completely dark as described ineach area, if PCs do not bring light. If they dobring light, of course, it makes the partyquite visible.

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The Dark Fairies

The exact number and power of the faeries inthis level will not be specified and will be leftto each DM’s choice, to be adjusteddepending on PCs level, but several “special”faerie and other characters will be described.

Most of the faeries, shrouded in mist anddarkness as they usually are, could pass forincorporeal undead most of the time, andsome of them are. But the majority are not,they are just partially detached from thisworld.

After the arrival of the Darkers in force, theDark Fairies will have to submit to them andrelease all the souls they have imprisonedduring the centuries. The fairies however willonly feign loyalty to the Darkers, waiting forthe right time to destroy them and most ofall, the returned Lord Keiros who stole theircity long ago.

Several areas described below have illusoryappearances. Even if the PCs think they are inanother world, they are still in Koskatep andcan reach the exit of a room simply walkingthrough it, even if they cannot see it. Theabove rule does not apply if they step intoanother place via the Faery Rings (describedin the sidebar). In this latter case they aretruly somewhere else, and can return toKoskatep only via teleport (with theapplicable restriction the spell has in thelower levels, see above) or with the willingaid of the local fairies, if they can obtain it.

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1 - Plaza of the Wail

This irregular triangular area of about 100x100meters could appear as (each time PCs enter it):1-2 on 1d6: The lavish foyer of a theatre full ofelegant people of all the known fairy races andseveral more unknown ones. The fairies will simplyignore the PCs or, if directly addressed, they willpolitely reply that the performance is about tobegin, indicating a great, dark threshold. If the PCsstep through it, they will appear in the middle of abattle between sollux and fairies in a place thatlooks like an ancient, strange forest. PCs leaning toa chaotic alignment will experience a strong urge toaid the fairies (save at -1), those leaning to a lawfulor neutral one will feel the urge to aid the sollux.Defeated PCs will only be unconscious but notdead. If the sollux win, one of them will say to PCs:“Protect the temple from defiling, or all will belost!”. If the fairies win, one of them will say “FreeAshira, change the world!”. After that, PCs willawaken in an empty, triangular area. Far away anddim, they can hear a wail of despair.If they do not step into the theatre's thresholdabove, they can return to area 2 or 4 whence theycame, and the fairies will not bother them.3-4 on 1d6: At the centre of this area there is whatappears to be a small pyramid with severaldiminutive people (1 foot tall) around dressed instrange7 clothes. They will not be hostile and ifspoken to, they will explain they maintain a shrineto Ashira, compassionate daughter of the queen,whom the Sun Lord betrayed and buried. If the PCsblandish them with gifts, they could be persuadedto narrate the whole story.5-6 on 1d6: In a mist shrouded and dark area,Diram, a priest of Nyx from 500 BC, when theogres ruled on Koskatep, wanders about mumblingabout Ashira. Some creatures that looks like flyingimps occasionally torment him and occasionally a

7 anc ient Azcan c lothes , as they are Tepic toton, seeTepic toton ar t ic le in the Vaul ts of Pandius .

(1) - There is a treasure of red orcofferings in this room, gifts theygave to the Tepictoton in the sevendecades in which they inhabited thelevel above, including gold andjewels. The treasure is hidden ininvisible cabinets, and anyway thefairies will not tolerate a theft oftheir treasures.

http://www.pandius.com/tepict.html

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wail of despair can be heard. As many others in thislevel, he is an imprisoned soul. If he leaves thearea, his nature of ghost will become apparent tohim too and if he leaves the level he will disappearas smoke, to reappear in this area again later. TheDM could allow the party a way to free his soul,maybe somehow paying the local dark fairies ordestroying them

The Darkers could learn about Ashira and theultimate secret of Koskatep from this area, unlessthe dark fairies chose not to share this informationwith them. They will eventually demand the releaseof Diram’s soul, and the dark fairies will have to lethim go free. Diram will then go to Level 7 with theother Darkers, as an Uncorporeal8. The thirdoption of the area therefore will no longer occur.

2 - The Dark Grove

This area appears as one of the below scenes (eachtime PCs enter it):

1-2 on 1d6: An haphazard orchard, gone wild andovergrown in the centuries. Some of the trees stillbear fruit, though there is little to no light. The dimlight has a violet shade but its source is impossibleto find. Ghosts of strange creatures appearbetween the vegetation, but it seem impossible tosee them clearly. They do not attack. If the PCscamp here or spend here more than 3 hours, thereis a 5% chance every three hours that one of themwill disappear, teleported to the Ethereal plane.

3-4 on 1d6: The same setting as above, but a partyof three wounded dwarven warriors will appearamong the trees. They speak an archaic dwarvish

8 The Uncorporea l are spec ia l Nyx ghosts who canpossess the bodies of any l iv ing people or deadbodies (an unwi l l ing v ic t im wi l l obv ious ly be a l lowed asav ing throw) , as expla ined in i ssue #1 of Thresholdmagaz ine, in “Mirror of Eterna l Night” ar t ic le .

(2) - There are apples and pears inthe grove, which have randomeffects if eaten:I - Heals 2d6 hit points, but thoseare lost once PCs leave the level1.

II - Allow the PCs to see in the dark(as the Infravision spell), but whenthey leave the level they becomeblinded, or extremely sensitive tolight (-1 to hit), unless cured.

III - PCs see the place as it was in itsprime, lighted, colorful and full offairies of different races, as a sort ofghostly, ethereal image. If PCs try totalk to the “ghosts”, there is a 50%chance (one time only) that they’llbe teleported to the Ethereal planewhere the ghosts really are. If the

1 Therefore a PC’s h i t points cou ld gobe low 0 upon leav ing the leve l .

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and their clothes are strange too. They indeed comestraight from 954 BC, soldiers of Wyrlum Lokar inthe conquest of the orc city of Rak9. They think it’sstill Dengar Year 446 and they do not trust non-dwarves much, but could agree to parley if the PCsare not too aggressive. The truth is dark fairieskilled them and have imprisoned their souls, yetthey seem and feel very solid in this room. If theygo elsewhere, their nature of ghosts will becomeapparent to them too and if they leave the level theywill disappear as smoke, to reappear in this areaagain later. The Dm could allow the party a way tofree their souls, maybe paying the local dark fairiesor destroying them.

5-6 on 1d6: A very beautiful garden brightly lit by aninvisible sun. A host of wood imps inhabits thearea, with complex and beautiful houses inside thetrees. They will demand “gifts” or start ambushingPCs from the trees until they leave the area. Theywill be most difficult to fight as they can becomeinvisible to mortals as all fairies and also step intothe Ethereal plane at will.

After the Darkers came, the imps will be presenthere along with other types of fairies. The area willmostly appear as a beautiful garden lit by a bright,if invisible, sun. The portal to the Ethereal planewill be still here, however, as the fruits will have thesame effects. The Darkers will demand release ofthe three warriors, even if they do not want to jointhem, as they will consider the imprisoning of soulsby the Dark Fairies contrary to the faith of Nyx.

9 See Threshold magaz ine i ssue #6 for the dwarvenc i ty of Karras t , leve l 4 above.

PCs cannot leave the plane on theirown, the “ghosts” will demand apayment to help them, as blood, ora magical object.

The possession of the wood impsare well hidden, and invisible, insidethe trees.

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3 - Ice Palace

This area could appear as (each time entered):

1-2 on 1d6: A small ice cave without exits, whereJuvran, a half orc priest of Thanatos killed here bythe Followers of Nyx in 841 BC, is frozen solid onthe ground, covered by ice. If PCs go near him toexamine the body, he opens his eyes. Anyoneseeing this will have to make a saving throw with a-2 or be teleported into an internal room with noexit, where freezing temperature will kill thecharacter in a hour. A lot of skeletons litter theground of the internal room, and there is a door toanother room littered with diamonds. The body ofJuvran will close his eyes again and cannotapparently be damaged by any physical or magicalmean. The only way to free the trapped PC is toexit and re-enter the room until Juvran reappears,then place a mirror in front of his eyes. He willthen disappear and the trapped character willreappear.

3-4 on 1d6: An empty and cold room withoutdoors.

5-6 on 1d6: In the midst of falling snow, a group ofgrinning satyrs with black skin play a weird tuneon their pipes. Each PCs hearing them has to makea saving throw at -1 or be hit by the effect of aconfusion spell. If attacked, the satyrs will pass thewalls to the treasure rooms beyond.

If the Darkers encounter Juvran they will probablytry to destroy him somehow, a feat that probablycould be accomplished only by a wish or by aunique spell. If one of them has been trapped,however, they will demand his return immediately.

(3) - There are at least three secretrooms full of gems, treasures andfairy items in this area, but it isimpossible to enter them withoutfairy magic or the help of a fairy.Passwall or similar spells will notwork and it’s very unlikely a fairywill accept to guide PCs to thetreasure rooms, even if threatened.The other rooms are normally usedby the fairies as dancing hall,meeting and dinner rooms. They aretherefore full of fairy furniture andobjects invisible to mortals. PCs caneasily bump into them and makenoises if they are not careful.

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4 - Tundra Court

This area appears as (each time entered):

1-2 on 1d6: A tundra in a snowstorm, where thePCs will be surrounded by sidhe warriorsmounted on mammouths. Escape or fight could bethe most wise course of actions here, but cleverPCs could be able to parley with them if they haveinformation or magic to trade.

3-4 on 1d6: A tundra where a group ofadventurers from the kingdom of Achelos roam.They believe the current year is 613 AC. If theyfollow the PCs they can exit the area, but willbecome ghosts. If they leave the level, they willdissolve in smoke and reappear later in this area asthe others before.

5-6 on 1d6: An area of massive walls carved withscenes of northern and cold lands. Whisperingsand sounds similar to cold wind can be heard fromtime to time.

One of the adventurers was a follower of Nyx, andwill petition the Darkers to join them, a requestthey will grant, offering also the same to his formercompanions and the others lost soul of this level.The fairies will not be happy about this but willhave to yield, plotting their revenge for a later time.

(4) - As the area is normally a fairyabode, strange fairy furniture, artand items occupy the rooms, mostlyalong the walls, but are invisible tomortals. These include anything,from paintings to cabinets to beds,of precious fairy craftsmanship andoften with strange magical effectsembedded. Each item would becrazy precious in the mortal worldbut probably dangerous somehow.Also, the dark fairies will not toleratetheft of their items. In all theappearances, there is Faery Ring inthis area, which appears 50% of thetimes. It’s a circle of toadstools thatcan be easily entered and will bringPCs to Annwn, the otherworld realmof the Dark Fey2. They will emergein a freezing tundra with a white,magnificent castle upon a hill not faraway. That is the abode of the WhiteKing, a powerful sidhe lord. Hissidhe warrior will escort the PCs tothe castle, and anyway the FaeryRing will be no longer visible andthey will have to bargain with theKing to go back. He will pretend oneof the PC defeat him and his threeblack dogs in a duel. If the PC lose,he will remain here but the otherswill be permitted to return. If hewins, he will be permitted to returntoo, and the King will give the PCs a

2 Ment ioned in PC1 Tal l Ta les of theWee Folk , not necessar i l y as anexterna l p lane, but ra ther as a p lace inthe wor ld , i t seems. I t cou ld behowever an outer p lane, a demip lane,a par t of the Nightmare d imens ion, asthe DM prefers .

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5 - Forest Court


1-2 on 1d6: An area of massive walls carved withtrees in various shapes. Sounds similar to those of aforest can be heard from time to time.

3-4 on 1d6: Adram, a male priest of Ixion andIkra, a female priest of Nyx who killed each otherin 95 AC, appear 50% of the times fighting in aforest, 50% of the times chasing each other andgiggling as lovers. As the other, they will becomeghosts if they leave the area and dissolve if theyleave the level.

5-6 on 1d6: Beautiful sidhe of both sexes appearmerrily dancing inside a bright forest. They willinvite PCs to dance and drink with them. If the PCsaccept and drink something, they will becomeservants of the sidhe in Annwn.

white gem, but he will not explainwhat its purpose is.

5 - As above there are invisibleobjects and furniture along thewalls. Both the contenitor and thecontent of each piece are crazyprecious in the mortal world, butthe fairies will not tolerate theft. Inall the appearances there is a visibleFaery Ring here, appearing as acircle of toadstools. If entered, itbrings 33% of the times to a darkfairies dominion in Blackheart,Alphatia or in the Tunguska forest ofZuyevo3, as the DM prefers, 33% ofthe times it leads to a forest inAnnwn, 33% of the times to theEthereal plane. In all cases, PCs willencounter sidhe who will huntthem. If they are caught they willbecame servants, but if they escapethe hunt they will receive a greengem, whose purpose will not beexplained.

3 For more in format ion, see Empireof Zuyevo

http://pandius.com/zuyemp.html

http://pandius.com/zuyemp.html

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The Darkers will pretend that Ikra will be freed.They will offer freedom and a new life to Adram tooand he could accept as now he has indeeddeveloped a sort of love for his former enemy.

6 - Hills Court

This area appears as (each time entered):1-2 on 1d6: An area of hills, bogs and streamsinhabited by drakes and bog imps, who willtorment and attack the PCs until they escape or arecaptured. Their main purpose is to entrap andbring them to Annwn as slaves.

3-4 on 1d6: An empty area of massive walls, carvedwith images of hills, and littered with variousobjects from different epochs, once the belongingsof past adventurers. All weapons and armors will bedamaged, rusty and useless. The sound of someonecrying could be heard in the distance.

5-6 on 1d6: Myrna, a powerful wizard (W11) andone of the fifty brave companions of Lord Keiroswho conquered Kundrak from the Dark Fairies in1597 BC, appears here, wounded and tired,roaming the hills. If the PCs help her, she will stillbecome a ghost leaving the area and dissolveleaving the level.

Once the Darkers arrive Lord Keiros will recognizeMara and demand her release. He will inquire tooabout his other companions, but the fairies will tell,lying, that they do not have them. Lord Keiros willbegin an extensive magical research and eventuallyhe will be able to prove the Dark Fairies wrong. Ifthat happens before The Last One strikes back (seeThe Battle in this level below), Lord Keiros willstrike the Dark Fairies with all his magical might tofree the souls of his former companions.

(6) - Beside the usual fairy art anditems along the walls, there isanother Faery Ring here, visible inall appearances, made as a circle oftoadstools. Entering it, PCs will bebrought 50% of the times to a darkfairies dominion in Skothar or in theYazak steppes of Brun, as the DMprefers, or to a hilly land in Annwn.They will encounter a Black Dragonwith a court of drakes and imps,who will demand they fight him. Ifthey are defeated they will be keptas slave but if victorious they willreceive a black gem, whose purposewill not be explained.

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7 - Mountains Court


1-2 on 1d6: An empty area with massive wallscarved with mountains, littered by the broken,almost crumbled remains of people from ages pastand their equipments. There is also a room to thewest apparently empty. In truth, fairies live here,mostly invisible, sometimes appearing as terrifyingghosts.

3-4 on 1d6: A wooden mountain inhabited byhsiao and other bird-like fairies, who willinterrogate the PCs about the history of Koskatep.If the PCs answer incorrectly more than threetimes, they will attack, trying to capture them.

5-6 on 1d6: Roaming a dark mountain during thenight, terrified and cold, Adrian Merinio andSilvia Venius were two young acolytes in theservice of a powerful Thyatian priest of Ixion,among the group who reached this level in 944 AC.They will gladly accept any human help but, as theothers before, they are not aware of being dead andwill become ghosts once they leave the area.

The Darkers will demand freedom for the souls ofAdrian and Silvia, and offer them a new life. Thetwo acolytes however will not betray their faith andwill refuse.

8 - Prairie Court

This area contains the stairs that come down fromLevel 5, area 7. A numbers of undead orcs from thelevel above could have escaped here if defeatedabove, particularly Juvur of area 5, Hikros of area6, Tharb of area 7, Bruk of area 8, Dugoth andVorokh of area 10, king Hyvrok himself from area

(7) - There are invisible fairy itemsalong the walls and a visible FaeryRing here made by a circle oftoadstools. If entered, 33% of thetimes brings to Krystallac, in Level 9of Koskatep4, 33% of the times to theEndworld line of Brun and 33% ofthe times brings to a mountainforest in Annwn. PCs will encounteran ancient hsiao who will demand a“treasure of knowledge”, i.e. a secretor a precious information. If PCscannot provide that, they will beattacked by many bird-like fairies tobe enslaved. If they can, they willreceive a brown gem whose purposewill not be explained.

4 In the present or in the past , as theDM prefers . Krys ta l lac was a c i ty ofGrondheim, a Fey nat ion in 2300 BC,about which more in format ion can befound in the Mystara 2300BCCampaign Set t ing and the Grondheimtopic a t the Piazza.

http://pandius.com/Mystara2300BC_SettingOverview.pdf

http://pandius.com/Mystara2300BC_SettingOverview.pdf

http://www.thepiazza.org.uk/bb/viewtopic.php?f=63&t=8922

http://www.thepiazza.org.uk/bb/viewtopic.php?f=63&t=8922

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11 of Level 5, and the 1d10+2 undead orcsguards who watched the staircase above. Tharband king Hyvrok, if repelled here, will probably goalmost immediately to area 14, to descend in Level7 and warn The Last One about the invasion. Theothers will stay in the area. The Dark Fairies willtemporarily tolerate their presence, but if they staymore than a day, they will enslave their souls too.

The area appears as (each time entered):

1-2 on 1d6: A prairie gently moved by the windwhere sprites with moth wings roam. They havetiny bow and arrows which can have a confusion,fear or sleep effect at will. They will attack the PCsto enslave them.

3-4 on 1d6: An empty area littered with dust that,at a closer examination, will be clearly made ofancient bones. Unsettling, faint laughters could beheard from time to time. The room on the west has1d10+2 fairies guards of various races: they willappear initially as scaring ghosts, then as solidcreatures to attack the intruders.

5-6 on 1d6: Adru, first lieutenant of Lord Vudarappears here fighting invisible enemies and callingfor his lord and companions. Here was indeed thelast stand of Lord Vudar’s expedition in 818 AC andseveral of his companions can appear hererandomly too.

The Darkers will slay all remaining undead orcswho will not accept to join them, and will demandthe release of Adru and all his imprisonedcompanions. They will also put a magical alarmabove to prevent future invasion of Level 5 by theDark Fairies.

(8) - There are invisible faery itemsaround the rooms and a visibleFaery Ring that leads 40% of thetimes to any time in the past of theKoskatep, and 50% of the times to agreat prairie in Annwn. Here PCswill encounter a sidhe ladysurrounded by many sprites. Shewill demand a beautiful poem orwill enslave the PCs. If she likes thepoem, she will give a yellow gem,whose purpose she will not explain.

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9 - Water Court

This border of the great cave that now containsKundrak has a pool, arrival point of the nixies waysthat come all the way down from Level 1, area 7,touching also Level 3 in area 20. The NuckalaveeHaishin’t could also be here with his giant watertermites if he escaped from Level 3, or he couldhave gone already to Level 7 to report to The LastOne. The group of Minrothaddan adventurers ofLevel 4, area 10 made a pact with the nixies andarrived here directly from Level 1, but was betrayedand attacked10.


1-5 on 1d6: A quiet dark pool that runs near thewall of the cave and then disappears under therocks. Strange forms can be glimpsed swimmingbeneath the surface. If the PCs enter the water orstay near the surface for some time, they willeventually see several small beautiful women withlight blue green skin. The nixies may try to charmthe PCs, but will avoid combat and will flee in theways to the upper levels if threatened.

6 on 1d6: the area is filled with waters over thechest of a normal human (more than 1.5 meters)and inhabited not only by the nixies but also by anumber of water breathing slaves, humans,dwarves, ogres, orcs and others, that the nixieshave collected. This place is not really in Koskatepanymore but in Annwn, and the PCs will be allowedto leave only if one of them will submit to a geasthat will force him or her to serve the nixies herefor a year. If a PC agree, the nixie will also give himan azure gem, but will refuse to explain itspurpose.

10 See past i ssues of Threshold magaz ine #2 for then ix ies , #5 for Haish in ’ t and #6 and #7 for theminrothaddan adventurers .

(9) - There is a noteworthy treasurehidden in the ways, loot the nixietook from charmed slaves during thecenturies, mostly gems and preciousmetals, as everything else eventuallydecayed under the waters or wasdiscarded by the nixies.

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The Darkers will eventually try to make a pact withthe nixie to have a reliable and alternative systemof communication from Level 1 to 3 to 6. But ifthey will try to betray them, they could decide todestroy their little community.

10 - Jungle Court


1-2 on 1d6: An area with massive walls carved withscenes of predators and jungles. Distant screamsand roars can be occasionally heard. Stains ofblood litter the ground. The room on the west isapparently empty and without exits (includingsecret doors), that in truth contains the invisiblehome of the hag and her court described below.

3-4 on 1d6: A deep dark jungle where a large groupof goblin-like creatures will surround them tobring them in the presence of a Hag (20 HD). Thehag will ask them for “interesting magic”. If notsatisfied, she will keep them as slaves, otherwiseshe will let them go with a dark green gem. She willalso tell that they will have to ask the purpose ofthe gems (if the PCs have received others in

(10) - There is a lot of invisiblefurniture in the hag’s dwelling andin the laboratory, and also a visibleFaery Ring, a circle of toadstools likethe others. 50% of the times it leadsto a keep on the Ethereal planewhere another part of the laboratoryis located, 50% it leads to the hag’spalace in Annwn. For Annwn, runthe encounter as if a 3-4 was rolledon the appearance table for thisarea.

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previous areas) in the Fiery Palace (area 14),advising them to reach it using the gem.

Indeed on the western wall of the western roomthere is a tiny spot in which to place the gem: thisaction open a passwall to area 2, and that’s the onlyway to reach areas 1-6 and 11-14.

5-6 on 1d6: A laboratory occupied by severalhutaakan priests and wizards, that the hag keepsfor magical research and magic item production.The hutaakan know to be dead but are somehowhappy of their life of research between here andthe ethereal plane, which they can access at will.They will be friendly with PCs but will refuse toleave with them, and ask for help if forced to.

The Darkers will not necessarily demand therelease of the hutaakans, as they seem indeedhappy where they are. They will be interested totrade magical knowledge with them and the hagand 1d4 Darkers could therefore be in this area atany time.

11 - Treasure Room

This area is completely closed as it contains themost precious magical treasures of the dark fairies,and no one over the centuries has been able toopen it. The only one who can access it is the Lordof Flame (see area 14). Should anyone else manageto enter (a feat that could be accomplishedprobably only by unique and powerful magic) fourmagical statues in the shape of red giants (HD10, asAmber Golem) will attack the intruders. If they aredefeated, a magical poisonous gas will be releasedtoo by a small black figurine (save at -2 or death).

(11) - Each one of the uniqueobjects who are present in the roomshould be enough to start anadventure or even a campaign byitself. For their own, probablymalevolent, purposes, the darkfairies could even decide to freelydonate one to the PCs.

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The room should contain wildly precious anddangerous artifact, stolen, obtained or created bythe dark fairies over many centuries. Not even TheLast One is aware of this room.

The Darkers will not be aware of this room, northey will discover it unless they completely conquerand dismantle this level, something that couldeventually occur if the judge the dark fairiesuntrustworthy (which they indeed are)

12 - Meadow


1-3 on 1d6: An open space where a big tent hasbeen raised and three smaller around. Inside thetent lives Jud, a powerful devil swine (Level 9Devil Swine and Cleric of Thanatos) guilty ofseveral crimes in Minrothad11. Apparently a 40ishyears old dark haired man only slightly fat, he is themain agent of a sort of cooperation projectbetween the church of Thanatos and the darkfairies, as he will coordinates werecreatures andevil pookas in stealing precious items and magicaround the Known World. Inside the tent there arealso Farah and Ellyn (Level 7 werecreatures), whoappears as two beautiful woman with blonde andred hair but are actually a weretiger and a werefox,and Yshityr, a female pooka (7 Level) whosefavourite shape is as a lizard woman.

The three tents outside are inhabited by 6werecreatures: 1 werebear (Shod, Level 5 fromDarokin), 1 werebat (Ashim, Lvl 4 from Ylaruam), 2wererats (Titus and Livia, Level 5 and 4 from

11 He i s the prey that the Minrothaddan adventurersencountered on Leve l 4, area 10 are chas ing, see i ssue#6 of Threshold magaz ine.

(12) - The pookas have hiddencaches of treasures all over theplace, but none of these can befound without the use of powerfulmagic.

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Thyatis), 1 wereboar (Ivan, Level 4 fromKarameikos) and 1 werewolf (Jan, Level 6 fromSoderfjord), all are followers of Thanatos andrepresent like minded groups in their countries.

The area is also more or less permanently inhabitedby 20 pookas, which often takes several animalshapes, but are usually invisible to mortals in thisappearance.

4-6 on 1d6: A meadow of tall grass and beautifulflowers, brightly lit by an invisible sun, with thesame tents and inhabitants as above, but in thisappearance the pooka too are always visible. Thereis also a relevant number of human servants ofboth sexes, mostly dark haired and not very tall,people who lived their mortal lives when the fairiesruled the above ground city between 1664 and1597 BC. They are absolutely loyal to the pookas.

The south wall of this area hide a massive roomthat cannot be entered in any way (see area 16)

Jud and his followers will hide in Annwn after thearrival of the Darkers, trying eventually to reach thehiding place of The Last One in Level 10 to aid himagainst them. The Darkers will not discover them.They will however notice the human souls and willdemand that the pookas let them free, but thehumans will refuse to go with them.

13 - Wall of Shapes

This whole southern wall of the cavern that nowcontains Kundrak initially appear as a normal stonewall, but pretty soon observers will notice that therock is moving. At first it may seem the movementis apparent, due to the shadows of nearby faery

(13) - An huge number of physicalobjects and humanoids remains areburied below the wall, the anchorsthat keep a number of souls fromthe last 2700 years imprisoned here.

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lights. Only after observing for some time is itpossible to realize that there are shapes strugglinginside the wall. They are indeed trapped soulsmoving inside the rock, their presence becomingmore and more obvious with the passing minutes,until the whole wall seems to move with humansand other humanoids creatures struggling inside.After three minutes every observer must roll asaving throw vs Spells at -1 or run away in utterfear. If the PCs resist and try to touch the wall, theywill also feel the movement, and will have to makeanother save or escape. PCs can end as trappedsouls on the wall only if they are killed on this leveland an object belonging to them is buried underthe wall.

The Dark Fey will try to hide the secret of the wallfrom the Darkers and they could succeed for atime, but if the Darkers discover it they willimmediately pretend that all the souls are freed.

14 - Fiery Palace


1-2 on 1d6: An empty hall with the walls carvedwith flames, where occasionally a distant laughteror whisper can be heard, and rustles and gentlytouches can be felt. After one minute here, PCs willhave to save at -2 or run away in fear.

3-4 on 1d6: A host of red orcs and gnolls wraiths(HD5) and spectres (HD7) or even morepowerful undead (as many as the DM wishes) whowill immediately attack.

5-6 on 1d6: A magnificent palace with walls thatlook like live flames, with a courts of sidhe, dryads,centaurs, satyrs, sprites, imps, gremlins, hsiao,

If the PCs burn such items, thecorresponding soul shall be free but,as soon as they start to do that, asidhe lord (Level 13) with a host ofgoblins, gremlins and imps willattack them.

(14) - The Shimmering portal leadto the Palace of Elienor, onceknown as The Summer Queen andnow the Lady of Winter, High Queenof the Dark Fairies in Annwn. Shewill appear as a female ice giant,surrounded but a huge court in ahuge palace. Back in 1664 BC shewas in a long slumber and herpeople didn’t know of the existenceof Level 13 yet, and they could notuse the Starlake in Level 7 eitherbefore Lord Keiros attacked anddefeated them. Only much later, justa thousand years ago, Elienordiscovered this vital informationfrom a sidhe lord of Krystallac (Level9). Thrilled to have finally

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treant, pookas, drakes, redcaps, leprechauns,actaeons, shargughs and stranger fairies attendingThe Flame Duke (30 Lvl sidhe lord), ruler of thisplace. If the PCs have been violent so far they willbe attacked by a huge number of fairies, but if theyhave been respectful the Duke will hear them.

He will explain that his court has an agreementwith The Last One, master of Koskatep from thelevel below, ancient Kosmoteiros. He will advisethat the PCs leave now, or risk his wrath. If they donot want to leave, he will tell them they cannotdefeat him, unless they find some help in anotherworld. He will point to a shimmering portal in theopposite wall and say they can cross it if they haveall the seven gems (see areas 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10above).

The stairs leading down to Kosmoteiros, Level 7and domain of The Last One are not visible in anyappearance. They indeed cannot be found, noteven with magic, unless the Flame Duke wishes soor the PCs have captured him and can force himsomehow.

discovered where her former lover,the Immortal Ixion, had hid theirdaughter Ashira, she tried toconquer Koskatep, but failed severaltimes as the place was occupied by apowerful force of Ixion’s priests. In227 AC she made a pact with anancient vampire, The Last One,aiding him with powerful magic toconquer the ruins. The last eightcenturies however have been quitefrustrating for her, as The Last Onehas told her too many times that hefailed to reach Level 13, protected asit is by powerful wards and,probably, immortal level magic. TheLast One maintains he now has aplan to use the power of theStarlake in Level 7, once is at itsfullest in 1031 AC, to open a path toLevel 13. Yet she does not trust him(and for good reason) and thereforeshe wants to make a pact with thePCs, giving to them magic powerfulenough to defeat The Last One ifthey agree to leave the levels from 9and below to her after hisdestruction. If they agree, she willturn the seven gems into amedallion of spell turning withseven charges, that will turn back tothe attacker any magic sent againstthe bearer of the medallion and anarea of 3 meters around him or her,doubling the strength of the spell(i.e. doubling the potential damageor causing two saving throw insteadof one and so on). If they refuse, shewill send them back to area 14 ofKoskatep anyway, and The FlameDuke will attack them with his host,

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The Darkers will indeed defeat The Last Oneavoiding this level completely, as explained in theprevious issue of Threshold, so they will not needthe help of Elienor, because they will use an artifactof Nyx instead. Her existence will be kept a secretby the dark fairies, as she will devise another planto gain control of the Starlake by 1031 AC, in orderto break into Level 13 and awake her daughter.

15 - The Rings


1-3 on 1d6: Two empty rooms with rings outlinedon the floor. Faint cries can be heard and after oneminute anyone musta save at -1 or run away in fear.

4-6 on 1d6: Two laboratories where Kali andMara, sidhe sorceresses (Lvl 10), live and work inservice of the Hag of area 10. They appear asbeautiful young sidhe and are the sisters of Enialee,the banshee now on Level 3, area 11. Their sisterfell in love with a human centuries ago, andbetrayed the dark fairies for him. For that she waskilled and cursed with undeath, then buried belowthese very rooms. He, a companion of Lord Keirosnamed Adros, was killed during the conquest ofKundrak in 1597 BC. After 1021 BC, when the DarkFairies began to return in Kundrak, Kali and Marafreed Enialee from her tomb to use her as a servant,but when the followers of Nyx returned after 603BC, Enialee began to plot with them against hersisters and the hag. Discovered, she was buriedagain for centuries until the hag decided to donateher to The Last One after 227 AC. He decided touse her as a guardian in Level 3. Kali and Mara willhardly relate this story however, unless the PCshave learned it from Enialee herself.

but the stairs to Level 7 will now bevisible, and the fairies will let thePCs escape below. While it couldnot be immediately obvious to thePCs, Elienor thinks that if they arekilled by The Last One, nothingchanges, and if they kill The LastOne, she will benefit from hisdemise.

(15) - Not even Enialee and the Hagknow that, but Kali and Mara havethe soul of Andros imprisoned in ajar in their laboratory. If the PCshave met Enialee and made a pactwith her, or talked to her, theycould caught a glimpse of Andros’soul and hear his voice calling thename of his former beloved. Kaliand Mara also have a lot of magicaltreasures, but they will not part withany of it unless PCs are so good tobefriend or seduce them.

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As noted in Level 3, the Darkers will speak toEnialee and will persuade her to join them. She’llbe sent to the Dark Fairies level again, but herloyalty will remain with the Darkers, and she’ll spyon the fairies for them. She will tell her sisters sheonly wants to return with her people. They will notbelieve her but will temporarily accept herpresence until the Darkers are defeated. Quiteprobably however Enialee will learn of Androsbefore that, will relate the information to LordKeiros, and the Darkers will bring hell upon theHag and the two sisters.

16 - Prison

This massive room of about 20x140 meters is aprison that can be entered only by teleport with ablack medallion with a rotating disk that is inpossession of The Flame Duke (area 14) even ifsometimes he leaves it to the Hag (area 10). In theprison are kept, usually temporarily, interestingcreatures (including adventurers) that the Duke orthe Hag want to study with calm, or fairies whohave somehow displeased him. PCs could probablyget hold of the medallion only if the Hag or theDuke are defeated or if they are able to steal it.Anyone who rotates the disk in the medallionclockwise once, and everyone else who toucheshim or her, will appear inside the prison. The samecould be done to exit. At the moment the prisoncontains Duwum, a satyr who was irrespectful tothe Duke, Ydra, a nixie who tried to warn theminrothaddan adventurers displeasing the Hag (seearea 9) and two groups of adventurers. One ismade of ogres and Darkers who were exploring theruins (Romi, human female C6 of Nyx, Guram,male ogre F7, Ayrka, female ogre Wicca 5, Flavius,male human T5) the other of Karameikanadventurers12 (Ronald, male human F5, Anya,

12 These adventurers cou ld be in the serv ice of LordKorr igan and therefore have very d i f ferent goa ls wi th

(16) - Only from inside this prison,it is possible, by rotating themedallion counterclockwise, toreach also the other prison south ofarea 12, area 16b. Kum is kept here,a creature (HD 30) resembling thelargest of ogres with skin likeobsidian. Created by the magic ofthe Duke and the Hag after decadesof research and experimentation,Kum is intelligent and invested withthe following magical powers:invisibility (at will), flying, giant’sstrength. He is free willed, but canbe controlled using a vial of hisblood, which the Duke keeps alwayson his person. The Duke sendsometimes fairies to keep himcompany, but Kum would wish verymuch to be free. The only prisonerwho knows of Kum is Duwum, whoonce was sent to bring food to him.Other, less successful, creations ofthe Duke and the Hag have beendonated to The Last One in level 7below.

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female human C4, Titus, male human W5, Saem,female halfling T6). The Duke has not decided yethow to use them. Ydra would like to leaveKoskatep, while Duwum will act very friendly butwill betray the PCs if convenient.

When the Darkers defeat The Last One, the Dukewill spontaneously free their companions, but notthe Karameikans. The Darkers, learning of themfrom the other former prisoners, will demand theirrelease too, even if they will imprison them againin the level below, as they will fear them to be spiesfor the Karameikos government (as they could be).

respect to the Darkers .

When the Darkers attack, they will avoid thislevel entirely, as explained in issue #7 ofThreshold, and once The Last One isdefeated, the Duke and the other fairies willfind quite convenient to accept acohabitation with them. The true purpose ofthe Dark Fairies, who will be almostimmediately aware that The Last One is notdead, will be to wait for the events in thehope that the Darkers and The Last One will

weaken each other enough to allow them toconquer the ruins. After the initial defeat ofThe Last One, the Dark Fairies will also beable to explore Level 9 for the first time incenturies, where they could be able tocontact some of the fairies of the Seelie Courtwho exiled them from the ancient city longago. A compromise with them may bedifficult, but possible to defeat a commonenemy.

THE BATTLE ON THIS LEVEL

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Night Below Addendum

FOREWORD

After publication of the first article on theNight Below adventure box set in ThresholdMagazine #6, a couple of additional ideascame to me for further expansion of theaboleth city, Great Shaboath in Book III. Thetower at location 18, Embassy of the Baatezu,invites the idea that the aboleth mayentertain other powerful factions or nationswithin their city. While more embassies fromcreatures of other planes or dimensions areobvious choices, for this article I decided topick two factions from Mystara lore thatnever received much attention in officialproducts, while discussing the potential of athird faction. The article wraps up with erratafor the first Night Below article in issue #6.

BARIMOOR’S EMBASSY

With the Alphatian archmage Barimoorresiding in his domain in the Underdark ofYlaruam to the south, having contact with theaboleth and maintaining an embassy is anobvious choice. However, the aboleth Towerof Domination is a direct threat to Barimoorand the aboleth have no particular reason toshare power with Barimoor or any otherhuman for that matter.

Furthermore any representatives of Barimoorwould be just as likely to be an adventuringparty representative of the Known World asanything else. Thus, while I will not fullydetail a Barimoor embassy in this article, ifyou would like to have one then an excellent

by David Keyser

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group of candidatesis already providedby the adventure,The Raveners inlocation 15.1 In thiscase Repdal is a Ylarimage and one ofBarimoor’s seniorapprentices workingfor the aboleth andr e p r e s e n t i n gBarimoor’s interestsin Great Shaboath.Barimoor wouldpresumably havesome magic

shielding his domain from the comingaboleth domination so that he would not becompelled to interfere when the abolethactivate their towers. On the other hand, ifyou want Barimoor as an additional factionopposing the aboleth then the Ravenerscould become a wildcard that will turn onthe aboleth at any moment.

THE GLAURANT

EMBASSY

Deep glaurants2 were introduced in Gaz 8The Five Shires, where it was noted thatthere are rumors of deep glaurant cities andcivilization far underground. This idea wasnever developed further in official materialsand only lightly expanded upon in fanmaterial. The idea for this embassy is that theglaurant civilization does indeed exist and isvery powerful albeit distant andunconcerned with affairs on the surface of

the Known World. The glaurant rulersmaintain cordial relations with the abolethand a small but steady stream of trade flowsbetween the two civilizations. The glaurantambassador that resides in this embassy is ahigh-ranking noble in his homeland and aheretofore never seen subspecies of glaurantknown as a dark glaurant. The dark glauranthas no compelling reason to join the defenseof the city unless his tower is attackeddirectly, in which case he will defend it to thebest of his ability along with his guardians.Should the PCs retreat the dark glaurant willthen cooperate with the aboleth in defenseof the city, willing to station its forces as agarrison where needed or serve as a mobilestrike force. Note that because of the darkglaurant’s mental connection with his deepglaurant minions, he will not divide hisforces but keep everyone close at hand. Fora map simply re-use the embassy of thebaatezu (location 18) minus the semi-circularsection (locations f and g) and place theembassy in the open area to the left of themain gate, away from the wall.

a-c) Entrance Complex

As with the baatezu embassy, the central area(location a) is an entrance hallway decoratedwith marble and wall hangings while the twoside chambers serve as guardrooms andbarracks. Unlike the baatezu embassy, theglaurants are not accepting visitors. Both thefront entrance and the door to location d)have sophisticated locks (-30% penalty topick locks). Two deep glaurants occupy eachguard chamber, and they will attempt tosound the alarm while closing to melee assoon as they detect intruders. Note that thereare no beds in the side chambers, but thereis an array of long metal bars in the shape of

¹ See Threshold Magazine #6, p106-107² See Mystara Monstrous CompendiumAppendix , p 25

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a U attached to the ceiling in each room.Deep glaurants normally rest upside downwith their feet grasping these bars in a similarway that bats do. It is possible for the PCs tocatch a pair of deep glaurants resting butONLY if there is no current alarm raisedinside the city, meaning that there has beenno public attack inside Shaboath in the past24 hours.

d) Audience Chamber

This room is where the dark glaurantentertains illithid and aboleth guests andnegotiates terms of trade. There is a poollarge enough to accommodate an aboleth inthe lower half of the room closer to theentrance where the PCs come through. Thewater is laced with a powerful narcotic that ispleasing to the aboleth, anyone drinking oreven touching the water with bare skin mustsave versus Poison at -2 or suffer a temporaryloss of d6 Wisdom for the next two hours.There is no staircase, where the staircasewould be is merely an open area with noceiling. The quarters of the dark glaurantabove must be accessed by flight, levitationor climbing.

e) Storage Chamber

This room contains goods which are beingshipped in between Shaboath and the distantglaurant civilization. Much of it is a variety offood delicacies destined for glaurantconsumption, many of which are sapientaquatic species. Also here is a collection ofgemstone, jewelry and magic items andcomponents which the dark glaurant has notyet sold. Consult the U entry in the DMGTreasure Table, but all listed treasures arepresent (ignore the percentage chance) andadd four more potions here, roll randomlyfor type.

Deep Glaurants:

AC 4; MV 9, Sw 9, Glide 12 (E);HD 7; hp 42; THACO 13; #AT 2;Dmg 1d8+1/1d6+1;SA Coordinated attacks(see below);SD Darkness; SZ L(8’ tall);ML champion(15); Int Average (10); AL CE;XP 2250;Additional Possessions: One bastardsword, one short sword.Coordinated attacks:Deep glaurants in their normal society andunder supervision of their betters fight aspair bonded teammates. This includesmaking flanking attacks and having onlyone of the pair activate their darknesseffect in any given round. This means eachpair of glaurants gains a +2 bonus to allhit rolls(THACO 11) in melee as long asboth are fighting and the dark glaurant isalive. All deep glaurants in the embassyprefer to fight with weapons, resorting toclaws only if disarmed. Deep glaurants inthis embassy also benefit from their mentalconnection with the dark glaurant byhaving a raised intelligence score. Shouldthe dark glaurant be slain the deepglaurants will have their intelligence fall toLow(5-7) and any that survive will likelybecome dominated slaves of the aboleth.

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h) Dark Glaurant’s Private

Chamber

This chamber is enchanted to dim any lightsource so that it becomes nothing more thancandlelight. Spells like continual light andcolor spray cannot cause any adverse effectto targets, while spells like prismatic sphereand prismatic wall retain their normal effectsexcept the ability to blind opponents. Thismagical effect can be dispelled treating theoriginal caster as a 20th level wizard.

The dark glaurant resides here with two deepglaurant pair-bonded bodyguards that havemost of the same statistics as the deepglaurant guards on the lower floor. Onebodyguard (AC0, hp 64, XP 3250) wears apair of the fabled Torcs of Dengar3 as wristbands, which grants him an additional +1 tohit and damage rolls, and improved AC andConstitution. The second deep glaurant(hp50, XP 3250) possesses a dagger ofblackflame4. This grants it +2 to hit anddamage with only that weapon(Dmg1d8+1/1d4+3). In addition the dagger has a4d6 flame one shot burst that the glaurantwill discharge into a target on a successfulhit. Any flame attack targeting this deepglaurant after it has used the dagger’s burstattack will be partially dissipated as thedagger absorbs half the damage while thedeep glaurant suffers the other half. In sucha case the dagger will then have a new oneshot burst (equal in strength to the firedamage absorbed) on the following round.

Once the dark glaurant becomes aware thatintruders have entered the audiencechamber he will summon an allied shadow³ See Dungeon Master Surv iva l K i t , magic

i tem card⁴ See GAZ8, The F ive Shires

Dark Glaurant:

AC 2; MV 9, Sw 9, Glide 12 (E); HD 9; hp68; THACO 11; #AT 1; Dmg 5d6; SA HurlBlackflame SD Darkness, Dimension Door;SZ L(8’ tall); ML champion(15); IntExceptional (16); AL CE; XP 5000;

A dark glaurant has learned how to absorbblackflame within its body and utilize it asa weapon with which it can strike a targetin melee or blast a target at range eachround1, similar to the mechanics of awarlock2 in 3.5 D&D. The dark glaurantmakes an attack roll each round on asingle target up to 60 feet away, ignoringarmor but not shields, bracers of defenseor the magic bonus granted to AC frommagic armor. On a successful hit the targettakes 5d6 hp of damage with no save. Asan alternative the dark glaurant mayunleash blackflame in a 5’ radius arounditself, rolling to hit against each target inrange and doing 2d6 hp of damage withno save. In addition to the darkness effectof deep glaurants, the dark glaurant mayuse this darkness effect to cast dimensiondoor, allowing it to reappear in anylocation that has at least some shadowsonce every three rounds. It may not attackon a round it uses its dimension doorpower.

¹ The idea of a g laurant hur l ing B lackf lamewas f i rst created by John Walter B i les im hisDeep Glaurant art ic le .² See the 3.5 D&D Complete Arcane book, p5-10

http://pandius.com/dglrnt4e.html

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fiend5 from another plane which will arrivein two rounds. Note that the statistics belowassume the shadow fiend enjoys the fullbenefits of the darkness of the darkglaurant’s personal chamber, see themonster entry for details on how brighterlights weaken a shadow fiend. The exactrelationship between glaurants and shadowfiends remains to be explored, but the raceshave a few things in common.

The dark glaurant’s chamber contains the barperch for sleeping, a collection of abolethtablets the dark glaurant is currentlytranslating, the tortured remains of amerman the dark glaurant only recentlyfinished with, and a chest containing thedark glaurant’s personal collection of 397Glantrian platinum crowns, 280 of which arestill enchanted and glow with a silvery light.6

The dark glaurant has become fascinatedwith these coins and studies them, seeking tounlock the magic potential contained withinthem.

THE ETHENGARIAN

SPIRIT EMBASSY

Although Ethengar does not share a borderwith Soderfjord, Ethengar’s Land of BlackSand is not so distant from Soderfjord. Manyevil spirits dwell there and while they arelargely unknown in the Northern Reaches, itis easy to surmise a few here and there wouldwander into other lands.

In this case a band of four evil spirits, in thecourse of their wanderings, came upon theaboleth city and managed to demonstratetheir utility in a similar manner as theRaveners. The aboleth granted this band apool-tower(select one randomly or addanother pool-tower(area 11)) for residence,and eventually paired them up with fournuckalavees. The evil spirits enjoy ridingabout the city with their nuckalavee thatwilling serves as a mount.

The PCs are likely to find one or twomembers of this band counter-attacking anystrike force within the city, or attacking thePCs in any refuge they establish elsewherenear the Sunless Sea. Be cautious in havingall four battle the PCs at once in combinationwith the nuckalavees, as such an encounteris very likely to be deadly. Evil spirits willprefer to fight dismounted and melee next totheir nuckalavee.

⁵ See P lanescape Monstrous CompendiumAppendix , p 86⁶ See Glantr i : K ingdom of Magic , Gr imoire, p 19

Shadow Fiend:

AC 1; MV 12; HD 7+3; hp 44; THACO 11;#AT 1; Dmg 1d6/1d6/1d8;SA Leap attack;SD Only takes half damage from all attacks;SZ M(6’ tall); ML champion(15);Int Very (11); AL CE; XP 2000;

A shadow fiend has a 90% chance ofachieving surprise in darkness conditions,and can use this surprise to leap up to 30’and strike with all four claw attacks(at 1d6dmg each). It can also, once per day,darkness 15’ radius or subject all targetswithin 30’ to a fear effect.

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Spirits can turn ethereal at will, at whichpoint they cannot be detected except byspells like detect spirits, detect phase, trueseeing and similar effects. They cannot attackor be attacked by physical or magical meansunless the assailant is also ethereal or has anattack that extends into the etherealplane(like a basilisk’s gaze).

Note that the names of the four spirits beloware named after the four horsemen of theapocalypse from our own real world history.If the DM likes this theme, then there are acouple of ways to integrate this idea withMystara history. The first is to introduce alegend of the Four Horsemen of Entropywhich is a common myth among the peoplesand nations of the Known World. The secondwould be that the Four Horsemen of theApocalypse are a legend that migrated toMystara from Laterre when inhabitants of OldAveroigne including the d’Ambreville clancame to Mystara.7 In either case, the PCsshould hear or read about the legend longbefore they ever reach the aboleth city.

And if the DM prefers to drop this theme, heor she can disregard the names of the spiritsand substitute in new names if it becomesnecessary.

Death takes on the appearance of a wraith. Ithas the abilities of a 9th level cleric. Spells:Cause Light Wounds(x2) Curse,Darkness(x2), Cause Moderate Wounds8(x4),Animate Dead(x2), Bestow Curse, Poison,Protection from Good 10’ radius, Slay Living.

Famine takes on the appearance of a lich. Ithas the abilities of a 9th level wizard. Spells:Magic Missile(x2), Ray of Fatigue9, Shield,Mirror Image, Spectral Hand, Web, Fireball,Hold Person, Vampiric Touch, Ice Storm,Monster Summoning II, Cone of Cold.

7 See X2 Cast le Amber or GAZ3 Pr inc ipa l i t iesof Glantr i⁸ The spel l Cure/Cause Moderate Woundscomes from the 2ⁿ� Edit ion Spel ls & Magicbook⁹ The spel l Ray of Fat igue comes from the 2ⁿ�Edit ion Spel ls & Magic book

Evil Spirits1:

AC 2; MV 18, Fly 24; HD 9; hp 56;THACO 11; #AT 2; Dmg 1d10 each;SA See below; SD Shapechange any form,Ethereal; SZ M(5-6’ tall); ML fanatic(18);Int Average (10); AL CE; XP 4000;

¹ See GAZ12 The Golden Khan of Ethengar ,p 41-42

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Pestilence takes on the appearance of abeautiful Ethengarian woman with witheredblackened hands, and any successful hitforces the target to make a saving throwversus spells or suffer the effects of causedisease, specifically the debilitating effect inthe PHB spell description. Further infectionsof disease have no additional effects. Unlikeher fellows, Famine can physically attackwhile ethereal, if successful she cannot causedamage but can still cause disease.

War takes on the appearance of a massiveEthengarian man. He is the nominal leaderand more physically powerful than the otherspirits.

The tower of the spirits and nuckalavees issparsely and macabrely decorated. There is amassive urn as tall as a man’s shoulder madeof delicate porcelain and painted with spiralsand geometric patterns that contains 3522gp. There is also a jewel-encrusted statue ofa Darokinian soldier wielding his rapier thatis worth about 4000 gp.

ERRATA AND

MODIFICATIONS FOR

NIGHT BELOW ARTICLE

IN ISSUE #6

Caverns of the Shadow

Dragon: p99-100

The Glantri Kingdom of Magic box set has aquick and dirty conversion of a night dragoninto 2E AD&D stats. There it is suggested totreat a night dragon as a red dragon but thatits breath weapon does equivalent damage asa red dragon but the effect is heat-drainingdarkness.10 If you wish to try this heat-draining darkness Fandruzsch would have acone of darkness that does cold/heat-drain of14d10+7 damage, but it is recommendedthat he not have the shadow dragon’s leveldraining breath weapon attack as well.

The Kopru Expeditionary

Force: p111

Change the text “1st level divination spell likerung’s Gess,” to “1st level divination spell likeHornung’s Guess,”

¹ ⁰ See Glantr i : K ingdom of Magic , Gr imoire, p48-49

War:

AC 0; MV 18, Fly 24; HD 12; hp 75;THACO 8; #AT 3; Dmg 1d12 each;SD Shapechange any form, Ethereal;SZ M(7’ tall); ML fanatic(18);Int Average (10); AL CE; XP 4000;

Nuckalavee1:

AC 4; MV 12, Sw 36; HD 11; hp 62;THACO 9; #AT 2; Dmg 3d8 each;SA Death aura, fear, breath weapon;SD Regeneration, immunities;Magic Resistance: 20%;SZ H(7’ tall at shoulder);ML champion(15); Int Average (10); AL CE;XP 11000.

¹ See Mystara Monstrous CompendiumAppendix , p 85

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Find Bargle

Bargle chanced a backwardglance as he fled for his lifeand finally realized he wasn’tbeing pursued. Hardlybelieving his luck he knewthere was little time, heneeded to move quickly. Thedeath of the cleric was sureto bring unwanted attentionto his activities, and thewarrior had seen him! Hehad to fulfill his oath firstwith the goblins to avoid thecurse of the blood scroll.That will be easy enough, hethought, he scribed theterms himself. He stillwanted the book though, thebook hidden in someforgotten chamber of thisforgotten complex. But whyhad the cleric been after him?Something to do with thatcursed sage in Threshold?

He had devoted almost 2years to finding this placeand the key to unlock thebook; he made sure that onlyhe knew the book was withinthis underground complex.He also knew the goblins,

with whom he had struck thedeal, were close to breachingthe inner chambers. Thecomplex itself had sufferedcollapses in a number oftunnels but the mapdisplayed the tunnel, it onlyhad to be cleared.

Bargle made his way to thecorridors being cleared. Hewas back in control of hisown mental facilities now.Some goblins were chippingaway at the debris still withinthe tunnel; others looked upas he entered. Bargle quicklyeyed the one he wassearching for.

“You are to go and collectthe rest of your tribe, it istime.” Bargle said.

The goblins all gaped at himas if trying to comprehendwhat he had just said. “It istime, master?” asked thegoblin almost in disbelief.His gaping maw, which waseventually a smile, didn’t

improve his already nastyvisage.

“Bring them back as soon asyou can,” explained Bargle ina calm and collective voice. “Iwill have the rest of youcontinue to dig while theyare en route.”

Bargle caught the eye of hishenchman, Stiles, who wassupervising the digging. Theconfused look on his facecaused Bargle to rethink theevents that had forced him tohasten his plans. Should heinform Stiles of theimpending danger to theirdiscovery -That one of“them” had escaped?

Turning back to the goblins,“You must fulfill yourpromise however beforeanyone arrives or else thecurse of the blood scroll willfall upon you all.” He madesure his gaze fell on each ofthem.

FIND BARGLEA Karameikos adventure for Basic level characters

by Trevor Holman

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The statement; combinedwith the fact that the wholetribe was coming to takeover the complex as agreedto and bound by the oathBargle had made with theirgoblin chief had the effect hewanted. The remaininggoblins quickly bent theirbacks to the work at handwith a new enthusiasm.Bargle knew that it wouldtake a small army to root outthe goblins once they wereestablished here.

At this point Stiles steppedforward. “My lord?”

Bargle pulled him away fromthe goblins to speak. “Findthe book,” he commandedsternly. “I must leave, andwhen you find the bookreturn to me at castleMistamere. Any othertreasure you find will beyours.”

Stiles’ eye opened wide atthat. “Yes my lord” he saidmost enthusiastically andbegan ordering the goblinsto hasten their work.

“Pathetic!” Bargle had littlehope the book would findhim through Stiles.

INTRODUCTION

Assuming Bargle escaped inthe introductory adventureof the Basic D&D rulebookthis adventure takes off fromthere. The solo adventurecan occur as well, thusdiscovering the presence ofthe goblins behind the secretdoor or the solo adventureof the Basic Rulebook can bemade part of this adventureand now the adventuringparty (hired by the townclerics to avenge Aleena’sdeath) has quickly come backto deal with Bargle, believinghe is still there.

The adventure itself isdesigned for 4-6 charactersof 1st-2nd level.

Background and

Synopsis

Bargle has been searchingfor a magical tome, the Bookof Knowledge and Wisdom,which he caught wind offrom an old sage inSpecularum. The book wasdescribed as a large tome,bound in leather and metalcasing with a skillfully craftedmagical lock requiring a key.A wizard of little repute wasin possession of the bookbut knew not what he had,unable to open it without thekey1.

At great risk, Bargle hadfound the key to unlock thebook, and also discoveringthe location where the bookis hidden; only to find thecomplex had suffered anumber of collapses. Hequickly made a pact with atribe of goblins to clear outthe debris. In exchange formagical assistance againstintruders, the goblins wouldclear out the debris andafterwards occupy thecomplex, build defenses, andotherwise protect it. Thatthis lair would be extremelydangerous for thesurrounding area was notBargle’s concern.

1 See the fu l l descr ipt ion inAppendix : The Book ofKnowledge and Wisdom

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Currently the goblins helpguard and dig clear thecorridors. Bargle haspromised to help thembecoming established intheir new home and willundoubtedly call upon themin the future if the need arises.

Once the last tunnelblockage is removed, accessto the remaining unscathedchambers is possible. Theplayer characters will actuallyreach the goblins as theyhave just breached theblocked tunnel, a fist sizedhole will show a passagewaybeyond. Assuming the PCsfight their way through thegoblins, Stiles and otherobstacles in the complexthey will find the book,however, they will have noway of opening it withoutthe key. They will find cluesleft behind by Bargle in hishaste to leave that will alludeto the nature of the book,however, and to the goblintribe that will soon come toclaim the complex as theirown.

Bargle has more than onehenchman. A thief inThreshold has beeninstructed to find out if thebook had been found and tosteal the book if necessary,creating more dislike for thewizard should he fail.

Ultimately this will lead theparty to continue theadventure against Bargle inthe DMG Basic Rule book (or“Kill Bargle!” from Dungeonissue 150).

Ideally, in this campaign,Bargle survives and becomesa thorn in the side of theparty and maybe particularlyin one of the party members(i.e. the warrior who initiallyexplored the dungeon andcompleted the soloadventure). Maybe a prudentDM would never even allowkilling off this main characterbut rather having himaround, causing as muchpain and mishap as possible?DMs should play Bargle withgenuine cunning and genius.In his early career, Bargle isseeking magic andknowledge, but he is neitherstupid nor suicidal.

THE DUNGEON

MAP

The map includes thepassageways and chambersof the introductoryadventure walk-through fromthe Basic Rule Book, this wasa simple map based on thereading. The solo map is alsoincluded to show how itlinks to the rest of the

complex, allowing thepresent adventure to beplayed as a whole if none ofthe party has run the soloadventure.

Overall, the complex hassuffered a number of cave-instowards the back whichBargle has the goblinsclearing out. These areas ofdigging are rough and almosttunnel like; even a dwarfwould have to bend slightlyto get through. The benefitto the characters is thatsound is somewhatdeadened. However a fleeinggoblin will retreat to thisarea to warn the others.Stiles is amongst the goblinsin this area. The secret doorsin the back part of thecomplex have all shiftedslightly and will be easy tospot, however they may bedifficult to open.

Areas from

the Red Box

Areas #1-6: on the map arefrom the introduction in theD&D Basic book. The onlyarea that might be of specificnote is area #4 where theghouls are. They may betreated as wanderingmonsters as well.

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Find Bargle

Areas #7-13: are describedin the solo adventure of theD&D Basic book.

There are three mainentrances into the rest of thecomplex, two at area #14and one up from area #4.The doors are heavily barredfrom the opposite side, aswell as locked. Characterscould hack through theseheavy doors however thenoise will attract attention.

Area #8a (treasure room):The secret door can beforced open quick enough topossibly surprise the goblinguard there, but he is alert.

New Areas

14: GUARD POST

A couple of torches light thisarea where a lone goblinstands guard watching thebarred door. (Note: there areno other torches in thecorridors beyond this point.)

The occupants of thecomplex are unaware of thissecret door and have becomealert to intruders justrecently. He can be surprisednormally or with a bonus ifthe party can come up with aplan to increase theirchances. Unless surprised,the goblin will run as fast ashe can to warn the others.

15. COOKERY

This room and passage havebeen avoided by the goblinsas a giant spider lives here.Clearly she has beensuccessful and has nabbed acouple of goblins for a meal.The invaders now feed thecreature small animals to“confine” her to her lair andwebs; they have trained thespider to expect her meal ata signal. Bargle figured hemight as well put her to useguarding the passage. To dothis any goblin running bywill tap the webs to alert thespider which will come andget her meal. This will givethe spider the 1-4 chance tosurprise the characters.

The corridor branches to theright and you can clearly seewebs semi blocking thepassage straight ahead. Theroom itself was once akitchen. Rotted tables anddented pots and pans litterthe floor. Webs are thickhere. There is a hugeoven/fire pit against the farwall as well as a cistern fullof murky water. The room isdamp with harmless moldgrowing in places. Bones ofsmall animals and two goblincorpses cover the floor nearthe fire pit/oven. The stenchis almost overwhelming.

Goblin (1)

Atmour Class: 6

Hit Dice: 1-1

Hit points: 4

Movement: 90’ (30’)Attack: Short sword

Damage: 1d6

Morale: 7

Carries: 12cp

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If the spider kills a character,it will drag that characterback into the room if in thecorridor, and try to pull thecorpse up the chimneywhere it hides its food.Another corridor leads fromthis room however it isblocked with rubble anddebris from a cave in. If aperson searches the corpses

16. GOBLIN BARRACKS

The room is filthy and youcan see a number of bundleson the floor. You can see thebundles slowly fall and riseand realize they are sleepinggoblins. In the far corner is arotted pile of broken woodthat was once cots for theoriginal inhabitants.Smashed chests also litter thecorner.

The sleeping bundles aregoblin workers that areresting. They take turns asguards, and digging thetunnels for Bargle. They havebeen working hard and theyare used to the door openingand closing so they willactually sleep right throughsomeone coming in thatremain fairly silent. They canbe easily dispatched if that isthe player character’sintentions. If captured, theyhave no information to giveaccept that they dig forBargle and his henchman.They will also tell of thepromise Bargle made tobring their tribe here.

17. CAPTAIN’S CHAMBER

The door has been left ajarand the room in general ismuch tidier than theprevious barracks despite thefact that it looks to have beenransacked recently or, as ifsomeone left in a hurry.There is a sleeping cot in onecorner and a small writingtable with a few papersstrewn about.

This was Bargle’s room,abandoned in a hurry. Thevarious papers on the deskcover supply manifests, otherdocuments of dailyadministration, and theblood scroll (which Bargledid not deem important totake as he had fulfilled hisend of the bargain). Thescroll describes the simpleagreement between Bargleand the goblins, allowing thegoblins to have the complexfor their digging the tunnels.The scroll radiates magic andwill actually curse the partybreaking the oath containedthereon. Should the partydecide to destroy the scroll;the curse of the scroll will hitthe party (curse of DM’schoice, save for half damage).

There is also a flat sheet ofparchment that has fallenbehind the table that theparty will find if they search

Giant Black Widow Spider (1)

Atmour Class: 6

Hit Dice: 3

Hit points: 14

Movement: 60’ (20’) or120’ (40’) inweb

Attack: -1 bite

Damage: 2-12 +poison

Morale: 8

Carries: 12cp

Goblins (6)

Atmour Class: 6

Hit Dice: 1-1

Hit points: 5, 4, 4,3, 3, 2

Movement: 90’ (30’)Attack: Short sword

Damage: 1d6

Morale: 7

Carries: 2d12cp,1d4ep

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carefully. The paper containsnotes which describe thebook Bargle was looking for,as well as a generalindication of where to find it(this complex).

18. TUNNELS

The tunnels themselves arejust big enough for goblinsto walk through slightly bent.Human-sized creatures willneed to crawl. It is not quitepossible to look straightdown through the tunnelsand to the other side. At thefirst tunnel a muffled diggingsound can be heard,however it seems distant.

At the end of the first tunnelis a portion of intact corridorwith a branching passagewayblocked by debris and newlydug rock and dirt depositedthere. The sound of diggingbecomes louder as theplayers crawl deeper into thepassageway; and voices ofgoblins and a human can beheard, though these too aremuffled by the ruggedpassageway of anothertunnel.

At some point a goblin willstumble into the area fromthe second tunnel carrying abasket of debris to dump ifthe party is still undetected.If the goblins and Stiles are

aware of the party they willset up a trap in the lasttunnel, ready to pounce onanyone coming out of thetunnel at area #19.

19. THE LAST DIG

Unless previously alerted, asmall group of goblins andStiles will be here as theyhave just broken through tothe intact corridor beyond.

Torches align the wall, apartially uncovered door sitsto the left, and severalgoblins, and a human, arebusy filling baskets with rockand other rubble. As youcome out the tunnel theyturn to you and the humanlooks at you most comicallyand says, “Who the bloodyhell are you?”

Stiles will not share anytreasure, thinking that iswhat the party is there for,and attacks with the goblinsif no good explanation oftheir presence comes fromthe party. Any mention oflooking for Bargle willprompt Stiles to attack. Stilesmight be a little slow in thehead but he usually arrives atthe right conclusion that ifBargle knew someone wascoming and did not botherto tell him, it bodes evil forhim. If the battle goes ill forStiles he will back down andparley if he can. He willmention the book but hedoes not know any morethan that. He will alsomention that fact that he waspromised whatever treasurewas found. Stiles does nothave to be loyal to Bargle, hewants to live. He might even

Goblin (1)

Atmour Class: 6

Hit Dice: 1-1

Hit points: 4

Movement: 90’ (30’)Attack:

Damage: 1d4

Morale: 7

Carries: 14cp

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be willing to join the party ifplayed right.

The digging party has brokenthrough and a hole the sizeof a fist can be seen in theend of the tunnel. It will nottake the characters long tofinish the job and continuethe search for the book.

20. ARMORY

Rusting blades, rotted spearshafts, warped bows withrotted strings, a couple ofrusted pieces of armor andother debris litter this room.A rotted quiver partiallyhanging from the wall hasspilled a number of arrows(12) to the ground. Thearrows, aside from dust, arein excellent condition. Threehideously malformed androtted corpses amble slowlytowards you as you searchthe room.

There is nothing of value inthis room except the arrows,

21. TRAINING ROOM

This room is nearly emptyexcept for two rotted fightingposts in the center of theroom. It was obviously atraining room at one time.

22. SUPPLY ROOM

Old barrels line the wallsalong with shelves ofmaterials. It appears to havebeen a storage or supplyroom. Almost everything isrotten. As you hold yourtorch high to see all, youquickly notice movement inthe far corner.

There are two giantcentipedes in this room. Oneis moving away amongst theshelves and barrels and theother is clinging to the wallabove the door as the partywalked in. It will drop downon the first person it can,attacking by surprise unlessthe party has takenprecautions. One half rottedcrate contains 20 iron spikes,another half a dozen unusedextremely dry torches.Lighting these will causethem to burst into flamesvery fast, causing 1-2 pts ofdamage to the personlighting them.

Stiles: F3

Atmour Class: 4(chainmail)

Hit points: 14

Damage: 1d8

Carries: ring ofprotection+1, longsword, 34gp, 16sp, 1gem worth100gp.

Goblin (5)

Atmour Class: 6

Hit Dice: 1-1

Hit points: 6, 5, 5, 4, 4

Movement: 90’ (30’)Attack: Shovels/

pick axesDamage: 1d6

Morale: 7

Carries: 2d12 cp and1d6 gp each

Zombies (3)

Atmour Class: 8

Hit Dice: 2

Hit points: 8, 7, 6

Movement: 90’ (30’)Attack: 1 claw

Carries: 12cp

Giant Centipedes (2)

Atmour Class: 9

Hit Dice: 1/2

Hit points: 3, 2

Movement: 60’ (20’)Attack: 1 bit

Damage: Poison

Morale: 7

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23. GREAT ROOM

This room appears to havebeen a great room or councilroom. A large table that stillstands in the center of theroom is covered by ages ofdust and debris. The chairshave rotted and fallen intodisrepair. A large fireplacesits behind the table head.

There is nothing of value inthis room. The collapse hasmade the stonework of thisfireplace very unstable andany searching and pokingaround will cause it tocollapse on the personcausing 1d6 points ofdamage. Allow a savingthrow vs. Paralysis/Turn toStone to avoid the fallingstone. A dwarf will be able totell upon examination thatthe stone is unstable. Thesecret door in the northeastcorner is -1 to find due to therisk of falling debris.

24. COMMON ROOM

Entering this room causes aracket as your light glints onbleached bone. Threeskeletons armed with shortswords, tattered clothinghanging from their bones,move towards you withreckless abandon each skullissuing a silent scream ofdisdain for the living…

The room was a commonroom of some sort;everything has been smashedor destroyed leaving onlysplinters of rotted woodeverywhere. The secret doorleading to area 25 has partlyrotted away making it +1 tofind.

25. A WAY OUT

The passage leads to a flightof stairs going up.

Up to the next landing theparty will disturb a nest ofstirges. They will attackimmediately. Searching theirnest, the stirges havecollected a few trinkets itappears. A golden earringworth 15gp and a silversignet ring worth 25gp byitself. This ring was long lostby a local prominent familyin the town, (the party willeasily recognize whom itwould belong to). Ifreturned, the family will givethe players 350gp.

The passageway continuesup another flight of stairsand you can feel fresh aircoming in from a opening tothe outside. The door is ofrock and at one time was

Skeletons (3)

Atmour Class: 7

Hit Dice: 1

Hit points: 6, 5, 5

Movement: 60’ (20’)Attack: 1

Damage: 1-6

Stirges (5)

Atmour Class: 7

Hit Dice: 1

Hit points: 4, 4, 3, 3, 2

Movement: 30’ (10’)Flying 180’(60’)

Attack: 1

Damage: 01/03/2015

Morale: 9

201


Find Bargle

perfectly balanced, howevernow it has shifted and looksextremely heavy.

It will take a combinedstrength of at least 40 points.to move this stone enoughfor characters to passthrough.

26. WIZARD’S BEDCHAMBER

Upon entering this room yousee a collapse in the farcorner, a smashed bed androtten furniture.

Searching the room willresult in the finding of asmall trap door in the floorthat will be easy to discern.Underneath this door is asmall recess dug into thefloor and a partially coveredchest! The chest is trappedwith a blade trap causing 1-2points of damage. Thepoison on the blade has longdried and lost its potency. Itappears the bottom of thechest has been under somewater at one time as it ispartially rotted. However,the chest is full of coins anda large book, 2 vials of liquidthat are potions. One isstrength, the other a potionof healing with 2 doses.There are 156 cp, 75 sp, 45ep and 40 gp. Also a smalloiled pouch with 25 pp in it

and 3 gems each worth 100gp.

The book is the wizard’sspell book and unfortunatelymany of the pages areruined. However, a fewspells can be recovered, withcareful handling. The bookwas wrapped in an oil clothso the damage is limited tothe part that was submerged.Four first-level spells andthree second level have beenpreserved (DMs can choosethe specific spells to fit theircampaign).

27. WIZARD’S STUDY

Entering this room you see ahuge collapse in the farcorner; a partially coveredand damaged fire place,tables and shelves smashedand destroyed along thecollapsed wall. Broken glasslitters the floor. A huge rockhas fallen from the ceilingand you can see a skeletonpartially buried underneathit. There is a translucentfigure of a human thatappears to be workingaround some other tablesand shelves.

Seeing the ghost thecharacters must save vs. fear(spells) or flee the place for1-4 turns. The ghost of thewizard is harmless. It will notacknowledge the character in

any way. Nor will thecharacters be able tocommunicate with it. On oneof the partially collapsedshelves is a large book - dustcovered, but well preservedand intact. It is metal boundwith a lock. If the charactershave found any clues aboutthe book they will recognizeit immediately. The bookcannot be opened withoutthe key Bargle has. The bookcannot be burned or ruinedwithout high level magic.This is the Book ofKnowledge and Wisdom.Unable to open it, the wizardsimply put it on the shelfwith the rest of the booksnot even knowing what hehad.

28. STATUE CAVE

The secret door moves hard.

You hear the soft drip ofwater further on and as youturn the corner a glimmeringstatue catches the light ofyour torches and lanterns.The statue is of a woman,however almost clear, and asif made of crystal. As the lightplays off the statue’s featuresyou can see it is the samewoman as in the frontentrance of the complex. Thedais she stands on is in themiddle of a pool of waterwithin a fountain base.

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Find Bargle

The statue is a water weird.Having heard the characterspassing through the secretdoor it assumed statue shapequickly. It has lived off thelife force of rodents for solong it can barely containitself in this form anticipatinga feast. If the characters aretruly observant they may seethe eyes actually move orbelieve they see themmoving. The old wizard hadcaptured this weird and keptit here for studies. He would“feed” it regularly but neverdid he get too close. Whiledangerous, this weird isrelativity week. If the playersget close enough to see whatis in the fountain, they aretoo close and the weirdattacks. The pool is only 4feet deep but clear and waterdrips from the ceiling tokeep it full. The bottom islittered with small rodentsand even human skeletons.There is no other treasure.

APPENDIX: THE

BOOK OF

KNOWLEDGE

AND WISDOM

[The Book of Knowledge andWisdom, found in Area 27 ofthe dungeon, is an artifactcrafted by the immortalsthemselves to store all theknowledge and wisdom theypossessed. It can be read byonly one individual at a timeand the contents of the bookchange to match its reader’scomprehension and ability. Itis never the same. A singleperson can read this bookhis whole life and continueto learn from it.

The book imbibes the readerwith wisdom and knowledgeat a rate of 1pt. per game

year, alternating each yearbetween wisdom andintelligence. For example:reading the book for twoyears adds 1 point to eachbasic ability). This requiresthe reader to spend at leastthe number of hours equalto their intelligence andwisdom combined per weekreading and studying thebook. It is a large bookweighing 20 lbs.

The one who possesses thekey is considered the“reader”; without the key thebook is impossible to use.Once a person starts readingthe book he is bound to it. If

Water Weird (1)

Atmour Class: 5

Hit Dice: 3*

Hit points: 12

Movement: 60’ (20’)Attack: 1

Damage: 1+drowning

203


Find Bargle

the key is given to another orstolen or lost, the originalreader will slowly be drivenmad, losing all wisdom andintelligence at the same ratehe gained it, but neverstopping, eventuallyreducing wisdom, andintelligence to nothing. Thebook cannot be left openafter reading. The reader willalways close it thus lockingit, desirous of keeping hisknowledge secret and safe.

There are only a few sagesthroughout the lands that

would have any detailedknowledge of this book.Many will have heard of itthough. One was made silentby Bargle. It is a wonderfuland frightening artifact. It isvaluable to a point butwithout the key the playerswill be hard pressed to find abuyer in any small town orvillage that would only givemore than 100 gp for it,especially if they do notknow what it actually is. Donot let the players knowwhat they have come intopossession of without

considerable seeking ofknowledge. This can be anongoing subplot if thecharacters decide to keep thebook. Bargle has the key andif Bargle finds out they havethe book he will doeverything in his power toobtain it.

REFERENCES

Frank Mentzer, Dungeons &Dragons Basic Set, TSR, 1983

http://www.thepiazza.org.uk/bb/index.php

http://www.pandius.com

204


Mystara Convention

Every Friday evening Overlord's membersgather in their headquarters, situated inPadua, to play one of the titles available inthe association’s extensive store of games orto try out new games proposed by members.

For information see the website:www.overlord.itand their Facebook page:www.facebook.com/circolooverlord

Over the first weekend of September 2015,Overlord will present the 26th annualGIOCAPADOVA. This long-running eventhosts tournaments, gaming tables, andspecial events free both for experts andanyone who wants to enter the world oftabletop, simulation, and strategy gaming.

Therefore we hope to be seeing you Saturdayand Sunday, the fifth and sixth of September,amid the picturesque setting of Ex FornaceCarotta in Padua. The former brickworks,beautifully restored into a multi-purposeevent center, is located near Padua’s historiccenter.

The 2015 GIOCAPADOVA convention willhost a special space dedicated to Mystara.

By Overlord Executive

Overlord is a gaming association founded in 1986with the goal to promote and spread “smart” games.

For almost thirty years, it has welcomed newcomersand fans of role-playing games, tabletop, simulation,and strategy games.

www.overlord.it

http://www.overlord.it

http://www.facebook.com/circolooverlord

http://www.facebook.com/circolooverlord

205


Mystara Convention

Genesis of the Italia Mystara

Group and the Mystara

Convention at GIOCAPADOVA

by Giuliano Michelon1

During recent years the increasingwidespread use of social networks, appliedto the RPG world, has enabled thousands ofD&D fans, including the Mystara gamesetting, to contact one another and create anactual network.

While this was possible in the past, throughnewsletters and bulletin boards, there is nodoubt that social media, with its real-timeimmediacy, besides wide and increasingdiffusion on mobile platforms such assmartphones and tablets, has contributed tothe sharp increase in popularity of gamingrelated networks. Thus, in a few short years,online groups and web pages dedicated toevery aspect of RPGs have been created.Many RPG authors have quickly realized thepotential these avenues can provide in termsof communicating and consolidating thebond uniting people everywhere, evenperfect strangers, through a shared passion.

Bruce Heard, who among them can beconsidered one of the creative founders ofthe classic D&D setting of Mystara, haslaunched one of the most influential andpopular groups: Mystara Reborn.

Joining Mystara Reborn led me tounderstand the dedication and fervor ofItalian fans at every level, supporting and

expanding the Mystara setting, which hasbeen bereft of official support for far toolong. The idea of creating a Facebook groupfor Italian fans of Mystara was therefore anatural progression, with the result being ahigh level of participation from the Italianmembers in the main forum. Mystara Italy,in just a few short months from itsconception, has already attracted over ahundred fans.

This September, the group will celebrate itsfirst anniversary. Therefore it seemed to mea great opportunity to be able to create,within GiocaPadova 2015, a special affair tocelebrate this upcoming event. The idea wasmet with great enthusiasm by groupmembers, and fresh ideas were added tomine outlining what could be done. Besidesthrowing a simple party or reunion, we’ll behosting more events resembling a Mini-Confocused on Mystara.

I will run at least one adventure at the eventas often as possible, allowing all interestedgamers to participate, and perhaps later jointhe group. I know others are thinking aboutrunning adventures, so stay tuned for moreinformation; and if you are a DM willing torun a Mystara game at the convention, feelfree to contact me on the Italia MystaraFacebook Group!

1 Founder of the I ta l ian Mystara FacebookGroup and Organizer of the Mystara Convent ionat GIOCAPADOVA for Circo lo Over lord

206


Artwork Sources and Credits

Frontcover:

[Cover Image: Norwold battle]Composed from “Battle of Stamford by Peter Nicolai Arbo, aPublic Domain painting available from Wilipedia Commons,and an original map of Norwold by Giampaolo Agosta andused with permission

Source

Page 5 [Image: Ericall, King of Norwold]Albrecht Dürer, Self-portrait in a Fur-Collared Robe, 1500[Public Domain] via Wikimedia Commons

Source

Pge 7 [Image: Lernal, Duke of Landfall]Anonymous painter of British School, Portrait of Richard IIIof England, 1520 [Public Domain] via Wikimedia Commons

Source

Page 9 [Image: The provinces of the Kingdom of Norwold]

The regions of Norwold, by Simone Neri (Zendrolion), 2014[Used with permission; based on maps from CM1 Test of theWarlord, M2 Vengeance of Alphaks, X11 Saga of theShadowlord, D&D Companion Set, Dawn of the Emperors,TM2 The Eastern Countries, Wrath of the Immortals, and onprevious maps by the author, G. Agosta, R. Dijkema, M.Fleet, B. Heard, and JTR]

Source

Page 10 [Image: High Admiral Dolnarys]J.C. de Jonge, from Geschiedenis van het NederlandscheZeewezen, vol. 6, ‘s Gravenhage, 1833 [Public Domain] inThe British Library (via Flickr)

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Page 10 [Image: Finnister McAlister]Hans Holbein the Younger, Sir Thomas More, 1527 [PublicDomain] via Wikimedia Commons

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Page 11 [Image: High General Martigan]Anonymous artist of the Veneto-Lombard school, Portrait ofa Young Nobleman, late 16th century, [Public Domain] viaWikimedia Commons

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Page 11 [Image: High Treasurer Nizanthrul]

Verein zur Verbreitung von Druckschriften fu rVolksbildung, froim Oesterreichische Geschichte fu r dasVolk, vol. 5, Wien, 1865 [Public Domain] in The BritishLibrary (via Flickr)

Source

Page 11 [Image: High Chancellor Oriaehryn]Albrecht Dürer, Self-portrait, 1493 [Public Domain] viaWikimedia Commons

Source

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/Arbo_-_Battle_of_Stamford_Bridge_%281870%29.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/Durer_selfporitrait.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/Richiii.jpg?uselang=it

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/42115075/Norwold_provinces.png

https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fbritishlibrary%2F11008651466%2Fin%2Falbum-72157638736552283%2F&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNEBrQ1XebWhWVod-VZNXrMCHRhI0Q

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hans_Holbein,_the_Younger_-_Sir_Thomas_More_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Portrait_of_a_Young_Nobleman_LACMA_39.12.16_(7_of_8).jpg?uselang=it

https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fbritishlibrary%2F11068435275%2Fin%2Falbum-72157638736552283%2F&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGoAzBqgtS8it3F2MEgni0ahmOt_g

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/Albrecht-self.jpg

207



Page 12 [Image: Governor Aendim]Giorgione, Self-portrait, 1500-1510 [Public Domain] viaWikimedia Commons

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Page 12 [Image: Aranthor, the King’s Scribe]Robert Campin, Portrait of a man, c. 1435 [Public Domain]via Wikimedia Commons

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Page 13 [Image: Kerana N'Jozee]Raphael, Woman with a veil, 1516 [Public Domain] viaWikimedia Commons

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Pge 15 [Image: Boyar Viktor hucharnov]Ernst Georg Grube, Boyar Boris Ivanovič Prozorovskyy,1694 [Public Domain] via Wikimedia Commons

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Page 44 [Image: The wedding feast of Nazariy Zhucharnov and NikaKolzakovna]Konstantin Makovsky, The Boyars' Wedding, 1883 [PublicDomain] via Wikimedia Commons

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http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Raphael.woman.600pix.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Lorenzo_di_credi%2C_ritratto_del_perugino.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Lorenzo_di_credi%2C_ritratto_del_perugino.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Boris_Prozorovskiy.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Boris_Prozorovskiy.jpg

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/42115075/Beriak_Alanira.jpg

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/42115075/Kerik.jpg

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/42115075/Kerik.jpg

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/42115075/Tralkar.jpg

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/42115075/Tralkar.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kniazia_i_boyare.jpg?uselang=it

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%D0%9A_%D0%95_%D0%9C%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0%91%D0%BE%D1%8F%D1%80%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D1%81%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%B1%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D0%BF%D0%B8%D1%80_%D0%B2_xvii_%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%BA%D0%B5_1883.jpg?uselang=it

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%D0%9A_%D0%95_%D0%9C%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0%91%D0%BE%D1%8F%D1%80%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D1%81%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%B1%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D0%BF%D0%B8%D1%80_%D0%B2_xvii_%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%BA%D0%B5_1883.jpg?uselang=it

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nikolai_Nevrev_disgraced_boyar.jpg?uselang=it

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nikolai_Nevrev_disgraced_boyar.jpg?uselang=it

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Page 53 [Image: Norse Longships land in Norwold]Nicholas Roerich, Guests from Overseas, from “The Beginningof Rus” series, 1901 [Public Domain], via Wikimedia Commons

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Page 56 [Image: Alak Dool]C. Cantù, from Grande illustrazione del Lombardo-Veneto etc.,Milano, 1858 [Public Domain], in The British Library (via Flickr)

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Page 67 [Image: Brogahn of the Steppes]Isidor Kaufmann, Portrait of a Jewish Man with a Black Caftan,before 1921 [Public Domain] via Wikimedia Commons

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Page 69 [Image: Celia]Bertalan Székely, Portrait of a woman, c. 1880 [Public Domain]via Wikimedia Commons

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Page 70 [Image: Claransa the Seer]Sandro Botticelli, Portrait of a young woman, probablySimonetta Vespucci, 1476-1480 [Public Domain] via WikimediaCommons

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Page 72 [Image: Delsel Oaktree]Nicolaes Maes, Portrait of a young man, 1678 [Public Domain]via Wikimedia Commons

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Page 76 [Image: Ernest Day]Hendrik Goltzius, Self-portrait, 1593-1594 [Public Domain] viaWikimedia Commons

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Page 78 [Image: Fergus the Justifier]Hans Holbein the Younger, Portrait of Bonifacius Amerbach,1519 [Public Domain] via Wikimedia Commons

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nicholas_Roerich,_Guests_from_Overseas.jpg

http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fcommons.wikimedia.org%2Fwiki%2FFile%3AErnest_Blanc-Garin_Portrait_of_a_young_Chinese_woman.jpg&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNENPbNuHM6EhzF2SDVnYbEVfm2eXw

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Isidor_Kaufmann-Portrait_of_a_Jewish_Man.jpg?uselang=it

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sz%C3%A9kely_Portrait_of_a_woman_c._1880.jpg?uselang=it

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Portrait_of_a_Young_Woman,_probably_Simonetta_Vespucci.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Portrait_of_a_young_man_-_Nicolaes_Maes_1678.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Portrait_of_Boniface_Amerbach,_by_Hans_Holbein_the_Younger.jpg

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Page 79 [Image: Geoffrey of Heldann]Hans Holbein the Younger, Portrait of Sir William Butts, 1543[Public Domain] via Wikimedia Commons

Source

Page 81 [Image: Hanz Vackelin]Parmigianino, Portrait of a man, 1528-1530 [Public Domain] viaWikimedia Commons

Source

Page 82 [Image: Isabella Kartuebius]Girolamo di Benvenuto, Portrait of a young woman, c. 1508[Public Domain] via Wikimedia Commons

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Page 85 [Image: Knolimer Knolin]Frans Hals, Portrait of Conradus Vietor, 1644 [Public Domain]via Wikimedia Commons

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Page 87 [Image: Longtooth]Anonymous, Portrait said to be of Jean Lafitte, early 19th century[Public Domain] via Wikimedia Commons

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Page 88 [Image: Luccy Dhay]Ramón Carazo Martinez, Portrait of a gitana, early 20th century[Public Domain] via Wikimedia Commons

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Page 90 [Image: Magdalena Lintaine]Alexandra von Berchholtz, Portrait of a young woman, 1863[Public Domain] via Wikimedia Commons

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Page 92 [Image: Maltus Fharo]Picture from F.G. Tomlins’ A History of England etc., vol. 1,London, 1857 [Public Domain] in The British Library (via Flickr)

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Page 93 [Image: Mark Acres]Jan Mostaert, Portrait of an African man, 1525-1530 [PublicDomain] via Wikimedia Commons

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Page 95 [Image: Max the First]Sebastiano del Piombo, Portrait of a man in armor, 1512 [PublicDomain] via Wikimedia Commons

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Page 97 [Image: Maximillian]Portrait of Joan d’Arc from A. Haggard’s Remarkable women ofFrance from 1431 to 1749, London, 1912, modified and coloredby Rinaldum [Public Domain] via Wikimedia Commons

Source

Pge 102 [Image: Niles Douglass]Picture from J.H. Billeder’s Det Oldenborgske Kongehus iDenmark, Kiøbenhavn, 1856 [Public Domain] in The BritishLibrary (via Flickr)

Source

Page 104 [Image: Ossian]Ambrosius Benson, Portrait of a man holding a book, c. 1530[Public Domain] via Wikimedia Commons

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http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hans_Holbein_d._J._062.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Parmigianino_-_Portrait_of_a_Man_-_WGA17040.jpg?uselang=it

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Girolamo_di_Benvenuto,_Portrait_of_a_Young_Woman,_c._1508,_National_Gallery_of_Art,_Washington.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Frans_Hals_-_Portrait_of_a_man_holding_a_book_in_both_hands.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anonymous_portrait_of_Jean_Lafitte,_early_19th_century,_Rosenberg_Library,_Galveston,_Texas.JPG

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ram%C3%B3n_Carazo_Martinez_Gitana.jpg

http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fcommons.wikimedia.org%2Fwiki%2FFile%3AAlexandra_van_Berckholtz_portrait.jpg%3Fuselang%3Dit&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNHGs7mO9PQRpOCrZHgnRre7TyWpYA

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:African_man_portrait_Mostaert.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Piombo_portrait_of_man_in_armor.jpg?uselang=it

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ambrosius_Benson_-_Portrait_of_a_man_holding_a_book.jpg

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Page 106 [Image: Quentin Jax]José de Ribera, Elias, 1638 [Public Domain] via WikimediaCommons

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Page 107 [Image: Quillan Elm-Grower]Pietro Perugino, Portrait of a young man, c. 1480 [PublicDomain] via Wikimedia Commons

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Page 110 [Image: Sandralane of Glantri]Joseph Karl Stieler, Portrait of Ernestine von Pfeffel, 1834 [PublicDomain] via Wikimedia Commons

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Page 112 [Image: Shariskan]Rembrandt, Man in armor, 1655 [Public Domain] via WikimediaCommons

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Page 114 [Image: Shebb Woolsey]Picture from La Vuelta al Mundo etc., vol. 2, Madrid, 1864[Public Domain] in The British Library (via Flickr)

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Page 117 [Image: Shuren]Joseph Karl Stieler, Portrait of Duke Maximilian Joseph vonWittelsbach Zweibrucken, unknown date [Public Domain] viaWikimedia Commons

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Page 125 [Image: Sieger von Duwn]Justus Sustermans, Portrait of a young man, 17th century [PublicDomain] via Wikimedia Commons

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Page 126 [Image: Siegfried Sixx]Unknown artist of French school, Portrait of a bearded manwearing a hat with a plume, c. 1550 [Public Domain] viaWikimedia Commons

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Page 128 [Image: Trent the White]Lucas Cranach the Elder (attributed), Beardless young man, c.1500 [Public Domain] via Wikimedia Commons

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Page 130 [Image: Weston the Tall]Rembrandt, Self-portrait in a velvet beret, 1634, modified bySimone Neri [Used with permissione; the original is PublicDomain] via Wikimedia Commons

Source

Page 132 [Image: Winnifred of the Lake]Raphael, Portrait of Doña Isabel de Requesens y Enríquez deCardona-Anglesola, c. 1518 [Public Domain] via WikimediaCommons

Source

Page 143 [Image: Dragon Head]Coat of Arms by I. Calvin [Used by permission of artist]

Page 146 [Image: Wyrmsteeth Map]Modified by Sturm from Robin D’s Detailed map ofNorthwestern Brun

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elias041.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pietro_Perugino_catA2.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tyutcheva.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rembrandt_Man_in_Armour.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Joseph_Karl_Stieler_-_Maximilian_Joseph,_Duke_in_Bavaria.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Justus_Sustermans_019.jpg?uselang=it

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Page 145 [Image: Wyrmsteeth Coat of Arms]Coat of Arms of the Breitbach Bürresheim family via Wikimediacommons.

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Page 147 [Image: Dragon in book]13° century manuscript via Wikimedia commons

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Page 150 [Image: Coat of Hkr’rhal]German coat of arms, via Wikimedia commons

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Page 151 [Image: Portrait of a dragon]Immaculate conception by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, dettaglio,via Wikimedia commons

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Page 155 [Image: Flight of Dragons]Augsburger Wunderzeichenbuch Folio 127 via Wikimediacommons

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Page 156 [Image: Banner of Aarl’lek]Dragon facing right via Wikimedia commons

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Page 157 [Image: Coat of Zilant]Klagenfurt city coat of arms via Wikimedia commons

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Page 159 [Image: Imprisoned souls]Souls on the Banks of the Acheron by Adolf Hirémy-Hirschl viaWikimedia commons

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Page 164 [Image: Dark Fairies appearing]Johann Heinrich Füssli, Macbeth and the Witches, via Wikimediacommons.

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Page 165 [Image: Map of Kundrak, Level 6]Original cartography by Francesco Defferrari

Page 169 [Image: Satyr]Mikhail Vrubel. Pan. 1899 via Wikimedia commons

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Page 170 [Image: Faery Ring]Fairy ring of Clitocybe nebularis ("Clouded Agaric"),photographed near Buchenberg in the Allgäu, via Wikimediacommons.

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Page 171 [Image: Dancing Fairies]Oberon, Titania and Puck with Fairies Dancing by William Blake,via Wikimedia commons.

Source

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/Armoiries_de_Breitbach_Buerresheim.svg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/Armoiries_de_Breitbach_Buerresheim.svg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Beowulf_dragon.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Beowulf_dragon.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wappen_Wurmlingen_(Rottenburg).SVG

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wappen_Wurmlingen_(Rottenburg).SVG

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tiepolo,_Giambattista_-_Die_Unbefleckte_Empf%C3%A4ngnis_-_1767_-_1768_-_Drachen.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tiepolo,_Giambattista_-_Die_Unbefleckte_Empf%C3%A4ngnis_-_1767_-_1768_-_Drachen.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Augsburger_Wunderzeichenbuch_%E2%80%94_Folio_127%3F_%E2%80%9EDrachen_%C3%BCbe_B%C3%B6hmen%E2%80%9C.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Augsburger_Wunderzeichenbuch_%E2%80%94_Folio_127%3F_%E2%80%9EDrachen_%C3%BCbe_B%C3%B6hmen%E2%80%9C.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dragon_-_2.png

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dragon_-_2.png

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wappen_at_klagenfurt.png

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wappen_at_klagenfurt.png

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Adolf_Hiremy-Hirschl%2C_Die_Seelen_des_Acheron.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Adolf_Hiremy-Hirschl%2C_Die_Seelen_des_Acheron.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fuseli_-_Macbeth_and_the_Witches.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fuseli_-_Macbeth_and_the_Witches.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vrubel_pan.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vrubel_pan.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hexenring_Nebelgrauer_Trichterling.JPG

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hexenring_Nebelgrauer_Trichterling.JPG

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oberon,_Titania_and_Puck_with_Fairies_Dancing._William_Blake._c.1786.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oberon,_Titania_and_Puck_with_Fairies_Dancing._William_Blake._c.1786.jpg

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Page 176 [Image: The Nixies]John William Waterhouse, Hylas and the Nymphs, via Wikimediacommons.

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Page 181 [Image: Queen Elienor]Cleopatra by John William Waterhouse, via Wikimedia commons

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Page 182 [Image: Mara]The magic circle by John William Waterhouse, via WikimediaCommons.

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Page 184 [Image: Kum]Old mountain troll by John Bauer via Wikimedia commons

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Page 185 [Image: The Sunless Sea]Leon Benett, Illustration from Jules Verne’s “The Green Ray”[Public Domain] via Wikimedia Commons

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Page 186 [Image: Repdal, Barimoor’s senior apprentice]Image taken from page 77 of 'A series of miscellaneous roughsketches of Oriental heads. [By C. Grant.]' [Public Domain] viaBritish Library on Flckr.com

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Page 190 [Image: Ethengarian Evil Spirit]Begtse, Protector of Mongolia and Mongolian Buddhism [Publicdomain] via Wikimedia Commons

Source

Pge 193 [Image: Bargle]William McAusland, Spellcasters set 1, S-1-14, [Used withpermission]

Page 195 [Image: Adventure Map]Trevor Holman, Find Bargle Adventure Map, based on previouswork from D&D Basic Set, TSR 1983.

Page 196 [Image: Dungeon Corridor]William McAusland, Dungeon Portals set 2, DP-2-4, [Used withpermission]

Page 197 [Image: Goblins]William McAusland, Sport Art set 1, SA-1-4, [Used withpermission]

Page 198 [Image: Stiles]William McAusland, Sport Art set 3, S-3-21, [Used withpermission]

Page 200 [Image: Skeleton]William McAusland, Sport Art set 1, SA-1-2 [Used with permission]

Page 201 [Image: The Book of Knowledge and Wisdom]William McAusland, Magic Items set 1, MI-1-32, [Used withpermission]

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Waterhouse_Hylas_and_the_Nymphs_Manchester_Art_Gallery_1896.15.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Waterhouse_Hylas_and_the_Nymphs_Manchester_Art_Gallery_1896.15.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cleopatra_-_John_William_Waterhouse.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cleopatra_-_John_William_Waterhouse.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_magic_circle,_by_John_William_Waterhouse.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_magic_circle,_by_John_William_Waterhouse.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ett_gammalt_bergtroll.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ett_gammalt_bergtroll.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%27The_Green_Ray%27_by_L%C3%A9on_Benett_43.jpg

https://www.flickr.com/photos/britishlibrary/11022081836/in/album-72157638736552283/

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Begtse_%28Mongolian_Thangka_Painting%29.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Begtse_%28Mongolian_Thangka_Painting%29.jpg

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Page 202 [Image: The Key]William McAusland, Sport Art set 4, SA-4-17, [Used withpermission]

Page 204 [Image: GIOCAPADOVA Convention]Image courtesy of A.S.D. Circolo Overlord, Padova, Italy

Page 204 [Image: Circolo Overlord]Image courtesy of A.S.D. Circolo Overlord, Padova, Italy

214


Next Issue

The Land of the Red Sun… the Eternal Sun.Drunken sailors tell tales in ports fromKarameikos to Alpha. Wild eyed fanatics in thestreets of Akesoli proclaim of hidden passagesthrough the rock and fire. Haunted whispersbeneath the boughs of Alfheim weave rumors ofpale elves from beneath the earth.

Few who hear the stories believe them… Fewerstill know the truth. The Red World is real, a landwith a harsh and eternally burning sun, wherethe Immortals secret away their playthings forsafe keeping.

Prepare to explore…

THE HOLLOW WORLD!

Anticipated contents include:

● Secrets of Blacklore● Player Options in Azca● Icevale Elves● Immortal Adventures● Koskatep Level 7

… and much much more...

Your Opinions?

The Editorial Team welcomes your feedbackon this issue of THRESHOLD are welcomed.Please post your comments either by postingin The Piazza Forums

Or by email to the Editorial address:[email protected]

Please begin the subject line with the tag“[LETTER]”

http://www.thepiazza.org.uk/bb/viewforum.php?f=3

mailto:[email protected]


Submission Guidelines

ProposalsAll proposal submissions can be sent by mailto the editors at the following [email protected], and must bereceived by the proposal deadline†. TheThreshold editorial team will contact youwithin 7 days of the proposal deadlineregarding the status of your proposal.

Submission proposals should be sent inlinein the mail, using the following subject format:[ISSUE#][Proposal]<title of your article>

The mail content should include the following:● Proposed article title● The type of article being proposed (short

story, adventure, geographical location,organization, etc...)

● A one paragraph description of what thearticle is about.

● An estimated word count of the article(articles should range anywhere from 1000to 7000 words, depending on the type ofarticle submitted).

ManuscriptsManuscripts should only be submitted afteryou proposal has been accepted by theThreshold editorial staff, and must be receivedby the manuscript deadline†. When submittinga manuscript file, please use the followingnaming convention:threshold_#_your_title.<extension>(extension: see below for recommended fileformats)and the following subject format:[ISSUE#][Manuscript]<title of your article>

The mail content should include the following:● The article title.● An attached document containing the

article contents.● The final word count of the article.

Other types of contributions: the editorialteam will consider on a case by case basisother types of contributions. Please contactus to inquire if and how we can accommodateunusual contribution formats.

The following guidelines apply to differenttypes of submissions:

Illustrations: please submit art and maps inlossless format (e.g., PNG).

Articles: manuscript submissions can be sentby mail as plain text, doc(x) or odt, or sharedas Google Doc. The issue editor will create ashared document (for each article) to allowthe author and editorial team to work on it.Articles can be as short as a single page, or aslong as 6 pages, depending on the specificcontent. The editorial team will do its best toaccommodate the contributions, butespecially long works may be split overseveral issues.

Tables: Tables should be numbered (TableX: Name of Table), and any references in thearticle should refer to that table number (andnot to "the table below," for example).

Author Bios: Please include a short blurb (oneor two sentences) biography/blurb aboutyourself for our "contributing authors"section. It can be serious or silly, but don'tget too carried away with it, please.

Other types of contributions: the editorialteam will consider on a case by case basisother types of contributions. Please contactus to inquire if and how we can accommodateunusual contribution formats.

†Refer to “Call for Contributions” (page 5)for next issue deadline dates.

#Insert relevant issue number in place of ‘#’

mailto:[email protected]

Warlords of Norwold

Threshold Magazine now concludes its exploration of Norwold,started in Issue 6 and continued in Issue 7, with a gallery ofNPCs to supplement the "Test of the Warlords" campaign.There is also the first part of an article on the Dragons of theWyrmsteeth.

Within this issue's pages, you will also find two new adventuremodules, including the next level of Koskatep, ThresholdMagazine's ongoing mega-dungeon and an expansion of theRed Box multiplayer mini-module

www.pandius.com [email protected]

The Mystara Magazine

mystara 'zine threshold #8

Documents